Elise Van Middelem is a mission-driven entrepreneur known for her leadership in fostering public engagement and collective action. From contemporary art to global ecology, EVM has built powerful coalitions amongst diverse groups to deliver on a common purpose. With 18 years of seasoned leadership and expertise as a creative brand strategist, she successfully steered the development of large-scale interdisciplinary projects from conception to execution for major corporations such as Louis Vuitton, Nike, Samsung, and Art Basel.

Yves Béhar & Samsung enlisted the support of EVM to create a digital gallery exclusive for The Frame television. While the idea of a display showing artwork is not new, the fundamental difference with The Frame is that art is at the core of its design and experience. Artists from all cultures and backgrounds are represented, including some who are part of the collections of the most prestigious museums around the world.

In 2019, EVM founded SUGi, a social enterprise dedicated to greening cities and reimagining urban life — which blended her deep passion for both art and nature. Under EVM, SUGi has grown from a grassroots movement to a leading voice for ‘Nature based Solutions’, earning prestigious recognition as Top Innovator by the World Economic Forum, inclusion in 1t.org, and UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.

To date, SUGi has conceived, planted, and funded 200 pocket forests in 42 cities worldwide, including London, Beirut, and New York City. Driven by her desire to make biodiversity restoration, climate resilience, and community wellbeing visible, accessible, and measurable, SUGi publishes a pioneering Impact Report, which tells the individual story of each of these forests and the communities that helped build them. Through this journey, SUGi has forged multiple partnerships with some of the most influential & iconic brands and have successfully executed numerous highly visible public projects around the world.

Discover SUGi Pocket Forests HERE
ChangeNOW, Paris 2024, Keynote Sustainable City Pioneers: Shaping Urban Futures HERE