Keynote Speakers
António Miguel Castro
Born in Vila Nova de Gaia, holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the University of Porto, a Postgraduate degree in Renewable Energy, and is an ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Auditor.
He also completed an executive program in Management at Nova School of Business and Economics. Currently pursuing a Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Nova School of Business and Economics.
He co-founded startups in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and smart cities, later serving as CEO. With over 12 years of dedication, he specialized in business development, technology, sustainability, and smart cities.
António Miguel Castro
He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Gaiurb, EM, since November 2019, and as President of Inovagaia – Centro de Incubação de Base Tecnológica de Vila Nova de Gaia, since October 2020.
He was also President of Régie Cooperativa GaiaFuturo from 2020 to 2021 and holds positions on the Council of Fiscal at the Portuguese Municipal Housing Association and the Advisory Board of BuildingSmart Portugal.
Karolien Van Riel
earned her Commercial Engineering degree from the University of Antwerp and has been a sustainability expert at AP University of Applied Sciences for many years.
Karolien Van Riel
Since 2012, Karolien has been associated with AP University of Applied Sciences, initially serving as the head of the Applied Informatics program, later as a lecturer, and since 2023, as the coordinator of research in circular innovation. Karolien has authored multiple books, showcasing her expertise in project management, economics, and sustainable entrepreneurship. She also serves as the chair of the sustainability working group at Businet, an international network of higher education institutions.
Leonel Leal Neto
Coordinator of the United Nations Development Program in Salvador – Bahia, Brazil.
Graduated in Administration, postgraduate in Business Management and Master in Development Management and International Cooperation. He was Secretary of International Relations at Salvador City Hall from 2005 to 2012, when he also served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor, from 2009 to 2010, and manager of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Office, from 2009 to 2012.
Leonel Leal Neto
He was vice-president of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in Bahia, member of the FIEB Foreign Trade Council and General Director of CEERI-Center for Studies and Strategies in International Relations. He is currently the Coordinator of the Project Office of the UNDP – United Nations Development Program in Salvador – Bahia and a professor at the Unijorge University Center since 1999.
Luís Moreira
Scientific Coordinator of the Insight - Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development, and an associate Professor at the Jean Piaget Polytechnic Institute of the North.
During the last 15 years he has been working on several research projects on cancer education, funded by private foundations and public agencies. He is one of the team members that introduced the innovative concept of training teachers to promote cancer prevention campaigns in schools and local communities, complemented by a comprehensive impact evaluation plan, based on cancer literacy data acquisition and management.
Luís Moreira
This disruptive Cancer Prevention Education model has been successfully adapted for different educational contexts in Portugal and the USA. The present activity is driven towards the characterization of cancer literacy needs through establishing databases that will allow the development of innovative education models targeted to health disparities of underserved populations.
Luís Moreira has an extensive experience as a scientific advisor, specialist in statistical data analysis and the use of statistical software in several scientific fields and has contributed with several scientific products to the scientific and professional community.
Paulo Rangel
Graduated in Law from the Faculty of Law of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, he is a lawyer by profession.
He teaches at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University in Porto, where he teaches Administrative Law and Constitutional Law and where he teaches Political Science. Since 2011, he has also taught the Executive MBA at the University of Porto Business School. He has been vice-president of the PSD since July 3, 2022. He was an MEP from 2009 to 2024, elected as head of the ticket in the European elections of 2009, 2014 and 2019. In the European Parliament, he was a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
Paulo Rangel
In his last term, he was part of the Delegation to the EU-Montenegro Parliamentary Stabilization and Association Committee, as well as the Delegation for Relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. He was the author of the report for the European Parliament's right of legislative initiative, approved in June 2022. In 2015, he was elected vice-president of the European People's Party. He was elected deputy to the Assembly of the Republic in 2005, in the 10th legislature, assuming the presidency of the PSD parliamentary group in June 2008. He was Assistant Secretary of State to the Minister of Justice in the XVI Constitutional Government, between July 2004 and March 2005.
Raquel Marques Mendes
Has the Sustainability course - Harvard business school for executives , the Master's degree in communication sciences - Catholic University of Lisbon. Postgraduate degree in political marketing - ISCEM and Bachelor's degree in English - German - Isla/Laureate International Universities.
With a career spanning over 28 years, she has amassed extensive expertise in European Affairs, Political Affairs, Stakeholder Management, Corporate Communication, and Brand Management. Throughout her professional journey, she has operated on a European and international scale, with a particular emphasis on her involvement with European institutions, providing her with valuable insights into EU-level policy and strategy developments in the energy sector, particularly focusing on renewable energy and climate policy.
Raquel Marques Mendes
Her involvement has allowed her to develop a comprehensive understanding of various EU-level networks by collaborating across different areas of the Energy sector, showcasing a profound knowledge of governmental and corporate landscapes while engaging with stakeholders from over 20 countries.
Raquel has actively engaged with the academic community by serving as a teacher for MSc-level students in renewable energy at Universidad Europea de Madrid and instructing on Corporate Diplomacy at ISCSP - Lisbon. She greatly appreciates the exchange of experiences and expertise with students, fostering a dynamic and innovative approach to diplomacy within the energy sector.
Her international corporate background, coupled with her ongoing connection to academia, equips her with the necessary tools to address a wide array of critical issues in complex and multinational scenarios.
Rodrigo Lobo
Has nearly 30 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience, including senior positions at Accenture and Coastal Technologies, lately acquired by DuPont, and co-owner, partner, and Executive Director of Tecnodata Educacional,an independent educational publishing company, and Tese Technology, a geo-technologies company, both based in Brazil.
Rodrigo Lobo
Rodrigo’s experience was primarily as general manager, strategy, and marketing manager. He has worked in more than 20 countries and has lived for six months or more in Brazil, The United States, England, Spain, and Argentina. Rodrigo is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Rodrigo is currently full-time business faculty at Montana State University, Billings, where he teaches Strategy and Entrepreneurship. His research stream is on innovation management, technology forecasting, and corporate strategy. Rodrigo holds a PhD from Positivo University in Brazil, and formerly was PhD visiting research scholar at Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he holds an MBA in International Management from Baldwin Wallace University, and graduate degrees in GIS and Marketing.
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