Gareth Shepherd

Gareth is a co-founder of G2, a pioneering firm operating at the intersection of machine learning, data science and cognitive neuroscience. Its raison d'être is: "improving the future by finding sustainable patterns in the past". Before entering the private sector he developed knowledge acquisition software to tackle classification problems in epidemiology, earning his PhD from UNSW, Sydney. He was awarded a United Nations Assoc. triple-bottom line award and was granted a World Economic Forum Fellowship, completing an executive Masters degrees with Columbia University, London Business School and INSEAD.

Deborah Starr

Ph.D. Psychology, M.S. Neuroscience, M.S. Narrative Medicine, Deborah teaches in the Narrative Medicine department at Columbia University in New York City. She is a licensed therapist in California with a current private practice on the east coast. Her dissertation and early work was with eating disorders and, before pursuing Narrative Medicine, she spent ten+ years in litigation consulting. Her study has led her to focus on how healthcare is delivered in contemporary culture, including wellness trends and end-of-life concerns.

She is an experienced speaker about the use of psychedelic medicines for treatment of depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction as well as use of these medicines for life enhancement.

Meryam Schneider

Meryam Schneider is a business professional specialised in financial services and luxury industries. Dedicated to business intelligence and market research, her professional history includes long tenured senior roles in organisations such as American Express and Bertelsmann in France, the UK, US and The Netherlands.

Meryam is passionate about wellbeing and mental health. She holds a double Master’s degree in Business Administration from University Paris XII and an MA in Science of Marketing. She studied nutrition at the London College of Naturopathic Medicine and is a certified Simplicity Parenting® Coach.

Victor J. Willi

Victor is an author and a researcher specialized in contemporary Egyptian history, Islamist movements and Middle East politics. He holds a DPhil in History from the University of Oxford and a Master in History, Arabic and Islamic Studies, and International Law from the University of Zurich. He is a Co-founder and the Director of Research of the Swiss Research Institute for the Middle East and North Africa, a Geneva-based Foundation doing research and political risk analysis on difficult-to-access countries, institutions, and actors in the region.

Privately, he enjoys exploring the mysteries of the subconsciousness that are buried in the depth of the self. To find out more about him, visit www.victorjwilli.com

Toby Main

Toby is the Co-Founder of Efficient Frontier Investing; a company that focuses on de-risking the investment environment for clients whilst maintaining their expected returns. He received a BSc in Mathematical Physics and maintains a methodical and analytical approach to the investment world. Previously he was European Chief Investment Officer at a Latin American investment bank and before that at a multifamily office in Geneva for a decade, looking after their alternative investment platform.

Toby has a private focus on aiding with mental health issues; a subject that remains taboo in most cultures around the world. He wants to help bring a global awareness to the problems of mental health that society is facing today.