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OUR TEAM
We're experienced and passionate about innovation and startups
Join our team for
an internship in
Marketing & Communications
Je vis actuellement une expérience incroyable au cœur de l’écosystème d’innovation genevois, où j’ai la chance d’apporter mes idées, de contribuer à des projets concrets et de collaborer avec des start-up, des institutions et des experts passionnés.
Si toi aussi tu veux apprendre, créer, et évoluer dans un environnement dynamique et une équipe bienveillante, n'hésite pas à postuler !
Alessia Barthollet, 2025 FONGIT Intern
INNOVATION IN ACTION
FONGIT is made for innovators by innovators.
Our team has all the skills necessary to support successful startups. We pride ourselves in a practical, hands-on approach which comes from real-life experience and 30 years of supporting startups.
Alessia Barthollet |
MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENT COORDINATOR
Alessia is a Marketing, Communications, and Event Coordinator at FONGIT, concurrently pursuing a Master’s degree in Management with a Marketing specialization at HEC Lausanne. She has experience in event management, digital communication, and data analysis. Passionate about digital strategies, she enjoys creating engaging experiences that blend creativity and performance.
Dr. Enrico Bergamini | STARTUP ANALYST
Enrico is a Startup Analyst at FONGIT, with a deep passion for technology, innovation, and sustainability. He is committed to empowering entrepreneurs and business leaders to convert their concepts into successful and sustainable ventures. Enrico's primary responsibilities at FONGIT include evaluating startups that apply for FONGIT support programs, such as innovation initiation and startup support, as well as analyzing applications to the FONGIT Innovation Fund. He is also a lecturer in sustainable entrepreneurship at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and a professor at Business School Lausanne (BSL). Enrico holds a Master's degree in aeronautical engineering from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and a PhD in management of technology from EPFL.
Caroline Coquerel | STARTUP COACH
As a startup coach at FONGIT & Innosuisse among 5 other organizations of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Caroline specializes business development, marketing & communication, structuration of organization, cashflow management, developing your network as well as guide you in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
With both scientific & business background, associating agronomy & food / data & spatial information / sustainability, topics she has a direct experience in developing projects & business development on 10+ countries, Caroline has been coaching & developing great collaborations, for 6 months to 6+ years, with 100+ entrepreneurs developing innovative projects with high potential, and from few hours to few months, with 550+ entrepreneurs. As a startup coach at FONGIT & Innosuisse among 5 other organizations of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Caroline specializes business development, marketing & communication, structuration of organization, cashflow management, developing your network as well as guide you in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
With both scientific & business background, associating agronomy & food / data & spatial information / sustainability, topics she has a direct experience in developing projects & business development on 10+ countries, Caroline has been coaching & developing great collaborations, for 6 months to 6+ years, with 100+ entrepreneurs developing innovative projects with high potential, and from few hours to few months, with 550+ entrepreneurs. As a startup coach at FONGIT & Innosuisse among 5 other organizations of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Caroline specializes business development, marketing & communication, structuration of organization, cashflow management, developing your network as well as guide you in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Dr. Christine Deuschel | SENIOR ADVISOR
Christine has more than 25 years of experience in pharma, biotech and medtech. She hold senior executive positions in start ups and served as VP of the board of Foundation Eclosion and as board members in diagnostic companies such as Biocartis SA, which raised M€ 100 in IPO. She spent 17 years at Debiopharm International SA becoming Senior VP, Project and Portfolio Management. Christine is currently involved in several start ups. She obtained a PhD in Chemistry of the University of Fribourg, followed by postdoctoral fellowship University of California Berkeley, and MBA of EPFL.
John Elbing | STARTUP COACH
John helps brands and founders stop being ignored. Creator of the Storybuilding method and author of the #1 international bestseller Storybuilding – Your Brand from Their Standpoint, he teaches companies how to resonate with their audience by flipping the perspective and building stories that connect.
With a background spanning software (MSc, EPFL), finance (MBA, Carnegie Mellon), and marketing (digital agencies), John bridges logic and emotion to unlock real business traction. He has launched two startups, coached hundreds of Swiss entrepreneurs through Innosuisse and other institutions, and delivers executive-level workshops via Standpoint.
John specializes in Value Proposition Design, Brand Positioning, and Narrative Strategy. He teaches at multiple universities and believes every strong idea deserves a story that sticks.
With a background spanning software (MSc, EPFL), finance (MBA, Carnegie Mellon), and marketing (digital agencies), John bridges logic and emotion to unlock real business traction. He has launched two startups, coached hundreds of Swiss entrepreneurs through Innosuisse and other institutions, and delivers executive-level workshops via Standpoint.
John specializes in Value Proposition Design, Brand Positioning, and Narrative Strategy. He teaches at multiple universities and believes every strong idea deserves a story that sticks.
Tamara Eyles | OFFICE MANAGER
Tamara is in charge of the office management, assuring the administrative support to startups during their growth process, guaranteeing a professional, pleasant and healthy work environment at FONGIT. She previously worked in healthcare, international medical equipment services and for a charitable foundation for women's education. Tamara studied behavioral psychology and is passionate about sports.
