2025 Fellowship

The Fellows

Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi

OpenMinds is a platform that helps safeguard elections by merging artificial and human intelligence to detect and counter disinformation targeting integrity. OpenMinds was established in 2022 to combat the impact of propaganda, with a particular focus on the Russo-Ukrainian war. Since then, OpenMinds has been empowering governments and research institutions worldwide with full-cycle information threat intelligence and response capabilities. Focusing on conflict zones and hard-to-reach regions, they build methods and technologies to study the impact of disinformation, establish communication channels to deliver effective countermeasures, and develop the AI-powered platform Pythia, enhanced by investigative journalists, behavioral scientists, and communications strategists. Over the last year alone, they applied their research insights in more than 350 communication campaigns, each reaching 200,000+ people.

OPENMINDS - UKRAINE

Mariam Kaulashvili-Southwell

Mariam Kaulashvili is a freelance digital marketing executive where she helps companies make the most of their digital marketing by taking some of the technological tasks off their hands while ensuring to leave enough time for companies to create valuable content. Mariam's project, Diatove, started as a Facebook group in April, coordinating protests against the foreign agent law and has since grown to over 200,000 members. In anticipation of the election, Mariam and her team launched the Observers Academy, a digital platform mobilizing thousands of election observers through online training sessions. The academy, officially launched on October 12, offered courses to Georgians interested in monitoring the election.

DIATOVE - GEORGIA

LexChain

LexChain aims to secure the rapidly digitizing information landscape in the Republic of Moldova by creating its own blockchain. This will ensure that government data is secure and cannot be attacked externally. The project focuses on promoting democracy by providing a secure informational space for the country's citizens. Team Members: • Adrian Manole, CEO: A 20-year-old passionate about creating impactful projects with experience in IT and business development. • Ștefan Bîstrițchi, COO: A cybersecurity student with hands-on experience in Python, AI, and blockchain, and a passion for innovation. • Liviu Mereacre, CTO: A second-year information security student with expertise as a cybersecurity analyst and strong hackathon performance. • Călin Brînzilă, CISO: A cybersecurity student specializing in network security and threat intelligence, with practical experience in local hackathons.

MOLDOVA

Anna Khachatryan

Anna is a software product manager from Armenia. With over 12 years of expertise across enterprise and startup environments, she has worked with international teams to create SaaS products with user-centric solutions. 2020 was a challenging year for the whole world and particularly difficult for Armenia: the pandemic, the military attack on Nagorno Karabakh, followed by snap parliamentary elections in 2021. During these intense times, Anna witnessed how an influx of fake news caused public confusion and panic, deepening the polarization in society and affecting her friends, family, and community. These incidents emphasized the urgent need for innovative approaches to enhance media literacy. Anna truly believes that modern technology can bridge the gaps in information awareness. This inspired her to create Havastie, a technological bridge between accountable journalism and the public. Havastie empowers individuals to effortlessly assess the accuracy of information and make informed decisions for a better democratic future.

HAVASTIE - ARMENIA

Danylo Dermenzhy

Univera is a secure and innovative digital voting platform designed for universities, student governments, and educational institutions. It ensures verifiable student authentication, secret ballot protection, and a seamless voting experience using advanced cryptographic security. Univera empowers student bodies with transparent and efficient election processes while also providing companies with insights into student engagement. Backed by strong metrics, university partnerships, and a clear growth roadmap, Univera is transforming the way student elections and governance are conducted, making democracy more accessible and trustworthy in educational environments.

UNIVERA - UKRAINE

Dropla

Dropla’s mission is to protect lives by creating a fully remote, innovative demining solution. Together, they are making the world safer, preserving lives, and ensuring the foundation of democracy remains strong - its people. Dropla develops advanced technological solutions to augment demining operations. Their innovative drone swarms, robotics, AI systems, and sensor fusion software accelerate mine action, saving lives and resources in Ukraine. They are bonded together with one goal: to see Ukraine without landmines not in 100+ years, but in 10. With expertise in AI/ML, robotics, and data analytics, they turn ambitious ideas into field-validated breakthroughs for the greater good.

