Hosted by Yachting Ventures.
Are you a founder of a leisure marine startup looking to raise funds? Join us for a theatre session with experienced founders who have successfully raised funding for their own companies. During the session, you will learn about their journeys, how much they've raised, and who their investors are. You will also hear about the most common challenges faced by startups when it comes to fundraising in leisure marine, and how to overcome them. This session is a must-attend for any leisure marine startup founder who is looking to raise funds.

Founders Fundraising for Startups

Hosted by Yachting Ventures.
Join our thought-provoking theatre session exploring the distinct hurdles and prospects of female founders in the leisure marine sector. Esteemed startup owners will divulge their unique journeys, insights, and success tactics. This event is essential for those eager to promote and bolster female entrepreneurship, offering valuable insights from accomplished women in the leisure marine field. Join us for an enlightening session that will empower and elevate female entrepreneurs while discovering strategies to boost female entrepreneurship.

Female Founders in Startups

Cindy is from the Netherlands, where she studied in Amsterdam and obtained a Masters in Artificial Intelligence.
She started sailing at a young age, and through university she worked as a skipper on sailing yachts, where she experienced many of the inefficiencies in the yacht charter industry first hand.
Besides sailing she is passionate about cycling, hiking and trail running, and when she is not working you will most likely find her in the mountains with her bicycle!
With her skills as software engineer, her 5+ years of experience as a skipper and her vision for Floatist she set out to solve the many challenges yacht charter operators face on a day to day basis.

Co-Founder / CEO

Laurien majored in Art History in Leiden, the Netherlands, and during her studies was already active as a presenter and speaker.  Amongst other events she conducted the Red Cross gala in The Hague, and during The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht worked for Otto Naumann, one of the largest and most respected Old Master Paintings dealers in New York. She followed this with 5 years as Client Development Manager and auctioneer at Christie’s, Amsterdam, where she was auctioneer for Christie’s paintings, jewellery, furniture and design sales.
Now based in the Netherlands, after having lived in Moscow, Chicago and Geneva for 12 years, Laurien continues to speak and to conduct auctions, including many for charitable causes.  Pink Ribbon, Right to Play, Children's Home and Aid, Women’s Shelters, CIA and the ‘Night of the Stars’ for Fulbright scholarships are just a few of the large, high profile charities that have benefited from her auctioneering experience.

Auctioneer & Presenter/Ladyspeaker

Partner

Technical Director

Innovation Project Manager

Executive Chairman

Partnerships Manager

CEO Gerris Boats

Founder Vento di Venezia srl.

As Managing Director for Marina Projects, Mike heads up the consultancy and has an involvement in every project undertaken by the company. He is qualified in civil engineering, with an extensive project management background and has over 35 years’ experience in all aspects of the delivery of marinas and marine construction works, including site appraisal, conceptual design, master planning, procurement, pontoon installations, dredging, environmental/legislative issues, business case and viability studies. He has particular skill in identifying a concise scope of work that will meet the project requirements and the delivery of clearly structured and strategic guidance and advice to the client.
Mike has significant experience in the preparation and development of business case analyses and viability studies.  He applies his logical approach and breadth of industry knowledge to the provision of strategic, well considered and evidence-based advice that enables clients to make soundly based investment decisions.
Marina Projects has a proven and unparalleled track record of securing consents for marine related projects in sensitive sites and unlocking the potential for marine leisure use and Mike has had responsibility for all of the consent work undertaken by Marina Projects. He has a depth of knowledge of the complex consent regime borne out of 25 years involvement in this area and enjoys key relationships across the industry.

Managing Director

I started my career at the Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz in the Netherlands, graduating as Maritime Officer. After a short period serving as engineer on board both seagoning and inland vessels I've been working for the Netherlands Shipping Inspectorate as Flagstate Control and Port State Control Officer and Accident Investigator. After that I had a positition as Maritime Accidnet Investigator with the Dutch Safety Board for 4 years, before I started working as a Human Factor Specialist at Marin. In the meanwhile I started a master study in Risk Management in order to close the gap between maritime operational knowledge and experience and Human Performance

Specialist Human Factors

Sales Manager

With over 22 years of experience in boat and component certification, Ulrich Manigel represents IMCI as General Manager. His activities include participation as expert at various ISO working groups, representing IMCI at RSG meetings, giving lectures and workshops about CE certification of boats and components. Beside this, he serves also an NMMA inspector in EU.
Further to this, he is the first chair of the German Surveyor’s Association, VBS e.V.
 
