1 Festival, 4 Conferences

Dr Muller-Stuler is the Chief Data Scientist for IBM MEA leading the Centre of Excellence for Data Science. She is responsible for the transformation of Data Science in IBM MEA and globally using data and analytics as she implemented AI in the enterprise sustainably and at scale. She has successfully built a team that focuses on building long-term partnerships and guiding top clients including governments on their path to data driven or AI powered organizations. As an expert in her field, Dr Eva’s drive to constantly innovate and add value to the community through her professional career has helped large organizations grow and prosper towards building smart solutions. Her innovations are truly making significant changes. She is a leader in her field with 13 years of innovation, leaving her mark on Customer Behavior, Decision Science, Predictive Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence. Her solutions focus on Customer Growth, Acquisition, Retention, Demand Forecasting, Merchandising Optimization, Assortment Ranging & Optimization, Location Evaluation, as well as Risk and Fraud detection engines. She has deep insights and a global exposure across multiple industries such as: Retail, FMCG, Healthcare, Energy, and Financial sector. This exposure has allowed her to promptly realize that most enterprises wants to leverage AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science. Hence, she demonstrates IBM’s philosophy and methodology for successfully executing and operationalizing data science in the enterprise. Previously, she was the Chief Data Scientist at KPMG in Decision Science, where she led the development of new ground-breaking approaches to facilitate strategic data driven real-time decisions engines. Additionally, Dr. Eva is a mathematician with a passion for her subject and has been an international conference speaker influencing and disrupting industries with innovative Data Science ideas and machine vision. She is a trusted advisor to governments on changes through AI and machine learning. On the other hand, she is an investor, consultant and mentor for start-up companies. Dr Eva holds a Doctorate from Philipps-University Marburg, and a Master of Science degree in Mathematics from the Technical University of Munich, where she became an expert in gaining insights from unstructured data and mathematical optimization. On a scholarship of the Japanese Government, she spent a research year in number theory at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. She is the author and co-author of numerous papers and publications as well as a member of various mathematical societies including Women in Machine Learning. Currently she is a guest lecturer at RIT Dubai for Data science. Through her technical abilities, Dr Eva takes a vision and makes it reality for the betterment of society. She sharply foresees the threads of opportunities that wind through an enterprise, brings them together into a lucid whole, guides business conversations, and initiates new business prospects. She is an inspirational leader who shares an experience that triggers a need of action. Respected as a plausible voice in strategic decision making, Dr Eva earns a seat at the table wherever she performs.

Nadine Hajj

Necip Ozyucel

Jihad is leading the digital marketing and e-commerce unit at Beiersdorf Middle East with over 10 years of experience in digital communications.

Khalid has been working in the Middle Eastern tech space for 8 years. During the last 3 years he has lead Astound Commerce’s Middle Eastern business. In his role he works very closely with some of the best known brands in the region, such Al Futtaim, Dnata, themodist.com helping them to harness technology to build and grow their digital commerce businesses.

I am a certified life coach and NLP coach, I love to exercise and live and breath amazon leadership principles.

A visionary strategic marketing and community management executive, with transformational leadership and highly innovative strategy in diverse business scenarios. My experience includes marketing management roles within financial services, technology enterprises and education, directing market positioning, digital marketing and stakeholder engagement (SEM, SEO, Mobile, social media engagement, CRM, CMS and strategic partnerships) spanning the B2B, B2C and B2G sectors. As a catalyst for change, I am highly tuned to future markets and global industry trends, I help instill an entrepreneurial culture within executive teams to capitalise upon marketplace opportunities, accessing core capability in strategic planning, digital marketing, stakeholder engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic partnership formation. Recognized for my creative style and flair for compelling marketing initiatives, I have an influential interpersonal and team management approach complemented by a global mindset and capacity to construct mutually beneficial strategic partnerships. I am a specialist in building out a company brand or image in defined markets and in championing blueprints that promote growth and expansion. I hold a TRIUM Global Executive MBA from the London School of Economics & Political Science, HEC Paris School of Management and New York University Stern School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts – International Marketing from Brunel University. An Accredited Innovation Practitioner, I am able to define and implement innovation management strategy in line with NSAI Innovation Management Standards and the upcoming ISO/TC279 Innovation Management Standard.

HB joined the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM as the Associate Director in the Capital Markets Intermediaries team. His responsibilities include authorisation and supervision of financial institutions. He is also part of the team developing the fintech ecosystem in ADGM, as well as regulation of fintech companies, and organizing the FinTech Abu Dhabi Summit. HB began his career in the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), authorizing and supervising financial institutions. In MAS, his work also included formulating market conduct policy, working with foreign securities regulators in joint projects at IOSCO and other platforms, and reviewing and strengthening standards of Singapore’s financial advisory sector. After MAS, he joined Promontory Financial Group (an IBM Company), a US-headquartered global regulatory consulting firm with offices in 19 cities across the world. As a Principal in Promontory Financial Group, he provided regulatory and compliance consulting advice and services to financial institutions in Singapore, China, Australia and other parts of Asia. He holds a Double Degree in Economics and Psychology from Yale University, and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

An expert negotiator turned programmatic superhero. With over ten years of advertising-focused experience and a passion for understanding the tech nuances of the industry, he has broken new ground in shaping the creative application of tech solutions. Having joined MMPWW in 2015 as a Sales and Account Manager, his natural ability to engage with clients and manage multiple portfolio functions at once was recognized with a promotion to Senior Director. In 2017, after just two years of successful leadership in the growth of the company and global expansion initiatives, Nader was appointed as MMPWW’s Deputy General Manager. His advocacy for publishers, agencies and brands to gain a stronger grasp on the ecosystems at play, and the tools available to ensure a more secure advertising space, is evident through his active thought leadership at events and in published articles. Today, he uses personal insights, fluency in data and enthusiasm to teach by helping partners in the media space navigate the complexities of programmatic.

Founder and CEO of Digital of Things, a specialist user experience (UX) consultancy with state of the art usability lab. He is originally from London, having spent most of his career in large companies from IBM, Bloomberg to Lloyds Banking Group. He is passionate about all things digital including launching new products and propositions, applying UX / UI principles, developing UX roadmaps and strategy, agile methodologies, digital transformation, eCommerce, analytics, digital marketing and social media. He moved to Dubai to work for Emirates airline, looking after UX in the main booking flow, and saw the need to improve UX across the region. Seeing this opportunity, he setup his own UX consultancy and usability lab to create beautiful experiences, by bringing the customers into the heart of everything.

Based in Dubai, Sam Tayan leads the Sage business across the Middle East. He is overseeing an aggressive growth strategy for the region, which includes positioning the Sage Business Cloud as only cloud platform that Middle East businesses need and driving the expansion of Sage’s enterprise business. Sam joins Sage with 25 years’ experience in the industry managing various technology companies in the Middle East including five years as Managing Director for VMware in the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to that, he held senior positions at organisations such as Veritas Software and Sun Microsystems in the Middle East and also EMC in the UK. He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering the University of Bath.

A Brand Marketing Director at UAE Exchange. He signed as the title sponsor of the Asia’s biggest international cricket tournament Unimoni Asia Cup, UAE 2018 and, Official Sponsor of the recently concluded AFC Asian Cup, UAE 2019 football championship.

He joined KIPCO in 2018, with around 20 years of investment experience in frontier markets. Mr Kawkabani leads strategic initiatives, special projects and transformation programs across KIPCO Group. Prior to joining KIPCO, he set up and served as the CEO of CPC Africa and has held several positions in leading regional and international organizations including Chief Investment Officer- MENA equities at Franklin Templeton, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Algebra Capital, and Head of Equity Asset Management at SHUAA Capital.

The Incubators & Accelerators manager for the Emirates Group. The group comprises of Emirates Airline, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines as well as dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers. Salah launched Intelak, the region’s first Travel & Aviation Incubator, the Emirates Airlines Dubai Future Accelerator Program and working on the launch of the Aviation X Lab. Salah has more than fifteen years of international experience in management from both the aviation and finance sectors. Prior to joining Emirates, Salah worked with Citibank in Lebanon as their IT Manager and then was promoted to IT Director for Portugal. Salah graduated in June 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences and a minor in Business studies from the American University of Beirut.

VC in 🇦🇪 backed by @gincoae & Lead @Techstars Dubai // Before: @dubaifuture @abudhabimedia @vice @piksel. // Dork. Husband. Dad. Friend.

Aya Sadder is the Incubator manager of Intelak, the first Aviation, Travel & Tourism Incubator in the region; it is a partnership between The Emirates Group, GE and Dubai Tourism. In this role, she delivers the Incubator’s strategy of supporting the UAE’s ambitious plans for the future, and to ensure that the country sets the highest global standards for services, systems, and experiences in aviation. She is also a consultant to the Emirates Airlines Dubai Future Accelerator Program and a team member of the Aviation X Lab, the world’s first aviation x lab She is developing Intelak into a hub that will seek to develop teams, comprised of early-stage entrepreneurs or students, to become part of the conversation in travel and aviation.

The Managing Partner of E11 Capital, a global VC firm investing in companies solving the world’s biggest challenges. He began his career in investment research with Montreal-based group BCA, before moving to Dubai to help grow Zawya before its acquisition by Reuters in 2012. He then joined Plug & Play in Silicon Valley, where he formed dozens of international joint ventures and partnerships with governments and corporations to invest in early stage startups. With over 15 years experience in international business, corporate innovation, and cross-border technology transfer, Mohannad has helped internationalize hundreds of companies around the world such as AltSchool, Zenysis, and Instabug. Based in San Francisco, Mohannad supports corporations and governments through E11’s corporate venture capital model.

Walid Faza

Khaled Talhouni

Mia is a start-up entrepreneur and designer specialising in sustainable fashion (www.miajafari.com). She is also an accomplished program designer supporting social entrepreneurs and enterprises align their business with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She graduated in Design and Visual Arts from both Central Saint Martins, and Goldsmiths, University of London. She is also a PGCE (Certificate in Post 16 Education) qualified educator. Mia designs, prepares and delivers learning packages that are interactive, hands-on and foster collaboration in order to grow innovation and empower an entrepreneurial culture. Currently Mia is the program manager for Intelak Incubator, at aviation, travel and tourism incubator co-founded by Emirates Group, GE and Dubai Tourism.


