2024 Speakers

Arjan Wals
Arjen Wals
Professor, UNESCO Chair & Writer
The Netherlands
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Sheila Darmos
Sheila Darmos
Regenerative Farmer
Founder, Southern Lights
Greece
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Yanniek Schoonhoven Regenerate Europe 2024 Speaker
Yanniek Schoonhoven
Regenerative Farmer
& Educator
Founder, Regeneration Academy
The Netherlands, Spain
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Irena Ateljevic
Irena Ateljevic
Scholar, Researcher
and Social Entrepreneur
Croatia
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Nilima Bhat
Nilima Bhat Distinguished Professor in Gender and Conscious Leadership, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
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Catarina Soares
Catarina Soares
Regenerative Development
Practitioner
Portugal
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Gabrielle_Kalkwijk

Gabrielle Kalkwijk
Former CEO of Ardo,
Regenerative Agriculture Advocate,
The Netherlands

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MarjoleinLRkleur_GreenBG
Marjolein Nagel
Leadership Coach &
Qigong Teacher
The Netherlands
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Brankica_Borovic_web_813x820
Brankica Borovic Founder, Viktoria Natural Cosmetics, Croatia
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Simon Kraemer
Simon Kraemer
Political Agroeconomist
Policy Advisor
Germany
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Mate Sucic, Chef
Mate Sucic
Award-winning Chef
Farmer
Restaurateur
Croatia
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Luis Ricardo Fernando Carril
Luis Ricardo Fernández Carril
Environmental Ethics &
Climate Change Policy Researcher
Mexico
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Mato Goravica, former oil tanker captain turned entrepreneur, vintner, olive oil grower

Mato Goravica
Merchant Navy Captain
Carob Farmer
Croatia

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Ivo Degn
Ivo Degn
Climate Farmers
Co-Founder
Austria, Spain
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Roman_Ozimec_Regenerate_Europe_2024
Roman Ozimec
Wildlife Biologist &
Agroecologist
Croatia
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Matteo Mazzola
Matteo Mazzola
Founder, Terra Organica,
Regenerative Agriculture
Practitioner & Instructor
Italy
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Ranko_Milic
Ranko Milić
Founder, Eupolis Group
CEDRA Cluster for Eco-Social Innovation
Croatia
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© 2024, Regenerate Europe – All rights reserved | Photo credits: Ana Marinov | Web development – Insieme | Web creative design – Tais Bean 
Contact Us: info@regenerateeurope.org
Arjan Wals

Dr. Arjen Wals is a Professor of Transformative Learning for Socio-Ecological Sustainability at Wageningen University, where he also serves as the UNESCO Chair of Social Learning and Sustainable Development. Additionally, he is a Guest Professor at the Norwegian University for the Life Sciences (NMBU) and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Gothenburg University in Sweden. His work emphasizes developing and evaluating learning environments that promote sustainable living through more relational, ethical, and critical approaches to knowledge and existence. Arjen regularly updates his blog at transformativelearning.nl, discussing advancements in sustainability education.

Sheila Darmos

Having graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in sociology in Germany, Sheila has been dedicated to creating structures that are actively contributing to the regeneration of all the systems -human and more-than-human- they are part of. Together with her cousin, Panos Darmos, she created The Southern Lights. Convinced that a cultural shift is necessary in business and the economy, she has helped apply living systems in her own family company, Silver Leaf, producing regeneratively sourced food. Sheila has experience working in several non-profit organizations concerned with animal rights, child labour, social enterprises and fair trade. The areas of her work in The Southern Lights are as diverse as the systems she seeks to create, spanning from group facilitation to project management, communication, design and gardening. She can be found constantly visiting and helping other eco-projects to learn, connect, observe and study. Seeking to animate synergistic relationships among eco-projects around Greece and beyond she co-initiated the REGEN network in 2019.

