Hanna-Kaisa is an experienced designer who graduated from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki (formerly University of Art and Design Helsinki, re-organized 2010). She also studied at the Royal College of Art in London. Throughout her career, Hanna-Kaisa has gained diverse experience in various multidisciplinary design roles within business and advocacy environments, including product and concept design. She has also served as the former chair of Ornamo Art and Design Finland. Hanna-Kaisa endorses design culture as a diverse and interdisciplinary ecosystem where professionals from various fields contribute their unique perspectives and skills to the larger whole. Currently, Hanna-Kaisa is a PhD Researcher advancing human-technology interaction (HTI) design. Her research employs fashion as a paradigm to gain a deeper understanding of emotions within sociotechnology, with a particular focus on emerging and transformational circumstances in the face of current disruptions. In addition, Hanna-Kaisa serves as the chair of the Design from Finland Brand Committee at the Association for Finnish Work, promoting the culture of Finnish design and emphasizes the importance of intangible work for Finland's success.

Louise Allen is the Head of Innovation and Development at the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and from 2014 was the Head of International Programmes for Irish Design 2015.

Her experience ranges across design, enterprise, contemporary art and craft, education, curation and innovation. In her various roles she has led on the strategic development for
 the design and craft sector, forged relationships nationally and internationally and has delivered several EU funded programmes.

Louise co-curated Liminal-Irish Design at the threshold, the flagship exhibition for Irish Design 2015 that toured to design weeks in Milan, New York and Eindhoven and in 2016 and 2017 the Global Irish Design Challenge and Second Skin which explored links between fashion consumption and production.

In October 2016 Louise was elected President of the World Crafts Council Europe who represent 29 craft organisations from 20 EU countries.

Louise holds a joint honours degree in Fine Art Print and Art History from the National College of Art and Design and a post-graduate diploma in European Cultural Project Management.

Founded in 1990 and recognised by UNESCO since 2011, Cumulus is the only global association and network to serve art and design education and research. It is a forum for partnership and transfer of knowledge and best practices around the world. Cumulus consists currently of 286 members from 57 countries.

Founded by the University of Art and Design in Helsinki (UIAH) (currently Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture) and the Royal College of Art in London, in co-operation with Danmarks Designskole, Gerrit Rietvelt Academy, Universität Gesamthochschule Essen and Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Wien initiated Cumulus as a network in 1990. They all had a common desire to enhance the quality of education through co-operation, student and teacher exchange within the European Union Erasmus programme.

Cumulus aims at building and maintaining a dynamic and flexible academic forum which would bring together top-level educational institutions from all over the world. Cumulus collaborates not only with institutions and organisations from the field of art, design and media; the encouragement of co-operation with industry and business is important as well.

Following current trends and demands, Cumulus offers wider international context for discussion and developments in education and research of art, design and media.

• Among the core tasks of Cumulus are the assistance to academic institutions of art, design and media in their development and in enhancing their contribution to society; promotion of a dialogue between Cumulus and international professional organisations such as World Design Organization (WDO), IFI, ico-D, BEDA and others; promotion of a dialogue between Cumulus and national and international academic institutions and associations; encouragement of co-operation between higher education networks in art, design and media and the development of effective networks; promotion of co-operation between academic institutions of higher education in art, design and media and the world of business; offers the Members of the Association the information about the educational, research and cultural policies of different countries and the EU; initiate joint projects such as competitions, exhibitions and awards to promote innovative work in art, design and media.  

To stimulate design actions, projects and research leading to a more sustainable society, Cumulus representatives signed the Kyoto Design Declaration in March 2008.

Assaad Awad (24-April-1974) a Spanish/Lebanese multidisciplinary artist based in Beirut, Lebanon.

14 years in the advertising industry pushed Assaad Awad out of the bubble, landing him in his workshops between Beirut and Madrid. It was an extraordinary move, as his peers described it.

His handcrafted leather and metal pieces were first showcased by the likes of Thierry Mugler, Balenciaga, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Teatro Real, Costume Museum Madrid in addition to numerous editorial appearances in Vogue…

Assaad Awad’s work is known to be artesian and vanguardist, respecting the quality and execution of every piece and designing luxury leatherworks, industrial accessories, and jewelry.

