Next to chair of EVPA, Steven is also chair of EVPA’s Corporate Initiative. During his career, he has been working over 20 years with both executive teams of corporates to reshape their strategies towards an inclusive business, and social entreprises, to create impact at scale.

A leader in the social business movement, Saskia co-founded Yunus Social Business (YSB) together with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Sophie Eisenmann.

Luís Jerónimo works as Deputy Director at the Gulbenkian Integration and Social Cohesion Programme of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. He manages a portfolio of projects on social innovation and impact investing, including the first social impact bonds issued in Portugal and invested by the Foundation.

Christian Hänel is Senior Vice President Future Issues and Foundation Development at the Robert Bosch Stiftung. He brings almost two decades of experience in philanthropy in various management and advisory roles to the EVPA board. Christian has headed International Relations departments at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, developing and overseeing the foundation’s portfolio in America, Asia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Leslie Johnston is the CEO of Laudes Foundation (previously C&A). She joined C&A Foundation as its first Executive Director in August 2013 and brings over 20 years of management experience across multiple sectors, including smallholder agribusiness, entrepreneurship and corporate philanthropy. At C&A Foundation, Leslie led the development of the foundation’s first global vision, mission, and strategy, anchored on making fashion a force for good. She oversees team of over 50 people across 10 countries, working to improve lives and livelihoods across the foundation’s five signature programmes.

A trained economist with a 20-year track record at Telefónica, María Ángeles is the co-founder of Open Value Foundation, a non-profit with a hybrid model between traditional philanthropy and private capital investment. She is also the creative mind behind Global Social Impact, an Impact Investment Funds Manager designed to offer a more efficient and impactful way to support the most disadvantaged.

Dr. Filipe Santos is Dean at Católica-Lisbon School of Business & Economics and Visiting Professor at INSEAD.

Xavier Thauron has a 25 years experience in private equity after five years as SME banker, first in charge of growth capital in the PE structure of the French Banque Populaire Group where he was sponsor of the European Business and Innovation Network (EBN), then Head of Risks at Natixis Private Equity with a large diversified and international portfolio in Europe, Brazil, India and China.

Chris is currently a co-founder and Director of Sumerian Foundation and Sumerian Partners. In these roles, he both advises high net worth individuals, institutions and corporates (on how to maximise the impact of their programmes), and manages philanthropic capital (with a focus on deploying venture philanthropy to help social enterprises transition to scale in the UK and in Africa).

Karen Wilson is the Founder of GV Partners, a research and consulting firm focused on entrepreneurship, innovation and finance. Among other organizations, Karen has been working with the OECD since 2009 on topics related to entrepreneurship, finance and innovation. For the past several years, she has been leading the OECD work on social impact investment. She has been engaged in the venture philanthropy and social investment community for over a decade through involvement with EVPA and other organisations.

Karen Wilson is the Founder of GV Partners, a research and consulting firm focused on entrepreneurship, innovation and finance. Among other organizations, Karen has been working with the OECD since 2009 on topics related to entrepreneurship, finance and innovation. For the past several years, she has been leading the OECD work on social impact investment. She has been engaged in the venture philanthropy and social investment community for over a decade through involvement with EVPA and other organisations.

A leader in the social business movement, Saskia co-founded Yunus Social Business (YSB) together with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Sophie Eisenmann.

Christian Hänel is Senior Vice President Future Issues and Foundation Development at the Robert Bosch Stiftung. He brings almost two decades of experience in philanthropy in various management and advisory roles to the EVPA board. Christian has headed International Relations departments at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, developing and overseeing the foundation’s portfolio in America, Asia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Xavier Thauron has a 25 years experience in private equity after five years as SME banker, first in charge of growth capital in the PE structure of the French Banque Populaire Group where he was sponsor of the European Business and Innovation Network (EBN), then Head of Risks at Natixis Private Equity with a large diversified and international portfolio in Europe, Brazil, India and China.

Chris is currently a co-founder and Director of Sumerian Foundation and Sumerian Partners. In these roles, he both advises high net worth individuals, institutions and corporates (on how to maximise the impact of their programmes), and manages philanthropic capital (with a focus on deploying venture philanthropy to help social enterprises transition to scale in the UK and in Africa).

Together with Ashoka, Markus has founded the Financing Agency for Social Entrepreneurship (FASE) in Germany. FASE helps leading social enterprises across Europe in raising hybrid growth capital so that they can scale their social impact.

A trained economist with a 20-year track record at Telefónica, María Ángeles is the co-founder of Open Value Foundation, a non-profit with a hybrid model between traditional philanthropy and private capital investment. She is also the creative mind behind Global Social Impact, an Impact Investment Funds Manager designed to offer a more efficient and impactful way to support the most disadvantaged.