Verena Kontschieder, PhD
CEO, Director
Verena is the CEO of Opendata.ch and Director of the Prototype Fund Switzerland. Her work focuses on the governance of emerging technologies and their intersection with society, with a particular interest in responsible AI, human-centred design, and public-interest digital innovation. Previously, she worked on public innovation, global AI governance, and digital policy across a range of international and internationally operating organisations in both the public and private sectors.
Cathlene Bell
Communications and Community Lead
Cathlene Bell is a dedicated proponent of ethical and participatory social impact storytelling. Having previously worked with the International Labour Organisation, as well as with local integration measures such as Capacity, Refugee Voices and women++, she is delighted to channel her diverse experiences towards fostering a dignified digital existence through the power of open data.
Philip Mueller
Program Lead of the Prototype Fund
Philip is the Program Lead of the Prototype Fund. He has a particular interest in financing risk and climate adaptation. Prior to joining Opendata.ch, he gained experience in various roles in the fields of research, technology, and finance, contributing to projects focusing on flood insurance, the circular economy, and private equity strategy. He has a background in data science, public policy, and economics.
Zoé Langmeier
Operations and Finance Assistant
As Operations and Finance Assistant, Zoé supports the team in administrative matters. She is particularly interested in finance and accounting, in which she is currently continuing her education. Before joining Opendata.ch, she completed a commercial apprenticeship at an international company in the automotive industry. With her move to the IT sector, she is now motivated to contribute to digitalization and the promotion of open data.
Lionel Walter
Project Manager – GLAMhack 2026
Lionel joined the Opendata.ch team in May 2026 as Project Lead for GLAMhack 2026 (10%). He joined the OpenGLAM Working Group in 2016 during the second GLAMhack, organised by the University of Basel Library, where he was working at the time. Since then, he has contributed to the organisation of every subsequent GLAMhack. His goal is to make the data and tools of GLAM institutions as open, accessible, and transparent as possible. Alongside his work with Opendata.ch, he is also a software engineer at arbim IT.