Dr. Iva Jestratijevic is an assistant professor at the University of North Texas, USA (UNT) and holds a PhD in Fashion and Retail (Ohio State University – received in 2019), as well as another PhD in the Theory of Art and Media (University of Arts, Serbia – received in 2010).
Her research is focused on sustainability and transformative corporative, collective and personal behaviour. Her academic mission is to challenge the status quo in the fashion industry practice, contributing to a transformative implementation of its sustainability agenda, which should help improve the way we source, produce, promote, package, use, and reuse apparel and textiles. Her research articles are published in a range of highly respected journals. In 2024, UNT Press published her book The Business of Sustainability in Fashion which should be on the reading list of every fashion student, educator and consumer of fashion. It is unique in its focus on critical and creative thinking surrounding corporate and consumer sustainability while succinctly illustrating how interdependent the challenges of being sustainable are.
In March 2024, dr. Iva Jestratijevic launched The Zero Waste Textile Initiative (ZWTI) at the University of North Texas. This sustainability initiative is geared towards the collection and redirection of textiles from landfills through creative reuse, recycling, donation and swap events. Since its inception, ZWTI has allied with partners such as the City of Denton (Solid Waste & Recycling, Sustainability Department) and so far, we have collected over 3,000 lbs (about 1360.78 kg) of textiles which was diverted through donation to partners such as UNT based Diamond Eagle Clothing Closet.
In photo: Invited Keynote speaker assist. prof. dr. Iva Jestratijevic, University of North Texas, USA
Anthropologist Dan Podjed, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Institute of Slovenian Ethnology), an Associate Professor at the University of Ljubljana (Faculty of Arts, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology), and a Field Expert at the Institute for Innovation and Development of the University of Ljubljana. He is the founder and Executive Advisor of the Applied Anthropology Network of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) and the initiator of the international symposium Why the World Needs Anthropologists, which has been organised annually since 2013. His research focuses on isolation, crises, human-technology interactions, sustainable lifestyles, and the epistemology of everyday life. His most recent book project, Crisolation, which explores the future of people living behind four walls and in front of screens in an era of permanent crisis, has been well-received both in academic circles and by the general public.
In photo: Invited Keynote speaker assoc. prof. dr. Dan Podjed (photo by Miran Juršič)
Ingrid Heuffel Berginc, MSc, quality manager at Pipistrel d.o.o. Ajdovščina and a leading external quality system auditor, brings 24 years of experience in quality systems within the automotive and aviation industries. Employed at Pipistrel, d.o.o., for 11 years, she plays a key role in the implementation, continuous monitoring and improvement of the quality assurance system of the manufacturing and design organisation in accordance with the requirements of the international aviation agency EASA and national aviation regulations. With 2 years of experience as the CEO of Pipistrel, d.o.o., she gained significant expertise in strategic management and advancing organisational success. Her role is vital to the safe and consistent operation of the organization, driving a comprehensive quality approach across all levels of the company. Her work provides a bridge between aviation regulators, operational staff and management, ensuring full compliance with aviation standards. In addition to her operational role, she contributes to projects involving novel technologies (i.e. eVTOL) and shares her expertise with other companies, mentoring students and lecturing at professional conferences, fostering innovation and excellence in production and business processes.
In Photo: Invited Keynote speaker mag. Ingrid Heuffel Berginc, Pipistrel d.o.o.
