Here is what three of our honorary AsiaBerlin Ambassadors have to share about being announced as Board members for The Asia-Pacific Berlin Forum (APFB). The APFB is the Berlin platform for committed members and partners from the political, business, science, and cultural sectors to promote communication and collaboration with the Asia-Pacific region.
The Asia-Pacific Forum Berlin (APFB) holds the office of the AsiaBerlin Summit (formerly Asia-Pacific Week Berlin), the most extensive series of events related to Asian countries in Germany. The AsiaBerlin Summit is the annual summit of year-long AsiaBerlin activities where policymakers, startups, and investors meet to discuss the newest tech trends and cross-border collaboration between Asia and Berlin. As part of the AsiaBerlin Summit, the APFB has organized the Embassy Day Asia-Pacific since 2013, an excellent opportunity for personal networking with the Asian embassies that present their own countries in business seminars and cultural performances. The APFB also coordinates the diverse AsiaBerlin Summit cultural programs.
Recently, three AsiaBerlin Ambassadors have been announced as APFB board members. The honorary AsiaBerlin Ambassadors are a strong network of representatives, bridge-builders, and policymakers accessible to startups and partners of their ecosystem in Asia and Berlin. The network consists of founders, investors, experts, and representatives of corporates, institutions, and accelerators. They represent the AsiaBerlin startup network, support our activities, and contribute actively to our events, especially during our delegation trips and the annual summit. Here is what the AsiaBerlin Ambassadors have to say about their appointment with the board members.
Miguel Encarnacion is the Managing Partner of Unifier Ventures. Miguel is a VC who spent his early career leading corporate and investment banking deals for HSBC and ANZ. After his banking stints, he co-founded a game design studio, which quickly led him down the path of venture capital and angel investments. He says:
“Three years ago, I moved to Berlin with only a handful of acquaintances and a conviction that it was the right time to build more bridges between Europe and Asia. Now, I have the honor of being elected to the Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Forum Berlin. I hope that means that I have created tangible value for many founders and investors in my home region of Southeast Asia and my adoptive home region of Europe. I am forever grateful to Dr. Rainer Seider )Head of Unit – Foreign Trade, European Economic Policy, Development Cooperation, at the Senate of Berlin who has been actively driving cross-border collaborations through AsiaBerlin) for his support and vision for the AsiaBerlin community. I am only at the beginning of this journey but I have already built partnerships and made friendships to last a lifetime. Looking forward to building more bridges together with my esteemed fellow members of the board. Thank you as well for the guiding hand of Managing Director Annette Heimann and all my fellow AsiaBerlin Ambassadors.”
Angela De Giacomo, is the Head of an Indian Family Office. The family she works for is the Bissell Family, the promoter family of Fabindia i.e., one of India’s most ethical retail chains. She shares:
“While working and living in India and Germany for the past seven years and being part of the investor circles it has been incredibly important to me to connect the Indian and German startup ecosystem and building bridges. As a result of these efforts, it is a great recognition and honor to have been selected as a new Board Member of the Asia-Pacific-Forum Berlin. This is the Berlin platform for committed members of politics, business, science, and culture. I look forward to contributing further to strengthening the exchange between Europe and Asia along with Clas Neumann (SAP), Prof Dr. Andreas Zaby (Berlin School of Economics and Law), Dr. Nicole Renvert (Voith), Tobias Dennehy (Siemens) to just name a few.”
Tina Nayak, is a Berlin-based growth consultant and Advisor for tech startups. She has formerly worked with companies such as Babbel, Preply and Twitter India. She says:
“India and Berlin both hold a very special place in my heart. I’ve been watching AsiaBerlin Summit progressing rapidly over the last couple of years and adapting to the audience’s needs. Dr.Rainer Seider and his talented team have quickly adapted to bring different experiences, perspectives, and insights from businesses and startups around the world in one global forum. This year despite COVID, AsiaBerlin Summit saw hundreds of meetings booked, connecting business despite the travel restrictions – all online. With the support of the Berlin Senate, I cannot imagine a better platform and network to access, connect and boost the thriving ecosystems in Asia and Berlin. As a member of the APFB Board, I’m excited to bring together my experience in both the regions and support the goal of helping Startup Founders and businesses discover and nurture new business opportunities here on.”
Here is a list of all the board members of Asia-Pacific Forum Berlin.
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