Dr. Chris Luebkeman is a futurist and strategic foresight expert known for his work at the intersection of architecture, engineering, and sustainability. He currently heads the Strategic Foresight Hub in the Office of the President at ETH Zurich, leading a team that explores future trends and helps stakeholders navigate emerging challenges. Prior to this, Dr. Luebkeman spent two decades at the global engineering firm Arup, where he founded and led the Foresight, Innovation and Incubation teams, pioneering the firm’s “Drivers of Change” program to help organizations plan for the future​. A sought-after speaker and moderator, he has delivered talks at TED and the World Economic Forum and advised numerous institutions worldwide on foresight and innovation in the face of global challenges. Dr. Luebkeman serves as the Forum Moderator, bringing his extensive experience in facilitating forward-looking dialogue to guide the event’s discussions.

Kate Ascher is an urban development expert who serves as the Milstein Professor of Urban Development at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP)​. 

She is also a partner at BuroHappold Engineering, where she leads the firm’s Cities Group, focusing on urban infrastructure and resilient city planning​. Earlier in her career, Ascher held senior roles in New York City’s public sector, including Assistant Director at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and Executive Vice President of the NYC Economic Development Corporation​. She has authored several acclaimed books on urban infrastructure, such as The Works: Anatomy of a City and The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper, which demystify the systems that make cities work​. 

Ascher is leading the “Respond” track, bringing her urban planning and infrastructure expertise to the forum’s discussions on resilient development.

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The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction will conduct a Holcim Foundation Fellowship for Europe hosted by University College London (UCL) from July 21 to August 1, 2025 in London.

Last updated: March 06, 2025 London, United Kingdom This in-person intensive two-week course at University College London (UCL) seeks to foster a curiosity and solutions-driven mindset through a series of actions — open dialogue, consultation, exploration, and reflection — and to create a dynamic feedback loop that leads to transferable and scalable outcomes.

The Fellowship is open to current final year or recently graduated Masters students from the disciplines of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, Historic Preservation, Structural/Civil/Construction Engineering and Real Estate Development.

Jonelle Simunich is a futurist, designer, and entrepreneur shaping collaborative futures at the intersection of people, place, and planet. Trained in architecture, city planning, and innovation strategy, she focuses on built-environment systems to accelerate the transitions toward socially and environmentally positive outcomes.

Her work spans continents and cultures, where she has led complex, multidisciplinary projects bridging built and natural environments. At Arup, she spent eight years leading the Foresight team’s Sustainable Futures work and built out their Regenerative Design offering. Prior to that, she contributed to post-Hurricane Sandy efforts at NYC’s Department of City Planning. She worked as an architect in New York and California, specializing in retrofit and mixed-use projects.

With a mission to translate vision into action, Jonelle curates experiences that spark meaningful change. She has contributed to and authored over 15 publications and co-created more than 50 workshops and gatherings that bring diverse voices together to shape better futures.

Alys Laver is Site Manager at Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Steart Marshes in the UK, specializing in flood management, habitat creation, and restoration. Her deep commitment to wetlands stems from a lifelong connection to Somerset’s Levels and Moors. Following a Zoology degree, she dedicated her career to conservation, managing rare and valuable wetland habitats across the UK. Since joining WWT in 2013, Alys has overseen major European habitat creation schemes, demonstrating how landscape-scale restoration can reconnect ecosystems. Currently, she oversees a major new WWT 130-hectare saltmarsh restoration initiative. 
At the Forum, Alys will share insights from Steart Marshes, illustrating how returning land to the sea can rejuvenate nature, strengthen coastal resilience, and protect communities. Her presentation highlights wetlands as essential ecosystems—natural infrastructure that can help solve some of humanity’s greatest environmental challenges, enhancing resilience and restoring vital biodiversity in coastal communities.

Dr. Ana P. Barros is Donald Biggar Willett Distinguished Chair, Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Director of the Center for Secure Water at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA. Her research specializes in hydrology, hydrometeorology, and environmental physics, emphasizing the water cycle, clouds, precipitation, and land-atmosphere interactions. Dr. Barros leverages satellite remote sensing, computational modeling, and AI-driven analysis to address climate risk and resilience. A member of the US National Academy of Engineering, and fellow of several prestigious scientific societies, she collaborates extensively on risk modeling and artificial intelligence. 
At the Forum, Dr. Barros will discuss the role of AI in flood resilience and planning. Her presentation will highlight innovative applications of high-performance computing and generative modeling to assess emerging flood risks, infrastructure vulnerability, and adaptive strategies, drawing lessons from recent extreme events such as Hurricane Helene in Asheville and the Palisades Fire aftermath in Los Angeles.