We’re pleased to introduce you to our Speakers and Contributors. They are listed in first name, alphabetical order rather than speaker order. Some further to come, please check back.
Carlos Ruiz-Garvia leads the Adaptation Committee Unit at the UNFCCC, bringing over 17 years of international experience advancing global climate policy. Holding advanced degrees in forestry, agricultural sciences, and economics, he drives efforts that promote innovative approaches to ecosystem conservation and restoration, with a focus on bamboo-based solutions. At the Summit, he will highlight opportunities to integrate bamboo into climate policies to enhance resilience and sustainable development globally.
Chris Matthews is an Associate Director at Atelier One, based in London. He joined the practice in 2011 after completing a master’s at the University of Cambridge, where he was awarded the Laing O’Rourke Prize for top performance in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. His work focuses on innovative, low-carbon structural design, with particular expertise in timber, bamboo, and form-active systems such as gridshells. Key projects include the London 2012 Olympic Ceremonies, Jodrell Bank’s First Light Pavilion, SEE Monster, and Lindy Lee’s Ouroboros sculpture. He is a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers Sustainability Panel and has collaborated on research with Bath University, MIT, and Cambridge. He is currently leading work to advance the use of bamboo in UK construction.
Born in Coventry, Colin earned a civil engineering degree from Leeds University in 1981 and became chartered in 1986 while working for West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council. He went on to roles with Kirklees MBC, the West Midlands PTE on the Midland Metro project, and later at Telford and Wrekin, York, and Gloucestershire councils, focusing on transport planning. In 2005, he became Assistant Director for Transport and Highways at Bristol City Council before returning to Coventry in 2009, where he is now Director of Transportation & Highways.
At Coventry, Colin has overseen award-winning city centre projects, led service delivery, and shaped the city’s green futures strategy. He also plays a key role in regional planning and is currently spearheading innovative projects such as Very Light Rail.
Dr David Trujillo has over 25 years’ experience in the structural use of bamboo. His work with bamboo has been both academic (with 50 publications in the field) and practical, as he has led and fostered the development of ISO standards on the topic. David currently works as Assistant Professor in Humanitarian Engineering at University of Warwick. David is the UK’s designated expert to Working Group 12 – Bamboo Structures to ISO Technical Committee 165.
Fran Clifton serves as Head Gardener and Horticulturist at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, one of the UK’s most expansive botanical collections spanning 180 acres and over 42,000 plant species. Her leadership supports foundational research into which bamboo varieties thrive in UK climates and how they can be used in biodiversity-driven landscaping and conservation. Fran’s expertise ensures that bamboo adoption is grounded in botanical knowledge, essential for informing both gardeners and industry alike.
Gemma is a Creative Director and Producer, from and working in, Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. Gemma’s work starts from the belief that their is power in people working together, often creatively, to create change in how we see and feel about places. She has worked across the Midlands, partnered locally, nationally and internationally throughout her career.
As the Director of Brilliant Bamboo, she has been collaborating to explore what opportunities working with and growing bamboo in North Staffs could provide for everyone.
Iraklis Kalamenios is the CEO and founder of WEproductions, an international company established in 2002 with activities in the USA, Germany, and Greece. Specializing in event production, PR, publishing, and marketing, WEproductions has earned recognition for its focus on sustainability, innovation, and impactful communication.
Iraklis is the initiator and producer of the European Bamboo Expo in Dortmund, Germany, a leading international platform for the bamboo industry. He is also the founder of the Greek Bamboo Association, which promotes awareness, education, and opportunities related to bamboo in Greece. Through his leadership, he advances sustainable practices and fosters meaningful connections across industries.
Website: www.weproductions.net | www.europeanbambooexpo.eu
James Marr is the founder of Bamboo Bicycle Club, a UK-based social enterprise that empowers people to hand-build bamboo bicycles through workshops and DIY kits. With a background in engineering and renewable energy, he reintroduced bamboo bike-building to challenge throwaway culture and showcase bamboo’s unique strength, vibration-damping, and design flexibility. Beyond workshops and community builds, James has extended this approach into social impact, delivering prison-based rehabilitation programmes where inmates learn bike mechanics, design, and entrepreneurship as a route to new skills and confidence. At the Summit, he will share how bamboo’s potential can drive grassroots innovation, local manufacturing, rehabilitation, and design-led sustainability.
Founder and director of the Déambulons French bamboo workshop for 9 years, Jean-Baptiste Dubois has developed a unique and recognized artisanal know-how using European bamboo strips. With experience of more than 200 creations made in France and around the world, he now offers his services as a design studio and research office for custom bamboo projects.
Website: https://www.jeanbaptistedubois.fr/
Jennifer Snyders, BScArch graduate and CEO of House of Bamboo® and Australian Bamboo Plantations, is a pioneer in sustainable design and bamboo innovation. Building on her father’s vision, she transformed the company into Australia’s most iconic bamboo brand. With expertise in architecture and horticulture, Jennifer has delivered bespoke projects worldwide, creating engineered bamboo products tailored for Australia’s climate and style — from curved beams and panels to flooring and exterior applications.
Passionate about bamboo’s ecological and design potential, Jennifer educates widely on its durability, sustainability, and versatility. As President of the Bamboo Society Australia and an international speaker, she champions bamboo’s role in climate change mitigation, land restoration, and as a renewable alternative to traditional timber.
Websites: https://www.houseofbamboo.com.au/ & https://bamboo.org.au/
Kavita is an environmental engineer, regenerative economist and climate activist focussed on making climate adaptation attainable for communities. They love to make science more understandable and actionable in the everyday, and to draw the connections between our economies and ecosystems.
Neil Thomas is the Founder & Director of Atelier One, hailed as “the most innovative engineering practice in the UK.” Known for prioritising core structural principles over computer analysis, he has pushed boundaries with materials like carbon fibre and bamboo—earning the 2023 Supreme Award from the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Orit Azaz is creative director of Imagine Bamboo, a public art, engagement and creative research initiative, now in its 5th year, that brings together artists, engineers, designers, environmentalists, researchers, policy makers and communities to explore the potential of UK grown bamboo as a sustainable material and catalyst for positive social and environmental change. At the Summit, she will bring her distinctive energy and vision to host the event and challenge us to think and act big.
Website: https://www.imagine-bamboo.co.uk
Sundar Bharadwaj is Founder & CEO of TERRAGRN, a nature-based venture restoring South Africa’s coal-belt landscapes through large-scale bamboo agroforestry. With 50 hectares already restored and 40 local jobs created, TERRAGRN is scaling to thousands of hectares and millions of plants. The work connects ecological restoration to bamboo products such as activated carbon, engineered boards, pulp, and bio-pellets. Previously, Sundar spent 20+ years with Accenture and Vodafone.
Website: TERRAGRN.com