Third speaker announcement

Mar 28

Our third speaker lineup brings another round of fresh perspectives and insightful conversations. From innovators to industry leaders, these speakers will share ideas, challenge thinking and inspire you. Here’s who’s joining us next:

**Guðmundur Fertram**
↪ Kerecis

Fertram is an Entrepreneur & Inventor, Unicorn Founder, Technology Evangelist & Oceans Advocate. Having founded and served as CEO of companies in financial technology and renewable energy, he went on to found and is currently the CEO of Kerecis, a biotechnology company that uses fish skin to heal human wounds.
Fertram was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021, Entrepreneur of the Year in Iceland in 2015, and Businessperson of the Year in Iceland in 2023. In 2024, he received the Export Achievement Award from the President of Iceland. Kerecis received the Icelandic Growth Symposium award for the fastest-growing company in Iceland in 2017 and 2020, as well as the Nordic Scale-Up Award in 2023. Kerecis became Iceland’s first unicorn in 2023 when it was sold to Denmark-based Coloplast for $1.3 billion.
He has received several innovation awards, including the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards from the President of Iceland in 2015 and 2018. Fertram and the technologies he has developed have been featured in Bloomberg and other media. With over 200 issued and pending patents, Fertram is one of Iceland’s most prolific inventors.
Fertram earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Iceland and an M.Eng. from the Technical University of Denmark.
Fertram is an advocate of the beauty and fragility of the oceans.

**Margrét Ormslev Ásgeirsdótti**
↪ Transition Labs

Margrét holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Iceland as well as an M.Sc. in Renewable Energy Systems and Policies from the School of Renewable Energy Science. Margrét is Head of Operations at Transition Labs, a private climate initiative that partners with high impact climate projects from around the world. Previous positions include senior management roles at Carbon Recycling International and Partner at Brunnur Ventures in addition to advising on business development, corporate finance, corporate banking, and corporate restructuring at Landsbankinn. Margrét has served on numerous boards, both in the private and public sector.

**Davíð Simonarson**
↪ Smitten

**David Simonarson** is the CEO and co-founder of Smitten, a next-gen dating app that blends dating, social, and gaming. With over a decade of experience in building consumer apps, he has successfully led Smitten through multiple funding rounds and strategic expansions, driving innovation in the online dating space.

**Heini Zachariassen**
↪ Vivino

**Heini** is Vivino’s Founder, Chairman, and Chief Evangelist. Credited with bringing a technology revolution to the wine industry, Heini founded Vivino because he was frustrated by not knowing which wine to buy. It’s been his passion project ever since. During his tenure as CEO, Vivino grew into a community of 60 million users, raised $221 million in funding, and rolled out a worldwide wine marketplace. Before starting Vivino, Heini co-founded several startups and was a part of building global internet and mobile security company BullGuard. Heini, who was named Entrepreneur of the Year by GP Bullhound in 2020. Heini and Vivino’s story is featured in an independent documentary, “Disrupting Wine, The Life of an Entrepreneur.” Heini also hosts the YouTube series Raw Startup, which offers candid advice for entrepreneurs and startups.

**Adam Gordon**

↪ GlacialEdge Advisory
**Adam Roy Gordon** is a corporate sustainability expert and CEO of GlacialEdge Advisory, where he advises corporate leaders on strategy, regulation, and risk. As the founding Executive Director of UN Global Compact USA, he built it into a driving force in the U.S. market, aligning businesses with global sustainability goals. He has worked with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), CDP, and Fortune 500 companies, shaping corporate climate action. A recognized thought leader, Adam has been named to the Environment + Energy Leader 100 and contributes to The Atlantic. He lectures at Columbia University’s Climate School, mentoring the next generation of sustainability leaders. His work bridges executive leadership, global impact, and academia to help businesses navigate sustainability’s most pressing challenges.

**Guðfinnur Sveinsson**
↪ Brineworks

CEO of Brineworks, he has spent the past decade working on climate solutions—investing in climate tech, founding an environmental NGO, and contributing through research and writing. He holds an MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and conducted climate policy research at the Earth Institute. Now, he leads Brineworks in pioneering CO2 extraction from seawater to accelerate the scale-up of sustainable e-fuel production.

**Bodil Sidén**
↪ Kost Capital

**Bodil Sidén** is General Partner at Copenhagen based Kost Capital, an early-stage VC with the mission to bring Better food for more people. Kost Capital invests in ingredients and enabling tech across Europe and does in-house company building together with the food development house Kost Studio. Among Kost’s investments are REST, Numi and Foreverland Foods.

**Anna Margrét Gunnarsdóttir**
↪ Altso

Founder of Altso communication agency, and co-founder of Icelandic marketing news site Herferd.is. Former press officer and corporate communications manager at H&M.

Destana Herring

↪ Regeneration.VC

Destana Herring is a Principal at Regeneration.VC and part of the firm’s founding team. He managed the investment analysis of fourteen of Fund 1's investments and both of Fund 2's recent investments. As a vocal Board Observer, Destana supports Meridia, an early-stage agro-commodity technology company empowering smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers across the Global South. For his perspective as an emerging ClimateTech investor, he's been featured at GreenBiz Circularity conference, VivaTech, Mashup in Malmö, TechBBQ, Grist, and more. Destana is based in Copenhagen, where he leads the firm’s activities across the Nordics.