40. mednarodna konferenca CEFEC
Reuse, Innovation and Green Jobs: Unlocking inclusive business models for the future
Bled, Slovenia
4.-5. june 2026
SPEAKERS
CHRISTOS BANTIANIDIS
sericulture Expert and Director of Evrosilk
A sericulture expert with over 35 years of experience in silkworm rearing and silk production. Based in Soufli, Greece, he has led projects on modern silk production, advised governments and FAO initiatives, and helped establish several silk reeling factories in Greece and Turkey. A long-time member of the BACSA executive committee, he has contributed to innovation in cocoon production and sustainable development of the silk sector across Europe and neighboring regions.
IVAN BOZIC
social Entrepreneur and Director of Humana Nova
Is a social Director of the Social Cooperative Humana Nova, one of Croatia’s leading organizations in social entrepreneurship, work integration of vulnerable groups, circular economy, and textile waste management. For the past 13 years, he has been actively developing sustainable and inclusive business models, following 12 years of professional experience in the private sector.
RAYMO BUCHER
biologist and ecological advisor for Oeko Service GmbH
Holds a master’s degree in ecology from ETH Zürich in Switzerland. He works as an Ecological Advisor. He is active in nature conservation in Switzerland as a project manager for protected areas and collaborates with various NGOs. He is responsible for the ecological standards of Oeko Service GmbH and its CO₂ neutrality strategy. At Social Firms Europe CEFEC, he is actively involved in the Green Economy Working Group.
Dr. h. c. VIOLETA BULC
founder and Curator of the Ecocivilisation Movement, Former European Commissioner
Is a systems thinker focused on the interconnectedness of society, nature, and the future. She combines scientific rigor with intuition to develop holistic solutions. She founded the global Ecocivilisation movement, active in 54 countries. A former European Commissioner for Transport and Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia, she is an entrepreneur and speaker, recipient of the International Women Leadership Award (2025), European Railway Award (2023), and Honorary FIA Award (2020). She is the author of the bestselling book Rhythms of Business Evolution (2026).
TAJ CARL
entrepreneur and founder of the Chika Ice Cream brand
A founder of Chika sladoled, an innovative ice cream brand. Although I studied Applied Kinesiology, my path led me into hospitality, where I discovered my passion for the culinary world. The idea for a chickpea-based ice cream was inspired by a trip to Sicily. I developed the brand within the Allium cooperative and now focus on sustainable, zero-waste production.
GORAN JERAS
expert in Sustainable Finance and Ethical Banking
Goran Jeras is an expert in sustainable finance, circular economy, cooperatives, and local community development. He serves as manager at the Croatian Cooperative for Ethical Financing (ZEF) and CEO of Echoes, a European Fairshares initiative developing the first digital European ethical bank. The bank aims to manage a 100% sustainable, impact-oriented portfolio and provide a full range of banking services to social and solidarity economy organizations across Europe.
DARKO JURIĆ
head of Corporate Banking, Banka Sparkasse, d.d.
With two decades of experience in the Slovenian banking industry, he has consistently worked in close partnership with corporate clients and the real economy. Throughout his career, he has held a variety of advisory, expert, and management positions. He began his professional journey in entrepreneurial and business advisory roles, later continuing his career at NLB. For the past six years, he has been responsible for Corporate and Commercial Banking at Sparkasse Bank d.d., the Slovenian member of the prominent regional financial group Erste-Sparkassen. Leading a core team of 40 professionals, he is accountable for the growth, development, and strategic ambitions of the corporate portfolio, covering micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as large corporates. He currently also serves as a Procurator of the Bank and is a Member of the Supervisory Board of Sparkasse Leasing. Over the last ten years, he has participated in numerous professional and entrepreneurial committees, lectured at various events, and contributed to a wide range of panel discussions and round tables. He values meaningful dialogs, enjoys meeting interesting people, and actively engages in discussions on relevant and forward-looking topics.
NIKO KLANJŠEK
investor, mentor, and serial entrepreneur
Entrepreneur with a rich tradition of entrepreneurship. He has co-founded several successful startups, generating impressive results, including two lucrative exits. He is a founding member of Kenmare DAO, an investment fund specializing in early-stage Web3 and blockchain projects. His entrepreneurial spirit extends into the formation of the BizMe organization, a global platform aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and empowering budding entrepreneurs across borders.
