Founders Force

Barbora Werdmölder serves as the Managing Director of Czech Founders, the premier non-profit community connecting over 1,000 startup founders across Czechia. A respected voice in the European startup ecosystem, she actively shapes entrepreneurship policy through her roles in the European Startup Network and various NGO initiatives, with a particular focus on empowering young entrepreneurs.

Her extensive experience includes leading marketing operations at Uber across both Czech and Dutch markets, and successfully driving product innovation and expansion for multiple global startups such as FlexClub and Yolt. Demonstrating her commitment to social impact, she co-founded an NGO dedicated to reducing food waste. Her achievements have been recognized by Forbes, earning her a spot in their prestigious 30 Under 30 list.

Fabian leads design at Agile Robots AG in Munich, co‑founded to translate advanced robotics into practical, user‑centered systems for industrial and agricultural use  . With over a decade of experience in industrial design—first as an independent consultant and now driving product development—Fabian blends aesthetic sensibility, technical precision, and empathy to deliver robotics that users love.

At Agile Robots, he’s behind standout products like the Diana 7 robotic arm, which earned the prestigious iF Design Award for Industry/Tools—praised for its elegant form and agile performance, going from concept to prototype in just six months  . His role as a jury member for iF Design Award 2023 also highlights his respected position within the global design community.

In his current mission, Fabian champions collaborative innovation and mentorship—guiding students from institutes like Umeå Institute of Design, where his teams won Core77 awards in robotics design. His efforts demonstrate a commitment to nurturing the next wave of design talent and fostering smart, human-centered automation.

Erin Defosse is a purpose-driven executive, business and social entrepreneur whose passion is to start and grow ventures that make a meaningful impact in people’s lives. Erin began his career designing robotic spacecraft missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but quickly shifted into tech entrepreneurship. He has founded or served as an early executive at several successful companies, including Bazaarvoice (SaaS e-commerce) and Aceable (edtech), while also launching the Magellan International School, the only PreK-High School bilingual IB school in the United States. 

Today, he is the founder and CEO of Stellaris Education, a growing network of early childhood schools that champion humanity in the face of rapid technological and social change, and nurture curious, compassionate, and skilled risk-takers ready to meet the challenges of our time.

Joshin Raghubar is an impact technology entrepreneur and founder of iKineo Ventures, a venture builder growing companies like Adbot (SaaS) and Explore Sideways (travel and tourism). He chairs the Inves Group (digital assets) and was previously chair of Kena Health, focused on digital healthcare in Africa.

As chairperson of UVU Africa Group (formerly CITi), he leads initiatives for technology innovation and inclusive societies. This includes the Bandwidth Barn, Africa's pioneering tech incubator, and directorships at UVU Bio, Injini Edtech Accelerator, and Cape Town Tourism. His leadership roles include directorships at Africa Leadership Initiative and African Leadership Network. He is a fellow of multiple prestigious institutions including the Aspen Institute's Global Leaders Network, Yale World Fellows, and Skoll Foundation.

Joshin has a business science (honours) degree from the University of Cape Town, and a masters in development studies from the University of the Western Cape's Institute for Social Development.

Nina Formanek Jaganjacova is a seasoned tech and non-profit entrepreneur specializing in machine learning and AI applications in healthcare. As the founder of AurisOne and Sifty, she has demonstrated expertise in building and scaling innovative tech solutions. Her work focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence to transform healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. With a strong medical background and entrepreneurial mindset, Nina leads teams in developing cutting-edge products that bridge the gap between complex technology and practical healthcare applications. Nina is also an ambassador for proactive cancer treatment and book author of Stories About Cancer.

Tomas Milar is a visionary fintech founder leading the transformation of equity and corporate finance through real-time technology and AI. As the founder of Eqvista, he’s pioneering a new standard in equity management, with the goal of reaching $1 trillion in assets under administration. Eqvista currently serves over 20,000 companies ($80B in Assets under Administration), delivering real-time solutions for share issuance, valuations, and cap table management. In parallel, Tomas launched Cheqly, a digital-first neobank enabling startups to open U.S. business accounts remotely, with regulatory expansion underway in Hong Kong and Singapore. With a global footprint and a passion for empowering founders, Tomáš is building the infrastructure that supports startups from launch to scale—with speed, clarity, and confidence.

David Čaněk is the founder and CEO of Phrase, a leading translation management system that revolutionized the language industry. Under his leadership, Phrase grew from a bootstrapped startup to a global enterprise solution, ultimately achieving a successful exit in 2020 when it was acquired by Carlyle Group for over $100M. The platform is now used by thousands of customers worldwide, including many Fortune 500 companies. Prior to the acquisition, Phrase raised funding from notable investors and achieved significant market penetration in the translation technology space. David's entrepreneurial journey showcases his ability to identify market opportunities and scale B2B SaaS solutions globally.

As an active angel investor and venture partner, David has invested in over 15 early-stage startups across Europe, primarily focusing on B2B SaaS, developer tools, and AI-powered solutions. He serves as a mentor at several accelerators and regularly co-invests alongside leading European VCs, leveraging his operational expertise to help founders scale their businesses.

Andreas Stryz, CTO and co‑founder of FINN, is shaping the future of car subscriptions with a focus on efficiency, sustainability, and humility in leadership. Known for his mantra “Do it, do it, automate it”, he links automation directly to resource conservation and ecological responsibility.

His leadership style emphasizes small ego, strong teams, and balancing people with technology.Under his guidance, FINN has scaled rapidly, expanding from Germany into the U.S. market and building a fleet exceeding 25,000 vehicles. The company offsets all CO₂ emissions and invests in certified climate projects, positioning itself as a sustainability leader in mobility. By combining bold decision‑making with a values‑driven approach, Stryz has helped FINN differentiate in a competitive landscape and secure triple‑digit growth rates year over year. FINN Auto, German mobility scale-up, is currently valued at around $658 million.

As Co-founder and Director of Customer Relations at Clever Cloud, Clément Nivolle has been instrumental in building and scaling a leading European cloud platform since 2010. With deep technical roots and a customer-centric approach, he leads the customer relations strategy, ensuring enterprise clients successfully deploy and manage their applications on Clever Cloud's infrastructure. His expertise spans both the technical complexities of cloud computing and the nuanced requirements of enterprise customer success.

Erlend is the Co-founder and CEO of Secure Practice, a Norwegian cybersecurity company on a mission to empower people and reduce cyber risk by turning employees into active participants in a company’s security culture. With a strong belief that technology alone can’t solve security challenges, Erlend advocates for a human-centric approach—where awareness, behavior, and culture play a key role in reducing vulnerabilities.


Under Erlend’s leadership, Secure Practice has pioneered the use of gamified tools, personalized learning, and behavioral insights to foster a secure mindset across organizations. Their platform promotes empathetic security dialogue, delivering positive user experiences, relevant microlearning, and data-driven feedback to help companies cultivate real, lasting change in employee behaviors.


Erlend combines deep expertise in cybersecurity with a passion for usability and communication. He is a frequent speaker and advocate for making security accessible and actionable, and his work continues to bridge the gap between technical defenses and human behavior in the digital workplace.