Yanniek Schoonhoven Regenerate Europe 2024 Speaker
Yanniek Schoonhoven is a co-founder, trainer and manager of international projects at the Regeneration Academy, a physical learning hub and model farm in the south of Spain – a space and community for practitioners, entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders in the field of regenerative agriculture and eco-system restoration. Yanniek holds a master degree in Environmental Sciences and has worked with farmers throughout Southern Spain for over 2 years as part of Commonland and AlVelAl. She also worked for AIESEC, an international youth leadership program that creates opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges around the world.
Irena Ateljevic

Dr. Irena Ateljevic, a Human Geography PhD from the University of Auckland, boasts a distinguished career spanning academia, policy advising, and social entrepreneurship. With teaching roles at Auckland University of Technology, Victoria University of Wellington, and Wageningen University, her academic journey has been rich and varied. Irena’s impactful research includes leading a tourism-identity study in China’s Yunnan Province and shaping sustainable tourism policies for Croatia, underpinned by her work with the UN World Tourism Organization.

In 2011, Irena pivoted from academia to spearhead transformative social-entrepreneurship initiatives. Her key projects include Terra Meera, a regeneration and human potential hub; Regenerate Europe, a platform for pan-European regeneration; SHE – Sibenik Hub for Ecology, focusing on organic farming and seed banking; and Phoenix Arbor, dedicated to human development and innovative action. 

A living example of applied regenerative methodologies, Irena educates, inspires, and sparks transformation in others as a mentor, insightful keynote speaker and a community builder. 

Nilima Bhat

Nilima Bhat

Distinguished Professor in Gender and Conscious Leadership and Faculty of Excellence at Tecnológico de Monterrey Mexico, Nilima Bhat is a leader in the fields of Personal Mastery, Leadership, Gender Equality and Wellbeing. Coauthor of two books, Shakti Leadership and My Cancer Is Me, she is currently also building 1) the Shakti Fellowship, with the University of San Diego and WIN, and teaching at Skolkovo FLOW, Russia with a mission to create 100,000 women changemakers by 2030. 2) the Truth & Reconciliation movement for healing collective trauma and leading harmonious interdependence at a planetary level. 3) the Shakti Kumbh, first-ever Kumbh Mela for spiritual traditions of the Divine Feminine, with an Integral Yogini Teacher Training Course.

www.shaktileadership.com

Catarina Soares

Catarina Soares

An experienced executive and educator guiding organizations on ESG and sustainability for over 15 years. With an MBA from INSEAD and recognized as a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader, Catarina serves as Adjunct Faculty at NOVA Business School. She has led strategy and change management initiatives across education, consulting, and industry – focused on energy and driving systems transformation.

Realizing the need for more conscious, regenerative approaches to how we live and work, Catarina made a decision to align her life with her purpose. She became a certified Regenerative Development Practitioner and Conscious Business Coach, and founded VV – Via da Vida. This community shares experiences and tools for embracing change toward more sustainable, fulfilling ways of life.

Gabrielle Kalkwijk is a former CEO of Ardo, a €1.4 billion Belgian  frozen produce leader. During her 4.5-year tenure, Gabrielle helped accelerate Ardo’s shift toward regenerative agriculture.

A Fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) veteran with a Wageningen University background, Gabrielle’s experience and achievements offer invaluable insights into effective leadership and change management, particularly regarding implementing regenerative agriculture practices at scale. Passionate about leadership and team development, her motto is “Achieving results by connecting people.”

MarjoleinLRkleur_GreenBG

Marjolein Nagel is a seasoned communications strategist and leadership coach with more than 30 years of (international) experience in the public sector. She has worked on gender issues, public housing and sustainability. Her connection to nature was deepened after a 5 months pilgrimage to Rome in 2014. Walking on centuries old mountain paths, she decided to become a true regenerative changemaker for the benefit of the whole. As a Qigong practitioner and teacher she experiences the importance of doing this from the inside out. Chi Neng Qigong is a holistic way of nourishing the body and the mind through daily meditating in movement.

Brankica Borovic along with her husband Paolo Alessandro Mari, is the driving force behind Viktoria Natural cosmetics. Fifteen years ago, they traded bustling Rome for the underdeveloped but peaceful Radučić, Croatia, leaving behind successful careers (Brankica as a project manager, Paolo with experience in EU-funded projects) to embrace a life dedicated to nature’s regenerative power.

With a Master’s in International Business and a diploma as a pharmaceutical technician and aromatherapist, Brankica’s passion for natural skincare shines through Viktoria Natural’s “farm to face” philosophy. They cultivate immortelle flowers and almond trees, operate a donkey milk farm – all to ensure the highest quality, most sustainable ingredients for their products.