Works at OMD Transact, OMD’s unit that focuses on Commerce and Omnichannel solutions. He has spent his entire career helping clients become more consumer centric by arming them with the best measurement frameworks and advanced analytics solutions. He also creates policies, strategies and structures that utilize emerging trends and technologies to develop valuable business tools.

The Managing Partner of MSA Capital, a venture firm based in Beijing that has invested over $1b over the last 4 years in many of China’s leading technology companies in the AI, consumer internet, and gene sequencing sectors (Didi, Mobike, Meituan, NIO, Beijing Genomic Institute, etc)

The General Manager of Sony Music Entertainment Middle East based in Dubai, where he leads the company in a dynamic, fast growing region that spans a vast market comprising Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf countries and Pakistan amongst others. Under his leadership the company has signed and develop artist from Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, UAE and more, whilst generating support initiatives for artists with major brands including J&J, Unilever, Pepsi and Jaguar LandRover. Prior to joining Sony Music, Mike was the CMO at the region’s biggest entertainment company – FLASH Entertainment – where he was responsible for the company’s marketing, communications and talent-led initiatives.

Casey is senior writer & host at Lovin Dubai; the social, local, mobile news channel. Part of the company since day one, a keen interest in media, story-telling, content creation, internet trends and a big love for the city means work doesn’t feel like work.

Terry launched his first search campaign in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since. Over the last 10 years he has worked across a range of clients, from small businesses to major multinationals and across verticals ranging from fashion to finance. He has spent the last five years of his career with OMD across Australia and the Middle East, where he has been recognised by ADMA, Google, Festival of Media and Effies for his data and technology-led approach to performance marketing.

Saleh’s career spans over 12 years at OMD, where he started as a junior digital executive back in 2007. Wanting to understand more about the business he decided to integrate with the offline planning team early on in 2010 and widen his knowledge base. His work has taken him across a range of clients like Al Rostamani, Hewlett Packard, Visa, Dubai Properties, Azadea Group Holding, Hasbro and Beiersdorf, where he has overseen the overall implementation of their offline and online media plans. His digital-first, business-oriented approach has created solid partnerships with his clients. He currently heads programmatic and performance over and above his existing client portfolio.

Marketing & Communications expert with 13 years of international experience. Strong academic background in business administration, international marketing & media management. Developed and directed domestic and international marketing communication and media strategies with focus on brand rejuvenation and digital transformation. Specialized in the design and distribution of digital content across all owned, earned and paid digital media and social media channels. As member of the Mercedes-Benz Overseas Marketing Board, experienced in designing and executing the customer journey and digital transformation strategy within a global context.

A veteran of driving acceptance of emerging technologies in cloud computing and digital space. After spending more than a decade in serving multimillion dollar powerhouses and new age startups, Vineet knows what truly drives digital conversations. Vineet holds an MBA in marketing and finance, and is currently the Country Head for GCC market for Alibaba Cloud; a dreamer; voracious reader, and a father.

Heads digital product management at Mastercard for Middle East and North Africa. His responsibilities include the commercialization of contactless payments, e-commerce, digital and tokenized wallets, secure remote commerce, Card-on-File, QR payments, remittances and Labs. Within Labs, his team works with clients and fintech to prototype, pilot and productize innovation in the market. Pankaj joined Mastercard in 2015. He has worked with other leading payment networks as well as Bank of America where he handled corporate payment product solutions and at Western Union where he worked closely in driving network and business growth in South Asia. With over 19 years’ experience, he comes with a strong understanding of the payments business and ecosystems with exposure across APAC and MEA markets. He has two key patent invention filings that are being used to commercialize Mastercard’s QR payment solutions globally.

A communications specialist with over 12 years of experience. Starting off in the media industry with experience in multiple markets, I am currently leading the Marketing and Product department of the newly formed Aston Martin MENAT team.

The founder and CEO of MAGNiTT, is the largest investment data platform for the MENA startup ecosystem, be investors, entrepreneurs and corporates. Raised in the UK with Iraqi origins, Philip obtained an MBA from INSEAD in 2013 and a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics. During his time in Dubai, Philip worked at Oliver Wyman in the Financial Services practice for three years, followed by nearly three years at Barclays Wealth working as Chief of Staff to the CEO advising on strategic initiatives. Philip has lived in the UAE for more than ten years and is passionate about developing the MENA startup ecosystem.

With over 13 years of digital & e-commerce marketing experience in the MENA region, Waseem is skilled at driving digital transformation. From marketing strategy to partnership development and digital operations, he has a proven success in motivating clients to invest in digital and technology. With roots in digital display marketing, Waseem also brings a broader understanding of social media, performance and content marketing to deliver truly integrated approaches.

Has over two decades of refined media and communications experience working with prominent international news channels, and participating in global events and forums that support the local business segment in the Middle East. From the World Government Summit, to the Women in Leadership Forum, Maya has moderated and participated as an MC for high-level events attended by Senior Members of Government and C-Suite Executives from global companies. Maya is a Senior News Presenter and Chief Editor at Dubai TV and has worked at other reputable media channels including Al Arabiya TV. She has carried out extensive media training for several high-profile spokespeople in various industries and has educated students in Media and Journalism at the American University of Dubai. Maya invests her time in mentoring and empowering women and has participated in several high level events focusing on youth, women and entrepreneurship. She has recently launched her podcast Rakwet Ahweh, to tell inspirational stories from Arab women who have made it in their domains.

Co-Founder and CTO of Cloudera since it was formed in Oct 2008. Before that he was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Accel Partners for about 3-months. Prior to joining Accel he served as Vice President of Product Intelligence Engineering at Yahoo! and ran one of the very first organizations to use Hadoop for data analysis and business intelligence. Amr joined Yahoo after they acquired his first startup, VivaSmart, in July of 2000. Amr holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt, and a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

CEO | Digital – Adline Media Network . Founder – Dubai Angel Investors Has founded/managed media, technology and investment companies exiting his first startup in early 2000. He is an active mentor, advisor & angel investor. Serving as a strategic advisor to founders, Tarek has successfully executed fundraising and M&As for some of the leading tech and media startups across the Arab world. Driven by his passion for entrepreneurship he founded Dubai Angel Investors (DAI), the member based angel network supporting the startup ecosystem in MENA, where he serves as a board members and permanent investment committee member. Tarek is currently CEO | Digital at Adline Media Network one of the biggest independent media-marketing networks with strong local operations in all major Arab markets, where he established the Digital business for the group.

Vice President – Snacks Category for Middle East & North Africa region at PepsiCo. He has more than 20 years of sales, marketing and general management experience in both small and multi-billion-dollar businesses covering more than 20 countries across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey where he led some of the most valuable global brands and trademarks, launched numerous successful products and innovations, and built new brands from scratch. In his role as Vice President Snacks Category, Middle East & North Africa for PepsiCo, he leads the development of PepsiCo’s snacks portfolio including the largest food brands in the region such as Lays, Doritos, Cheetos and Sunbites. Mustafa has been with PepsiCo since 2008 when he started as the Marketing Director for Pepsi Cola Egypt, before moving to different roles across the region including GCC Marketing Director, General Manager Saudi & Yemen Beverages, and Vice President for Sales & New Business Development. Prior to PepsiCo, Mustafa worked across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region at different companies including Procter & Gamble, Henkel, and Americana Foods. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the American University in Cairo and has attended several executive education and development programs including ‘Creating and Implementing Strategy for Competitive Advantage’ from the Wharton Business School, and ‘Basics in International Management’ from the Cranfield School of Management. His passions are social and economic development and the support for startups and small businesses, which he has fulfilled through mentorship, judging in major startup competitions, as well as contributing opinion articles to key publications. Mustafa is currently based in Dubai, UAE.

Coming originally from Syria, Yasmin holds more than 15 years of experience, 13 of them in GCC working with PepsiCo, The World Bank, World Gold Council, Impact BBDO & Samsung Group. Her passion for writing & creating content turned into a successful career in advertising, inspired by working in different industries, meeting new people & visiting new destinations while riding her motorbike.

Studied business administration and innovation management. He has a background in banking and worked for several industry leaders in sports and automotive. He joined Volkswagen´s business development in 2011 and helped to establish an internal innovation agency to guide the company through digital transformation. He is passionated about design methods, trendscouting and startup ideas.

Director in PwC’s People and Organization team. He is a seasoned professional with 16 years of cross-industry and operational experience helping companies deliver complex business transformations. He has been based in Abu Dhabi for the past 5 years, and currently leads PwC’s Middle East’s Change Management and Communications group which specializes on leading and supporting large transformational projects. James works closely with Senior Executives to support transformations that enable delivery of the organization strategy and vision including enhancements in organization design, operating model, human capital execution, talent management, organization development, corporate culture and technology. Supported by his extensive program and change management capability and with a focus on the ‘people’ impacts of change, he has a proven track record of delivering measurable and sustained benefits, improved operational performance, increased employee engagement and capability, and regulatory compliance. His work has spanned Power and Utilities, Government and Financial Services, and his clients have been from across Europe and the Middle East, including recent work in Oman. James is extensively involved in PwC Middle East’s work looking at the, ‘Future of Work’, notably how organizations and people can adopt an integrated approach to prepare for this, and the changes it will require. James grew up in South East Asia, and has an MBA from Warwick Business School, and BSc from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

