Karen Teuwen is the co-founder and CEO of NeoCell Therapeutics, a deep tech startup developing a 3D artificial bone marrow platform to expand blood stem cells at scale — with the goal of broadening access to treatments for over 70 serious diseases including leukemia and lymphoma.She has spent over 20 years working across finance, operations, and commercial roles in Europe and Latin America. That includes capital markets and treasury at ING and Banco do Brasil, co-General Manager at Anton Paar Brazil — a global leader in precision scientific instruments — where she oversaw finance and HR, and Head of Finance at Sproutfi, a Y Combinator-backed fintech. She also helped build and open Oleon's Latin American operations from the ground up. She holds the CFA designation.At NeoCell, she focuses on the business side — strategy, finance, and partnerships — working alongside her scientific co-founder, Rodrigo Lucas, to bring the platform to market.She was selected for Antler Brazil and Latitud, two founder programs focused on early-stage startups, mentors entrepreneurs at FGV, and makes occasional angel investments — which has given her a useful perspective on what investors are actually looking for.Belgian by origin, she has lived and worked in Brazil for over a decade.