Brankica’s story symbolizes courage to reinvent, re-educate, regenerate and course-correct regardless of societal norms. Viktoria Natural’s closed-loop production allows Brankica and Paolo to oversee every step of the journey, from cultivating raw materials to testing the final, carefully formulated products suitable for all skin types. 

Simon Kraemer

Simon Kraemer, Trained Political Agroeconomist and experienced Policy Advisor, Simon’s work centers on growing farmer and food agency, biocultural diversity, biogeochemical cycling and peace. Simon also acts as a coordinator and facilitator of the recently founded European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture.

Mate Sucic, Chef

Mate Sucic, the esteemed 2023 Gault & Millau Young Talent of the Year, has emerged as a notable figure in Croatian and European culinary world. Hailing from the quaint village of Mirlovic Zagora in the Dalmatian hinterland, Mate’s culinary journey, though global in achievement, remains faithfully local—rooted in his heritage and family farm. An integral part of the farm, Mate’s restaurant “Konoba Campanelo” serves as his culinary lab where fresh ingredients are expertly combined to elevate traditional Croatian cuisine with innovative, modern techniques. By staying true to his local roots and promoting regenerative practices, Mate has transformed Konoba Campanelo into more than just a dining destination—it’s a symbol of economic and cultural revival for his home village, blazing the path for other chefs and restaurateurs who are passionate about elevating the culinary arts while creating a positive impact on their communities.

Konoba Campanelo

Dr. Luis Ricardo Fernández Carril is an environmental ethics and climate change policy researcher, as well as a professor and Sustainability Officer at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico since 2014. As a lead author for the United Nations IPCC Working Group II, he contributed to the 6th Assessment Report on “Climate Resilient Development Pathways.” His career includes roles as legislative advisor and Chief of Staff for the Senate’s Special Commission on Climate Change (2015-2018). Dr. Fernández Carril’s research spans environmental governance, climate negotiations, adaptation, resilience, environmental ethics, climate justice, and education for sustainable development. 

Mato Goravica, former oil tanker captain turned entrepreneur, vintner, olive oil grower
Mato Goravica  In 2016, after a 15 year career as a merchant navy captain, Mato purchased an olive press and later expanded into cultivating olives, vineyards, and carob trees on his family’s fertile land. He pioneered carob processing in the region, creating high-quality products sold across Croatia and internationally as far as Malaysia. Mato’s venture, Obrt Bonita, stands as the only family-owned business on Šipan focused solely on agriculture and producing over 800 liters of olive oil and 9000 liters of wine annually, in addition to carob flour.
Mato’s dedication to his island and community is evident in his efforts to develop and promote local agriculture. His story is not just a tale of personal transformation but also one of contributing to the community and showcasing the potential of small-scale agriculture anywhere.
Ivo Degn

Ivo Degn

Roman Ozimec completed his postgraduate studies in Ecology at the University of Zagreb. He is an expert on research history, biodiversity, and the ecology of invertebrate fauna, especially subterranean fauna of the Dinarides. His work involves studying the taxonomy, biogeography, and bionomics of arachnids, beetles and caddisflies. Additionally, he studies seeds, agricultural product quality, and historical agriculture practices.

Matteo Mazzola is a leading practitioner of regenerative agriculture and founder of Terra Organica. As an instructor, he regularly conducts seminars on regenerative farming methodology both in Italy and internationally. Matteo works closely with agricultural enterprises as a trusted consultant, applying principles of nutraceuticals and agroecology to enhance soil health and ecosystem vitality.

He is a co-founder of ISIDE, a model regenerative farm and learning center focused on scaling best practices. Through his own operational experience combined with studies under experts across the field, Matteo has consolidated a holistic understanding of bioremediation and next generation land management. His expertise helps farms and communities restore the living systems that sustain abundant, nutritious food production.

Ranko Milić,  an electrical engineer specialized in automation science and cybernetics by training, Ranko co-founded several impact-driven enterprises, civil society organizations and clusters at the local, regional and EU level. During more than thirty years of experience designing multi-generational education from kindergarten to postgrad, including marginalized groups, Ranko has authored innovative curricula like Projectonautics implemented internationally. He also serves as an ambassador for the Social Innovation Exchange and has developed the “WisePlace framework”, a living blueprint for creating regenerative places that benefit all inhabitants through actualizing local economies in harmony with nature.