CRISTINA RIESEN
Entrepreneur // Board Member // Public Speaker
I am a seasoned entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in the fields of transformative innovation, education and strategic communications. Passionate about transformative learning and futures design, I collaborate with forward-thinking boards and leadership teams in projects supporting innovation and human empowerment.
I am recognized for my ability to explore the unknown and to envision new paths. I integrate different fields of knowledge and complex perspectives, always connecting the dots between vision and inspired action. My unique perspective fuels at the same time strategy and decision-making. I am the voice of transformative innovation and emerging futures in the boardroom and in strategic leadership projects.
It takes courage (and work!) to innovate, and to inspire others to do the same. I deeply believe that we need to be the change we want to see in the world, as Ghandi said. Through my work and my everyday actions I do practice what I preach, namely embracing transformative lifelong learning and conscious living.
Uncovering our unique talents can reveal a new sense of what is possible for ourselves and the planet.
Biography
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Cristina's professional journey started as Radio Moderator, while studying philology at the university. Fascinated by the science of communications, she entered the field of public relations, and worked on projects with world class interior design and architecture companies such as Vitra and the Vitra Design Museum.
In 2010, sensing that the (back then) emerging social media platforms would have a tectonic effect on communications, she enrolled in the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management at Università della Svizzera Italiana/ University of California, Los Angeles. During her studies she worked on pioneering freelancing projects focusing on social media communications for Swiss public authorities and international companies such as the Volvo Group. After graduating, she joined Silicon Valley based tech company Evernote in its early stages, inspired by Phil Libin's vision to "build the world's second brain". She was first in charge of global communications and afterwards held the role of General Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa during the company's hypergrowth phase reaching 150 million users worldwide.
Animated by a strong vision to contribute to education innovation, Cristina founded in 2016 educreators (born as We Are Play Lab). Built as a for-purpose, future-oriented, shape-shifting organization, Educreators has eversince been on a mission to support transformative learning in primary and secondary schools. In parallel with building Educreators, she managed the launch of the Swiss Edtech Collider at EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland's leading hub for edtech entrepreneurs. After the launch, she joined the Strategic Development team at ETH Zurich, embarking on a fascinating journey focusing on futures thinking and strategic foresight at the intersection of science, technology and education.
An experienced innovation strategist and practitioner, Cristina has collaborated over the years with international public and private organisations and ecosystems in various roles: advisory board member, startup and SME advisor, lecturer, and jury member. Mandates included work for the European Commission, Kickstart Accelerator, Inosuisse Venturelab Early Stage Startups Training, Seedspace, Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, Unleash, Taskbase, FHNW. Since November 2021 she is a Board Member of the European Innovation Council, Europe's flagship innovation programme to identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game changing innovations.
A future-oriented entrepreneur and an inspiring public speaker, Cristina participates regularly in international conferences and events related to emerging technologies, transformative innovation and education, entrepreneurship and conscious futures design.
A lifelong learner by design, Cristina holds a lic.phil. degree with teacher certification from Transilvania University. She is an EMScom Graduate, a certified Reputation Institute professional, a certified foresight and futures design professional of the Institute for the Future IFTF, a Hasso Plattner Institut design thinking professional and an IMD Mastering Board Governance alumna.
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I collaborate with leaders and teams on transformative innovation projects.
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