Yannick Heiniger, Deputy CEO; Julia Kuhn Mirza, Sr. Communications Manager; Perrine Gigandet, Events and Operations Coordinator; Alicia Rieckhoff, Programs Associate; Corine Thommen, Head of Impact Programs; Sophia Burri, Communications Associate; Emilia Pasquier, CEO; Julia Bislin, Science & Academia Program Manager; Caitlin Miller, Sr. Manager of Finance and Administration; Meg Shiffler, Head of Space and Operations; Sharon Ambrosio, Senior Entrepreneurship Program Manager; Romie Littrell, Creative Industries Program Manager. Missing in the photo: Perrine Huber, Head of Communications. Photograph: Myleen Hollero

Swissnex in San Francisco

After the pandemic forced Swissnex in San Francisco to rethink its raison d’être, 2022 proved a milestone. A degree of normality returned to our professional life, and we used the opportunity to sort out which elements of both worlds – pre- and post-pandemic – we wanted to keep. Most of our programs now have a virtual component, allowing us to be more mindful of the environment, cost, and people’s time while continuing to connect the dots between the West Coast of the United States and Switzerland.

Expansion of our virtual services is vitally important, but no less so is our space at San Francisco’s Pier 17. Personal exchange is crucial to developing open mindsets, honing interdisciplinary skillsets, and creating networks, the three central pillars of our mission. With that in mind, we have refashioned the physical environment, giving it a makeover that encourages collaboration, learning, and the serendipitous encounters critical to much of what we do at Swissnex.

We are excited to join forces with our partners as we embark on the next stage of our journey, equipped to generate more ideas and empower a new generation of innovators to solve the most pressing challenges of today’s society.

Emilia Pasquier
CEO Swissnex in San Francisco