Julia is an Innovation Real Estate Director at PwC. Her areas of expertise include deals strategy, digital real estate consulting, new product development and startup collaboration. She co-founded the Austrian PropTech Initiative with top notch startup founders, co-initiated the European PropTech Initiative and co-founded the pan-european FUTURE: PropTech event platform. Julia is a start up mentor at MetaProp NYC, the leading PropTech accelerator with 70+ investments, member of the awards committee at MetaProp MIPIM, MIPIM worldwide PropTech ambassador, as well as part of the advisory board of the Real Estate Innovation Network at ExpoReal. She lectures at universities and is speaker at international conferences. In her career she supported hands-on PropTech start-ups to excel and raised funds for a hedge fund located on Wall Street and a venture capital firm in CEE, closed M&A deals and supported Seedcamp in deal sourcing. Julia has a finance MBA from Arthur D. Little School of Management in Boston, a Master in marketing from Hamburg University and a Bachelor in human resources from Hamburg University of economic and politics.

Aaron Block is an early stage investor with a passion for building high growth real estate and technology businesses. Aaron is Co-Founder and MD of MetaProp NYC (metaprop.org), the world’s premier real estate technology ("RETech" or "PropTech") nexus. The MetaProp NYC real estate technology accelerator is the leading growth program for early stage companies and is based in the heart of Silicon Alley. MetaProp NYC's team and strategic seed stage funds have invested in 60+ technology companies across the full real estate value chain that have raised more than $2 billion and employ over 1,500 people globally. MetaProp Advisors provides strategic advice, growth consulting, event management and market research for real estate companies that are serious about innovation. Previously, Aaron served as CEO of Chicago-based BayRu, LLC, a US-Russia ecommerce shopping and shipping specialist and eBay.com’s exclusive drop shipping partner for Russia/CIS consumers. By 2013, BayRu grew to become the 8th largest international online retailer in Russia, was #11 on the Inc5000 “Top 100 Retail Companies” list, and was named “Exporter of the Year” by the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Prior to BayRu, Aaron was an executive with commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield and oversaw more than 270 professionals as leader of the Chicago region. Aaron received numerous honors and awards during his real estate career including Top Producer, Most Creative Deal, Agency of the Year and Most Promising Brokerage Professional. Notably, Aaron completed the largest leasing deal in Russian history and the largest leasing deal of the year in Ukraine (2007).

Bartosz Dobrowolski helps his real estate partners build their competitive edge by leveraging data and using innovative technology. He's an Industry 4.0 believer and evangelist with over 15 years experience in software, vision development, innovative product design, sales, presales and business process optimisation. He spent the last two years in a Proptech startup deploying the solution in Brooklyn NY, Germany, UK, Poland. His Proptech adventure started several years ago after over 6 years in Fintech so the shift was natural and inevitable. As a consultant and a mentor, he worked for and collaborated with global organizations such as JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Crown Estate, Santander Consumer Bank, National Bank of Poland, Unilever, Coca-Cola, GE Money Bank, Daimler Chrysler, Jeronimo Martins, Polpharma, Volkswagen Bank Polska, Canal Plus, Business Link and more.

Robert Dobrzycki as Chief Executive Officer oversees the operations in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Romania and recently also in the United Kingdom where Panattoni merged to form a new development company, named First Panattoni, with a first phase capital facility of £300m to spend on new land purchases and speculative development in the UK. Dobrzycki opened Panattoni CEE’s operation in 2005 and under his management Panattoni Europe achieved the leading position on the Polish market and high brand recognition in Central Europe. During 12 years under Mr. Dobrzycki management Panattoni Europe developed in Poland over 4.7 million square meters of warehouse space out of existing stock of 13 million square meters. In 2018 Panattoni was named the most active developer in Europe by Property EU magazine. Currently, the portfolio managed by the Company in Europe is ca. 3 million square meters. Apart from Poland, Panattoni Europe has offices in the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Germany and Romania.

