Ilena Mece looks closely at how founders think, testing their self-awareness and how they handle pressure with co-founders, and she pays special attention to overlooked technical talent in Central and Eastern Europe as well as founders modernizing industrial know-how in German midsize companies. With a background in finance and private equity from Credit Suisse and the London School of Economics, and a coverage area spanning CEE, DACH, Italy, and the US, she supports founders as a steady thinking partner during long, complex deep-tech and industrial buildouts, valuing patience paired with real progress.