Saturday 14 January 2023 3:48 pm

Hedera to host five days of events at Davos with POLITICO, will.i.am, Starling Labs and IBM

Decentralised network Hedera has announced its agenda for Hedera Haus at Davos 2023, coinciding with this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF).

Hedera Haus – an exhibition space at the heart of Davos – will set up shop at Promenade 71, Davos Platz to host drinks receptions, panel discussions, keynotes, and afterparties with critical players from the worlds of DLT and enterprise technology.

Among the speakers being hosted at Hedera Haus are will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, and leaders from Starling Labs, IBM, ServiceNow, University College London, DLA Piper, and Ukraine’s UNITED24 initiative, which is the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of the country.

The line-up of events at Hedera Haus includes a mix of exclusive, invitation-only proceedings, as well as panels, receptions, and parties, open to all attendees at Davos during the WEF 2023.

The five-day initiative will feature discussions about the future of finance; regenerative finance; climate and ESG innovation; the fight against misinformation; and mobility, as well as many other high-priority topics for Davos attendees.

Hedera Haus is a carbon neutral venue, with Hedera having purchased carbon offsets through DOVU on Hedera to cover flights, electricity, recyclable materials and buildout, shipping, and food and beverage at the event. Visitors to Hedera Haus will also have an opportunity to offset their carbon footprints through DOVU.

Additionally, Hedera’s chairman and president, Brett McDowell, will participate in an xChange Session at the Davos Congress Centre, moderated by Dr Neha Narula, Director of the Digital Currency Initiative at MIT. This panel discussion is the first public event held as part of the WEF Digital ID initiative launched in 2022, exploring how leaders can shape international ID policy to support financial, social and health equity through digitisation.

Highlights from the Hedera Haus agenda include:

Tech Pioneers Breakfast, hosted by will.i.am

Will.i.am is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. In addition to his music career, he has experience launching numerous companies, especially in the technology sector. This invite-only breakfast will be hosted at Hedera Haus on Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30am.

The Future of Finance with Standard Bank and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine

Hedera’s recently appointed Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Betsabe Botaitis, will be joined by Yulia Parkhomenko, Director of the Virtual Assets Department at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, as well as Ian Putter, Head of Blockchain, Centre of Excellence, at Standard Bank Group. This discussion will look at how DLT can bring speed and transparency to the future of finance for a range of use cases, including foreign exchange (FX) payments and settlement across partner banks, clients, and counterparties involved in trades.

The Future of Mobility with Toni Piëch, Founder of Piëch Automotive

Hedera Haus will also host the founder of Swiss electric car manufacturer, Piëch Automotive, Anton (Toni) Piëch. The son of Ferdinand Piëch (former CEO of the Volkswagen Group), and great-grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, Toni will share insights on where the electric vehicle (EV) industry is now, and where it needs to be in the future. Toni will be joined by AY Young, a singer, songwriter, and producer who performed at President Biden’s inauguration. Founder of Project17, in which he’s collaborating with the world’s biggest artists to create one song for each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, AY powers his ‘Battery Tour’ performances using renewable energy.

Climate & ESG Innovation in Enterprise: Hedera Governing Council Perspectives

This panel will explore one of the most important topics on the agenda at the World Economic Forum this year: Sustainability. It will feature insights from Andy Gastwirth, Chief Information Officer at DLA Piper; Tasker Generes, VP of Vision and Innovation at ServiceNow; Nilmini Rubin, Chief of Staff and Head of Global Policy at Hedera; and Paolo Tasca, Founder & Executive Director at University College London’s Centre for Blockchain Technologies.

POLITICO Davos Party, Sponsored by Hedera

Hedera will be sponsoring POLITICO’s annual WEF side party in Davos this year, supporting an evening of great conversation, drinks, and entertainment. The invitation-only event attracts leaders from the Davos political, business, and media communities. Continuing the growing tradition, the party will feature a reception atop the mountain at the Hotel Schatzalp, before ending with a signature sledge run to Davos Platz.

Africa House at Hedera Haus

This invite-only event shines the spotlight on Africa House, a global movement showcasing the most exciting opportunities the continent has to offer as it continues its growth trajectory. The event will feature speaker Kojo Annan, an advisor at Africa House and Principal at Vector Global, an investment vehicle focused on innovation, lifestyle, and sport in West Africa. Kojo will be joined by Hedera’s CFO Betsabe Botaitis; Zenobia Godschalk, SVP of Communications at Swirlds Labs; Hedera Chair Brett McDowell; and Nilmini Rubin, Chief of Staff and Head of Global Policy at Hedera.

The Agenda (all events take place at Hedera Haus unless otherwise stated):