Speakers Workforce Futures
European Food Workforce of the Future – Playball, or Playmakers?
Jonas Lazaro-Mojica
Policy Officer at the directorate general for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) F.3 Unit (Food)
Jonas Lazaro-Mojica holds a PhD in Food Science from the University of Leeds (United Kingdom) and currently serves as a Policy Officer at the European Commission within DG GROW (Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs), in Unit F.3 (Textiles, Food, Retail). His main responsibility is the review of food industry-oriented policies, with a strong focus on the needs of the agri-food sector. Jonas brings over 20 years of experience in the food industry, having held a variety of roles including chef, new product developer, laboratory manager, head of an R&D center, and manager of innovation strategy—primarily within the bakery sector. Prior to joining the Commission, he worked at FoodDrinkEurope, a Brussels-based organisation representing the interests of the European food and drink industry in the field of Research and Innovation. His core areas of expertise include EU food systems policy, innovation in the food industry, collaborative partnerships between academia and industry, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the food sector at the European level. Currently he coordinates the agri-food Pact for skills and the agri-food transition pathway platform.
Diana Verde Nieto
CEO, Edify Collectivene
Diana Verde Nieto is an internationally recognised entrepreneur, board adviser, and thought leader with over two decades of experience founding, scaling, and successfully exiting businesses.
She is the co-founder of Edify Collective, an AI-powered micro-learning platform that closes skill gaps fast. Edify Collective transforms existing content into modular, mobile-first learning and creates targeted new material to tackle critical needs. It is easy to track, built to engage, and constantly refined through learner insights. By blending entrepreneurial rigour, behavioural science, and cutting-edge technology, Edify Collective helps workforces adapt, learn, and thrive — turning learning into a true competitive advantage.
A Harvard Kennedy School alumna in Global Leadership & Public Policy, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and trained by former US Vice-President Al Gore, Diana brings clarity, energy, and a proven ability to turn vision into lasting advantage, making her and Edify Collective trusted partners for organisations determined to lead with purpose.
Iwona Kieda
Head Communications and International Affairs Office, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research Polish Academy of Sciences
Iwona Kieda heads Communications and International Affairs at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. She focuses on consumer-centric strategies to enhance public understanding of research and innovation in the food value chain. An alumna and current coordinator of the WE Lead Food programme in Poland, she champions women’s leadership in agri-food. Iwona also manages EIT Food education projects and serves on the board of the Science and Society Association.
Luke Hicks
The Associate Vice President for SkyHive by Cornerstone, a world-leading, AI-Powered Skills Intelligence
Perfect recipes for a skilled workforce
Bram Pareyt
R&D Director, Puratos
Bram Pareyt is Group Upstream R&D Director at Puratos, an international group that produces a complete portfolio of innovative products, raw materials and application expertise and services for bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers.
Linn Vande Populiere
Digital Communications Manager, EIT Food
Linn Vande Populiere is the Digital Communications Manager at EIT Food, where she combines her expertise in digital marketing and nutrition to shape conversations around healthier and more sustainable food systems. She began her career as a dietitian before transitioning into digital marketing, and now has over six years of experience managing digital channels, building communities and creating campaigns that spark engagement and deliver impact
Annick Verween
Biotope Director, VIB
Annick managers Biotope Ventures, bringing diverse, early #biotech teams impacting planetary health towards successful next investment round.
Isa Entenmann
Head of R&D, Viva la Faba GmbH
Food Scientist and Head of R&D at Viva la Faba, driving innovation in plant-based cheese. Alumni of M.Sc. Food Systems (EIT), bridging science and industry to scale sustainable flavour solutions, contributing to the future of food.
Liam Goldsworthy
Director, Product & Industry, EMEA Acre