Ulrich holds a degree as master craft boatbuilder, knowing the recreational craft industry over 30 years from scratch. He is also a certified quality manager and auditor for ISO 9001 and internal auditor for laboratories according to ISO 17025.

General Manager / CE & NMMA Inspector

Director

Principal Caponnetto-Hueber

Niels Klarenbeek has managed the METSTRADE team since early 2020, overseeing the strategy and growth of the world’s leading B2B event for the recreational marine industry.
He also serves as President of the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO), where he promotes an agenda focused on making boat shows more inclusive, sustainable and engaging.

Director METSTRADE | President IFBSO

GM Persico Marine

Anne Dunbar is the Executive Director of the International Boatbuilders' Exhibition & Conference (IBEX), North America’s largest technical marine trade show. With over 30 years of experience in the marine industry, Anne is at the helm of IBEX, guiding its strategic direction, fostering innovation, and ensuring the event remains the premier platform for showcasing the latest products, materials, and technologies shaping the future of boating. Her leadership is instrumental in maintaining IBEX’s sustained growth and its competitive edge in the global marine industry.

Executive Director, Former President of IFBSO

Raphaël Pleynet has more than 30 years of experience in the global composites and technical textiles industries, gained through senior management roles in international business. He holds a master's degree in Marketing and Management. 
He is the Managing Director of the European Composites Industry Association (https://eucia.eu/), which represents European national composites associations and industry-specific sector groups at EU level. In this role his responsibilities include directing EuCIA’s day-to-day operations, developing strategic partnerships and initiatives, and uniting the expertise of EuCIA’s members to support the sustainable growth of the European composites industry.
EuCIA :
We support the sustainable growth of the European composites industry and promote the development of a flourishing business environment, taking advantage of the combined expertise of our members.
We have developed the Eco-Impact Calculator in 2016.   A dedicate tool Cradle to gate for Composite materials.   We update it regularly. Last one was in April 2023.

Head of Intelligence

Megan Davisson made her transition into the marine industry in 2021 after 12 years in beverage management. She has an extensive background in sales, as well as event planning and customer relations. As an independent contractor, she managed several special projects for IBEX in 2022 and 2023, including enhancements of the VIP experience and coordination of special events.

Sales and Projects Manager

Sustainability Manager

Team Leader PoliMi Sailing

Mechatronics Engineer

Alinghi RedBull Racing Simulation Engineer

Darren Vaux is President of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), which represents the global recreational marine industry. He is also a Life Member, past President and current Director of the Boating Industry Association of Australia (BIA), and Chairman of the Ministerial Maritime Advisory Council in Australia. In his private capacity, Darren is the Owner and Managing Director of the Empire Marinas Group, and was the first franchisee of Freedom Boat Club in Australia. 
With over 35 years’ experience in the property and marina industries, Darren has a deep understanding of government policy frameworks in the marine industry and is passionate about sharing and using this expertise to drive change through embracing financial and environmental sustainability, technology and innovation.

President

Principal

Co-founder

Content Director

Sales Director

Robert Newsome is the Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations for the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), responsible for overall organizational operations, alignment of strategy in support of the recreational marine industry, membership and member engagement, human resources, technology, the Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) program, and product certification (NMMA Certified) programs for boats, yachts, PWC, marine oils and boat trailers.
Robert is the past Chairperson of the National Safe Boating Council, serves on the Board of Directors of the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) and the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA), and on the National Safe Boating Advisory Committee (NBSAC) by appointment of the Secretary of Homeland Security.  He has extensive experience in representing the marine industry in standards development and safety issues through numerous committees of ABYC, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Robert has authored and presented on numerous industry, economic, boating experience and safety topics prevalent to today’s recreational marine industry, and serves as a spokesperson for the Discover Boating program.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame.  Today, he continues his education on operational and technology strategic excellence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 
Robert is an avid power boater, fisherman and a life-long sailor on Lake Michigan and the lakes of the Midwest.

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) & Senior Vice President of Operations

Nico has a background in design engineering and has developed many skills in project management. He has 12 years of experience in designing, manufacturing and delivering composite marine applications for the marine industry.