UKRAINE

The Speakers

Alexsai Srourali

Alexsai, a Principal Data Scientist and AI Global Advisor, has established himself as a leading authority in the technology industry through his dedication to innovation and impact. He currently helms SocialLab Estonia as CEO and brings a robust academic foundation in business, computer science, and AI from MIT. This wide-ranging expertise has enabled him to navigate and contribute significantly to various AI applications. Recognized worldwide as a consultant, compelling keynote speaker, and entrepreneurial force behind several tech startups, Alexsai brings together his passion for technology and a steadfast commitment to solving real-world problems and global challenges, making him a notable presence in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

CEO AND AI LEAD– SOCIALLAB

Betsy Hoover

Betsy has spent the past 7 years running Higher Ground Labs. She founded the firm in 2017 and has built the political tech ecosystem through their work. Prior to HGL, she worked throughout the political space including as a founding partner at 270 Strategies and as the National Digital Organizing Director on the Obama Campaign. Her political work sat at the intersection of technology and politics. She has been recognized by Business Insider as “at the forefront of political innovation” and was featured on Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30: Law & Policy” list.

FOUNDER AND CEO - HIGHER GROUND LABS

Mathias Bay Lynggaard

Mathias Bay Lynggaard has unique expertise in Danish public affairs and international politics. He has worked as a journalist for more than a decade at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR. The last five years at DR he was the host of Denmark’s most popular current affairs radio program, Orientering. Before that he covered national politics and foreign affairs in various roles as reporter, analyst, editor and host. As a journalist Mathias extensively covered energy, tech, security and macroeconomic issues. He has been a designated reporter on several US presidential elections, Brexit, conflicts in the Middle East and has interviewed all current heads of the Danish political parties several times.

PROJECT MANAGER – RASMUSSEN GLOBAL

Nima Tisdall

Nima Tisdall, CEO and partner of Nordic Makers, is a powerhouse figure in the Danish startup ecosystem. Prior to her role at Nordic Makers, she co-founded Blue Lobster, a digital marketplace for sustainable seafood which was praised by President Barack Obama. Her experience spans wide, and she is a recognized leader in entrepreneurship, technology and sustainability. She is a valuable asset to the entrepreneurial community, locally and internationally. Among many things, she serves as a board member for GUDP, a significant annual fund supporting the development of new green technology in agriculture and fisheries and empowers the youth and female entrepreneurs through various initiatives. Nima's achievements have not gone unnoticed, as she has been recognized as one of the "100 most influential women in Denmark" by leading media-house, Berlingske.

CEO - NORDIC MAKERS

Jørn Larsen

Jørn Larsen is founder and CEO of Trifork, a Danish publicly traded company providing software solutions to government and financial services providers. Trifork is creator of the long-running GOTO Conferences and co-creator of QCon. Jørn believes that we can change the world with software by thinking smarter solutions that make life better and easier for everyone. He graduated from the University of Aalborg, DK in 1994. Since 1997, Jørn is involved in program committees for software development conferences all over the world including QCon London, GOTO Conferences and many more.

FOUNDER & CEO - TRIFORK

Stine Mølgaard Sørensen

Stine is an experienced entrepreneur and board member skilled in Strategic Affairs, Investor Relations, and Public Speaking. She founded her first company in 2013 and has been working with new technology and digital transformation for more than 13 years, both in a corporate global role and founding several tech startups where she led one to a successful Silicon Valley exit. Later, she co-founded Radiobotics, a health tech startup, bringing AI technology to hospitals. Today, she is a Partner at Alliance VC, sits on numerous boards, and further, she serves on the Innovation Fund Denmark's investment panel. Finally, she is a best-selling author with her book “F*ck It, Ship It,” about experimenting with new technology.

