Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership teams

  • Viola Jardon

    Viola Jardon

    Senior Programme Manager, CISL Canopy

    Viola is currently working as a Senior Programme Manager with CISL Canopy where she has worked with more than 150 early-stage start-ups with sustainability innovations. Her expertise and experience are in business innovation, go-to-market strategy and sustainability storytelling for the creative industry, tech industry, and the built environment. She is a business mentor for Tech Nation, Digital Catapult, Plug & Play, MSDUK and L Marks Corporate Accelerators and a business advisor for a few tech businesses. Before joining CISL, she was part of the founding team establishing the London Fashion Fund, which supported start-ups and entrepreneurs to address innovation and sustainability in the fashion industry. 

  • Sam Laakkonen

    Sam Laakkonen

    Senior Programme Director, CISL Canopy & Accelerator Team

    Senior Programme Director of the Canopy & Accelerator Team at CISL, Sam started his career as amanagement consultant in the City of London. He was headhunted to his first startup, FirstMark Communications Europe, which raised one of the largest Series A rounds in European history, over $1 billion. He has since been an early employee at Spotify, privately invested in 25+ startups, had 3 further exits from his own companies, helped 250+ startups accelerate growth, and works as an expert for the European Commission to distribute EIC equity and grant funding. Sam has been active in the Techstars ecosystem for a number of years, having been an Entrepreneur-In-Residence for Techstars Amsterdam, and a Lead Mentor on a number of programmes including Techstars Lisbon, Techstars Korea, Techstars Boulder and Techstars Energy in Oslo.

  • Megan Peachey

    Megan Peachey

    Senior Project Manager, CISL

    Megan is a Senior Project Manager at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), working across both the Innovation and Executive Education teams. She holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and a leadership and management qualification gained through a fast‑track development programme. Within the Innovation team, Megan works on the delivery of innovation programmes, including global accelerators and challenge‑led collaborations, supporting startups, corporates and policymakers to develop and scale solutions to complex sustainability challenges. Alongside this, Megan works within Executive Education on key long‑term strategic partnerships with global organisations operating in CISL’s priority impact areas. She previously managed CISL’s flagship executive seminar, the Business & Sustainability Programme, delivered annually in the UK and internationally, and continues to support the design and delivery of programmes that help leaders drive practical change within their organisations.

  • Zoe Loughlin

    Zoë Loughlin

    Programme Manager, CISL

    Zoë manages the Canopy, CISL’s Cambridge workspace and global community for impact-driven startups, small businesses and entrepreneurs. Zoë has over 10 years experience working in sustainability across the public and third sector and in the innovation ecosystem. She has specialised knowledge on waste reduction, recycling and sustainable food systems, previously working at Sustain (the Alliance for Better Food and Farming), the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership, WasteWatch, Glopolis, and Green Alliance. Zoë also cofounded a social enterprise focused on food waste reduction and held voluntary positions as Hub leader at Cambridge FoodCycle and on the Board for Cambridge Sustainable Food. Zoë joined CISL in 2016 as part of the Marketing, Communications and Corporate Relations team, working across programme marketing, external communications, publications, Network development, and the Unilever Young Entrepreneur Awards, before moving to her current position in 2022. Zoë has a BA in Geography from the University of Leeds, and a certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.