Dean, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communication at American University of Dubai (AUD) Group TV Director, Middle East Broadcasting Corporation, MBC. Ph.D. (in progress) Arab Satellite Television, King’s College, University of Cambridge, UK M.S. Communications, Syracuse University, USA B.B.A. Business Administration, American University in Beirut, Lebanon Born in Lebanon in 1961, Mr. Jaber completed his Bachelors in Business Administration at the American University of Beirut in 1984 before going on to earn his Master’s degree in Communications at Syracuse University in the US in 1986. Upon returning to Beirut, Ali joined the Fine Arts faculty of Beirut University College. There he helped set up their Broadcasting Department and for eight years taught a range of courses in television production. Concurrently, Ali worked as a Journalist covering the war in Lebanon and Iraq between the years 1987 to 1999, he was the correspondent of New York Times and The Times of London between 1989 and 1994, and Chief Correspondent for Lebanon and Syria for the German Press Agency (DPA) from 1987 to 1999. In 1992 he was approached by then Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and was asked to set up, from the ground up, a privately owned pan-Arab television station. Ali founded and managed what later became Future TV till 2003. While with Future, Ali oversaw the building of Future’s satellite broadcast and also started and managed a youth-oriented sister channel, Zen TV, which he ran for five years. In 2004, he was approached by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and brought in as a consultant to head Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), to revamp and re-launch its seven national and pan-Arab satellite channels. In 2006, after 2 years in which Ali successfully managed to restructure the channels’ on-air branding and their content as well as re-organize the company’s out of date management structure, Ali was appointed DMI’s managing Editor. Working closely with now UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, DMI’s Board Members and the Chairman of Dubai’s governmental organizations, his responsibilities are wide-ranging and have grown to include the development of the media sector in the UAE. In 2008, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum instructed Ali to set up a Communication School at the American University of Dubai. In July 2008 Ali was named Dean of Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communication (MBRSC) and this year MBRSC graduates fifty students with degrees in Journalism and Digital Storytelling. One of the unique characteristics of the School is that it teaches all media writing courses in the Arabic language and its curricula focuses on Digital Media and Multi-platform Storytelling. In 2011 Ali was approached by Middle East media leader, MBC Group for a different type of challenge – this time in front of the camera, as a judge for the internationally mega-successful format, “Arabs Got Talent”. The show was a ratings hit, and raised the profile of MBC 4 to the #2 channel in the region. During that same year, and in parallel, Ali closed a deal with MBC to become Group TV Director of MBC’s 20 channels. In that capacity, and as of October 2011, Ali oversees content planning, acquisition, and programming for all the Group’s general entertainment and niche channels. Ali Jaber serves on the Dubai government Council for Design and Fashion, he also helped set up thenon-governmental organization: Young Arab Leaders (YAL) and was on the Advisory Board of American University of Beirut, School of Architecture and Design, in Beirut, Lebanon. Ali currently spearheads the Dubai government initiative the set up the Dubai School of Design in association with Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) and the New York based Parsons school of design and Fashion. Ali is also the goodwill ambassador for Sanad, the home hospice organization in Lebanon which offers free physical, psychological and spiritual support for terminally ill patients.

Presents and produces “Money Map” weekly business show for Dubai Television. Between 2004 and summer of 2010, Ms. Soufan was an anchor/producer at Al-Arabiya TV channel. In addition to presenting the daily business news, she produced and presented several weekly business programs including “Portfolio” and “Oil and Gas”. Ms. Soufan started her career in 1993 as a general news reporter in Lebanese Future Television before moving to Reuters News Agency as a Beirut correspondent. At the international news agency, she received intensive training in financial reporting. In addition to her long experience in print and television journalism, Ms. Soufan taught several courses as a part-time instructor at the school of journalism at the American University of Dubai. Outside business and finance Ms. Soufan has a great passion for literature, youth and women empowerment issues.

Omar Itani started an award-winning waste-management company at the age of sixteen. Since then he continued to be civically engaged through entrepreneurship and social activism. Omar then dropped-out of university just before graduating from studying industrial engineering to startup FabricAID, a Lebanese social enterprise enabling underprivileged people to get decent clothing at extremely affordable prices while reducing fabric waste through increasing the efficiency of second-hand clothes collection, sorting and distribution. FabricAID the winner of the 2018 Global Social Venture Competition, sold more than 30,000 clothing items to more than 5,000 beneficiaries in the past few months.

One of the MENA region’s top communications executives. From working with tech giants like Google and Netflix, to homegrown regional brands like Careem and Orascom, Maha has built her career advising Fortune 500 companies, high growth tech startups, and top government bodies in the USA, UAE, and Egypt. She is the founder of Organizational Consultants, and Digital & Savvy and you can listen to her podcast Savvy Talk where ever you listen to podcasts. Raised and educated in the Minnesota (USA) to Egyptian parents, she is home in both West and Arab worlds. She thrives on storytelling, building scalable campaigns, and thought leadership. Maha is a Mentor in Residence for TechStars and works with start-ups across the region to learn how to maximize their reputation currency and communicate better.

Head of UAE for She Loves Tech, a global initiative showcasing the convergence of the latest trends in technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and the opportunities it creates for women, which includes the world’s largest startup competition focused on women and technology, boot camp and international conference series. Natalie, formerly, led the business development and strategic management of captive Insurance products for Audi and Volkswagen across the Middle East. She holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD and is part of the executive committee of the INSEAD National Alumni Association in the UAE, which is the business school’s second largest alumni group, globally. Natalie is passionate about empowering women in tech and keen on encouraging entrepreneurial potential through digitization, leveraging social media and their combined innovative impact on businesses.

Holds a MS in Industrial Engineering from Ecole Centrale de Paris. He started his career in strategy consulting, where he advised leading Retail and CPG players in Europe and the US. Joined Uber in its early days in 2013 in Paris, participating in building what’s today one of the largest markets for the company. In 2015, he moved to create the Strategy & Planning team for Western Europe before leading if for the entire EMEA region. Moved to the UAE in December 2016 to lead the Uber Eats business locally, and currently covers the GCC region, based out of Dubai.

Benefits from over 19 years of experience in the travel industry. He was part of the team that founded Cleartrip, India’s leading online travel company. He has led a wide range of functions and new market initiatives such as launching and establishing Cleartrip in the Middle East. Tarique worked with numerous multinational corporations including Kuoni India, Cox & Kings and Indian Express.

Born and raised in Egypt, studied bio-technology and worked in the field for 4 years then decided to pursue travel full-time in early 2016. Started a travel blog which resonated with Egyptians and Arabs around the world since it was published in Arabic. The blog gathered travellers and explorers in one place and has become a travel community of 200K+ members . The community watched and followed our journeys around the world to get the best tips and tricks for their favourite cities butstill they needed more.I Co-Founded TRIPDIZER, a travel website tailoring packages for travellers around the world based on their interests, budget and purpose of travel.

CEO of Regal Group AG (the developers of Nebbex) and the CEO of White Rock International. He brings 20+ years of experience having worked in London, Toronto and UAE with some of the larger investment and commercial banks, and consulting firms. Regal Group has created Nebbex, a fully regulated and insured blockchain managed physical vault for custody of crypto assets, with the ability to withdraw assets from cold storage in under 1 hour. Regal Group has offices in Switzerland, Canada, USA, and UAE. In 2013, Regal Assets placed 20th in the Inc 500 annual list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the USA. Regal RA DMCC, a large commodities division operating since 2016, has become the Middle East’s first company to acquire a license for the regulated trade of digital assets in the region, as covered by Bloomberg. White Rock is a boutique advisory firm that provides capital markets consulting, (crypto) token financial structuring, and capital introductions into the Middle East. Previously, Adnan has held senior treasury and capital markets roles at Barclays Capital in London, ADCB, and a founder of a DIFC based investment bank. He has also worked at Monitor Company, Arthur Andersen and KPMG. Adnan has an MBA from London Business School, MAcc from the University of Waterloo and is a CPA/CA.

Director of Innovations at Village Capital, where he leads experimental engagements with corporations, foundations, and governments. Before joining Village Capital, he spent a decade as the managing editor and head of analysis for the Africa practice at Oxford Business Group, an emerging markets research firm. In that role, he worked with governments and corporates across North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to that, he lived in the Middle East, analyzing investment attractiveness in Kuwait, Jordan and Tunisia, and worked as a legislative aide in the US. Rob also serves as an advisor to Asoko Insight, an Africa-focused corporate data start-up. He holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and a CEP from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Bordeaux, France. He received his BA from UC Berkeley.

Co-founder and CEO of yallacompare, the Middle East’s leading comparison site. The company’s success is down, in no small part, to the technological innovation that Richards has driven with his insistence on working with the region’s top IT talent. As a result, he and the company have disrupted insurance distribution in the Middle East, and continue to drive innovations in the insurance and finance spaces. An entrepreneur from an early age, Richards is a master of digital marketing and is a keen follower of financial technology developments.

Co-Founder and Partner of Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3) which fosters social enterprise in the MENA region. Anna-Liisa specialises in governance for social entrepreneurs and her strong links with corporates looking to be involved with skills-based volunteering, contributed to C3 winning a 2017 UN Sustainable Development Goals Pioneer Award. Has worked with magic circle law firms in London, Sao Paulo and Dubai on high profile deals such as the IPO for DP World. She is currently an acting General Counsel. Holds an MBA with the Open University (England). She is a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales and holds a BA Law with French from the University of Sheffield (England).

Head of Digital Partnerships, Fintech and Ventures for Visa across the Middle East & North Africa Region. Alex is passionate about working with Digital Partners and Fintechs to drive digital currency growth, expand access to electronic payments and create world class customer experiences. Prior to joining Visa, Alex worked for American Express for 10 years in variety of roles across Europe and the Middle East.

Director of Marketing for the Middle East & Africa at Uber, working across markets to develop the company’s brand strategy and contributing to the continued growth of the business. Her work spans across research, acquisition and retention efforts, focusing on designing customer-centric campaigns and initiatives aimed at building a meaningful experience with the data-driven brand. Previously, she held the role of CEO at www.glambox.me, a subscription commerce startup venture that was awarded Forbes’ 25 “Most Promising UAE-Based Start-ups” twice during her tenure. With a Master’s degree in media management and a stint in luxury retail, Nada joined the tech/start-up space in 2009 and spent 7 years understanding the digital business landscape in the region. Her grassroots experience as an entrepreneur meant doing everything from packing and moving boxes to fundraising and building technical capabilities, a journey which she often describes as her “”real life MBA”” that shaped her success in the industry. Her vast experience has qualified her as an expert in strategic planning, investment & growth, digital marketing & business development across various verticals in the technology sector.

An investment professional with a background in deep tech, Hani Enaya is a partner at STV, MENA’s largest venture capital fund. Hani sources and structures deals with businesses of interest to STV and supports their management after deal close, sitting on the board of many STV portfolio companies.

Managing Partner at Algebra Ventures, Egypt’s leading VC fund. Ziad is also Managing Partner at Ideavelopers. Ziad has been an active VC investor since 2010. He has invested in 13 different technology startups including Fawry, Vezeeta, SiWare, Elmenus, and Iqraaly. Before being a venture investor, he served as a Consultant at McKinsey & Company where he worked on topics related to economic development, healthcare reform, and education. Prior to McKinsey, he co-founded eSpace in 2000 and served as its Chief Executive Officer until 2006. While at eSpace, he led the development of the number one mobile salesforce solution in the region, and spearheaded eSpace’s international services business. Ziad is a member of the boards directors of Elmenus, Iqraaly, SiWare, and Vezeeta. Ziad holds an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Alexandria University.

