Bala Kamallakharan
Investor and CEO of Startup Iceland
Bala Kamallakharan is the Founder of Startup Iceland, a grassroots initiative to build sustainable startup ecosystems in Iceland. Bala is also Co-Founder of Dattaca Labs and Iceland Venture Studio. Bala has served as Executive Board Member in Guide to Iceland and TravelShift. Bala has invested, mentored and was the Chairman of the Board at CLARA (Resonata), the Icelandic Community Analytics company which was acquired by Jive Software in 2013. CLARA was the first Icelandic company to be acquired into Silicon Valley. Bala has done various early stage investments like Buuteeq (acquired by Priceline.com NASDAQ:PCLN), GreenQloud (acquired by NetApp NASDAQ:NTAP).
Haukur Gudjónsson
Founder and Entrepreneur
Haukur is a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years experience in founding and scaling up businesses. He actively participates in volunteer work both through teaching and mentoring young entrepreneurs as well as volunteering for the Icelandic Search and Rescue Team.
Helga Waage
A.I. Specialist and Entrepreneur
Helga is a passionate advocate for AI and has had a long-standing love affair with the technology. As an entrepreneur, Helga was a co-founder and CTO of Mobilitus and was one of the technology leader of the original OZ Communications, a company that specialized in developing mobile email and instant messaging services for some of the world’s largest telecommunication companies. OZ Communication was acquired by Nokia in 2008. OZ had build mobile messaging, instant messaging and social networking solutions before many of the technologies even were conceived that we use today. Helga is now committed to sharing her expertise with the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. As a mentor and speaker at Startup Iceland, she will provide valuable insights into the world of AI, mobile technologies, real-time data, and e-commerce. Helga’s vast experience and knowledge will inspire entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions that will have a positive impact on society.
Founder and CEO of QuickLookup & Smart Data
Stefán is a serial entrepreneur, technologist, and the Founder and CEO of QuickLookup and Smart Data. With a passion for building large data models and multi decade experience as a data nerd, Stefan is an AI enthusiast who is excited about the potential of AI and its democratization. Stefan has a remarkable founder journey that spans several successful startups, and he is a seasoned mentor and speaker who can inspire and guide entrepreneurs to achieve their goals. He has a unique perspective on the startup landscape, having built and sold companies in diverse industries. As an AI evangelist, Stefan firmly believes in democratizing the power of AI and making it accessible to everyone. He envisions a future where AI is a tool for social and economic progress, and he is working tirelessly towards that goal. Stefan started an Operational AI company in 2013, Stefan’s passion for technology and entrepreneurship is contagious, and his experience and expertise make him a valuable mentor for startups.
Founder and CEO of QuickLookup & Smart Data
Kristján holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in product design from UC Berkeley. The program was part of the Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership, which places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and business operation.
Today, Kristján works as a product manager for finacial technology service at Arion Bank, where he focuses on web services that the companies can leverage in their solutions. In this role, Kristján is extensively involved in communcation with the financial technology sector in Iceland.
Previously, Kristján worked as a consultant at Deloitte in Iceland in the field of IoT (Internet of Things) and data utilization. There, among other projects, he worked on the Ökuvís solution at VÍS (car insurance company) and various projects in heavy industries.
Kristján also has a solid experience in pitch competitions, he won in a U.S. nationwide pitch competition sponsored by Bose at the SXSW festival.
Project Manager at Icelandair Group | Strategic Innovation, Design & Branding specialist
With 15+ years of international experience in the field of industrial design, sustainable business development, innovation & branding strategy, Susan is driven to develop and promote resilient solutions that can improve the everyday life of people and make a positive difference for society and the environment.
Susan’s expertise are
• Strategy & Business Development
• Design & Sustainable Development
• Technology Screening & Transfer
• Branding & Identity
• Project Management
• International Relations
Startup Iceland Camp 