Benefit from personal coaching
In our programs UZH Innovation Grants and Entrepreneur Fellowships, we work closely with experienced coaches from the entrepreneurial field.
Kynan Eng
Kynan co-founded and was CEO at iniVation. which successfully exited in 2024. He is involved in various deep tech startups at the interface between neuroscience, engineering and human-computer interaction.
Experience
Stéphanie Engels
Stéphanie is a former Head of Corporate and Business Development for a sustainable energy future, now partner to support companies in finding and hiring the right leaders.
Experience
Stéphanie began her career in research at ETH and MIT before joining RobecoSAM, where she advised global companies on sustainability strategies. At ewz, she played a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable energy future as a member of the Management Board, leading major transformational projects, developing new digital business models like smart cities and smart homes, and fostering ecosystems with partners and start-ups. Now a partner at Signum, she helps companies recruit future-ready leaders. Stéphanie holds a Master's in Environmental Sciences, a PhD in International Relations from ETH Zürich, and an MBA from Oxford University, and has coached numerous start-ups, particularly in smart building and smart city technologies.
Industry / fields of expertise Technology, Energy, Sustainability, Innovation, Strategy and Finance Kraftwerk Signium LinkedInAndreia Fernandes
Andreia supports entrepreneurs and organizations in strategy and leadership such as sustainable team development. Her consulting is rooted in a deep understanding of what it takes to build successful ventures across sectors and cultures.
Experience
Andreia helps founders develop a resilient entrepreneurial mindset, especially in how they cope with failure - a topic on which she has authored a practical methodology. As a coach and advisor, she guides corporate executives and start-ups in shaping their strategy and building strong, value-driven teams.
Since 2021 Andreia has successfully coached several UZH startups supported in the Innovation Grant and Entrepreneur Fellowship programs. Her background spans over 20 years in Leadership and Strategy, including global management for start-ups and international companies.
Andreia is a UZH Alumna (CAS in Positive Psychology), completed Stanford’s Executive Programme for Entrepreneurship and holds an MBA from the University of St. Gallen and ESADE Barcelona. She is also active as a lecturer in UZH’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamps, investor, and board member.
Industry / fields of expertise
Industry, Education, MedTech, Consulting, Fashion Industry, Finance/Banking, NGO, Creative Industries
LinkedIn
www.andreafernandes.com
Jan Fülscher
Experience
He co-founded Swiss Food Tech Management AG (hibernating, B2B pesticide-free crop production equipment) and ProBIT AG (sold, B2B IT consulting and project turnarounds). In addition, he was a member of the board of Mayoris.com (B2B, e-Mail marketing solutions). Highly experienced mentor and coach, accredited by Innosuisse. Lecturer for startup-related matters at UZH and UBE as well as some Universities of Applied Science. Industry / fields of expertise ICT, MarTech, B2B. Learning to be an entrepreneur, building sustainable businesses, strategies for startups, marketing and selling in B2B businesses, financial planning, and funding. Jan Fülscher LinkedIn
Emmi Kavander
Emmi is an internationally active neurostrategist working at the intersection of business, communication, and psychology – building leaders' unfair advantage.
Experience
With over 15 years of international experience in business, strategy, and applied psychology, Emmi has held senior leadership roles in global organisations, including serving at the C-Suite level for a global FinTech listed in Prime Standard. In addition to establishing businesses and leading Kavanders GmbH as CEO, she is an early-stage investor and has served on multiple Boards of Directors. She holds an MBA from the University of London and is an alumna of IMD Business School.
Emmi works as a sparring partner to leaders, driving both their business strategies and the rewiring of mental blocks that limit growth. At the University of Zürich, she positions innovators to succeed on the inner and outer fronts of entrepreneurship, from strategic communications with stakeholders to the personal transformation required to lead as a CEO.
Industry / fields of expertise
Founder identity & mindset transformation
Investor readiness & pitching
Strategy & strategic communications
Leadership development in high-growth environments
Melanie Kovacs
Melanie is the founder of Master21 Academy, which fosters coding literacy and teaches professionals to "speak tech". Business coaching for entrepreneurial shapers to find purpose, profit and joy.
Experience
Melanie is an entrepreneur and founder of Master21 Academy, which fosters coding literacy and teaches professionals to "speak tech". As a business coach she now supports entrepreneurial shapers to find purpose, profit and joy. She also runs the podcast The Joypreneur. Melanie serves a judge at the Swiss Economic Award. She holds a degree in Business Administration and is trained in Human Computer Interaction as well as Leadership.
Professional business coach for entrepreneurial women, Trainer at Startup Campus, facilitated Startup Weekend. Industry / fields of expertise IT, Education, Startups Joypreneurs Master21 Academy LinkedInAmy Nemes
Amy is an international facilitator and coach with over 20 years of cross-industry experience in leadership, innovation, sales and operations.
Experience
As the founder of PeopleLead, Amy supports individuals and teams in cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets and navigating change with confidence. With a career spanning multiple sectors and six countries, Amy brings a unique cross-pollination of experience that encourages interdisciplinary thinking and real-world application. In the university context—where shifting from a scientific to an entrepreneurial mindset can be particularly challenging—she helps students and researchers build power skills and capabilities like communication, creativity, influencing and adaptability, essential skills needed to lead innovation.
As a professional business coach for entrepreneurs in central Switzerland, Amy has coached 20+ startups in various industries ranging from sustainable food to consumer product and mobility. Amy is also an entrepreneur course trainer at JobKompass GmbH, and is actively involved in a global senior leadership network spanning various industries.
Industry / Field of Expertise
Leadership, Mindset, Communications, Marketing, Operations, Interdisciplinary Teams
Theresa Schachner
Experience
Theresa began her entrepreneurial journey in 2015 with Entrepreneur First in London, where she launched her first company, later integrating it into Imperial College's startup incubator. At ETH Zurich, she contributed to digital healthcare research and co-founded the angel syndicate Transalpine Ventures, investing in early-stage tech companies in the DACH region. As the founder and CEO of Chojuu, an ETH spin-off focused on digitizing breathing training for workplace productivity, she led the company to a successful exit in 2022. Theresa also mentors startups at Tenity and invests in early-stage businesses, particularly in SaaS, Digital Health, and AI.
Industry / fields of expertise Digital Healthcare, Financial Services, Crypto & Blockchain, AI, SaaS, VC, B2B, Early-Stage Startups Virtusan Transalpine Ventures LinkedInPatrick Utz
Patrick founded, managed, built and turned around businesses. Enables companies in the area of sales, marketing and business strategy.
Experience
Patrick has a very diverse background of experience. He has founded, managed, built and turned around companies. Since 2006, he has been enabling companies in the area of sales, marketing and business strategy. His clients include leading companies from various industries across Europe such as SAP, TX Markets, Mövenpick, Schwyzer Kantonalbank and WWF. He has also accelerated startups and scaleups like Bring! Labs, Lunchgate, Testingtime, Flex Suisse or Swiss FTS. With far over 300 implemented projects, Patrick has an excellent network including top executives in almost all industries. As a sparring partner to founders and C-levels, Patrick creates clarity for their next entrepreneurial steps, while also mentoring and coaching numerous founders as a deeply engaged business consultant.
Industry / fields of expertise Experience in most industries with the focus in the areas of business development, sales, marketing and strategy. Patrick Utz LinkedIn