A Dubai-based portfolio manager, financial markets commentator and a sustainability advocate. She is a Board member and Advisor to Skoot Mobility, a sharing eco-friendly micro-mobility service that aims to provide an easy and smart transportation method to address the first and last mile landscape across the MENA region.

The Group CTO of Al Tayyar Travel Group of companies and a board member of the group’s Strategic Online Business Unit which includes tajawal. He is responsible for the group’s strategic planning for information technology and project management services. During his 28 years in the ICT sector, he has worked on many large-scale, billion-dollar projects in telecommunications and information technology.

With over 17 years of experience spanning non-profit management, social development, fundraising and marketing, Helen is an established businesswoman and active community member working with children and refugees. Most recently as the CEO of BizWorld UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, Helen has led a meaningful social enterprise that teaches children entrepreneurship skills. In addition, she is the Founder of Future Entrepreneurs, a platform that aims to empower youth entrepreneurs in MENA. She was recently named one of the UAE’s 100 Smartest People and one of the 50 Most Influential Women in the Arab World. Helen is a Certified Marketing Executive (CME) who studied Law & Politics at the University of Manchester and completed her Executive Education at Columbia University. She is currently studying International Development at the University of London, LSE. On a personal level, Helen is a mother of 2, triathlete and adventurer who believes in making dreams come to life and that anything is possible.

Founder & CEO at Alfan creating one of the leading digital media companies, better known as a Multi-Platform Network which generates a reach of over 1.2B Monthly views on YouTube across its Network of shows and influencers. Being part of the industry since 2013 Alfan was behind the success of many of the influencers and content creators in the MENA Industry.

Originally from London, based in Dubai – Louise has enjoyed a colourful career in data over the past 15 years, across government, agency, big corporates and start-ups – her mission has always been the same, the use of data to enlighten and enable.

A geek & nature lover at heart with a huge passion for communication and everything connected . I started my career at OMD before moving to Nestlé in 2013 as a Brand Manager and digital champion for MAGGI in the Middle East. During the first 4 years my focus was to help MAGGI set a it’s own unique digital footprint in the region driven by MAGGI DIARIES. In 2016, I joined the global digital acceleration team in Nestlé working with different markets and brands on their digital and e-business priorities before coming back to Dubai a year later as Digital marketing Manager. Today along with a passionate team we work to help Nestlé build brands powered by digital and create consumer journey’s online with our purpose and values at core.

He is a quantum physicist turned disruption specialist who believes that the world would be a better place if we used scientific thinking to solve complex business innovation challenges. Petar is Managing Partner of Ebtikaar, a disruption advisory and think-tank working tirelessly to shape public policies and practices around innovation. Ebtikaar combines human-centred design, strategic foresight and the scientific method, working with governments and organisations to change systems, transform cultures and create disruption from within. With a vision to peer deeply into the future and develop antifragile, portfolio-based innovation strategies, Ebtikaar’s Future Mobility practice was commissioned by Dubai Police to co-imagine, design and execute Dubai Police’s 2029 vision for mobility strategy. Petar is the Futurist-in-Residence of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, bringing ‘faster than air, cheaper than ground’ passenger and freight transportation to the UAE and the Pacific region.

UAE-based journalist/editor, an avid reader, and the proud owner of more than 700 books.

After 8 years at Google in Paris and Dubai, joined Twitter in 2015 to help build and scale operations in the Middle East. Since then, I have been leading the sales team, with a focus on building valuable partnership with key MENA advertisers.

General Manager for Uber in Middle East & North Africa. He is part of the team that launched Uber in Egypt in 2014 and grew it to become a Top 10 market for the company globally. Prior to Uber, Tino worked for McKinsey & Company as a consultant and has an MBA from Insead and MSc in Economics from UCL.

The CEO and co-founder of Seez, prior to that he spent over 15 years working in VC, PE, Investment Banking and consulting with the likes of Wamda, Mubalda, Abraaj, Deutsche Bank, and Booz & Co. He currently sit on the ICs of a number of VC groups and family offices

Serves as Partner at 500 Startups, the most active venture capital firm in the world. In his role, he manages 500 Startups’ MENA fund, focusing on seed stage investments. In addition, he is the Chairman of TechWadi, where he helps bridge MENA startups with Silicon Valley. Previously, Sharif was the Partner Lead to VCs and Startups at Google where he worked with top tier VCs and their most promising startups on strategies that bring all of Google to their businesses. Joining from AdMob almost 7 prior, he led performance advertising strategy for Google’s largest customers in North America covering Mobile, Search and Display ads. Before AdMob, Sharif was a technologist and serial entrepreneur having co-founded several companies in the Consumer Internet and B2B space over twelve years. Sharif earned his MBA from UC Irvine and his BS in Neuroscience from UCLA.

Founder and CEO of Scopeer Crowdfunding, which is the first licensed equity-based Crowdfunding platform in Saudi Arabia. Abdulrahman have worked with several Startups based in Saudi to get there kick-off funding and assist entrepreneurs to launch their startups. startups. Previously he worked with flynas, he was responsible about market insights and Business intelligence.

Founder and CEO of Dubai based smart energy efficiency provider, Taka Solutions. He started the company in 2013 after working in the automotive, mining, industrial, and technology consulting industries with four years of building engineering experience since moving from Dubai in 2008. Charles and the company specialize in fully-financed, paid-from-savings Energy Performance Contracting efficiency projects. The goal is to help reduce 20% of the world’s energy consumption using technology, finance and engineering, applying IoT, energy modeling, energy monitoring, asset management and BIM.

Sharing a dual heritage of both German and Lebanese descent, Miriam is fluent in 4 languages. A loving and devoted wife and mother of two boys, she is the modern example of the working girl thriving in the workspace as a successful business woman. By creating the right balance between the different aspects of her life, Miriam has become the reference and social media personality for her style and up to date lifestyle content. She is the official ambassador for Franck Mueller watches amongst other brands she works with, however her proudest achievement has been working with SOS Children Villages to raise funds for underprivileged children in the Middle East.

Founder and Principal of Fikra — a design studio, and a design-led educational platform — and the Director of the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial. He is a multidisciplinary graphic designer, educator, and entrepreneur. Al-Qassimi served as an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design, an Assistant Professor of Design at the American University of Sharjah, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Design at the New York University Abu Dhabi. He participated in exhibitions globally, and has published numerous articles, reviews, and essays on Arabic typography, culture, design, and education. Al-Qassimi won several awards, namely the Type Directors Club (TDC), the Young Creative Entrepreneur Culture Award by the British Council, ShjSeen Startup award, and was featured in Forbes Middle East ranking list The Leading Young Entrepreneurs in the UAE.

Known worldwide for his art, Copter Monster characters and engaging storytelling. He got nominated for snapchatter of the year at the Shorty awards and he’s also an official lens creator at snap inc.

Has over 15 years of experience in leading professional services. For the last 4,5 years, has worked with Yum! Brands. Prior to joining Yum! Brands, Ozge worked at IKEA, Best Buy, and Dominos Pizza in Business Development, Growth Strategies, Consumer insights, Digital and Marketing & Sales roles and responsibilities. Ozge is graduated from Architecture in Istanbul Technical University and she has Architecture and Cinema master degree from Rice University, TX.

He is the Sneaker loving, Director of Content & Experiences at OMD. He has worked on the agency side in the Region for over 12 years, delivering Experiential Brand campaigns for clients such as PepsiCo, Google, Nissan and Jumeirah and is passionate about creating meaningful Brand Experiences that bring people and the brands they love closer together.

The president of Pundi X and a founding member of the Indonesian Blockchain Association. He has 18 years of experience as founding CEO of two fintech companies: Infinetworks and E2Pay.co.id, pioneering internet banking, mobile banking and e-payment services in Indonesia. Previously, he worked at Accenture in Chicago and Jakarta. Constantin holds an MSc in computer science from Purdue University and a BSc in computer science from University of Tulsa.

Head of Marketing for Uber in MENA. In his 3 and a half years at Uber, he played several roles including leading Strategy and Campaigns, Research, Insights and Brand Building. In his current role, David oversees the marketing function for the MENA region covering markets including Egypt, KSA, UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Lebanon. Prior to Uber, he worked in advertising with Leo Burnett in both Dubai and Korea. David spent his early childhood in Abu Dhabi but has since moved from country to country finally landing back in Dubai after 30 years abroad.

Having experienced the adoption of digital in the Region firsthand, Sally brings over 11 years of intensive digital marketing and sales experience to her Head of Sales role in Dubai, where she works across all industry sectors and verticals at DMS. Over the years, Sally has acquired the trust and confidence of brands by consulting on content, context, audiences and brand safety. As screens multiply and platforms evolve, her remit remains focused on creating holistic and inclusive brand experiences, which captivate people, rather than intrude on their digital lives, identifying trends and developing solutions which empower brands across different industries. Spearheading a team of over 20 talented sales professionals, Sally embodies the unique ability to instill excellence, while overcoming change, challenges and ambiguity. She looks upon innovation as a daily means to delivering commercial impact with purpose and telling brand stories which truly inspire.

Head of Future Platforms at the Dubai Future Foundation, responsible for developing innovation focused programs and building partnerships between private and public sector stakeholders, with the aim of solving future challenges. Previous to that role, Mohamed was part of a mandate in developing and setting up a government backed venture capital fund focused in investing in the UAE. Mohamed was involved in designing and setting up several startup accelerators and incubators, including The Catalyst, backed by British Petroleum Ventures and Masdar, as the first accelerator focused on sustainability in the MENA region and was the founding managing director of the ‘Turn8 Accelerator’, the first technology startup accelerator in the region, based out of Dubai. Previously was the investment director for a family Office in Abu Dhabi for 7 years, primarily managing a private equity portfolio in diverse industries and was the founder of an online stock brokerage company called Tadawul.

Venture Partner at North Base Media, a media-focused VC that invests in the world’s growth markets, and is a proud investor in the Step Group. He is co-founder of Porto IO co-working, and founded Demotix (exit to Corbis Corporation) and the Beirut Review. He sits on the boards of Index on Censorship, OpenDemocracy, The Signals, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Currently Head of Programmatic operations at Boopin. He oversees the programmatic, data integration solutions and services offered to Boopin clients. Before the current role in Dubai, he has worked with Google in India for some of the biggest publishers in North America region. He is passionate about training and has trained Google support teams all over the world. He started his career in digital operations with Hewlett-Packard and spent some time in a startup.

