Innovate4SDGs: Financing for Circular Start-ups in Emerging Markets

Dmitry Mariyasin is Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNECE. Earlier he was Resident Representative of UNDP in Armenia, and Regional Partnership Advisor and Team Leader in UNDP’s Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy covering Europe and CIS region. Mr. Mariyasin worked in the UNDP Regional Support Center in Bratislava, the Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS in New York; and the UNDP Country Office in Moscow. He holds a PHD in Economics from Moscow State University, a Masters in Public Administration degree from New York University, as well as a degree in public administration and one in international economics.

Luca Etter is Senior Policy Advisor and Focal Point for Private Sector Engagement at SDC. His main role is supporting SDC’s operational units and management whenever they engage with the private sector and coordinate SDC’s economy network. Luca has been with SDC for ten years, previously as Head of Domain in Tanzania and Program Manager for Private Sector Engagement in SDC’s Multilateral Division. Before joining SDC, Luca worked for the World Bank and Social Impact, a boutique development consulting firm. Luca holds a BA in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and an MPP from Georgetown University.

Pavan Sukhdev is a scientist by education, an international banker by training, and an environmental economist by passion. Years of work in sustainability and the invisible economics of nature led to his appointment to head the United Nations’ “Green Economy Initiative” and to lead the G8+5 study TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity). In his book ‘Corporation 2020’, Mr. Sukhdev describes four changes in micro-policy and regulation which can rapidly transform today’s corporation to deliver tomorrow’s green and equitable “economy of permanence”. As founder and CEO of GIST, his sustainability consulting firm, he works with asset managers, C-suite executives and senior government officials on transition techniques, with an emphasis on metrics for sustainability. GIST Impact launched two platforms for Corporate Sustainability at Davos 2020, for large corporations and a simpler version for SME’s in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Sukhdev is a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment Programme, promoting TEEB implementation and Inclusive Green Economy transitions. He has served on the boards of Conservation International (CI), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC), and on the TEEB Advisory Board. He has won several awards for his work including the Blue Planet Prize (2016) and the Tyler Prize (2020).

Santu Alexandra Boethius is the co-founder of Impact Hub Geneva and Impact Hub Lausanne, part of the global Impact Hub network of 25,000 impact entrepreneurs and innovators in over 100 cities around the world. She co-initiated the Accelerate2030 program in 2016 with her team and partners, scaling impacts in over 30 developing countries. She also co-initiated the Circular Economy Transition program, with a focus on Switzerland. She holds an MSc in political science from the London School of Economics and the University of St.Andrews.