The Role Models
Role Models are exceptional Swiss entrepreneurs and leaders who have successfully built, scaled, and internationalized companies – often beyond CHF 100M in revenue, global teams, or unicorn valuations. They are willing to give back to strengthen Switzerland’s next generation of market leaders.
Samuel Mueller
Samuel Müller is the CEO and co‑founder of Scandit, a Zurich-based deeptech company and global leader in smart data capture that became a Swiss unicorn.
Bettina Hein
Bettina Hein is a Swiss serial software entrepreneur and investor who has built and exited technology companies in both Europe and the United States
Olivier Gaudin
Olivier Gaudin is a tech entrepreneur, founder of SonarSource, the Geneva company behind the world’s leading platform to manage code quality and code security, used by millions of developers.
Dario Fazlic
Dario Fazlic is a Swiss-based serial entrepreneur, sales leader, and angel investor with a strong track record in building and scaling high-growth digital companies
Kevin Sartori
Kevin Sartori is a Swiss tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Auterion, a leading autonomous systems software company that raised over $180 million.
Nicole Herzog
Nicole Herzog is a Swiss tech entrepreneur, board member and business angel who has co‑founded, scaled and exited multiple companies.
Jean-Marc Wismer
Jean-Marc Wismer is a seasoned Swiss entrepreneur, executive, and board member with over 30 years of international experience scaling high-tech and MedTech ventures
David Haber
David Haber is the co‑founder and CEO of Lakera, a Zurich- and San‑Francisco‑based cybersecurity company.
Adrien Treccani
Adrien is a serial tech entrepreneur. He founded and led Metaco to become the leading digital asset custody platform for global banks.
Tjarko Leifer
Tjarko Leifer is a tech entrepreneur and CEO with a strong track record of building and transforming growth businesses across AI, agtech and fintech in the US.
Tobias Rein
Tobias Rein is co-founder of GetYourGuide, a leading online booking platform for travel experiences and ETH Zurich spin-off that became a Swiss unicorn in 2019.
Vincent Bieri
Vincent Bieri co-founded Nexthink and scaled it from an EPFL spin-off into a global SaaS leader with a $3B exit valuation.
Michael Friedrich
Michael Friedrich is a Swiss serial entrepreneur and operator with over 20 years of experience building and scaling deep-tech and medical technology companies.
Deborah Heintze
Déborah Heintze is a Swiss life science tools entrepreneur and executive, best known as co founder and former Chief Marketing Officer of Lunaphore.
Lukas Gysin
Lukas Gysin is a Swiss entrepreneur, startup coach, and advisor based in Zurich, best known as the founder and board member of uniqFEED.
Laurent Balmelli
Laurent Thierry Balmelli is a Swiss entrepreneur and product leader who has built and scaled two cybersecurity startups through acquisition
Dorian Selz
Dr. Dorian Selz is a Swiss serial entrepreneur and co‑founder & CEO of Squirro
Manoj Harasgama
Manoj Harasgama Swiss-based serial entrepreneur and “Growth Founder” who built, scaled, and exited multiple high‑growth companies across B2B SaaS, Marketplaces, and now Climate Deeptech.
Thomas Gabathuler
Thomas Gabathuler is a Swiss serial entrepreneur and investor. He is the CEO and co-founder of Get More Brain, father of Bitmark e-book
They are individuals who:
- Have done it before and bring first-hand experience from real scaling journeys
- Are willing to give back, sharing knowledge openly and without ego
- Provide honest, experience-based sparring instead of theoretical advice
- Bring global perspectives, networks, and best practices
- Understand the complexity of scaling, where every mistake can be costly
Role Models are not mentors in the classical sense; they serve as sparring partners, strategic guides, and real-world scaling experts, creating a unique experience-sharing environment that only peers at their level can offer.