ZDENKA M. KOVAČ
mednarodna svetovalka za strateško načrtovanje in politike socialne ekonomije
Is an international consultant on strategic planning and policy governance and a researcher in social economy and employment policies in Slovenia and the Balkans. She lectures at GEA College – Faculty of Entrepreneurship in Ljubljana. She previously served as Slovenia’s Minister for Regional Development and State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and has long promoted social entrepreneurship.
Prof. Dr. SAMO KREFT
pharmacist and Specialist in Medicinal Plants
Holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacy and has more than 30 years of research and teaching experience at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. He also has 14 years of experience as an expert for the European Medicines Agency. His expertise focuses on medicinal plants, the safe use of herbal medicines, and evidence-based phytotherapy.
FELICITAS KRESIMON
General Secretary of CEFEC and Expert in Social Cooperativese
Is the General Secretary of CEFEC and Vice-Chair of the social cooperative Duemilauno Agenzia Sociale in Trieste. She has been active in the field of social cooperatives since 1995, with her work closely linked to the deinstitutionalisation of mental health services. She also serves on the boards of several social economy and social enterprise organisations, including Consortium VIVES and the REVES Network. She is also engaged in academia and lectures at several universities, including the University of Trieste and Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences (Germany).
JUHA LEHTIKUJA
executive Director and Expert in Recycling and Circular Economy
Is a Finnish expert in recycling and the circular economy and the Executive Director of Pääkaupunkiseudun Kierrätyskeskus. He has worked in the field since the 1990s and has played a key role in promoting reuse, sustainable consumption, and environmental education in Finland. Under his leadership, the organization has helped make reuse an important part of reducing waste and conserving natural resources.
JUKKA LINDBERG
director and International Expert in Social Economy, Work Integration, and Strategic Development
Is a Director at Silta-Valmennusyhdistys, Valo-Valmennusyhdistys, and the Centre of Expertise for Social Enterprises. He holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering and has more than 15 years of experience in developing the social economy and work integration initiatives at both national and international levels. Prior to this, he gained over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, operational and project management, and business development in multinational industrial companies.
MARJETA LUŽNIK
development and Project Management Specialist
Fine arts educator whose professional journey has taken her from the arts into the business sector and subsequently into social entrepreneurship. Within Etri Group, she leads projects and product development initiatives. Her current focus is the development of a ceramic Mini-factory, alongside research into employment processes for vulnerable groups and the design of inclusive work environments that support the integration of individuals facing the greatest barriers to employment into high-quality, value-added work processes.
MATJAŽ MALGAJ
representative of the European Commission for Circular Economy and Clean Industrial Policy
Coordinates the European Commission’s work on the Sustainable Products Initiative across environment, energy, and industry departments. The initiative aims to ensure products sold in the EU support a climate-neutral, resource-efficient, and circular economy. With over 25 years of experience in European affairs, he previously held several leadership roles in the Commission and worked on Slovenia’s accession to the EU. He holds a law degree and studied in Budapest, Berkeley, Amsterdam, and Ljubljana.
MOJCA MARKIZET
strategy and Sustainability Leader, Climate and ESG Expert
Is a strategy and sustainability leader with 25 years of experience in business and sustainability strategy, innovation, and change management. She has also worked in the policy and NGO space, including with the UN Global Compact. She is the founder and Director of the consulting firm Understory d.o.o., supporting organizations and communities in building innovative, agile, and future-ready solutions.
dr JANEZ POTOČNIK
former European Commissioner for the Environment and Ambassador of the Chapter Zero Slovenia initiative
Is a Slovenian economist and former European Commissioner. He led Slovenia’s negotiations for accession to the European Union and served as Minister for European Affairs. As Commissioner for Science and Research, he introduced the European Research Council (ERC), and later, as Commissioner for Environment, proposed the first EU Circular Economy package. He is Co-Chair of UNEP’s International Resource Panel, Partner at SYSTEMIQ, and one of the founders of the Systems Transformation Hub.
LENKA PUH
social innovator and entrepreneur
Co-founder of Jazon d.o.o. and Etri Group. She is a socially responsible entrepreneur and social innovator who emphasizes the humanization of work as a fundamental human right. She is actively engaged in sustainable development, circular economy practices, and the creation of green jobs, with a strong focus on employing vulnerable groups.
