Theme: Why not?

We all went through a stage when growing up where curiosity sparked…we started to question the norms and our most frequent question was “Why?” This curiosity might have driven our parents crazy but was a pivotal point in our development where we start learning more about the world, the things we can and can’t do and other common social norms. However, at some point for many of us asking the question of “why” starts to happen less frequently…but why does this happen and how can we change this?
Why Not, let others inspire us with their ideas that can change our lives and get more people to ask the question Why Not? and make a positive impact on the world.

Google Campus Madrid
Calle Moreno Nieto, 2.
Madrid, Madrid, 28005
Spain

Deborah McCauley

Founder and Executive Director of VIEW (Veterinary Initiative for Endangered Wildlife)

Dr. Deborah McCauley has been involved with wildlife disease surveillance, wildlife capture and immobilization, field surgery, field research, disease prevention and response. In addition to her work with VIEW in Nepal, Dr. McCauley has worked with wildlife organizations including Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wolverine Program, Montana’s Fish Wildlife and Parks and ZooMontana.

Diana Ruano

Head of Private Partnerships Spain, UN World Food Programme

Diana Ruano is a bilingual/bicultural (English/Spanish) international fundraiser with over 15 years of experience in both the private and nonprofit sector. Currently she develops and leads the private fundraising strategy for the United Nation´s World Food Programme in Spain. Previously at Daryl Upsall Consulting International, she successfully led a range of projects, including for UN agencies, major international and small NGOs in new market entry studies, implementation of fundraising strategies, and strategic reviews of current fundraising programs.

Eddy Travia

CEO at Coinsilium

Eddy is a pioneer investor and educator in blockchain technologies and the CEO of Coinsilium, the first blockchain investment firm to join a recognized stock exchange via an IPO. In June 2013 he conceived and led the world’s first virtual incubator of digital currency startups and was later recognized as one of the top 3 Most Influential Investors in the industry. An early believer in the profound impact blockchain technologies will have on IT, businesses and society in general Eddy advises company leaders around the world on blockchain strategy.

Eva Katharina Herber

Positive Psychology Practitioner and Strengths Coach

Eva is a Positive Psychology Practitioner and Strengths Coach, as well as a Trainer, Professorand Program Director for Applied Positive Psychology at the European Institute for Positive Psychology (IEPP), IE Business School and IE University. She assists her clients in the life-changing process of finding meaning in important life transitions. With Curiosity, Positivity and Unconditionality, Eva strives on building strength-based strategies that allow people to live great lives, reach their goals and experience more wellbeing.

Kamayani Gupta

Senior Life Sciences Consultant/ IE Business School MBA Candidate

Kamayani Gupta is a former Senior Life Sciences Consultant at IBM and Fulbright grantee and is currently an International MBA Candidate at IE Business School, located in Madrid, Spain. Her passion is bringing various disciplines together to produce dynamic, effective, and well-rounded solutions for increasing efficiency within emerging markets and alleviating poverty through Bottom of the Pyramid practices. In her free time, Kamayani loves to dance, volunteer at food security organizations, write for various news channels, and travel off the beaten path.

Luca Torre

Co-founder and co-CEO of GAWA Capital

Luca is the co-founder and co-CEO of GAWA Capital, Spain's leading impact investment firm, with more than €45 million under management in financial inclusion. He has spent most of the last 15 years working with and advising microfinance and financial institutions and SMEs. Prior to founding GAWA Capital, he was an investment banker for Credit Suisse's Latin America Financial Institutions Group, working on a variety of microfinance-related transactions.

Maria Sirotkina

Entrepreneur and EdTech Professional/ IE Business School MBA Graduate

IE MBA alumni and a co-founder of Jey STUDY, Russia's leading Educational consulting company, Maria has worked with EdTech startups advised a number of companies on Educational technologies. Maria is currently working on her new global community project for entrepreneurs that goes life in 2016.

Mark Esposito

Professor of Business and Economics

A Professor of Business and Economics, teaching at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education, IE Business School and Grenoble Ecole de Management. He co-founded the concepts of “Fast Expanding Markets”, “ Business 360” and “DRIVE”, that he uses for executive training, consulting and workshops. He is a Social Progress Imperative Fellow and a prolific author of 9 books, hundreds of articles and blogs.

Michelle Raymond

LGBT Folk Artist

Michelle is an award-winning American LGBT folk music artist located in Madrid who produces original music and distributes her content via online social media channels and through exciting live performances. Her original composition, "Change," was featured as the title song in a full-length feature film and earned a top-10 position in a national songwriting competition. The Michelle Raymond Band has opened for numerous international recording artists on the US Capitol's Concert Stage, performing in front of audiences of 250,000. In addition to music, Michelle is a community outreach and diversity inclusion activist having served on the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Corporate Certification Committee and helps raise money for LGBT and HIV/AIDS service organizations through performance donations.

Rolf Strom-Olsen

Professor, IE Business School

Originally from Montréal, Canada, Rolf Strom-Olsen earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania, his MA from McGill University and his PhD from Northwestern University, all in History. A former Fulbright scholar to Spain and Social Science Research Council Fellow, Rolf has been a Professor of Humanities at IE Business School and the Director of the IE Humanities Centre at IE University since 2010. His MOOC “Critical Perspectives one Management” has been available on the Coursera platform since the beginning of 2014.

Yetunde Hofmann

Founder & Director: Hofmann Leadership Consulting

Yetunde’s life’s work is helping people and organisation reach into all of who they are, so that they can bring all and every aspect of who they are fully into the world. She coaches individual leaders and leadership teams in the execution of change and the alignment of their teams and organisation behind them. She is also founder of The Enjoyable Life Series – a community organisation designed to help people in all walks of life discover their purpose and release their joy. Her goal is to impact 1mn people by 2020.