05-29, 10:30–10:55 (CET), Seed
Climate chaos and rising populism make the energy transition harder—but also more vital than ever. This talk dives into the tech, policies, and people flipping the power script. From grassroots rebels to bold innovations, it’s a story of hope, impact, and why your spark does matter—even when the world feels on fire.
Anika Nicolaas Ponder and Dàmir Belltheus Avdić lead the Climate & Innovation department at IKEM, exploring bold and creative solutions for a swift and inclusive energy transition. Their work spans green hydrogen for energy security in the Baltic Sea, social innovation in Germany, and gender equality in the energy sector. Passionate about creative science communication—from infographic coloring books to drag queens explaining the energy transition—they’re excited to join the Ethereum community and connect with those building decentralised systems for a fairer, greener world.
Anika heads the Climate & Innovation Department at the Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility (IKEM) in Berlin. Her work centres on social innovation, science communication, and storytelling as powerful tools to foster not just much-needed acceptance, but excitement for the energy transition. Anika leads research on decentralised energy systems, green hydrogen for energy security, and democratic approaches to system change. From citizen energy to drag performances that explain the energy transition, she is committed to making climate action more inclusive, creative, and impactful.
Dàmir Belltheus Avdic is Head of the Climate and Innovation Department at IKEM and an expert in offshore wind energy and green fuels as well as socio-economic analyses.
Dàmir coordinates IKEM's Baltic Sea work as well as the Europe-Ukraine Energy Transition Hub (EUETH), for which he recently authored and edited a series of studies on the reconstruction and transformation of the Ukrainian energy sector. He has also been involved in numerous studies dealing with the social and economic aspects of climate-protection measures, such as the introduction of ammonia as a fuel for shipping.
He studied History at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and holds a BSc in Economics & Business from the University of Amsterdam and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris. He speaks eight languages.