Courtney Fingar is the editor-in-chief of fDi Magazine, a specialist publication from the Financial Times, and the head of content for its associated data division, fDi Intelligence. markets. As a trained journalist, she has been on assignment to nearly 80 countries including on-the-ground reporting from Iraq in 2009-11. Before joining fDi in 2004, she served as the editor of Trade & Forfaiting Review, a London-based magazine focusing on trade finance. She worked previously as a journalist in Washington, DC. Ms. Fingar has a BA in journalism from the University of Alabama and an MSc in International and European Politics from the University of Edinburgh.

Jacek Jaśkowiak is a devoted community worker, sports activist, and former businessman. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where he also earned his postgraduate studies degree in accountancy, finance and taxation. He was awarded a scholarship from GFPS (Association for Student Exchange in Central and Eastern Europe) to the University of Bielefeld in Germany. He gained his professional experience in commercial companies in the 1990s. His past employment includes e.g. working for Dr. Jan Kulczyk at Kulczyk Tradex. From 1997 to 2014, he ran his own company, providing accountancy and advisory services to foreign entrepreneurs. Owing to his public activity, in 2010, he was appointed as a candidate for Mayor of Poznań, representing the urban movement My-Poznaniacy. He ran for the office of the Mayor of Poznań in 2014.

On 27 November 2015, Tadeusz Kościński was appointed Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Enterprise and Technology. Responsible for: the development and implementation of rules governing trade between the European Union and third states, issues related to economic security and supervising the provision of services related to electronic signature. Tadeusz Kościński is responsible for the implementation of European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument 2007-2013 and programs under the European Neighbourhood Instrument 2014-2020. He supervises tasks which are related to functions performed by the Minister in the capacity of a Certifying Authority. He has been working in the banking sector throughout his professional career. From 1997, he served as a director at Bank Zachodni WBK S.A. Previously, he had worked at Polski Bank Rozwoju S.A., Bank Przemysłowo-Handlowy, Bank Śląski and Bank Pomorski, and at two banks in London. He is a graduate of the Goldsmith’s University of London. The founder of the “Kresy Historii” Foundation. Tadeusz Kościński is fluent in English.

Del Markward has owned and operated Markward Group since 1995 as a real estate consulting, advisory, and brokerage firm. He has worked for some of the largest companies in the world, including IBM, CIGNA, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Microsoft, GE, GM, Chrysler, Dun and Bradstreet, amongst many others. Mr. Markward is a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) and is currently on the Board, Executive Committee, and is Global Treasurer. He also has been elected to be President of the organization for 2018. The SIOR network provides access to the brightest and most successful real estate brokers in the world, and gives access to best practices by clients and brokers in all aspects of corporate real estate. Del also founded Caracor, LLC, a real estate development and investment firm. Mr. Markward is a graduate of Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.

With extensive experience gained while working in the construction sector in Russia, as well as in Romania and Poland for a strong retail developer, Olga is a manager with more than 12 years of experience in the commercial property sector in Central and Eastern Europe. In the past she worked for, among others, Seracom International Group Russia, where she was responsible for establishment, management and development of the Moscow branch of the company. For Mayland Real Estate, she was responsible for development, communications and marketing operations of the company in Poland and Romania. Olga is a graduate of University of Bucharest and completed the postgraduate Real Estate Professional Executive Programme run by Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management and the Polish Council of Shopping Centres. Additionally, she holds the Professional Certificate in Management awarded by The Open University UK. She speaks Romanian, English, Russian and French. Now as Country Head of BNP Paribas Real Estate Romania, Olga contributes to a strong branch on the Romanian market, well connected and integrated within the CEE teams network.

