OUR TEAM
Passionate about innovation and startups
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.
Igor Fisch, PhD
Chair
Igor Fisch is President 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.
Monica Malcarne
Vice Chair
Monica Malcarne is the Vice President and General Secretary of Fongit. She is also Vice President of Labcorp. Monica joined Labcorp 27 years ago with her Master of Art degree in Political Science. Prior to holding non-laboratory-based operations roles, Monica progressed through various leadership positions, including Vice President for Sample Operations, Director of Global Laboratory Support Services, General Management and Manager of customer and technical services. She also remodeled the BioRepository Services, pioneered the Expanded Lab Management Solutions, and executed the deployment of automation in Operations. She is committed to entrepreneurship via Génération Entrepreneur and women in leadership. Monica worked in many countries including Switzerland, the US, China and the Netherlands.
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. James H. Miners
Head of Startup and Innovation Programs
James is an international innovator who has made the journey from scientist to startup and now supports fellow entrepreneurs, catalyzing their success. He has set up and managed deeptech startups in cleantech, materials, energy and advanced engineering. Passionate about transforming technology into product, James brings 20+ years experience of leading value creation in startups and multinational companies. James is an Innosuisse Expert and holds a PhD from Warwick University and a PED from IMD.
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AnaMaria Meshkurti
Head, Marketing, Communication and Engagement
AnaMaria Meshkurti is the Head of Marketing, Communication and Engagement. She is responsible for online and offline marketing, internal and external communication, media relations, strategic partnerships and event management. She has more than 10 years of experience in the field having worked in the United Nations, private foundations and the private sector.
Head, Marketing, Communication and Engagement
AnaMaria Meshkurti
AnaMaria is responsible for external and internal digital communication, strategic partnerships and engagement, community building and conceptualization and implementation of key events.
Ingeborg Albert
Innovation Manager - Geneus
Ingeborg holds an MSc in Industrial Design Engineering from the Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands) with a specialization in innovation management. She has launched and managed new products in a spectrum of industries including FMCG, sports and digital. Ingeborg’s international career spans startups and large organisations. At Geneus, she focuses on initiating life science innovations in a world-class environment.
Emmanuel de Watteville
Head of Financing Programs
Emmanuel joined Fongit and the Swiss CTI (now Innosuisse) as a business coach and financial expert in 2003. He has extensive experience in coaching, creating, managing, developing and financing more than 200 high-tech startups across several sectors, including the medical and information technologies. In 2008, Emmanuel founded BlueOcean Ventures, a VC firm investing in early stage Life Sciences companies. Emmanuel holds a MSc in ICT from the ETHZ and an MBA from INSEAD.
Aline Rochat
Administration Manager
Aline manages the administration of Fongit’s incubator and of our incubated startups. She is responsible for: accounting, invoicing, payroll and administration. Previously, she set up and ran her own business for 25 years. She has also managed the administration and accounting for a startup that IPO-ed.
Krizia Schmickler
Office Manager and Event Coordinator
As Office Manager, Krizia ensures the smooth running of day-to-day operations at Fongit and is responsible for office security, allocation of office space and communication with building management. In her role as events coordinator, she acts as contact person for internal and external partners for live events. With her background in accounting, she also provides administrative support for both Fongit and Fongit supported startups.
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.
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.
Dr. Marco Rüedi
Startup Coach
Entrepreneur, Coach and Trainer in the Swiss Start-up ecosystem with 20+ years international experience in strategic and operational roles across Life Sciences Industry and Healthcare Management. Marco is an accredited coach by Innosuisse and Platinn
Noor Ali
Marketing and Events Manager
Noor is part of the Marketing, Communication and Engagement team. She is in charge of supporting the management of social media, events and internal communications.
Allan Lamontanara
Marketing and Events Manager
Allan is part of the Marketing, Communication and Engagement team. He is in charge of supporting the management of social media, events and internal communications.
John Elbing
Startup Coach
John has experience in software (MS from EPFL), finance (MBA from Carnegie Mellon) and marketing (digital agencies). He launched two startups and now coaches entrepreneurs for several institutions in the Swiss ecosystem, including Innosuisse. He specialises in Value Proposition & Business Model Design and Marketing Storytelling. John delivers strategic marketing workshops for established companies at Standpoint. He helps people reinvent themselves using Design Thinking with his "Build Your Next Step" course. John also teaches at a number of universities and institutions.
Dr. Bolko Hohaus
Startup Coach
Bolko is a data scientist and economist by education. He has more than twenty 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.
Trisha Singh
Geneus Operations & Events Manager
Trisha’s principal responsibilities are the organisation and management of Geneus internal and external events, taking care of the CBIP community and ensuring the smooth running of the Geneus environment. She has over ten years experience in marketing and events management, gained mainly in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors in the Suisse Romande area.
Romain Daina
Legal Advisor
Romain is part of the coaching team. He is in charge of drafting and reviewing contracts and assists startups in various legal matters.
Nour Riad
Marketing and Events Manager
Nour is part of the Marketing, Communication and Engagement team. She is in charge of supporting the management of social media, events and internal communications.