The CEO and co-founder of Oliv (formerly InternsME), a career platform made for the youth. Connecting talented students and new graduates to leading employers for internships, part-time and graduate jobs. With youth unemployment rates in MENA being almost twice the global average — Oliv is solving this problem through technology and empowering communities. Designed to make launching careers simple, personal and more rewarding.

With experience, which includes training in TV stations such as the BBC and being an Executive Producer and Head of Events at Dubai One, Reim launched her own production company Ti22 Films in January 2011 servicing both corporates & broadcasters. Ti22 Films has won 11 New York Festival Awards & an additional 14 finalist awards and in 2014 was awarded its first Cannes Corporate Media and TV Award. Reim has served on the Jury of the New York Festival Television & Film Awards for 7 years and is regularly called to speak as a panelist at industry events. In 2014 Reim founded dubai ON demand, where the world of branded content and influencer marketing collide. She now also supports organisations as a media consultant, speaker and video strategist.

Has more than 15 years of experience in Venture Capital, strategy, corporate finance and engineering within the digital, telecom, and software industries. Walid holds an industrial engineering degree from INSA de Lyon and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Walid completed an internship at Morgan Stanley’s before working for the following Companies: Booz & Company, UAE’s Prime Ministry Executive Office and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

I’m a digital storyteller based in Beirut and currently working for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon. I’m somewhere between the two worlds of communications and humanitarian work.

A Venture Partner at 500 Startups, the most active venture capital firm in the world, based in Silicon Valley, with 2,000+ investments in 60+ countries and $350m in AUM. Ahmed manages the Saudi Arabian market for 500 Falcons, the MENA-focused fund for 500 Startups. Prior to joining the fund, Ahmed has completed an MBA from Cornell University where he managed Big Red Ventures, the first student-led venture capital fund in the United States aiming to grow the number of funded startups led by Cornell students and alumni. Ahmed also holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and has previously worked in the technology industry.

Has over 14 years of digital marketing experience across various disciplines and verticals, and is part of OMD Transact- the agency’s e-commerce unit. She is passionate about technology, analytics and creativity, often interweaving all three in her work, some of which has been awarded at industry festivals. When she’s not tweeting or instagramming her thoughts, you can find her following TV shows or expanding her shoe collection as part of her ongoing e-commerce research.

Passionate media, data, advertising, and technology executive with balance of strategic thinking and leadership and hands on operational experience across the advertising industry. Over 10 years of business experience with a solid background in data and marketing analytics and a PhD in social media analytics. Youmna started her career at National ICT Australia as a Data Scientist specializing in data, analytics and predictive models for social media. She then moved to Mediacom Australia as the Director of Business Science, focusing on data-driven marketing and communications strategies to solve real business objectives for advertisers. Today, she heads the Data department at Choueiri Group; where she oversees all aspects of the data team and data-related product solutions on both the buy and sell sides.

We don’t have our business, if we do not mind our client’s business. G’man has always put the clients at the center of all things, as without them we have no reason to exist in the first place. Passionate about preparing the business for the future in the ever-changing marketing ecosystem, firmly believes in driving accountability for marketing return on investment. He is currently leading the delivery of all Distributed Ledger Technology related services that are at the intersection of data, technology & content at GroupM. He is also the Global Client Lead for PepsiCo and Pizza Hut at WPP where he is helping his teams across the world in partnering their clients in the transformation across insights, technology and marketing. He has been in the media industry since 1990 in various capacities across strategy, operations, technology and business development at Mindshare, GroupM and WPP in India and Asia Pacific. Follow his tweets on Technology and Philosophy @GowthamanR

Comes from a land-owning family in India and runs her single-family office out of Hong Kong. As a 25-year veteran of the Asian financial markets, she founded Access Alts Asia as a global investment club focused on Asia. Aradhna’s career has seen several firsts. She ran one of the earliest family offices investing in Asian Alternative funds and built the first platform to bring together the then nascent Asian Alternative funds industry, tracking over 700 funds. Aradhna also conceptualized the first international-style “Sunshine Funds” database for China, as well as pioneered the first international China-Global Alternative Summits at the invitation of the Shanghai Mayor in 2013, facilitating the China government’s landmark QDLP Investments Program for global alternative funds. Aradhna sits on several committees/ board of directors in Asia and was the first Asian and Woman to serve on the Euromoney Institutional Investor Board of Directors.

Joined AUD in Spring 2017 prior to which he worked for nine years in the Communications and Media Studies Department at ISE Business School in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has directed several Master’s and Executive Programs in Media and Communications which focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and digital strategies for media companies, and has also taught a variety of courses related to social media, new business models for media firms and corporate communications. Given his diverse background in academia and media, Dr. Sellos has worked as a consultant for large media groups in Latin America. He has also been a visiting professor at IESE Business School in Spain and at the School of Communications and Arts at the University of Sao Paulo.

Kyrgyz entrepreneur Ulugbek Yuldashev is the founder and chief executive officer of AWOK.com, which is, one of the leading online retail platforms in the UAE. He founded the online store in 2013, which commenced operations, by selling electronics and gadgets. The company has grown rapidly since its inception, offersover 50,000 products across 30 plus categories, and employs close to 500 people. Yuldashev has had a flair for business since an early age and started his first company in 2004, when he was just 19 years old. It was a retail and wholesale business in Kyrgyzstan named Domashniy (Russian for Home Center). In 2006, the ambitious young entrepreneur moved to Dubai and in 2008 established the wholesale company Gulf Alabel Technologies LLC. Success in this venture led to Yuldashev setting up another wholesale company called Alifco LLC followed by entering the ecommerce industry in the region with ALIFCA DMCC as the parent company of AWOK.com. Ulugbek is a business graduate and considers his father to be his mentor who instilled in him discipline and ethics in business at a young age. Hailing from a retail background, Yuldashev is committed to being customer-centric. Customer satisfaction is at the core of his decision making process as much as an acute business sense and boldness. Yuldashev’s commitment to ‘not quit without winning’ stems from being a dynamic sportsman since school days. He has grown up winning various national and regional level competitions in Kyrgyzstan. Competitive sports that he has trained in and won include martial arts, tennis, swimming and 10km running.

Naomi D’Souza is one of the 100 Most Influential Asians and Influencers in UAE. At the age of 25, she has completed her masters in Mechanical Engineering, works as a Strategy Consultant at a Fortune 500 company, boasts a black belt in Karate and has done her trinity examination in music. She’s a Consultant by day getting her hands in UI/UX & CX Strategy, working with some of the most reputed leading organizations in the UAE and a blogger by night, reviewing her way around town, working alongside luxury brands and restaurants. She also maintains a website which is viewed by tens of thousands of people a month, where she posts several research-based, analytical and lifestyle articles. Her social media is a mix of carefully curated pictures of her travels to gorgeous countries, the insane variety of food she eats and other exciting activities that she gets up to; a must-follow especially if you’re based in the UAE!

Assumed the role of Regional Director – Commercial Partners, Channel, and SMEs, Microsoft Gulf in October 2017, primarily focused on driving Microsoft’s mission “to empower every person and every organization to achieve more. He is currently responsible for the Commercial Partners engagement and Microsoft channel transformation in the Gulf region, leading the team in accomplishing key priorities including scale performance, partners & channel transformation, cloud growth in SMEs, and Go to Market execution. Prior to this, Sherif was the Regional General Manager for Microsoft Bahrain and Oman, empowering a diverse audience of governments, enterprise, start-ups, partners, IT professionals, developers, and consumers in both countries. His strong leadership skills and powerful unique mix of experiences fuelled his efforts to lead digital transformation in an intelligent cloud, intelligent edge business environment, while driving Microsoft’s real impact across economy and workforce through initiatives geared towards supporting SMEs, tech start-ups, education, and innovation programs.

Founder, Chairman and CEO of FFA Private Bank Group. FFA Private Bank SAL is a leading regional bank specialized in Capital Markets, Wealth Management, Asset Management, Real Estate and Investment Banking. Founded in 1993 as a securities brokerage firm, FFA was authorized as a specialized bank by the Banque du Liban (BDL) in 2007. Since 2006, FFA Private Bank (Dubai) Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary, operates out of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). Jean Riachi started his career in 1985 at Vivendi (formerly known as CGE) in Paris as group assistant treasurer. He then moved to Banque Duménil-Leblé as head of Fixed Income and Money Markets. From 1990 to 1993, he held the position of Head of Operations and Asset Management at Banque du Louvre, a private banking unit of HSBC (formerly Credit Commercial de France). Between 1988 and 1992, he was a Master’s level finance class professor at ESSEC business school. Jean Riachi’s holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from HEC Paris and is a certified director (IDP-C) from INSEAD’s International Directors Programme. He is a board member in several organizations including the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) and Human Rights Watch Beirut Committee and chairs the Capital Markets Committee in the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL).

Has 20 years of multi-disciplinary experience in technology, media, and financial services in GCC, South-East Asia and the US. Abed founded of Vinelab, the leading influence marketing company that enables organisations to tap into the social side of social media by harnessing the power of people-centric narratives. By founding a tech-first institution, he has acquired exceptional understanding of the impact that social media has brought to shift the balance of power between the mass, corporations and cultural elite. Abed invested in multiple technology firms which enabled him to witness the digital economy’s earlier development, and currently advises a multitude of startups in the MENA region. Abed is a board advisor at the BAU’s school of Maths and Computer Science and holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from UC, Irvine.

Director Media & Digital Transformation, Unilever MENA Asad manages Unilever’s media investments across the Middle East and North Africa region. He is also responsible for driving communication excellence and innovation as well as digital as a discipline across the region. Asad has been in this role since August 2013, prior to which he managed Global Media for Unilever’s Foods business based out of Unilever’s HQ in London. Prior to joining Unilever, Asad did various assignments for MindShare/Group M in various parts of the world. He managed local offices in Vietnam and Pakistan for them, did a global role in London, and managed regional projects in AsiaPac and LATAM. Asad is a technology enthusiast and an internationalist at heart, and considers himself fortunate to be working in the Middle East. Asad is a Board Member of The Marketing Society Middle East. Connect with Asad on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @asadchawla.

