Guya Merkle represents a new generation of business leaders who are convinced that being economically viable is not enough anymore for a company. There also must be an ethical framework for how business is done. A company in 2018 needs to create value for people and for the environment, next to making money.

Guya Merkle is the founder of Earthbeat Foundation and leads jewellery company VIERI. What makes the latter so remarkable is that all its collections are made of gold that has been produced under ethically justifiable conditions. What sounds like it should be a standard still is a rarity worldwide and made VIERI a pioneer in this specific segment of the luxury industry.

Guya will share what it takes to radically rethink a family business that has been around for generations — a challenge she already had to face in her early twenties. Guya will also give us an idea of what it means to maximize impact instead of profit. She will discuss why it is not even enough to improve working conditions for every human being involved across the entire supply chain. Guya will shed light on the challenges she had to overcome, the resistances she discovered, and the ambitions that drive her successful path.