Igor Fisch, PhD |
CHAIR
Igor Fisch is Chair of FONGIT. Igor is also CEO and co-founder of NewBiologix, a start-up active in gene therapies. Formerly, he was CEO and co-founder of Selexis, a world-leading cell line development company. With a successful exit in 2017, Igor was instrumental in guiding Selexis to develop technologies that help biopharmaceutical companies manufacture biologic drugs such as monoclonal antibodies. Under his leadership, this resulted in 10 marketed products. He obtained his PhD at the University of Geneva and continued his postdoctoral studies under Nobel laureate, Prof. Sir Gregory Winter. Igor sits on the boards of Igyxos and Fluosphera.
Antonio Gambardella | DIRECTOR
Antonio joined FONGIT in 2014. He was previously the founding partner of a venture capital fund investing in technology, with headquarters in Switzerland, Italy and California. During this experience, he managed incubator activities for seed startups. Later, he made direct investments in innovative small-medium companies in Europe, with active roles in management and board of directors. Antonio holds a degree in Economics at Bocconi University in Milan (Italy) and he attended Singularity University in California.
Dr. Bolko Hohaus | STARTUP COACH
Bolko is a data scientist and economist by education. He has more than 20 years of investment experience in leading positions at companies including Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Allianz Global Investors, focussing on cutting edge technologies. Bolko is founder and CEO of HCP, an innovative Swiss asset manager based in the Geneva region. He is also active as business angel and a board member in the Swiss tech business angel club SICTIC. Bolko is a fintech coach for Innosuisse, based at FONGIT.
Simon Johnson | STARTUP COACH
Simon is passionate about technologies that are going to change our daily lives. He has been creating, working for, funding, training, and coaching disruptive startups for over 20 years. His focus is ITC, material sciences, aerospace, and robots (especially those that can fly). He studied computer science with electronic engineering in London (UCL) and started his career selling Hewlett Packard Test & Measurement equipment in Africa and the Middle East.
Jean-Philippe Lallement | STARTUP COACH
Jean-Philippe brings over 25 years of extensive experience in entrepreneurship and general management, with a strong focus on the ICT sector.
He played a pivotal role in establishing a spin-off of a global leader in telecommunications and IT services, which achieved multi-billion-euro revenues and market valuation. In this capacity, he managed a €200 million business line. Following this success, he co-founded two high-tech startups, further solidifying his entrepreneurial expertise. From 2008 to 2024, Jean-Philippe led the growth of the EPFL Innovation Park, a thriving hub now home to over 300 high-tech companies. Under his leadership, the Park experienced grew significantly and launched several leading acceleration programs for startups.
As an Innosuisse coach and mentor since 2008, Jean-Philippe has supported dozens of startups, offering strategic guidance and hands-on expertise. He serves on several Boards and Advisory Boards of scale-ups and is the Executive Chairman of Prediggo SA, a spin-off of EPFL’s AI lab.
Jean-Philippe holds a Master’s degree in IT and telecommunications from École Polytechnique (Paris) and Télécom ParisTech in France, as well as an MBA from INSEAD.
He played a pivotal role in establishing a spin-off of a global leader in telecommunications and IT services, which achieved multi-billion-euro revenues and market valuation. In this capacity, he managed a €200 million business line. Following this success, he co-founded two high-tech startups, further solidifying his entrepreneurial expertise. From 2008 to 2024, Jean-Philippe led the growth of the EPFL Innovation Park, a thriving hub now home to over 300 high-tech companies. Under his leadership, the Park experienced grew significantly and launched several leading acceleration programs for startups.
As an Innosuisse coach and mentor since 2008, Jean-Philippe has supported dozens of startups, offering strategic guidance and hands-on expertise. He serves on several Boards and Advisory Boards of scale-ups and is the Executive Chairman of Prediggo SA, a spin-off of EPFL’s AI lab.
Jean-Philippe holds a Master’s degree in IT and telecommunications from École Polytechnique (Paris) and Télécom ParisTech in France, as well as an MBA from INSEAD.
Dr. Wilma Lukas | SENIOR ADVISOR & COACH
Wilma (PhD, MBA) is a Senior Advisor and Coach at FONGIT.
She has has over 25 years of experience in drug discovery, R&D, licensing and business development gained in the pharmaceutical industry at GSK, Merck or Debiopharm.
As Founder and Managing Director at W Life Sciences, she provides strategic advice and expert scientific opinion to start-ups, biotech or medtech companies.
She is also acting as an Expert at Innosuisse, Consultant for eMBA at HEC/UNIL, at
SNSF and Associate Partner at <bba>, a strategic consultancy company.
She has has over 25 years of experience in drug discovery, R&D, licensing and business development gained in the pharmaceutical industry at GSK, Merck or Debiopharm.
As Founder and Managing Director at W Life Sciences, she provides strategic advice and expert scientific opinion to start-ups, biotech or medtech companies.
She is also acting as an Expert at Innosuisse, Consultant for eMBA at HEC/UNIL, at
SNSF and Associate Partner at <bba>, a strategic consultancy company.
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