“In a world of copy/paste, we need to go back to the Handcrafted”

Fulvia has been the General Director of UNIC since 2016 and the CEO of LINEAPELLE (International Exhibition) since July 2017. She is also the CEO of ICEC (Institute of Certification) and a member of the Italian Leather Research Institute's management board (Stazione Sperimentale Pelli di Napoli). Fulvia has worked in the UNIC Group (a Confindustria Association) since 1973 in the areas of corporate strategy, marketing, and international marketing, assisting Italian tanning companies in their international expansion and managing external and institutional relations. 

She founded LP Fashion Studio, an innovative showroom devoted to emerging trends in leather fashion, and it provides a unique dynamic resource for all designers and researchers in the leather sector, particularly those concerned with the industry's sustainability. Fulvia has established and supported the tanning business by advocating and carrying out programmes and projects to make the industry more advanced, concerned with the environment, health, and the ethical economy.

Luisa Bocchietto graduated in Architecture at the Politecnico in Milano in 1985.

At the same time, she obtained the IED certificate - Milano for architectural interiors. 

Since then, with her own studio, she works both for public and private clients. She has carried out local projects focusing on development, urban renewal, residential construction, furniture, and events. 

She has curated exhibitions “Dcomedesign” (Turin-Italy,Alexandria-Egypt), “Pop Design” (Caraglio-Italy), “Compasso d'Oro Award” (Lima-Peru’, Bogotà-Colombia, Brussels-Belgium); Design and Sustainability (Berlin, 2019), “SustainabIlity” Wolfsonian Museum-Miami USA, (2021-2022).

Jury member in many international awards (IF, Red Dot, Interzum, Europe Design Award, Szidf, Golden Pin Design Award, CIDI Iberoamericana Interior Design, TIDA -Taipei International Design Award, POC Lille WDC 2020 France, Grand Prix du Design Canada, CGA – China). 

Scientific coordinator of the Design Week in Turin in 2017. 

Ambassador for IDD-Italian Design Day for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Barcelona (2017), Berlin (2018), Montreal (2019), and Vancouver (2021).

She has been President of ADI, the Industrial Design Association in Italy (2008-2014).

Board member of ICSID from 2013 (actually, WDO-World Design Organization). She became president of WDO - World Design Organization (WDO) (term 2017/2019). In fact, she is a senator for WDO.

Recently she was part of the Advisors Committee for Valencia World Design Capital 2022 and part of the Scientific Committee for the Candidacy of “Italian Art Cooking” at Unesco.

Cristiana is a serial entrepreneur, business mentor to over 100 firms, and business adviser to three companies. Her current goal is to lead the Romanian Tech Startups Association (ROTSA), a nonprofit and nongovernmental organisation based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania that connects startups, communities, and other relevant stakeholders in the startup ecosystem.

She had eight businesses before becoming a mother. Zalmotek, an IoT product development firm, Academia inventeaza, a STEAM-focused educational programme, and DeviceHub.net, an open-source ecosystem management platform for IoT, were among them.

Cristiana has over ten years of experience in business development and entrepreneurship. She has also participated in a number of programmes over the years, including Seedcamp (Coaching), Challenge UP, and the Hub:raum digital incubator. With her work, she earned the New Europe 100: East Europe's Emerging Technology Stars - Financial Times in 2017, the National Competition - Global Startup Awards in 2016, and the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2015.

Mrs. Mirela Bogyo – holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration and a Master’s degree in business development management. She also holds a number of certificates from known institutions on cluster management, SME instruction, developing entrepreneurial culture, etc. She has been cluster manager from the establishment of the cluster and has successfully implemented an EU project for integrating small and medium enterprises into value chains and clusters.

A firm believer of internationalization, she lead the cluster to becoming a member of the Balkan Cluster Network, to be present on the Cluster Collaboration platform and has numerous cooperation protocols signed with different, international clusters.

She is highly motivated to mentor young designers, so this year she participated with two young designers at Global Sustainable Fashion Week and promoted the idea of sustainable and circular fashion. She believes that creativity is at the heart of education. Re-fashion starts in schools was organized two times, this year and in 2017 to put the idea into practice.

Tirza Brems has worked for many years in the fashion and textile industries as a buying strategy manager and innovation expert for big Dutch brands. From Amsterdam, she develops sustainable solutions, concepts, and products. With the focus on creating new value chains and business models for the combination of crafts and the rising state of the art production methods in Europe.

Tirza works as an expert consultant on sustainability, circularity, high tech production, on-demand fashion, value chain modeling, and business intelligence systems. Founder of the zero-waste brand NITTO.Amsterdam and COO of New Industrial Order.