The Innovation Director for the global Venture Capital firm 500 Startups and is in charge of the Middle East region and Russia. She advises Corporates and Governments on Innovation and helps them build thriving ecosystems. Vera is also a strong female empowerment supporter and a social impact advocate. Vera serves as a Global Ambassador and Mentor for Vital Voices, a Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright NGO that works with women leaders. She is a founding member of the Dubai Future Accelerators, an initiative of Dubai Government to accelerate innovation. Prior to that, Vera was the Founder of a tech startup in MENA. Before that Vera ran the global communications for Rocket Internet during the IPO. Before her career in the tech and innovation world, Vera completed her MSc at the London School of Economics and worked as a political consultant in the European Union in Brussels. And prior to that Vera was a professional Argentine Tango dancer. Vera has lived in 10 countries and is fluent in five languages.

He began his journey in startups more than 9 years ago in Dubai, he occupied different tech roles in startups and in different stages starting from ideas to a platform handling million of transactions. Issam is the CTO of MATIC Services, a free SaaS-enabled marketplace for home cleaning services, he joined the team when it was just an idea and managed to build the apps and tech team and expand rapidly in the past 3 years. Before Matic Issam was the Head of Technology in iMENA where he helped building SellAnyCar, OpenSooq, ReserveOut, Okaz and other startups, and worked before in Logta Mall startup and MTN.

The Director of Strategy and Corporate Development of noon, a $1 billion joint venture between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and funded by Mohamed Alabbar. noon was born with the mission of building an ecosystem of homegrown digital companies from the region, for the region to safeguard the future of the Middle East’s digital landscape. Huseyin brings over 10 years experience in management consultancy to noon, leading strategy, investor relations and corporate development. Prior to his appointment at noon Huseyin was Principal at BCG where he worked in both the Istanbul and Dubai offices, focusing on retail and e-commerce.

Heads Strategic Partnerships, Fintechs and Ventures for Visa’s Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) region. His focus is in identifying, structuring and commercialising compelling payments experiences and opportunities with fintech firms and strategic partners to extend the reach of Visa’s payment network for consumers, merchants and banks throughout the CEMEA region. Prior to his current role, Mr Williams oversaw Visa’s partnerships with multinational eCommerce brands, technology platforms and device providers that include Samsung, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Pinterest, eBay, Fitbit, Garmin, amongst others. He and his team launched global programmes including Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay with Visa Tokenization, the Visa Ready Partner Program and Visa Checkout Open Platform. Prior to joining Visa, Mr Williams worked as a software engineer in various companies, and then joined Cowen and Company as an investment banker where he covered technology, internet and media companies. He holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering, and an MBA from the University of California Berkeley.

At Volkswagen, he headed the Sales & Marketing area for various vehicle projects worldwide and later the Sales & Marketing department at the Transparent Factory in Dresden. With the strategic realignment of the Group as a mobility provider, he built up the New Mobility & Innovations division and established Volkswagen’s Future Mobility Incubator.

Managing Director, REVO –Venture Capital & Private Equity Ex- Chief New Technology Businesses Officer of Turkcell Cenk Bayrakdar, after numerous management roles in Arçelik between 1994 and 2000, joined Turkcell in 2000. In Turkcell, he has cultivated the GSM ecosystem as the Partnering and Content Business Area Division Head until 2006. He served as the Chief Information Officer of Turkcell Group between 2006-2009 and led the restructuring of IT processes and mission-critical operational platforms for the company, including Campaign Management, CRM, Billing and Data Warehousing. He also led the establishment of the core R&D arm of Turkcell Group, Turkcell Teknology. Following his tenure as the CIO, he served as the Chief New Technology Businesses Officer between 2009 and 2013, envisioning and delivering new lines of businesses for Turkcell’s long-term growth. Utilizing experience both in technology and business management; he acted as Turkcell’s innovation spearhead and led projects such as M2M, Telco 2.0, Mobile Payment, Digital Wallet, Turkcell TV, Turkcell branded handsets (T10,T20) and various Internet ventures. He left Turkcell in 2013 to found one of the first venture capital funds in Turkey, Revo Capital, focusing on early-stage technology opportunities in Turkey and the region. As the Managing Director of Revo, Cenk continues to lead dealflow and portfolio management activities. Under his directorship, Revo Capital has closed a bespoke group of investments that includes Onedio, 8digits, Parasut, Foriba, Nuvia, ACL Teslim, Neozeka, Peoplise, Digiform, V-Count, Cardtek, Logiwa, Sinemia, Getir, Trusturk, TransferGo.

A destination marketing executive with over 15 years of experience across industries including events and publishing, Maria Gedeon is the Marketing Director of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment and Cinemas, the owner and operator of the MENA region’s most successful entertainment destinations. Appointed to her role within Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas in 2016, Maria is spearheading innovation and driving business expansion in both existing and new territories across the region. Maria oversees the management of the Marketing and communications functions for VOX Cinemas, Ski Dubai, Magic Planet, iFLY, Wahoo, Orbi and Little Explorers.

The Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment and Cinemas. A champion for innovation, she progressed from a Marketing Manager to become the top female executive in the company in eight short years. Michelle has been instrumental in growing VOX Cinemas from five complexes in one country to 355 screens in seven countries, making it the largest cinema operator in the region. Beyond the MENA region, Michelle has been a key driver of VOX Cinemas’ success on the global stage, culminating in the brand receiving the Global Achievement Award in Exhibition at the 2017 CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Starting his career in management roles for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover as well as for Volvo in South Africa and Russia, Deesch acquired many years of multi-market and brand experience within the global automotive sector. His first role in the Middle East came in 2005 with Porsche as Managing Director of the Middle East and Africa subsidiary, where he oversaw the extensive development of the regional operation. His career at Porsche AG included achievements as MD for Porsche China and as the Regional Head of Overseas and Emerging Markets with Porsche AG in Germany. As Group Managing Director, operating from the AVME regional office in Dubai, Deesch is responsible for driving the growth across 11 countries in the GCC and Levant for the Audi and Volkswagen brands. South-African born Deesch is married with two children.

The Product Manager for Trust Services and Blockchain at Smart Dubai. He is responsible for the design implementation and development of a portfolio of products including: UAE Pass, the national digital Identity of the UAE. He also works on multiple blockchain projects within Smart Dubai and with other government entities. Prior to that, he was the Head of Information and Development in the Protocol Department of Dubai, leading the implementation of a digital transformation strategy throughout the department. He’s also worked with Etisalat Telecommunication for 5 years in the fields of networking, security and professional services. Faisal comes from the digital technologies background but has great passion about design and startups, he aspires to instill the culture of design, innovation and entrepreneurship in the public sector.

Driven by the desire to restore insurance to its original purpose of providing mutual aid for those who need it most, but can afford it least, Michele founded Democrance in 2015. Prior to that, Michele worked in strategy and distribution at global insurance powerhouses AXA and MetLife in France, Egypt and the UAE. He is a frequent speaker at microinsurance, entrepreneurship and social innovation events, as well as a frequent contributor to publications in the Middle East and wider region. Italian by birth, Michele holds a Master in Management / Grande Ecole from ESCP Europe in Paris and MSc in Economics from Turin University. He is also a graduate of Carlos III University in Madrid and City University in London.

A world-recognized specialist with 20 years of successful working experience on the international level (patent, copyright, and commercial law), with proven analytical skills and strategic thinking. Dr. Sandjar Muminov is: – Director of Gulf Online Services FZE – one of the leading company in copyright protection in GCC & MENA region – Eurasian Commissioner on Law Supremacy and Intellectual Property of EECO (Eurasian Economic Cooperation Organization), head office in Russia, China and UAE, regional offices in 50 countries (eurasianeconomic.org) – the only IP-expert from CIS-countries, who was quoted by FORBES Magazine; – Expert of the Business Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (Moscow-Beijing-Tashkent-Astana); – Member of the International Intellectual Property Law Association (USA); – Speaker of the Program of Support of Kazakhstan Innovations KAZinno (Ministry for Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan); – Speaker of the University of Dubai; – Expert of the business community of the Russian Business Emirates (UAE, Dubai).

At age 24, when she launched SavoirFlair.com, Haleh Nia was the youngest publisher in the Middle East, as well as the pioneer of the digital revolution, having founded the region’s first online fashion magazine. Now the leading English-language website of its kind, Savoir Flair garners millions of hits per month, accomplished by the tireless work of its innovative founder and her multi-talented team. Most recently, she launched Halo Media, the umbrella group for Savoir Flair and its Arabic sister website, Savoir Flair Al Arabiya, as well as Halo Studio, the company’s independent creative agency. Among the group’s portfolio is also Goodness, a digital wellness publication and community. Haleh, originally from Iran, was born and raised in Dubai, which remains her home.

With a wide range of technical skills, he has been an innovator for years with 3 US patents granted. Since joining startAD two years ago, he designed and built Al Warsha, a state of the art prototyping facility at NYU Abu Dhabi’s campus that supports hardware startups and offers workshops aimed at the local tech community. He supported the development of over 20 prototypes that have been designed and built in the Al Warsha lab that include a wide variety of projects such as health tracking devices, drones, and multimedia. He currently leads the startAD team’s partnerships with mass manufacturers in Shenzhen, China that will support the product development of startAD hardware startups. He also a regular coach and technical advisor to startups throughout startAD Venture Launchpad sprint accelerator program.

A data and AI enthusiast by heart. She has spent her whole career helping various customers in the region getting actionable insights from their data and currently is helping them in their AI journeys.

VP Communications – Europe, Central Asia, Middle East & Africa Region – Tetra Pak Khaled is the VP Communications for Europe, Central Asia, Middle East & Africa Region with over 16 years of service in Tetra Pak. He has more than 25 years’ experience, which started in advertising and then continued in international sales, marketing and branding in FMCG and Food Packaging Industries, including Tetra Pak and The Coca-Cola Company. Khaled has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University – Canada. He also completed several executive programmes in leadership and management at Ashridge – UK, IMD – Switzerland and Harvard Business School – USA. Khaled is also a serial investor in several start-ups, a US based Environmental Technology Company (Green Source Energy), a Lebanese Private Bank (Cedrus Bank), a Swedish Beverage Company (Caliente), a Dubai based Security and Business Continuity Consultancy (Tessera) and a Co-Founder of a Social Media App Company (1TAM). Khaled is Chairman and Board Member of the Marketing Society Middle East and a regular speaker at International events and conferences around the world. LinkedIn blogger @ #Thisiswhatticklesme

Has over 14 years of experience in the Middle East region under her belt, ranging from consumer centricity and insights to digital and marketing transformation of more than 20 brands. In her current role as the Chief Marketing Officer, her core focus is to drive the digital transformation of the entire L’Oréal Middle East business whilst building “love brands”, driving the media shift to digital/ROI measurement and leading the acceleration of e-commerce. Sanaa believes in the “Test and learn is the new perfection”” motto and is always in pursuit of reinforcing the collaboration spirit within her team and the digital community at large.

