Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart

Professor Dr. Michael Braungart ist Gründer und wissenschaftlicher Geschäftsführer von BRAUNGART EPEA, ein internationales Umweltforschungs- und Beratungsinstitut mit Hauptsitz in Hamburg. Er ist Mitbegründer und wissenschaftlicher Leiter von McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) in Charlottesville, Virginia (USA), Mitbegründer und wissenschaftlicher Leiter des Hamburger Umweltinstituts e.V. (HUI) sowie Leiter von Braungart Consulting in Hamburg.

Kate Raworth & DEAL

Kate Raworth, a renown British economist, is internationally known for her pathbreaking concept "Donut Economy". She utilises it to connect social justice with ecological sustainability and shows how societies could flourish within the boundaries of our planet. Raworth teaches her innovative approaches at Oxford University and advises cities across the world about their practical transformation towards a sustainable economy.

Sigmar Gabriel

Sigmar Gabriel, former Vice Chancellor and SPD-chairman, today works as an advisor and chairman for the Atlantic Bridge. During his time as Minister for the Environment and for the Economy some of his most important points of focus were the German energy transition as well as climate safety initiatives and the EEG-reforms. His central achievements lie in translating sustainability into political realism and combining ecological goals with economic competitiveness.

Jessika Roswall

Jessika Roswall began her tenure as superintendent for the environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy on December 1st, 2024. Before being named as superintendent, she served as Sweden’s minister for EU-affairs from October 2022 to September 2024 and held the Swedish EU-chair on the council. Between 2010 and 2020, she was a member of the Swedish parliament, and from 2019 to 2020 she was the vice president of the board for EU-affairs. Jessika Roswell was born in 1972 in Sweden and has a degree in legal science from the Uppsala University. After achieving her degree in 2002, she worked as a lawyer until 2010.

Dr. Günther Bachmann

Dr. Günther Bachmann (born 1955, Berlin) is one of the leading minds of sustainable development in Germany. After studying landscape architecture and a doctorate in soil conservation, he worked within the German Federal Environment Agency and led the soil conversation sector. Between 2001 and 2020, he was the secretary general of the council for sustainable development for the federal government and initiated the German Sustainability Codex and the RENN-networks. Today, he is the chairman of the German Sustainability Award Foundation e.V. and dedicates himself toward effective strategies for a responsible and sustainable economy.

Dr. Olivia Henke

Dr. Olivia Henke holds a degree in geography and earned her doctorate from the Department of International Environmental Policy at the Free University of Berlin, with a thesis focusing on the voluntary carbon offset market in Germany and the impacts of voluntary climate protection projects on poverty. She possesses over 20 years of professional experience in the field of sustainable development—with an emphasis on human-environment relations—spanning areas such as sustainability management, domestic education, and development-related educational work. From 2011 to 2020, she served as Managing Director of the non-profit organization "Klima-Kollekte – Kirchlicher Kompensationsfonds" (Climate Collection – Church-based Compensation Fund), where she was responsible for establishing and subsequently expanding the CO2 offset fund. Since 2020, Dr. Olivia Henke has served as a board member of the Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation (Stiftung Allianz für Entwicklung und Klima).

Yvonne Zwick

Yvonne Zwick, a licensed theologist, is the chairwoman for BAUM e.V. She represents BAUM in the relevant stakeholder committees belonging to the federal government, which accompany the German sustainability strategy, and holds different council mandates. She was vice secretary general of the council for sustainable development and the leader of the German Sustainability Codex buero until 2020.

© Die Hoffotografen

Dr. Christine Lemaitre

Dr. Christine Lemaitre is the head of the DGNB department “System” and has been executive councillor since 2010. She is a part of the leading directors of the World Green Building Council and is currently the chairwoman of the Climate Positive Europe Alliance, as well as the Knowledge Foundation. Additionally, she is a member of the advisory council for building culture in Baden-Wuerttemberg, a member of the sustainability council of the central real estate commission e.V. and chairwoman of the board of directors of the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute.