Marine sales Lead

Senior Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Development

Business Development

Creative Director

Team Leader

General Manager

President, Navico Group and Chief Technology Officer

Director of Water Mobility Mer Concept

Envgo

Regional BDM

Senior Project Manager Presso MARIN

CEO Group Beneteau

Co-Founder

Luigi is senior project manager in the Ships department (Division Yachts) at MARIN. He graduated with a MSC Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from University Federico II of Naples (Italy) in 2012, and has been working in the Netherlands at MARIN since 2013 as a project manager concerning powering and seakeeping aspects (involving design advice, hull form optimization, performance predictions with CFD and/or model testing). Luigi has a deep interest into the ship design from a multidisciplinary point of view and into the possibilities of continuous integration of innovations in the ship design itself. Most of the free time is still spent in the water with watersports such as kitesurf, kitefoiling and sailing.

Senior Project Manager Presso

Account Manager

Based in AkzoNobel’s headquarters in Amsterdam, Jemma leads the global business for the Yacht Coatings unit, including internationally recognised brands Awlgrip, Interlux, International, and Sea Hawk. Jemma is also on the global leadership team for AkzoNobel's Marine, Protective and Yacht (MPY) Business Unit. Having joined the company in 2015 after eight years in marketing research and consulting, Jemma has since held various marketing and commercial positions at AkzoNobel. Before taking over the Yacht Coatings business in early 2022, she was responsible for the Aerospace Coatings business in Asia-Pacific and has worked for AkzoNobel in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Global business director

Mary Velline came to the marine industry having transitioned from a distinguished career in the automotive and fire, rescue, and EMS sectors. As the former Senior Vice President of Business Development for MADA, Director of the Twin Cities Auto Show and Group Show Manager at Cygnus Business Media, she has a proven track record in revitalizing businesses and forging impactful partnerships.

Show Director

James founded the business in 2003 whilst working in the marine industry as a boatbuilder - having recognised the need for a specialist leisure marine recruitment company with the ability to speak with clients and candiates at an industry and technical level. James has maintained this ethos ever since, whilst maintaining his passion to deliver a personalised service of excellence and honesty to meet the needs of every individual client.

Innovamarina

Lift Ocean

HEOL Composites

Helena Lennerstedt is the CEO of Humphree, a leading Swedish marine technology company specialising in trim and stabilization systems for boats. Appointed in January 2023, Helena brings a wealth of experience from the Swedish industry, having held key leadership roles, including Vice President of Purchasing at Volvo Penta. With a master’s degree in engineering from Linköping University and additional studies in International Business, Helena is committed to building diverse teams and driving innovation in the marine sector. Her career is marked by a curiosity for new challenges and a strong focus on transformational leadership.

Editorial Director

Idan Cohen founded Pick A Pier in 2017 to create a digital infrastructure that helps marinas optimize resources, boost profitability, and enhance sustainability. As Chairman of IMIA, he leads marine innovation initiatives. Pick A Pier now partners with marinas in over 10 countries, driving efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Founder & CEO

Michele J. Goldsmith is a seeker, artist, and marine media and industry leader. With a passion to connect and inform the recreational marine community. Michele utilizes media tools to drive progress and foster innovation. She is the vice president and general manager of the Soundings Trade Only group, the leading marine business-to-business multi-media brand, which is part of Active Interest Media. Her marine industry experience includes manufacturing operations, product development, and marketing and sales management roles to the OEM, aftermarket, domestic and international sectors.  Michele’s impact extends beyond her professional roles, as she has actively served the marine industry on the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) board of directors and its executive board, as chairperson of the NMMA MACD board of directors, on the Grow Boating and NMMA PAC board of directors, and the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) technical board of directors. Notably, she was honoured with the 2023 Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year award and the 2024 Alan J. Freedman award presented by the NMMA for outstanding contributions to the marine accessories industry through leadership, creativity, and personal motivation.

Vice President and General Manager

Business Development C-Tech Composites

Rise Institute

General Manager Three 60° Srl

Research Project Manager

Philip Easthill is the Secretary-General of European Boating Industry (EBI), which represents the European recreational boating and nautical tourism industry. The mission of the association is to advance and represent a sustainable boating and nautical tourism industry #MadeInEurope. Key topics that EBI is working on at a policy level and in cooperation with its members are sustainability, circular economy, tourism, taxation, qualifications, access to finance, and international trade.
He has been in the position since September 2019 and previously worked in Public Affairs and Regulatory Affairs at EU level. With an academic background in Politics and Business Management, he is also an avid sailor and worked in the nautical tourism industry previously. Philip Easthill represents the industry towards the EU institutions, as well as in high-level fora and Expert Groups relevant for the sector.

Secretary General

Founder

Johann Durand is the International Director of Blue Flag, focusing on sustainable tourism, climate action, and education for sustainable development. Based in Copenhagen, he leads global initiatives that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability in marinas, beaches, and tourism destinations worldwide.