Renata has many years of experience in real estate management, especially in the warehouse and industrial sector. Ten years ago she created the strong and reliable advisory agency, that has grown into today’s Axi Immo. Renata gained her experience working for developers and international real estate agencies. Renata is a President SIOR European Chapter and a member of the RICS. Together with her team she advises and represents clients in leasing, renegotiations, disposal and acquisition of commercial facilities. She has an MA from Warsaw University and a post graduate degree in Management & Valuation in Sheffield University in UK.

Graduate of law and international relations at the University of Łódź and European Academy of Diplomacy. Currently Director of the Investor Service and International Cooperation Bureau in the The City of Lodz Office, formerly employed at the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, as well as the Polish Parliament and owner of a business entity. He is specialised in the sphere of international politic relations and international law issues.

Pavle Radulović is an economist born in Podgorica in 1975. A lover of sports and music and he also plays the guitar. He graduated from the University in Belgrade, and started his professional career in Podgorica, working in several international organisations on projects funded by international institutions. He was Manager of the Capital of Podgorica, Advisor to the Executive Director at AD Jugopetrol and Commercial Director in AD Jugopetrol, Hellenic Petroleum Group. He managed many development and infrastructure projects.

Co-Founder and CEO of The Heart, European Center for Corporate-Startup Collaboration. Entrepreneur and business model innovation expert. He has almost two decades of experience working with corporate partners such as Mastercard, Ghelamco, Alior Bank, PKO BP, Philips, Orbis and more. Tomasz is a frequent speaker and workshop facilitator in the field of corporate-startup collaboration, innovation & entrepreneurship. Top rated (#1) Founder Institute mentor. The Heart is a single point of contact for corporate innovation leaders who want to engage with ready-to-scale startups in Europe and Israel.

Mr. Spencer is the President of the Board of Peakside Polonia Management. He is responsible for the asset management for Polonia II and two separate accounts, the origination and execution of new business in Poland/CEE, as well as, the managerial oversight of Peakside’s office in Warsaw. Prior to joining Peakside in 2012, he was the Co-Head/Managing Director of KSP Real Estate Investment Management. From 2005 to 2012, Mr. Spencer was active as Managing Director/Co-Head Europe and member of the Investment Committee with Heitman, directed the Portfolio Management for Heitman’s European Private Equity group and was the Portfolio Manager for Heitman European Property Partners IV. Mr. Spencer was also active in originating transactions and capital raising efforts as well as contributing to the strategic development of Heitman’s European platform. Prior to Heitman, he worked for ABP Investments ("ABP") in the Netherlands as Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. Spencer graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and real estate. He also has master's degree in real estate designation from the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Mr. Spencer holds a dual citizenship from the Netherlands and the United States, and is based in Warsaw, Poland.

Tomasz is a country manager for JLL in Poland, responsible for a business of 320+ people. Prior to this role, he headed up the CEE Capital Markets team (with responsibility for investment advisory services in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkan countries). Tomasz completed numerous high profile investment transactions, advising clients on acquiring or selling numerous properties, and portfolios of properties, in the CEE region. He has also a substantial track record in corporate finance, with the completion of a number of debt financing and structured equity financing mandates, including a recent EUR 1 billion private placement of retail and office portfolio in Poland, or a EUR 500 million office REIT IPO placed in the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Tomasz has also been actively supporting the development of the modern business services sector in Poland, advising and cooperating with major global companies from the industry. He has over 20 years' experience in the real estate market.

Head of content strategy and publishing and a founding partner of Emerging Europe, Andrew is trained as a journalist and a film director and has worked for broadcast and print media for over 15 years. Since the beginning of his career, he has covered business, investment, trade, macro-economy and political economy. He is a moderator and a panelist at national and international economic and business events, and a media commentator. Andrew’s main area of expertise is Central and Eastern Europe. He has authored and contributed to a number of international business, investment and trade-related publications, guides and reports, mainly about the CEE region. In 2014, he was awarded by the International Event and Visual Communication Association (EVCOM) for his coverage of a communications campaign UK Trade and Investment had run in CEE. Currently, Andrew is pursuing a PhD degree in nation branding.