Our Team

Fonger, a serial cleantech entrepreneur, started Arctic Reflections to regenerate Arctic sea ice, restore its natural solar reflectivity, and slow global warming.

He has over 15 years of experience in the energy sector, focusing on building new business models and growth. Previously, he was a McKinsey consultant, head of the Eneco Smart Energy Lab, CEO of Brainbay, and co-founded Blockheating, a scale-up, to recycle data center energy.

Fonger holds a PhD in Mathematical Physics from Oxford University and an MSc in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Amsterdam. In his spare time, Fonger enjoys alpine ski touring and cycling.

Dr. Fonger Ypma
CEO and Founder

Tom joined forces with Fonger to co-found Arctic Reflections and tackle climate change.

As an independent contractor, he has 20 years of experience with tech innovations and product development. Tom has co-founded multiple start-ups, including Olisto, an app that connects IOT products. Previously, he has held product management and innovation roles at Vodafone, TomTom, and Eneco.

Tom holds an MSc in Business Administration from the Rotterdam School of Management and a CEMS Master’s in International Management. When not working to restore the Arctic, Tom can be found sailing.
Tom Meijeraan
COO and Founder

Soroosh brings extensive technical skills and practical experience to our team.

Previously, he had a tenure position at C-CORE, a top harsh-environment engineering firm, where field trips to sub-arctic ice fields solidified his operational design skills. He has a decade of mechanical design experience using CAD tools and finite element modeling.

Dual degrees in naval architectural engineering underscore his extensive naval design and maritime operations knowledge. Soroosh holds a PhD in ice mechanics from Memorial University, where he worked as a Research Assistant for a decade. In his spare time, he can be found in the kitchen cooking up a storm.
Dr. Soroosh Afzali
Lead Engineer

Cody is investigating the (thermo-)dynamics of thickened sea ice, developing our ice growth model, and calculating the maximum water flow rate water over ice and through the snow.

After his BSc in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute, Cody graduated from the EWEM program with an MSc in Offshore and Dredging Engineering from TU Delft, and an MSc in Wind Energy Technology from NTNU.

As a PhD candidate at TU Delft, he studied the ice mechanics involved in the ice-induced vibrations of offshore wind turbines. Following this theme, Cody developed new techniques to investigate saline ice microstructure and mechanics as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalto University.

In his spare time, Cody enjoys cycling and reading.
Dr. Cody Owen
Researcher

Tom recently graduated from the Amsterdam University College where he focused on studying (numerical) mathematics, writing his thesis on the adaptive finite element method. At Arctic Reflections, he will be researching and analyzing site selection criteria for ice thickening, using satellite data and other sources.
Outside of his work, Tom enjoys running, bouldering and playing hockey.

 Tom Heyning
Data Analyst

Bipasha has over fifteen years of international editorial, public relations, and communication experience. She’s keen to apply her expertise to contribute towards a globalised world that is more caring of the members of society who are at a disadvantage. She has travelled widely and worked in five countries, giving her a global perspective and understanding of cultures, politics, and policies. In addition to her experience in publishing and writing for different mediums, Bipasha is pursuing a PhD in climate migration communication and holds a master’s in international journalism from Cardiff University.

When she has time to spare, she’s either buried in a book or playfully dodging her dog, who has an uncanny knack for knowing exactly when someone might be free to play.

Bipasha van der Zijde
Communications & Engagement Lead

Rob has spent 15 years in the engineering consulting field where he has traveled the world from the Arctic to Australia on projects that vary from nanosat ground station installations to deploying tracking beacons on ice floes in the Labrador strait. His specialty is field operations and has managed projects where he would be responsible for design of equipment, procurement, and logistics.

Rob is a motivated problem solver who is at his best on the ground ensuring projects run smoothly for the best opportunity for success. He is excited to join the AR team!

In his spare time Rob enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and golfing. He also volunteers as a volleyball coach at a local high school.

Rob Pritchett
Mechanical Engineering Technician

Samuele recently graduated from Politecnico di Milano with a degree in Space Engineering, where his thesis focused on the robotic exploration of asteroids and comets. His research investigated several mobility strategies employed by past rovers, identifying the best suited solution for future missions. He also proposed an innovative anchoring solution, which was successfully tested on a simulant of the asteroid surface. Although space and the Arctic may seem like they are worlds apart, both environments are extremely harsh, and they demand advanced exploration technologies. At Arctic Reflections, Samuele will apply his knowledge about space robotics to investigate several mobility and autonomy options that can be employes for future iterations of sea ice pumping platforms.

When he is not designing new robots to tackle climate change, you can find Samuele chasing waves with his surfboard, playing basketball, or stargazing on clear nights.

Samuele Zannoni
Space Engineer Intern

Claudia brings over 10 years of experience in product development and management within the automotive and EV charging industries. Over the past 7 years, she has focused on developing products and reducing their environmental impact with sustainable materials, building strategic product portfolios, and simplifying offerings to minimize waste. At Arctic Reflections, Claudia is developing the product roadmap to define priorities and guide strategic decisions, helping shape our solution.

When she’s not working, you’ll likely find Claudia cycling (when the weather allows it) or planning her next two-wheeled adventure. She loves the sense of freedom that comes from exploring nature, which fuels her commitment to creating solutions that help preserve it.

Claudia Ardura
Product Development Engineer

Felix recently completed his BSc in Environmental Engineering Science at UC Berkeley, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in Cold Climate Engineering at Aalto University in Finland.  There, he specialises in sea ice dynamics and engineering problems related to Arctic shipping and its associated hazards. He is collaborating with Arctic Reflections on his thesis which focuses on ice arches. Felix’s research aims are to investigate pathways for reinforcing these structures to prevent their breakup, helping maintain the balance of Arctic ice, while also designing experimental frameworks to explore these courses of action.

In his free time, Felix is an avid basketball and sports analytics fan, and he enjoys skiing and reading literature.

Felix Levy
Research Intern

Samuli is a master’s student in Cold Climate Engineering at Aalto University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). For his thesis he is working with Arctic Reflections, focusing on the salinity and reflectivity of thickened ice. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering and has worked in consultancy and land development.
In his free time, he enjoys winter sports, trekking and cycling.

Samuli Mikkola
Research Intern