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Our team

Meet the Team Behind OSI

The Open Smart Irrigation (OSI) initiative is driven by an interdisciplinary team with deep expertise in agriculture, technology, education, and sustainable development. Our core team brings hands-on experience and passion to the field, while our advisory board provides strategic guidance across key disciplines.

Philippe Hess

Director – Project Lead
Founder of OSI and agricultural researcher, overseeing all activities from concept to fieldwork with a focus on practical impact.

Alexander Mirzeid-Feid

Funding Strategy & Communication Lead
Marketing and branding expert, responsible for shaping OSI’s funding strategy and forming key strategic partnerships.

Joel Ikabat

Country Manager Uganda
Agricultural engineer with deep field expertise and strong community ties, leading OSI’s pilot implementation and managing local partnerships across Uganda.

Hannah Burkard

Education & Female Empowerment Lead
Expert in curriculum development and female empowered education, shaping OSI Academy’s inclusive training programs.

Silvan Imhof

Software Development
Engineer and enthusiastic open-source contributor, leading the backend development of OSI OS with a focus on modularity, system stability, and long-term maintainability.

Panya Gisler

Web Developer
User interface designer focused on intuitive design, developing the OSI OS frontend and OSI Academy web platform.

Advisory Board

Elodie Huber

Business Strategy & Investor Relations
Experienced startup consultant with a finance background, advising OSI on growth strategy and investment readiness.

Jesper Clement

Marketing & User-Centered Design
Professor of consumer behavior and intuitive design, supporting OSI’s approach to user-friendly technology.

Thomas Anken

Smart Irrigation Technology
Head of digital production at Agroscope, providing expert guidance on precision agriculture and field evaluation.

Alex Mathis

Sustainable Crop Production
Senior researcher and lecturer in regenerative agriculture, enhancing the OSI Academy curriculum on sustainable farming practices.