International Director

Vice President, Standard and Compliance

Frederike Volmer entered the marine industry in 2022, building on her background in hospitality and event sales. She is a member of both the METSTRADE and IBEX teams, giving her valuable exposure to the international market. At IBEX, she is responsible for international sales including managing the international pavilions.

International Sales

EMEA Marine Segment Director

Head of Sustainability and Chair IMEC

Superyacht Project manager

Gabbi Richardson is the founder of Yachting Ventures, a pioneering global platform dedicated to supporting startups in the leisure marine sector. Before establishing Yachting Ventures, Gabbi honed her expertise at a venture capital-backed tech startup in London, where she worked closely with accelerators and investors to streamline the fundraising process. Her entrepreneurial spirit and deep understanding of the startup ecosystem drive her commitment to fostering innovation and growth within the marine industry.

Director Propulsion Technology

Head of Development

VP Innovation and Sustainability

Gary Reich’s Bio: Gary Reich has nearly 35 years of experience in the marine industry. He transitioned to publishing from marine sales in 2002. Reich has been an editor at Waterway Guide, PropTalk and Soundings magazines and Anglers Journal. He was appointed as editor-in-chief of Soundings Trade Only in 2022.

Editor-in-Chief

Patty Lawrence has been in the marine industry for 14 years and served on various sailing boards since 1999. She is a life-long sailor and former teacher. As IBEX’s Education Director, her role includes planning the content for the seminar, Main Stage, and pre-conference programs.

Education Director

Digital Business Manager

Weight Controls, Ineos Britannia

CEO Oceanflight Technologies

Director Application Engineering Marine

Rhoda Schnitzer is the Leadership & Culture Director at Lippert EMEA, with over thirteen years of experience in human resources, specialising in leadership development and employee engagement. Rhoda’s global experience spans across Europe, Asia, and North America, where she has worked with diverse, multicultural teams for multinational corporations. A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and women’s leadership, Rhoda is dedicated to fostering inclusive work environments and empowering future leaders.

Leadership & Culture Director

Marco, a lifelong boating enthusiast and catamaran owner, has crossed the Atlantic and spent longer periods navigating the Caribbean—experiences that sparked his passion for advancing boat design and operation. In 2018, driven to transform the marine industry with electric and hybrid propulsion, he partnered with EPTechnologies. With expertise in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a background as an airline pilot, Marco is committed to designing innovative, efficient systems with robust backups to enhance vessel performance and operator satisfaction. Marco’s dedication makes him a voice in today’s discussion on the future of propulsion. He’ll be sharing his insights on how eFuels and electric propulsion can coexist, and the infrastructure adaptations required to support this evolving landscape in the industry.

COO & Co-owner

Having grown up by the Mediterranean Sea, Guillaume has always been an avid sailor, enjoying both competitive sailing and holiday trips with his children and wife on the family sailboat. After studying business administration in Europe, the US and Japan, he joined the Ford Motor Company where he held positions in Sales, Finance, Marketing and Business Development in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific, managing teams globally. He then founded his own consulting firms, first in New Caledonia and then in Switzerland, with a focus on business development and restructuring businesses across a variety of industries, including cleantech and waste management. His passion for sailing, his extensive network in the nautical industry, and his awareness of the lack of a viable solution for recycling the fiberglass hulls of end-of-life sailboats led him to co-found Composite Recycling in 2021

Vice President, North American Marketing

Kate Holden has been part of the marine industry for 26 years, working primarily in the B2B side of the industry. She has held roles in publishing, sales, marketing, and event management. As IBEX’s Marketing & Communication Director her role includes setting strategy for acquisition, reporting and analyzing show data, and developing and execute the branding and global presence for IBEX.

Marketing & Communication Director

ICOMIA Confindustria Nautica

Tenair

Datalayers

<noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5L67WR6"
height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>

Google Tag Manager

Preference center

Cookie Bot

Log in to add this article to your reading list

Would you like to read this article again later?

Metstrade 2025

Delete Account

Messages

We are working on creating more insights regarding the stands at RAI. Please visit the FAQ for more information about this topic.

Cindy Allis

Newsletter

Organised by

Powered by

Endorsed by

Member of

Flagship event

About

Metstrade 2024

Exhibiting

Contact

Conditions

IBEX

Theatres and specials

Knowledge & inspiration

Travel & stay

FAQ

News

Digital media point

Cindy Allis