Thomas Bjelkeman-Pettersson, founder, managing director and acting chief technical officer

Thomas founded Akvo with the mission to inspire a global open source knowledge and collaboration platform for the water sector. A serial entrepreneur, Thomas is a computer software and environmental scientist who began developing software ventures in the UK and California in the mid-1990s. Thomas has overall operational responsibility for the Akvo project, and is acting chief technology officer. He steers the team to harness the maximum potential from open source methods and refines the methodologies and tools to meet the needs of financiers, field-based NGOs and global development institutions.

Gabriel von Heijne, co-founder and lead developer

Gabriel has been an independent software developer for 13 years. He works primarily in Python, the programming language upon which Akvo RSR is built, along with the website framework Django. Gabriel also leads the development and management of Akvo's web servers based on Linux/Apache and MySQL. He has been involved in a number of advanced software projects using emerging programming languages. He worked from 1999 to 2003 alongside Akvo founder Thomas Bjelkeman to build Zezame, an early AJAX-based application for web-based annotations. He has developed web applications for SEB, one of Sweden's largest banks, for Microsoft Sweden and for Gambro, a medical equipment manufacturer. Gabriel studied maths and programming at Stockholm University and physics at Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

Gino Lee, co-founder and user interface designer

The creative eye behind Akvo's user interface design, Gino is one of Silicon Valley's first wave of pioneers in marketplace-oriented web design. His finely tuned skills in branding, look and feel shape all aspects of Akvo online. Gino spent his early career in printing and typography, working with some of its biggest names to create fonts such as "Zapfino", now a Mac OS X system font. In 1994, he entered the nascent e-commerce industry and created websites, content structures and user interface elements for clients including W3C, HP, Sony, Women.com, Office Depot, Motorola, Netaid, Ingram Micro and Verizon. Gino achieved startling success at Viaweb, a pioneering e-commerce software company he co-founded in 1994, which sold four years later to Yahoo! His reputation was confirmed when he co-authored "Creating Killer Websites", Amazon's top-selling book in 1996. Gino has a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University. He is based in San Francisco.

Malte Beckmann, web developer

Malte is an Akvo web developer and community coordinator. He ensures our software development team engages thoroughly with users to specify and test the system's three key modules. Malte also converts Gino's designs into CSS and HTML that can be used by Gabriel when building the system. He joined the Akvo team in Delft in May 2008, having proved his ability to visualise new collaboration tools and learn the necessary skills to build them. Malte created GreenCurrent.net, a pilot programme to bring together global environmental communities to exchange ideas and share resources. He has an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College and a BA in International Business with Chinese from the University of Westminster. His research involved extensive work in China.

Beth Whiteside, quality assurance tester

Beth leads Akvo's quality testing process. This involves test planning, design, development and execution across all aspects of Akvopedia, Akvo Direct and RSR, along with support to create appropriate documentation. Beth began developing test schedules for document systems vendor Interleaf almost twenty years ago and has since led a wide variety of software quality assurance programmes for firms in California and Massachusetts. She worked with Akvo engineers Thomas Bjelkeman and Gabriel von Heijne at Zezame, where she managed a cross-function team of three testers and contributed to product design and specification, especially usability and testing. She also runs her own knitting instruction and design company, "seejaneknit".

Peter van der Linde, co-founder and partnership director

Peter is a co-founder of Akvo and has directed partner relationships since summer 2006. Combining considerable field experience with a large contact network, he is a 'connector' between governmental organisations, corporates, NGOs and knowledge institutes. During 2008, Peter will lead Akvo's funding and implementation deals with international development institutions, development banks, implementation NGOs and other investors. He will also ensure that Akvo's first tools meet the needs of our initial investor and implementation NGO partners. A project manager at the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP), he combines technical knowledge of water management with the ability to mobilise an extensive, high level network of water and sanitation changemakers across the world.

Luuk Diphoorn, partner coordinator

Luuk coordinates Akvo's project activities with our NGO partners across the world. This includes identifying appropriate projects to upload to the Akvo system, gathering the relevant content from each organisation and sharing regular updates. Luuk also helps Akvo identify collaboration opportunities with other programmes being managed by the Netherlands Water Partnership, where he is based in Delft. Luuk graduated in 2007 with an MA in International Development Studies from the University of Utrecht. Having grown up in Burundi, Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, he has worked on several international development programmes including the World Water Dome in Johannesburg (2002) and a project to assess environmental impact at the IWMI in Colombo in Sri Lanka (06/07).

Mark Charmer, co-founder and communications director

Mark joined Akvo in Autumn 2006 and directs its communications. Akvo has a unique opportunity to talk more openly and directly than previous development sector projects. He ensures we tell the Akvo story in a discoverable way, inspiring audiences while managing expectations. He also improves how we describe ourselves to key groups. Mark has a Masters degree in Design from Central St Martins College and a BSc in Management Studies from Aston University. He brings 14 years experience running international communications for companies such as HP, Compaq, Dell and Apple and has been a senior advisor to world top 3 PR agency Hill & Knowlton for eight years. He is CEO of The Movement Design Bureau, an international think tank that researches advanced design related to cities, mobility, development and collaboration. He is based in London.