She-TECH roundtable – Female Tech Entrepreneurs by De-Tech project

A PhD student at the Estonian Business School, Hira is co-founder of Soyl Food and responsible for the strategic development and expansion plans of the company. Hira focuses on circular economy and innovation for her PhD thesis. She brings with her experience of working in innovation and impact within several industries and business verticals including agriculture, energy, circular economy and textiles. She has also been involved in establishing a number of business ventures that she has supported to grow and scale before exiting.

Prof. Dr. Tuba Esatbeyoglu, From Kernel to product, began her academic career by studying food chemistry at the Carolo-Wilhelmina Technical University in Braunschweig. She then completed her doctorate between 2006 and 2010 with a grade of “summa cum laude.” She completed her habilitation between 2010 and 2016, during which time she was awarded a teaching qualification in food science by the Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences at Christian Albrecht University in Kiel. Her habilitation thesis dealt with the analysis and gene regulatory activity of pigments and secondary plant compounds. She had a research stay at Wageningen University (in cooperation with ETH Zurich) in 2025. She then moved to the Max Rubner Institute in Karlsruhe, where she worked at the Institute for Safety and Quality in Fruit and Vegetables from 2016 to 2018. During this time, she was also a private lecturer at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg at the Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry. From 2019 to 2023, she was W2 professor for food development and quality at the Institute for Food Science and Human Nutrition at Leibniz University Hannover. In July and August 2022, Prof. Dr. Esatbeyoglu was also a visiting professor at the University of Queensland, at the Institute for Molecular Biosciences in Brisbane, Australia. Since 2023, she has been W3 Professor of Molecular Food Chemistry and Development and Head of the Institute of Food and One Health at Leibniz University Hannover.

María Sequeiros Rodríguez is the co-founder and CMO of Mad Materials, a Madrid-based biocreation center that researches and develops biomaterials for creative products and projects. An advertising creative by training, she is a Professor of Marketing & Entrepreneurship at Universidad Antonio de Nebrija and advises startups such as Bebé Políglota and Efinat on communications and marketing. From 2022 to 2024, she led communications at ACCU España, overseeing more than five conventions and three national congresses, and spearheading World IBD Day campaigns reaching up to 40 million impressions. Previously, she founded Kiddosity.com (2012–2019) and worked at leading agencies —DDB Chicago, Saatchi & Saatchi London, BBDO, and Bob Madrid—. Her work bridges creativity, sustainability, and business to drive purpose-led projects with measurable results.

Dr. Zeynep Erden holds a doctoral degree in Management from Sabancı University and has been a faculty member of İTÜ’s Faculty of Management, Department of Management Engineering, since 2006. In addition to her academic role, she co-founded the İTÜ GİNOVA Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where she served as Academic Director for eight years. During this time, she designed and facilitated numerous bootcamps, helping university students develop and advance their startup ideas. In addition to student activities, she, also, participated as the İTU coordinator/researcher in Erasmus + Projects on topics such as university industry relations; SME Growth; STEM valorisation and women entrepreneurship. Dr. Erden has also contributed as an external evaluator for entrepreneurship programs funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK TEYDEB). Dr. Erden believes that entrepreneurship education is about driving change and preparing young minds for the future. She sees her role increasingly as a facilitator of meaningful learning experiences. Since 2022, she has served as the academic advisor to the Changemaker Society at İTÜ, in her capacity as a Stanford University UIF Faculty Innovation Fellow.

Özlem Sertbaş is an architect and Real Estate Development specialist based in Istanbul. She completed her first Master’s degree in Construction Project Management at Istanbul Technical University and is currently pursuing a second Master’s in Real Estate Development at ITU. She has experience in design coordination and project management roles within architectural and real estate development projects. She is the founder of K-NOW Project, a deep-tech initiative developing a decision support platform that integrates Event-Driven Architecture and AI-driven forecasting models into real estate development workflows. She presented her work, “An Event-Driven Architecture in Real Estate Development,” at IGRS25, and she has also submitted a related research article focusing on forecasting methodologies in emerging real estate markets to an Emerald-indexed journal, currently under review. Her project was awarded in the EELISA Scientific Student Competition 2025, reflecting her aim to support more informed, transparent, and resilient development decisions in volatile economic environments.

Mónica Pérez Hurtado is an Entrepreneur, Educator, and Business Angel specializing in the human dimensions of digital transformation and the impact of AI. She combines over 15 years of executive experience in strategy and people areas with corporations like Pfizer and Barclays, and consultancy with Korn Ferry/Hay Group, with co-founding the SAAS company Experience Ahead. As an active investor, she is a Partner at WA4STEAM and has fostered 16 seed-stage STEAM investments since 2019. Mónica has been recognized as a Woman of Reference in Innovative Entrepreneurship by the Spanish Government, and regularly serves as a jury member and speaker at entrepreneurship forums and startup competitions like DES and Universo Startups. Academically, she is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and advanced courses on Employability and the Future of Work at universities including ESIC, CEU, and UPM, and holds an MBA alongside several programs in Digital Transformation and Startups Investment. Mónica is currently a PhD Candidate in Economics with a strong focus on entrepreneurship.

Hummex Analytics.

Anca Luca is an experienced professional with over a decade of expertise in community building, communication and marketing. As the Chief Growth Officer at InnovX, she focuses on developing new business opportunities and creating vibrant startup ecosystems. Anca's career spans significant roles, from leading brand and marketing initiatives in a multinational corporate setup, to playing a pivotal role within the social, educational and entrepreneurial projects she was entrusted with. She is dedicated to helping startups grow and succeed, leveraging her knowledge to build connections, drive engagement, and turn innovative ideas into successful ventures. Anca’s work is driven by a passion for supporting entrepreneurs and cultivating collaborative communities.

Stanislav Laktiš is Senior Project Manager at PEDAL Consulting, where he works at the intersection of innovation management, sustainable energy and decarbonization. He currently leads Open Horizons project, a Horizon Europe initiative accelerating women-led deep-tech and digital startups by bridging funding gaps and enabling collaboration with major international corporates. Previously, he contributed to national programmes on energy efficiency, renewable energy and the development of energy communities. Stanislav’s work focuses on enabling impactful clean-tech innovation and fostering inclusive, sustainable transition pathways across Europe.