COFOUNDER, CO-CEO

Maya is an agricultural engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (ES) and she has a MSc. in Plant science from the University of Wageningen (NL). Before founding Innovarum she worked as project coordinator for IFOAM EU – Brussels (BE).

Maya spends her spare time fighting against injustices via Twitter.

FINANCIAL MANAGER

Paula owns a Double Degree in Law and Business Administration by the University Carlos III of Madrid (ES) and a master’s degree in international business management by ICEX-CECO and UIMP (ES).

She has a great international business vision that she’s developed through her Erasmus scholarship in the University College Dublin (IRL) and her job in the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Zagreb (HR).

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Africa owns a degree in Translation and Culture studies with a Chinese Mayor by Autonomous University of Madrid (ES), an MBA by ICEX-CECO and UIMP (ES) and a Master in Digital Marketing by Complutense University in Madrid (UCM). She also took business and language courses at Peking University (China) and worked in the Agri-food Promotion Department of the Commercial and Economic Office of the Embassy of Spain in Beijing (China).

Throughout her educational and professional international experience, she’s built up a great passion for content creation, business development, digital marketing and creative processes.

CONTENT MANAGER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Andrea owns a degree in Graphic Arts with a concentration in Design by Taylor University (US) and a Master’s degree by IED MADRID (ES) in Branding & Visual Identity.

She has a great passion for visual communication, content creation, and digital marketing that she’s developed through her international experience working in different creative and marketing agencies both in the U.S. and Spain.

INNOVATION CONSULTANT

Ana holds a B.Sc. degree in Biochemistry, which she completed in the Bioremediation department of Queen’s University (Kingston – CA) through the TASSEP Program, and a M.Sc. degree in Applied Plant Biology, both from the Complutense University of Madrid.

She started her professional career developing projects in BIOPLAT (the Spanish Technology and Innovation Platform ‘Biomass for the Bioeconomy’) and continued as a Bioeconomy Advisor in the bioeconomy area of the Andalusian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development. Ana defines herself as a defender of the environment and critical thinking.

INNOVATION CONSULTANT

Ana holds a Degree in Biotechnology from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (ES) and a MSc specialized in Industrial Biotechnology from the Autonomous University of Madrid (ES). In October 2022, Ana will continue its education in circular economy with a Master’s Degree in Circular Economy and Innovation at Valencian International University (VIU University).

Before joining Innovarum, she has worked in different companies as an Innovation Consultant in the United Kingdom and Barcelona. Thanks to her education and international experience, she has developed great passion for innovation as a way to address current environmental challenges.

INNOVATION CONSULTANT

Bea holds a BSc in Biotechnology from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (ES), during which she enjoyed an ERASMUS stay at Ghent University (BL). She has also taken a course on Creation and leadership of resilient teams by the University of Chicago (US) and is currently enrolled in an MSc in Synthetic Integrative Biology by UIMP and CSIC (ES).

Her education and previous experience as a lab manager crystallized in her interest in scientific organization at an international level and exploring innovation as a main motor of change.

SENIOR INNOVATION CONSULTANT

Adrián holds a PhD in Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid (ES), a master’s degree in Evolutionary Biology and is passionate about science and innovation. In his PhD, he combined basic science with the development of new tools and utility models in plant ecophysiology.
During the last 6 years, Adrian has worked as an innovation consultant including proposal writing, management and participation in consortia which has increased his experience in EU programmes such as Horizon Europe.

INNOVATION CONSULTANT

Paula holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the Complutense University of Madrid (ES) and an MSc in Biotechnology for the Bioeconomy from the University of Milan (IT). Showing great interest in sustainability and innovation, she got in deep touch with the agrifood industry during her experience within the EIT Food RIS Fellowship in 2020.

Previously, she worked as a Business Analyst and Project Manager in a biotechnological company in the Diagnostics field, in which she developed a business perspective and acquired an interest in project management.

SENIOR INNOVATION CONSULTANT

Chema holds a MSc degree in Biology from Universidad Complutense de Madrid with concentration in Ecology and an MSc in Environmental Science and Technology from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.

During the last years, Chema has worked as an innovation consultant, specialising in proposal writing and acquiring wide experience in EU projects. Before, he worked as a researcher at CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas – ES) and Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute – NZ) in the field of biomass utilisation for energy and materials.

EU PROJECTS COORDINATOR

Alberto holds the title of forestry engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (ES) with a specialisation in forest management, during which he enjoyed an ERASMUS stay at Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ).

Regarding his experience, he started working as a research and innovation consultant, specialising in proposal writing with a primary focus on EU projects. After that, he developed his career at IMDEA Materials research centre as a project manager, working in all kinds of proposals and projects (regional, national, European and USA projects), some of them as the leader coordinator. He was involved also in the technology transfer of the research lines’ different results, including patent application and software registration.