EBAN Team

As the Director General, Jacopo tracks issues of strategic importance to the early-stage investing ecosystem. He also strives to identify opportunities to influence the EU decision making processes, working closely with industry’s stakeholders to promote the excellence and expertise of EBAN’s Board Members to the European audience. Jacopo is also responsible of the coordination and implementation of EBAN’s activities in EU funded projects. Being the first contact point of the Association, he is also looking after members’ interests and helping ensure they obtain best value from their membership. Jacopo holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. Thanks to his education and his strong academic background both in marketing and in financial management, Jacopo has a successful track record with international work experiences. He is a native Italian speaker and perfectly bilingual both in English and Spanish.

info@eban.org

As a European project Director, Abel participates in the implementation of EU-funded projects, ensuring that decisions taken jointly are transferred and delivered with the desired impact and according to the standards set by the Commission.
Abel has previously worked as a Data Analyst-Researcher for the Spanish Government, the University of Granada and the Institute for Regional Development. In the last two years he has worked on the implementation of EU-funded projects and new proposals development. He is particularly interested in generating impact by following a top-down approach; capitalize on what we create at the pan-European level to generate value at the local level.

abel@eban.org

Elena started her studies in Communication at the University of Athens before moving on to the Sorbonne Nouvelle in France and the University of Keio in Japan for her Masters. Her work experience includes advertising agencies and big international organizations such as the Alliance Francaise in Canberra. She joined the marketing department of EBAN in September 2021.

elena@eban.org

As the Operations and Finance Director, Teemu takes care of the association’s financial administration as well as other day-to-day administrative tasks ensuring efficient implementation of all of EBAN’s activities. Prior to moving to Belgium Teemu obtained his BSc in European Business Administration from Metropolia Business School and worked in a similar financial administrative role in Finland, which is where he is originally from.

teemu@eban.org

Alessandro is an EU Project Manager at EBAN. He currently leads six major EU projects aimed at facilitating angel investment through actions that range from designing guidelines and training courses, to match-making, and organising major pitching and networking events across the EU.

He has a Masters of Science degree in Science and Technology Policy from the University of Sussex, and a Bachelors degree in Sociology and Social Policy from Trinity College Dublin. His past working experience includes working at the European Economic and Social Committee in the Consultative Committee for Industrial Change, and EU Project and Communications Management at Carr Communications, in Dublin. In the latter, he led the project management of the Horizon 2020 funded project Factory2Fit, and supported the management of other EU funded projects that include DARWIN, SCENT, In-Prep, DELTA,  and PASSME.

alessandro@eban.org

Jacopo is an EU Project Manager at EBAN currently working on six EU projects. His responsibilities encompass participating in the coordination and implementation of EU-funded projects aimed at facilitating angel investment. Jacopo manages project budgets and plays an active role in policy advocacy within this domain.

Jacopo’s professional background includes a Blue Book Traineeship at the European Commission for DG Trade Unit E2, where he conducted research and contributed to policy-related activities. He also gained experience as a bid manager trainee at a Belgian Consulting firm.

He is academically qualified with a Master’s degree in Conflict, Development, and Security coupled with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

jp@eban.org

Ismar is a seasoned professional with a strong track record in leadership and management roles across diverse sectors. Currently serving as the Events & Community Director at EBAN (European Business Angels Network) in Brussels, Belgium, overseeing the complete development and execution of the network’s main annual conference. Before his current role, Ismar held the position of Head of Entrepreneurship at the MarketMakers project in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. During this tenure, Ismar spearheaded economic development strategies that led to significant revenue growth and client expansion for MSMEs, startups, freelancers, and tourism businesses in the region as well as collaborat with public and private sector stakeholders to advocate for favorable policies and managed investment portfolios for over 10 partners.

In addition to his professional experience, he founded and held the license for TEDxSarajevo, where Ismar created operational strategies, managed finances, and served as the main point of contact for speakers, sponsors, and service providers achieving achieved significant annual growth in attendees, funds raised, and ticket conversions.

ismar@eban.org