ANŽE RAJH
junior Project Manager
Junior Development Project Manager at ETRI group, Slovenia. Having started his career in veterinary and health sciences, he developed a deep sense of care for living beings before transitioning into project management and sales. Today, within ETRI group, he manages development processes that bridge marketing expertise with sustainable practices and the integration of vulnerable groups. His work is rooted in combining the empathy gained from healthcare with the efficiency of modern social entrepreneurship.
MATJAŽ RAKOVEC
Mayor of the City Municipality of Kranj
Since the beginning of his mayoral term in 2018, the City Municipality of Kranj has achieved numerous milestones, with a strong focus on becoming a sustainable and smart city. The European Commission selected Kranj for the mission of climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. It was named Slovenia’s leading municipality in e-mobility (2021) and the safest city in the country (2022), received the title of European Destination of Excellence (2023), won the Golden Stone Award as the most advanced municipality in Slovenia (2025), and was honored with the DigiAward 2025 for outstanding achievements in digital transformation.
SIMONE SCHIRRU
EU Policy Expert on Social Economy and Circular Economy
Is the Social and Economic Policy Lead at RREUSE. He brings experience in EU policymaking and policies supporting social enterprises active in the circular economy. Since 2022, he has been part of the RREUSE team, where his portfolio includes policy dossiers such as state aid, public procurement, and the EU Social Economy Strategy. Before joining RREUSE, he worked at the European Commission and in several civil society organisations.
NATAŠA SIVEC mag. ekol. biod.
biologist and Wild Plant Expert
Holds a degree in Biology and pursued graduate studies focused on ecology and biodiversity. She combines scientific knowledge with a creative approach to food and the use of wild plants. She develops innovative approaches in the field of wild food and herbal products and leads educational programs that connect science, nature, and culinary practice.
MARTIN STENGEL
head of Sustainability at AfB Group
has spent over 30 years turning sustainability into real, economically viable projects, focusing on measurable impact rather than symbolism. Today he is Sustainability Manager at AfB Group, Europe’s largest non-profit IT refurbisher and inclusion company. An engineer in energy and process engineering, permaculture designer, and certified in sustainability reporting, he drives impact analysis, strategy, implementation, and transparent communication.
GREGOR TOMŠE
secretary general of the Vincenc Draksler Foundation
For more than 25 years, he has been engaged in training and employment of persons with disabilities, and for the past 15 years also in work integration programs for persons with lived experience of addiction to illicit drugs and alcohol. As Secretary General, he leads the social enterprise of the Vincenc Draksler Foundation and oversees the implementation of its programs, where elements of the circular economy are closely intertwined with the training and employment of persons with disabilities and persons with lived experience of addiction.
LISETTE VAN DER MECHÉ
head of Social Services at VIA gGmbH; Project Developer for labor market policy projects in the green sector
She earned a bachelor’s degree in special education and is working at VIA Integration gGmbH, a social in enterprise in Aachen (Germany). VIA combines organic vegetable farming, organic marketing, and sustainable event catering with social inclusion. The organization employs people with and without disabilities and provides vocational training for young people. It also prepares unemployed individuals for a sustainable workforce through various projects.
dr. MARINKA VOVK
leading Slovenian expert in reuse and social entrepreneurship
Is a leading Slovenian expert in reuse, social entrepreneurship, and the circular economy. As the founder and driving force behind the Centre for Reuse, she has pioneered reuse systems in Slovenia since 2011, contributing to a policy shift from waste treatment to waste prevention. Her work creates green jobs, integrates vulnerable groups through social enterprise models, and actively contributes to EU programmes such as Interreg and Erasmus+, promoting sustainable development across Europe.
MOJCA ŽGANEC METELKO
founder and Director of KNOF Institute
Is the founder and a Director of KNOF Institute and a visionary in social entrepreneurship and the circular economy, particularly in the textile sector. As Director, she leads the development and implementation of projects and the acquisition of European funding that support sustainable business models, reuse, and responsible consumption.
MARIN ZVER
project coordinator and president of the SFE CEFEC network 2025/2026.
A student, project coordinator and president of the SFE CEFEC network 2025/2026. As president, I strive to connect the network, attract new people to social entrepreneurship, and improve the financial and working conditions of existing social entrepreneurs. During my term, I place special emphasis on the inclusion of those with difficulty in employment in rural areas and the popularization of product reuse.