Holds a BA from Bentley Uni. and an MBA for Hult Business School, and certificates from Oxford and MIT in Blockchain and AI. For the past 7 years he leads a team of managers running the largest and most impactful techhub in the MENA region. It houses 800 going on 1000 tech startups, from 71 nations, on 10.000m2. Dtec has helped create 3000 jobs and the inflow of 300m US $ in the local economy. Hans shaped Dtecs’ strategy and today its highly profitable and has 6 different pillars addressing, Co-working, Acceleration, Events & Learning, Venture Capital, Services and Corporate Innovation. The campus is also the home of Intelak, Emirates Airlines incubator, Startupbootcamp’s Smart City Accelerator and Intel’s’ Iot ignition lab. Previously, Hans founded, as CEO, 3 startups, on different continents, raising 10m US $ in venture capital and holding senior positions building 3 departments in MNCs, including Siemens’ first incubator 20 years ago. Hans is a frequent speaker on AI, Blockchain and Entrepreneurship. He serves on the board of 13 companies, and advisor to two Universities. Under Hans’ leadership Dtec has won 9 awards including Best Startup Hub.

A producer and executive director of Square Motion – a Video Marketing Agency in Dubai. As a serial entrepreneur he has been working in the media for the last 20 years. He has been in front of and behind the camera for almost all his adult life. He has produced and created more than 1200 video projects. He is helping companies and businesses to grow their online visibility with engaging videos. He believes that video is the best sales and marketing tool – and passionately shares his belief with other business owners. Vit is keen speaker on topic of Video marketing. He is originally from Prague, Czech Republic, and for last 7 years, he calls Dubai his new home. Vit Kodousek is Dubai’s video marketing expert.

Leads Visa’s Fintech strategy and engagements across CEMEA working closely with key partners and innovative fintechs leveraging Visa’s digital capabilities. Prior to joining Visa, Sirine managed DTEC’s (Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, Government of Dubai) Tech Incubator investing in and managing a portfolio of tech startups including Wrappup, 360VUZ, ShortPoint, Melltoo, Clip The Deal and others. Sirine was awarded Mentor of the Year by Arabian Business Magazine.

Co-founder of SE Factory, Lebanon’s most successful coding bootcamp. SE Factory helps youth of all backgrounds train on practical technical and soft skills that are required by the job market, achieving a 90% hiring success. Fadi is also a Partner at B&Y Venture Partners, a $46M venture capital fund based in Beirut with global mandate, focused on investing in high-potential technology startups. Fadi co-founded and is a board director at Speed, Lebanon’s leading seed startup accelerator. Previously, he was a founding member of Seeqnce, the first accelerator in Lebanon.

With over 18 years of experience, Faisal’s career transcends the Middle East’s technology and financial services industries through different leading roles held at key organizations. Faisal is currently Managing Director at AB Ventures, the Corporate Venture Capital arm of Arab Bank Group. He previously held the CEO position at Oasis500, Jordan’s leading seed stage technology investment fund and accelerator. Following almost a decade working on buy side equity research and management accounting, his career in Venture Capital industry started with Accelerator Technology Holdings after which he launched his own e-commerce business. Faisal is board member of the TechWorks, the Crown Prince Foundation’s fabrication lab.

Founding Partner at Dubai-based AstroLabs, the MENA region’s premier coworking community and learning academy for digital technology companies. AstroLabs operates a network of three spaces in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with over 120 resident companies building innovative technologies. AstroLabs Academy delivers a variety of practical training courses on topics related to digital business. Prior to AstroLabs, Muhammed co-founded Namshi, now one of the largest ecommerce companies in the MENA region. Muhammed is a former McKinsey & Company strategy consultant with clients across the GCC. Muhammed received an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

Leads the RYOT Studio EMEA team, a division of the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning RYOT business within Verizon Media. His team produces and distributes best-in-class branded content across the globe.

A Saudi National, is an entrepreneur, investor and a startup enthusiast. He is the Founder & Chief Innovation Officer of an education technology company Coded Minds and invests and ventures through his investment vehicle F3 Ventures. Omar is a careered finance professional in a previous life. His two previous ventures were Green Sands Equity out of San Francisco and previously CapInvest (latterly CI Holdings) which was a joint initiative with the asset management arm of United Overseas Bank Singapore. He was on the Funds Board of Saudi Fransi Capital for a several years. His corporate life was split between Algebra Capital, Deutsche Bank & NCB Capital out of Saudi Arabia.

Khalifa is on a mission to transform cities towards a zero-emission future. He’s a co-founder, COO and Chairman of the Board of Hoop. Hoop is a micro mobility company focusing on fixing the last-mile problem by bringing shared electric scooters to Dubai and other major cities in the Middle East and Nordics. Khalifa is a close follower of the mobility industry and a true believer of a viable point-to-point mass transportation system. Khalifa is based from Finland and has recently moved to Dubai.

Kester discovered Bitcoin during his final PhD year, while finalizing his thesis in the area of computational quantum chemistry. Soon after, a relocation from Australia to South Korea allowed him to experience the tremendous difference in how crypto was perceived by the two countries, also placing him closer to the Asian crypto hub, where he witnessed crypto investors flocked from China to South Korea (due to China’s ban on crypto activities), and the rise of the “Kimchi” premium. While working as full time postdoc at a university, Kester spent his free time writing articles for a JFSA-licensed crypto exchange, while keeping close attention to the blockchain industry. The rabbit hole goes only deeper from there, frustrated by the lack of developments in the crypto-payment sector, Kester joined Pundi X to make crypto payments as easy as buying water.

Media Relations and Internal Communications Manager at Nestlé Middle East since 2013, operating as the Company’s spokesperson, while overseeing all Internal Communications and Public Relations activities in the region. Internally, Lynn engages the hearts and minds of employees so they can fully imbibe how Creating Shared Value is at the core of all Nestlé does. Her Media Relations role delivers news and information on how Nestlé lives up to its purpose of Enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future to journalists from all media forms across the region. She also leads Nestlé Middle East’s Social Media channels. Before taking on her current post, Lynn was Nutrition, Health & Wellness and Internal Communications Manager at Nestlé Middle East from 2011-2013.

A UAE-born Pakistani-Canadian who has experience working in consulting, business development, and marketing in the UK and MENA region. Prior to getting bitten by the start-up bug, Hassan was a Senior Consultant at EY and worked directly with senior leadership on pursuit strategies. His interests in customer experience and technology led him to join Twistar as Head of Growth & Partnerships following the completion of his MSc from Imperial College London.

A global thought leader and CXO in the field of Smart Cities, Telecom, Media, Information analytics and an Urban Design enthusiast. He is the Founder and CEO of Gaia Smart Cities. He was the President of Reliance Jio, VP at IBM and CIO of Reliance and a Partner of KPMG in his previous stints over 25 years. His global experience has provided depth and breadth of roles to manage people, processes, finances, projects, technology, relationships, & governance. He is a Visiting Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University (USA). He was the Program Director of Swachh Bharat Mission PMU and an currently serves as an ICT Expert in many Smart Cities across the country. He is a technical advisor for BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council). He is also associated with the Atal Innovation Mission as a Mentor of Change. Sumit is a graduate of IIT Kanpur followed by MS and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. He has also graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is the author of a bestselling career management book, ‘Rules of the Game’ published by Bloomsbury India. He is regular speaker on the TEDx platform and represented by ‘The Outstanding Speakers Bureau’.

A digital currency and blockchain enthusiast. He is a co-founder at Rain, a regulated digital currency exchange based in Bahrain. In 2015, Yehia founded Digital Cotton, the first bitcoin and blockchain consulting company in Egypt, and organized the Cairo Bitcoin Meetup, one of the first cryptocurrency meetups in the region. Previously, Yehia was an account manager at NBK Capital, a subsidiary of the National Bank of Kuwait, providing equity sales and trading services to institutional investors in the USA, Middle East, and Egypt. He holds a BA in accounting and MA in international business.

A counsel in the Dubai office of Latham & Watkins, where he is a member of the Corporate Department and Mergers & Acquisitions and Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Practice Groups. Eyad’s practice focuses primarily on representing emerging growth companies (public and private) and their funding sources including venture capital and private equity firms. He has represented numerous international and Middle East-based emerging growth companies and venture capital and private equity firms in transactions across a wide range of industries, including AI, BioTech, E-commerce, EdTech, CleanTech, FinTech and HealthTech.

Award winning broadcaster Anna Roberts saw first hand the issue many entrepreneurs face – having a great idea but an inability to communicate that vision with the world. Drawing from a decade in live radio and television, Anna created a global platform to allow start ups to access communications training and resources to help them scale their ideas effectively and authentically. Born in New Zealand, Anna has lived in the Middle East for almost 25 years. See more at www.imannaroberts.com.

Co-Founder and Partner at C3 Partners – Executives on Demand (C3P), a UAE-based advisory firm providing senior executive support services to businesses in need of temporary management solutions. C3P is the advisory arm of Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3), which fosters social enterprise in the MENA region. C3P re-invests its profit into C3 social impact programmes. Prior to that, Medea was Senior Vice President Strategy at OSN, the leading Pay TV platform in the MENA region, where she was responsible for corporate development, strategy planning, and management, as well as market and consumer intelligence. Before joining OSN, she spent several years at Booz Allen Hamilton developing strategies for media, consumer, and social sector’s clients across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School (New York, USA), an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy) and an Engineering Diploma from Ecole Centrale Paris (France).

