Sören Auer is Director of the Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology (TIB) and Professor of Data Science and Digital Libraries at Leibniz University Hannover. His research focuses on knowledge graphs and neuro-symbolic and agentic AI, together with their applications in science and industry. The founder of the Open Research Knowledge Graph (ORKG) and co-founder of DBpedia, he has led numerous large-scale European research and innovation initiatives. His current work is exploring how trusted data, structured knowledge and AI agents can be combined to create AI systems that are more reliable, explainable and autonomous.

Adam Pustelnik studied at the University of Lodz, the European Academy of Diplomacy and the University of Oxford, among others, He holds a master’s degree in law and another in international relations. His career to date has taken him to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Łódź City Hall and consultancy company Savills. During his stint at Łódź City Hall from 2015 to 2019, he served as Director of the Investor Service Office, where his responsibilities included leading the implementation of the Łódź development strategy, investor acquisition, the promotion of the city’s economic potential and international cooperation. He was installed as First Deputy Mayor of the City of Lodz in September 2020. His official duties encompass supervision of the Department of Planning and Economic Development and the Department of Asset Management.

Aleksandra Nowak is a digital identity specialist working at the intersection of technology, regulation and digital trust. At IDENTT, she leads initiatives focused on identity verification and fraud detection, helping organisations navigate the transition towards the European Digital Identity ecosystem. Her expertise includes the EUDI Wallet, biometrics, AI-driven identity solutions and the practical use of digital identity and electronic attestations of attributes in regulated industries.

Mirek Sopek’s background is in physics and he obtained his doctorate in the field of theoretical and quantum chemistry. He has been the elected chair of the University Council of Łódź University of Technology since 2021, actively supporting scientific development and collaboration between the academic and business worlds. He is also the founder and CEO of a start-up, Quantum Blockchains Inc., which is focused on quantum cryptography.

Professor Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek has studied the subject of well-being, happiness and pleasure for the past twenty years. Philosophically, she argues for the maximisation of pleasure and diminishing of pain among as many beings as possible and believes in helping others to live a good and enjoyable life on the basis of philosophical, psychological and neurobiological research. Her main research interest focuses on the thinking of late Victorian philosopher Henry Sidgwick. She has written two books with Peter Singer, "The Point of View of the Universe" (Oxford University Press, 2014) and "Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction" (Oxford University Press, 2017) and edited John Stuart Mill’s "Utilitarianism" (Norton, 2021). Her "The Philosophy of Pleasure", the first introductory text of its kind on the subject of pleasure, was published by Routledge in 2024. In the field of AI ethics, her work includes "AI and Consumers’ Well-Being", with Peter Singer, published in “The Cambridge Handbook of AI and Consumer Law” (October 2024) and, most recently, talks and lectures on AI and philosophy at Freedom Games (October 2025). When she discusses AI. It is usually in connection with our well-being. In addition to her academic work, she is keen to convey philosophical ideas to a wide audience, writing for popular magazines. She and Peter Singer began running a podcast, "Lives Well Lived", in May 2024, interviewing a remarkable line-up of guests, including Daniel Kahneman, Yuval Harari, Jane Goodall, Judy Collins, Neil de Grasse Tyson and Ingrid Newkirk.

Marek Obuchowski helps organisations leverage AI, automation and modern technology platforms to transform the way they work. As Chief Product Owner at PKO Leasing, he leads initiatives focused on intelligent automation, low-code development, robotic process automation and artificial intelligence. With a background ranging from enterprise infrastructure and IT operations to product management and AI strategy, his perspective is unique and connects technology innovation with real business outcomes. Marek is passionate about responsible AI adoption, building high-performing teams and turning complex technologies into practical solutions that create measurable business value.

An experienced IT and business leader, Mateusz Rakusa-Suszczewski has a strong background in international project coordination and digital transformation. As Renault Polska’s IS/IT Director for the CEE region, he drives technology strategies that enhance customer satisfaction, optimise business processes and ensure secure, data-driven operations. Combining his extensive expertise in project management, ITIL-based service delivery and managing geographically distributed teams, he successfully leads complex initiatives across diverse markets.

Mateusz Kijowski began his career at PwC as a data engineering consultant. Today, he specialises in modern data architectures, helping organisations build scalable, future-ready data platforms. Passionate about technology, he focuses on turning complex data challenges into innovative solutions.

Jacek Popko set out on his digital career in 1999. At heart a user experience professional and user advocate, by profession he is a consultant who helps businesses to innovate successfully. He has been with MakoLab for five years.

Piotr Ignaczak is an accomplished technology leader with over twenty years of experience driving innovation for global brands including Cisco, NTT, Orange, and Accenture. He holds an MSc in Computer Science from Lódź University of Technology and an Executive MBA from Warsaw University of Technology. Piotr currently holds the position of Chief Technology Officer at MakoLab, where he leads digital transformation initiatives and shapes the company’s strategic direction for technology.

Agnieszka Walczak-Karbowska helps organisations turn complex business and regulatory challenges into digital products that deliver measurable value for clients, customers and companies alike. As Chief Product Owner at PKO Leasing, she leads the Omnichannel Platform, which includes customer self-service applications, digital portals and Automarket.pl. Throughout a career that spans banking, enterprise software and financial services, she has been responsible for scaling digital platforms, leading international product organisations and delivering large-scale transformation initiatives. Before joining PKO Leasing, Agnieszka held senior leadership roles at mBank and Atlassian, where she combined product strategy, technology and regulatory expertise to build solutions used by millions of clients and customers across multiple markets. Agnieszka is passionate about building high-performing teams, developing in-house technology capabilities and creating products that make complex processes simple, accessible and effective.