José Luiz Esteves works professionally through EXPONENTIALIS Learning and Education Projects and INTELIBUSINESS, a Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability Consulting venture, created in Belo Horizonte in 2006. He has relevant experience in different Triple Helix organizations in Brazil, in management positions. Professional with knowledge of the business environment, social responsibility / third sector, and education in Brazil and Latin America, especially in the aspects of institutional management, market intelligence, network development, has a degree in social communication and public administration. He obtained his specialization, masters, and a doctorate in these areas, and the international diploma GUDS / Urban Management and Sustainable Development (by the World Bank / UN-ECLAC / MINURVI / Italian Coop) In 2001. Has a solid background in Social Program Management, Strategic Planning, BSC, Participatory Appraisal, Project Logical Framework, Resource Mobilization, and Fundraising (by The Resource Alliance) held in Brazil and abroad.

For over 20 years, Dr Debbie Saunders has worked as a wildlife biologist, specialising in threatened species conservation management and worked with diverse teams of talented people to develop the world’s most advanced drone radio-telemetry solution – resulting in the establishment of Wildlife Drones.  As a passionate founder, CEO and Chief Remote Pilot of this award-winning deep tech company, Dr Saunders gets to empower wildlife biologists and land managers to achieve greater insights and conservation impact all around the world by cost-effectively collecting more data, more often with less effort. How can Wildlife Drones help you?  - Track up to 40 animals simultaneously and in real-time - Survey difficult terrains like rugged mountains and swamp areas easily - Save time, effort and money so you can focus on what really matters - Collect more data, more often with less effort She has received an ACT Innovation Award as well as an ACT Government Innovation Connect grant for her creative business solutions for challenging research problems. Debbie believes that drones are a highly valuable and flexible tool that provide unprecedented opportunities for new insights into the world’s most complex and fascinating natural ecosystems.

Dice alumni, Conservation Biology MSc. Former nature guide & ranger in South Africa - Head of black Rhino monitoring. Wild food forager & educator. I am a passionate wildlife photographer and use this medium to tell natures stories surrounding myself and wherever I happen to be working. Particularly interested in forest & marine conservation but have worked in species specific conservation with Elephant, Lion & Rhino. Currently working in Cambodia with Jahoo, an indigenous community led Gibbon eco-tourism conservation program

I am a conservation and sustainability consultant with a passion for combining real-world conservation practices and innovative Web 3.0 technologies to help organisations scale their impact, build trust, and drive new opportunities for engagement and funding. Through my work, I develop tools and frameworks that bridge the gap between traditional conservation efforts and the integration of Web 3.0 technologies such as blockchain, digital certificates, IoT, DAOs, and the metaverse. This combined approach supports knowledge sharing, informed decision-making, and the adoption of practical solutions tailored to the unique needs of conservation projects. Are you working with Web 3.0 technologies or exploring how they could apply to conservation? Whether you’re developing new ideas, facing challenges, or just curious about this space, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s connect to discuss your thoughts, experiences, and how we can collaborate to create impactful solutions. Background I am a Conservation and Sustainability Consultant with over twenty years of experience spanning field-based research, conservation management, and leadership development. My career has evolved from conducting large carnivore ecology and human-wildlife conflict research across Eastern and Southern Africa to designing and implementing innovative conservation solutions that address today’s pressing challenges. I hold a Master’s in Conservation Biology from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, and a Ph.D. from Nottingham Trent University, where my research focused on variations in brown hyaena density and distribution across South Africa. My work has taken me into national parks, conservancies, and private farmland, including leading Namibia’s National Leopard Census Project, which combined field ecology with multi-disciplinary approaches to assess leopard population pressures and trends. As the Academic Dean of the School of Wildlife Conservation at the African Leadership University, I trained and developed the next generation of entrepreneurial, mission-driven conservation leaders. My work focused on the 'Business of Conservation,' positioning conservation as an opportunity for sustainable economic and social development. Building on this foundation, I now focus on helping conservation organisations explore and adopt innovative Web 3.0 technologies such as blockchain, IoT, and digital certificates to scale their impact, drive transparency, and unlock new funding streams. Through my consultancy, I develop tools and frameworks that bridge the gap between technology and conservation, empowering organisations to make informed decisions and achieve tangible results for nature and communities. My work combines ongoing conservation initiatives, including research, project design, and field-based management, with the integration of technology-driven solutions. Both areas are essential for addressing conservation challenges at scale, ensuring that organisations have the tools, knowledge, and capacity to achieve lasting impact. By aligning these two areas, I provide a holistic approach that delivers meaningful, real-world results and transformative opportunities through innovation.

My background is mainly in species conservation, education and capacity development. I researched mother-young interactions in gorillas and chimpanzees, in captivity and the wild. After that, I worked for three years in Indonesia, where I developed and implemented youth ambassador and community engagement programmes on local and regional scales. I work as Community Manager at WildHub since 2020, and I am on the Advisory Board of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent where I obtained my PhD on capacity development for conservation in 2022. 

I am a wildlife biologist and science communicator. My research lays at the intersection of mammal ecology, citizen science, and education. I founded and run FancyScientist.com, a site dedicated to connecting people to science and nature, breaking stereotypes of scientists, and empowering scientists. If you’re a scientist or scientist-to-be, you’ll find lots of resources to guide you through this career.