Elise Van Middelem
Founder & CEO
SUGi
Zürich, Switzerland
2 profile visitsSpeakerSpeaker
My organisation
SUGi is a global movement that brings life to cities by creating ultra-dense, biodiverse pocket forests of native species, inspired by the Miyawaki method. It highlights the power of restoring biodiversity to tackle urban challenges, transforming both urban and semi-urban areas into lush green spaces that celebrate nature, enrich ecosystems, boost climate resilience, and foster a stronger sense of community and well-being.
Since launching in May 2019, we have created over 240 SUGi Pocket Forests in 54 cities on 6 continents and reconnected 85,000 youth & community members to Nature.
About me
Elise Van Middelem is a mission-driven leader known for fostering public engagement and collective action. Elise has built powerful coalitions amongst diverse groups to deliver on a common purpose. She created SUGi as a catalyzing network of expert forest makers and community keepers dedicated to greening cities & reimagining urban life.
Speaker sessions (1)
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
12:40 - 13:30
Investing in Nature: Unlocking Capital for a Regenerative Economy
Location:Rathaus - Nature Stage
With biodiversity loss posing material risks to economies and supply chains, this session explores how investors are redefining nature as an asset class — from innovative financing models to scaling solutions for protecting and restoring NC.