Leader Sessions

Agenda

Organizing and Innovating
The Next Decade

08.30 Welcome mingle and morning refreshments

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09.00 An exploratory journey onto the road ahead looking at breathtaking innovation, new leadership skills and a world where uncertainty is the norm

Ola Ahlvarsson

Moderator of Sime | Serial entrepreneur

09.30 How will AI help us?

Ingrid af Sandeberg

AI expert and Founder of Sandy Rock Advisory

09.50 Vital innovation

Tom Rourke

Vice President for Design, Insights and Innovation at Kyndryl

10.10 Making Work Work

Henrik Jarleskog

Head of Future of Work, Sodexo Europe

Adrian McDonald

Group CEO, Epicenter

Anne Wolf

Founder of EuroAcademy

10.30 Breakouts and Summits

The Clarity Lab: Turning Complexity Into Vital Breakthroughs / Powered by Kyndryl
Innovation Capacity Summit / Powered by Innovation Pioneers with Birgitte Stjärne. Special guests Anne Wolf / EuroAcademy and Klas Bertilsson / Alfa Laval. Moderated by Roland Williams / Innovation Pioneers
Rewriting Health: Precision, Prevention & The Personalized Future of Care / Powered by Holistal with Birgitta Thörn. Moderated by Per Sjögren
Talent Summit: Winning in the AI-Driven Talent Wars / Powered by Talent Venture Group (Invitation Only)

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12.00 Lunch and wonderful meetings

Hosted by James Appathurai, NATO. Invitation only (apply here)

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13.00 Recap & Takeaways from the Morning's Summits

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13.15 The Non-Violent Approach

Rolf Skjöldebrand

Founder of The Non-Violence Project

Maria Norberg

Head of Communication

13.25 NATO and Sweden - Where Each Side Stands through the Technology Lens of NATO

James Appathurai is Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid, and Cyber. He is the Secretary General’s primary advisor on maintaining NATO’s innovative edge, and on all issues relating to technological challenges, cyber defence and security.

James Appathurai

Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges

13.50 Scale-Up Secrets - from Investors and Scale-Up Stars

Introduction by Rupert Schäffer, Partner, 10x Founders

Rupert Schäfer

Partner, 10X Founders

14.15 Talent and Culture for the Next Decade

Beda Grahn

CEO Nordic, Kyndryl

14.30 Member Spotlight

The launch of Epicenter Store’s new step: Retail Elements

Understanding Automation, Jahongir MIrzoev / Founder of Your Next Automation

Jahongir Mirzoev

Founder of Your Next Automation

14.50 Going deep

Li Karlsén / Former Army Captain in Afghanistan turned civil rights defender, world-class free diver athlete and entrepreneur. Her next mission is not about depth, distance, or dopamine but self-leadership

Li Karlsén

Founder & Freediver

15.00 Breakouts and summits

AI Demo Session: Hands-on demos by Sweden’s top AI startups / Moderated by Rasmus Lian & Johan Siwers
Battlefield of Tomorrow: Spotlight on Cyber Warfare / Powered by Earhart Protection Agency with Hanna Linderstål. Moderated by Johan Averstedt
Creative Tech Summit / Powered by Arts Dynamics with Sofie Marin. Special guest: Luke Savage / Epic Games
Retail Summit: Banking, Payments & Data Integrity at Checkout / Powered by Panagora with Moon-Suck Song. Moderated by Gary Fabbri, Host of SIME Perspectives podcast. Special guest: Bengt Wessborg / Ghostar
Accelerator Summit / Powered by Epicenter with Adrian McDonald & Jack Melcher. Moderated by Naureen Nayyar

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16.00 Recap & Takeaways from the Afternoon’s Summits

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16.15 Magical Robots

Charlie Caper

Charlie Caper / Robot programmer and performer

16.30 Kristian Rönn / Author and Co-founder, Normative

A provocative exploration of how humans are wired to seek short-term success at the expense of long-term survival--an evolutionary "glitch" that explains everything from toxic workplaces to climate change

Buy the book here >>

Kristian Rönn

Co-founder, Author

16.50 Key takeaways followed by book release of The Darwinian Trap: The Hidden Evolutionary Forces That Explain Our World (and Threaten Our Future)

Ola Ahlvarsson

Moderator of Sime | Serial entrepreneur

Creative Tech

Join Arts Dynamics and Epic Games to explore how digital and physical realities are merging into a physidigital world where storytelling shapes perception. Connect with pioneers bending reality through immersive technologies and help define the future of creative tech.

Reality Architects: How leading brands are blending digital and physical experiences to create new realities

Narrative Economics: Why storytelling capability is becoming the ultimate competitive advantage

Collective Imagination: Interactive exploration of the most pressing questions facing creative technology

Cluster Formation: Connect with potential collaborators in Stockholm's emerging Creative Tech ecosystem

Future Visioning: Help shape the agenda for the creative ecosystem

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Accelerator Summit

What are the biggest misconceptions entrepreneurs have about international expansion, and how can they avoid costly mistakes?

Topics covered:

Entering the Nordic Market: Leverage a thriving startup ecosystem
Scaling Internationally Faster: Outpace competitors and expand globally
Tailored Growth Frameworks: Accelerator programs for real challenges
Ecosystem Advantage: Succeed by joining a high-growth network

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Retail Summit

As online retail expands, the true competitive edge lies at the intersection of payments, banking, and data security.

Topics Covered:

The future of online banking & payments: insights from industry leaders
Real-world innovations in fraud detection & data security
AI-driven financial services: personalizing the online shopping experience
Building trust at checkout: regulatory compliance & consumer protection

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Battlefield of Tomorrow: Spotlight on Cyber Warfare

What are the biggest cybersecurity threats businesses underestimate today, and how can they proactively prepare for them?

Topics Covered:

Cyber Risk: Using data insights to predict and counter threats
AI Security: The future impact of AI on cybersecurity
Case Studies: Practical defense strategies from real-world examples
Think Tank: Live collaboration to solve security challenges
Interactive Q&A: Challenge conventional security thinking

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AI Demo Session: Hands-on demos by Sweden’s top AI startups

Sweden’s hottest AI startups are stepping out of the lab and onto the stage.

Topics in Focus:

Live AI Demos – See working products, not concepts
Design, UX & Ethics – What makes AI feel helpful, not just powerful
Human Connection with Builders – Real conversations with real makers

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