Johan is an expert in developing hardware and software solutions. With years of experience working for brands like Audi and BMW, as well as through his own consulting practice, Johan has designed products ranging from camera platforms going to space to infrastructure solutions providing clean drinking water in urban India. Johan shares insights and expertise on the design and development process – helping startups to iterate, prototype, test and succeed in building their vision faster.

Tristan has 12 years of experience in innovation and early-stage entrepreneurship, as the director of hardware tech incubator NYDesigns on the ecosystem side, and as the cofounder of Topager (urban farming) and Sitrep (urbanism studio) on the founder side. Tristan holds a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from the Ecole Centrale de Marseille and a Masters in Competitive Intelligence and Innovation from Aix-Marseille University.

Tara has over 12 years of experience in Operational Management working within the BMW Group. She has been part of the start-up scene early on for the organization- joining BMW i Ventures at the developmental stage which eventually led her to oversee and manage operations at URBAN-X. Tara helps facilitate the relationship between URBAN-X and many different key departments within the organization. Her expertise in corporate processes, purchasing & budgeting is a crucial link for the success and functionality of URBAN-X.

Sarah is expanding the reach of URBAN-X throughout Europe and Asia. Working at BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany, Sarah facilitates the relationship between URBAN-X, MINI and the BMW Group. She is the co-founder of an online magazine and previously worked in the start-up scene before joining MINI. Based on her diverse experience and computer science and art history education, she has a passion for connecting left brain and right brain topics by finding the common ground.

Emily is a creative storyteller and marketer focused on building compelling narratives and fostering knowledge of URBAN-X’s network of startups, as well as the growing industry. While working for companies like NBCUniversal, The New York Times, and Fine Films, Emily had the opportunity to work on innovative campaigns, investigative stories, and powerful documentaries. Emily holds a Master’s in Journalism and Communications from the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications, and a Bachelor’s in Marketing from Georgetown University.

Zihao is a designer who specializes in branding and layout design. His work is guided by a strong belief in the functional aspects of design. He has accumulated valuable experience working with organizations in Asia and North America. In his own practice, Zihao self-publishes artist books and other printed matter.