Peter Hartmann

Peter Hartmann is the CFO of the PreZero Foundation KG, a business belonging to the Black Group in the solid waste management and recycling sector. Since 2018 he accompanies the international development of PreZero and is responsible for the finance strategy, integration and performance of the business group. Before that he was the acting CFO of Toensmeier GmbH & Co. KG, where he massively influenced the M&A-strategy and the growth of the business.

Sara Nuru

Sara Nuru ist Sozialunternehmerin, Model und Gründerin. Bekannt wurde sie 2009 als Gewinnerin von Germany’s Next Topmodel und nutzt ihre öffentliche Plattform, um sich für Fairness, Empowerment und nachhaltiges Wirtschaften mit Verantwortung einzusetzen – für sie gilt: Impact statt Image.

Gemeinsam mit ihrer Schwester Sali gründete sie das Social Business nuruCoffee, das fair gehandelten äthiopischen Kaffee vertreibt, sowie die gemeinnützige Organisation nuruWomen, die Frauen in Äthiopien Zugang zu Mikrokrediten und Bildung ermöglicht.

Als Botschafterin des Bundesministeriums für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) für den Fairen Handel setzt sie sich zudem für faire Handelsbedingungen, nachhaltige Lieferketten und wirtschaftliche Teilhabe ein.

Sara wird dafür bewundert, ihre Bekanntheit und ihre unternehmerische Kraft zu nutzen, um gesellschaftlich etwas zu bewegen. In ihren Vorträgen und Paneldiskussionen inspiriert sie dazu, Verantwortung zu übernehmen, den eigenen, authentischen Weg zu gehen und mit Mut und Haltung etwas zu bewegen.

Heute gilt sie als Stimme einer neuen Generation von Unternehmerinnen, die Sinn, Nachhaltigkeit und gesellschaftlichen Impact in den Mittelpunkt ihres Handelns stellt.

Sven Jarck

Sven Jarck is the founder and Managing Director of the Hamburg-based company caremare—a firm that develops sustainable, premium natural cosmetics featuring active marine ingredients and packaging made from upcycled ocean plastic.

Prior to this, Jarck spent over two decades at Scholz & Friends, serving as Managing Director, COO, and Partner. In these roles, he was responsible for establishing and leading several business units, with a focus on brand strategy, retail and consumer goods communication, as well as software development and process integration.

As an entrepreneur and brand strategist, Sven Jarck speaks on topics such as sustainable brand management, responsible consumption, and the future of conscious lifestyle brands.

Simon Haimerl

He is a trained plumbing, heating and air-conditioning technician (SHK) and hotel management graduate with his own hotel. Since 1 November 2025, he has been heading the training department at WOLF. Throughout his professional career, sustainability has always been a matter close to his heart, which has led him to successfully drive the topic forward in other companies as well – for example, he built up a sustainability team at HAIX and is now advancing it at WOLF.

Stefan Bastian

Stefan Bastian is Managing Director of ebm-papst neo in Dortmund, where he oversees strategy, sales, and international business development.

Holding a degree in automation engineering, he brings over 35 years of experience at the intersection of industry and IT. His background includes roles such as Global Director at Bosch Connected Industry, Vice President at CGI, and CEO of several software and technology companies.

His focus lies in developing digital business models and consistently aligning organizations toward customer value.

Stefan Schulze-Hausmann

Stefan Schulze-Hausmann is a lawyer, a journalist and a moderator. After studying legal science in Marburg and international stations, he founded the communications agency COMMENT in 1991. As a longtime moderator of science and future formats on ZDF and 3sat he connects media competency with social engagement. Schulze-Hausmann founded the German Sustainability Award in 2008, which he, as the chairman of the foundation German Sustainability Award e.V., still influences up to this day – with the goal to make development visible and strengthen responsibility as a social position.