PARTNER - ALLIANCE VC

The Mentors

Marie Louise Gørvild

Marie is an experienced executive with 15+ years in the intersection of responsible technology, startups, and public policy in both the US and Europe. She was CEO of Techfestival and COO of Digital Hub Denmark. Today, she is Tech Policy Director at The Danish Society of Engineers (IDA). She has previously worked for Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom; the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in California and sustainability think tank Sustainia. She has held several appointments and board positions, namely at TEDxCopenhagen, the TechDK Commission, Common Collective, Massive Earth and Copenhagen University’s Tech Policy Committee. She is appointed by the previous government to the Danish Media Board for 2022-2025.

TECH POLICY DIRECTOR - IDA

Alexander Aghassipour

Alexander is the co-founder of Zendesk. Zendesk builds software for better customer relationships and was founded in Copenhagen in 2007. The company went public on NYSE in 2014. Prior to founding Zendesk, he consulted with global corporations about design, global strategy, and recruiting. Alexander also co-founded Araneum, the largest Danish-owned digital media agency.

CO-FOUDNER - ZENDESK

Daniel Dudas-Schwarz

With over 20 years of experience in communication, media, innovation, and technology, Daniel understands the intersection between human psychology and behavior, innovation and technology, customer needs and market trends. In the past 10 years, Daniel has focused on enabling solutions in Digital Health and AI within preventative health. He believes healthcare should be a human right and advocates for democratizing and decapitalizing the global healthcare industry, shifting the focus from “sickcare” to “healthcare.” In recent years, Daniel has pivoted to Regenerative Leadership, advocating for a new leadership paradigm based on natural ecosystems. He believes sustainability alone is insufficient; we need to design systems that not only maintain the status quo but also leave a better footprint for future generations. This regenerative leadership approach fosters cyclical regeneration, benefiting all parties involved, including employees, management, stakeholders and the environment.

REGENERATIVE LEADERSHIP COACH & BUSINESS STRATEGY CONSULTANT

Shakila Shaheen

Shakila Shaheen is a digital transformation expert and entrepreneur, specializing in AI, cybersecurity, and healthcare technology. As Founder & CEO of Envision Consulting, she helps public and private organizations drive innovation through emerging technologies. With a background in management consulting at Accenture and AI implementation at sundhed.dk, she has extensive experience in strategy, digital transformation, and project management. She also founded My Medical Gig, tackling healthcare workforce challenges. Committed to mentorship, Shakila has guided startups and young professionals through Women in Tech Denmark and Venture Cup Denmark. Her expertise spans AI, healthcare, and agile transformation, shaping industries for a tech-driven future.

FOUNDER AND CEO - ENVISION CONSULTING APS

Ann-Christine Roope

Ann-Christine is Founder of Ethan Partners, a global executive search company focused on the digital space. Ethan Partners has supported over 250 high growth companies and placed more than 3000 high profile candidates. Clients include among others Uber, Zalando, Airbnb and Goldman Sachs. Ann-Christine has supported some of the largest VC’s and PE’s globally with talent acquisition. Ann-Christine is also Co-Founder of InTech Founders, a European growth accelerator for diverse tech startups that are looking to scale internationally and attract investors, with the aim to promote diversity and inclusion in tech. She holds a Master in Marketing and Business Communication from Copenhagen Business School.

FOUNDER - ETHAN PARTNERS

Daniel Korski

Daniel Korski has over 20 years of experience in senior positions in government across the UK, EU, and the US. Daniel was most recently Deputy Head of Policy at No. 10 Downing Street and Special Advisor to David Cameron. Daniel was previously an adviser to the Vice-President of the European Commission and has previously worked for the UN and Foreign Office in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. In the private sector, Daniel co-founded and served as the CEO of PUBLIC, a venture capitalist firm focused on helping technology startups transform public services. He has also previously been Chairman and co-founder of the GovTech Summit, an event for the govtech sector. He is now a Senior Advisor at Knox Digital, CEO and Co-Founder of a Stealth Startup, and was previously Co-Owner and Director of Eva Health Technologies.

CEO & CO-FOUNDER - STEALTH STARTUP AND SENIOR ADVISOR - KNOX DIGITAL

Eco-system Partners

Our Partners play an indispensable part in enabling the Fellowship to fulfill its mission. We would like to thank each of them for their contribution to our important work.

Partners