A Partner in the Dubai office of Latham & Watkins. Brian represents clients on the intellectual property, information technology, data protection and privacy, media, and commercial legal matters that arise on corporate transactions. Mr. Meenagh worked in the technology consultancy sector before qualifying as a solicitor, has co-authored a number of articles on technology and privacy law in the Middle East and speaks at seminars and client events in the Middle East on the law and best practices relating to technology and privacy matters Brian Meenagh is “a well-regarded TMT lawyer who draws particular praise for his work on IT outsourcing and technology transactions.” Sources describe him as a “very dedicated” practitioner. Chambers Global 2017 “He is a guru when it comes to his area of expertise.” Sources add: “He has a wealth of experience,” and “he’s very patient and a pleasant person to work with.” Chambers Global 2018″

Samar founded Jugnoo in 2014 with the vision to transform the Indian auto-rickshaw sector. Jugnoo is the leading on-demand hyperlocal transport and logistics player of India. Samar is a serial entrepreneur and a physicist by education. He has previously worked as a researcher at IBM and CERN. He is one of the industry’s foremost speakers. Samar also founded Click-Labs, a profitable SaaS technology solution provider of Business suit called ‘JungleWorks’. He is an avid traveler and amateur photographer who likes to document the everyday world. Samar’s personal website calls him ‘Someone somewhere in a garage’ which clearly portrays his love and penchant for building new things.

Pioneer in Healthtech, X Reality and Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare Futurist, an avid researcher determined to use future tech solutions for societal well-being. Her ongoing research with NGOs seeking to counter malnutrition and neonatal diseases in 3rd world countries, assisting them to develop awareness through immersive technologies and artificial intelligence. Having a background in Surgery, and Simulation training, Dr. Sana Farid has contributions with RCSI, Stanford, and Oxford University. Awarded as leading women worldwide in ARVR, she have had distinguished recognitions from Harvard Business Review and Forbes Middle East.

The current Chief Business Development Officer of Kuwait Life Sciences Company (KLSC) where he is part of a team that manages over 100 million dollars in assets under management including local, regional and international investments on behalf of the Kuwait Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of Kuwait. Dr. Razouki is a regional thought leader within the Middle East life sciences industry and has championed the building of strong pillars of the local life sciences ecosystem including the region’s premiere pharmaceutical licensing and distribution platform; NewBridge – a 50 mn USD revenue company operating across all 22 MENA countries including Iraq, Iran and Turkey as well as South Africa, Clinart – the region’s top Clinical Research Organization (CRO) and host of the first ever Phase II Clinical Trial in the history of Kuwait at the Dasman Diabetes Institute, eCore – the region’s top active pharmaceutical ingredients licensor and distributor, the Life Sciences Academy – the region’s first ever training and development company focused on the healthcare and life sciences industry as well as Innomedics – one of Kuwait’s top medical device distribution companies that pioneered the distribution of personalized digital health products in the region. At KLSC, Dr. Razouki and his team have invested and co-invested with some of the world’s top life science venture capital funds including, New Leaf Venture Partners in New York, Wellington Partners in Munich and Kearny Venture Partners and Presidio Partners both of which are based in San Francisco. Notable investment direct and indirect investment include: CRISPR Therapeutics – a leading personalized genomic medicine company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts (NASDAQ: CRSP), iRhythm Technologies, based in San Francisco, which closed 56% above its listed stock price on the first day of its IPO (NASDAQ: IRTC), Quanta Fluid Solutions – one of the world’s first home hemodialysis manufacturers, Median Technologies – a leading global provider of medical imaging solutions, especially in the field of oncology based in France (EPA: ALMDT) and SuperSonic Imagine – a leading global provider of medical ultrasound solutions also based in France (EPA: SSI) Dr. Razouki is also a former advisor to the central Kuwaiti government where he worked with senior government leaders during the administration of HE the Prime Minister, Sheikh Naser Al Mohammad Al Sabah and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Sabah on both Healthcare, Education and Entrepreneurial reforms as part of Kuwait’s 100 billion dollar Development Plan. Dr. Razouki continues to work closely with the Council of Minister’s of Kuwait and is currently advising the government on the development of the Sabah Al Ahmad National Genome Center together with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, a National Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory, and the 1 bn USD Jaber Hospital project, a 1,168 facility which will be the largest single healthcare structure in the Middle East.

Managing Director and Found of Augustus, a ‘new media’ company, publishers of Lovin Dubai and Lovin Saudi. He has been working in the media advertising space for the past 12 years at agencies in Ireland, England and the UAE on clients such as The Coca-Cola Company, HSBC, Nissan, Nike. Fascinated about changing media consumption habits, and passionate about creating effective brand communications through native adverting, Richard aspires to making Augustus the ‘new media’ company of choice in the Middle East.

The Managing Partner of Power of Art and serves as the Innovation Architect to Sahem, where in both capacities he works with entrepreneurs, startups and corporate clients to launch innovative projects. His participation within the startup ecosystem involves working with public and private entities to activate startup initiatives.  He invests and advises startups in addition to working with various incubators and accelerators. For the past 5 years, he has worked with startups across various industries from SaaS & marketplaces to healthcare & education startups and is currently the Co-Host of Streams of Progress, interviewing the UAE’s innovative change makers and leaders.

Managing Partner at MSA Capital and brings over 18 years of experience in the Chinese VC industry. At MSA, Jenny leads investments. Jenny (Yu) Zeng was the founding Executive Director of the China Venture Capital Association in 2002. In 2004, She founded one of the first Financial Advisory firms in China (Maple Valley), and led many landmark deals in the industry. She also organized the first series of Angel Investing events which pioneered the concept of angel investing in China. She graduated from Beijing Information Science and Technology University. She is one of the founders of the Harvard Innovation Lab (iLab).

A well-known Fashion, Lifestyle, Travel influencer and Entrepreneur. She has graduated from Central Saint Martins University of the Arts, with an honors degree in Fashion, specializing in costume and theatre. She then earned a master’s degree in marketing and a second in international business management. For the past year, Zeynab has been an inspiration for young women. She married her best friend in a magical wedding in Barcelona, transitioned from a corporate job at a luxury fashion brand to become a successful full-time digital marketeer and social media personality.

His inspiring career was launched upon his graduation with high honors as an Architectural Engineer. After his experience with the military, he discovered his flair for standup comedy, only one of his many talents along with hosting events and creating digital content. It also sparked his passion for communication with his fans, which led him to the very beginning of Tayarah’s rapid growth, as the presenter of Disalata’s famous “Mish Impossible” YouTube-based show for three seasons. In parallel, Ramez was actively working on developing his career as a lighting designer in charge of the Middle East and Africa at Philips for seven years, surprisingly paving the way for his newfound talent. Co-founded by Ramez and his partner Mohamed El Bassiouni, the next phase of his career saw Disalata transform into Tayarah to become what it is today. Instantly, Tayarah started booming with accomplishments that reflected Ramez’ creativity. It was time for Ramez to solely dedicate his passion and talent to this field in his professional life. Today, Ramez’ responsibilities at Tayarah include heading the creative department, developing the business, and constantly motivating the team to look out for the next big thing.

The CEO and Co-founder of Telr, an international e-payment solution that enables merchants to accept payments from local and international buyers, in multiple countries and in multiple currencies, with one simple integration. Prior to co-founding Telr in 2014, Sirish was the CFO for PayPal in ASEAN and India, where he led the growth strategy, geographic expansion, financial planning and analytics, acquisitions and new ventures. He also has been an angel investor and has led social entrepreneurship initiatives in Singapore and the Philippines. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Sirish has an MBA in General Management from INSEAD.

Studied economics at the University of St. Gallen HSG and has a Ph.D. in Virtual Communities. In 1997 he won the European Honeywell Futurist Award and his book Virtual Triad: Cyberspace, Cyborgs and Artificial Intelligence was published in 2002. As an entrepreneur and founder, he worked in the field of internet-based early warning systems. Since 2005, he has been advising banks, corporates and regulators across Europe and Middle East on strategy, digitisation, fintech and distributed ledger technology. He also acts as the PwC Head of Blockchain EMEA and works closely on topics such as blockchain, crypto and tokenization. Daniel is co-founder of Swiss Finance + Technology Association and Crypto Valley Association, member of fintechrockers.com, angel investor and closely associated with the international fintech and blockchain community.

A technology industry thought leader, researcher and CxO advisor. During his 18+ years of experience in the ICT industry (over 10 of them with IDC), he has extensive experience advising technology firms, national ICT development agencies, regulators, and telecommunication providers. Currently, as the head of IDC’s research practice in this region, Ranjit is responsible for driving the growth of IDC’s research products and services business, and shaping IDC’s thought leadership. Ranjit leads a team of over 40 market analysts based in IDC offices across the region and spearhead IDC’s thought leadership by directing and shaping IDC’s industry-leading research trackers, guides, reports and subscription products, and supporting consulting projects on the entire spectrum of information and communication technologies. Ranjit has been involved in advising telecommunication providers and technology firms on growth & transformation strategies, market entry, competitive positioning, portfolio strategy and marketing & communication strategies. In addition, he has also been an advisor to governments, regulators and national ICT development agencies on topics such as knowledge economies and innovation ecosystems, developing local ICT industries, skills development strategies, foreign direct investment, technology-led innovation, research & development and entrepreneurship. From a technology standpoint, his areas of expertise include Cloud, Mobility, Big Data Analytics, Managed Services, Datacenter Services, Social Business, Internet of Things, AI/Cognitive Systems, Cyber Security, and paradigms such as Digital Transformation and Smart City developments. Ranjit frequently speaks at industry forums and conferences, and is often quoted in the media, providing opinion and analysis on technology trends and strategies in global and emerging markets. Prior to joining IDC in 2008, Ranjit spent over nine years in the IT industry, in roles spanning product management, marketing, channel and business development, and resource management at prominent global IT companies such as Epicor, 3i Infotech and NIIT Technologies. Ranjit has a management degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Kolkata, India and a bachelor of technology degree from Cochin University of Science and Technology, India.

The co-founder of MaaS Global and Whim app, the world’s first mobility as a service solution. Kaj has a background in digital business from past 17 years, having worked in advertising, service creation and consultancies. Kaj has a Master’s in BA and international business.

A Licensed Psychologist and provides psychotherapy services to children, adolescents and adults. She uses psychological methods and research to make positive changes in her clients’ lives while offering various forms of treatment. Dr. Elena is also trained in giving personality and aptitude assessments to help organizations with selection, development and talent identification programs. She is a published author in the field of Psychology, a mental health advocate and public speaker.

CEO and Founder of Mumzworld.com, has proven to be one of the Middle East’s most prominent of women entrepreneurs. Beyond leading a successful and growing SME, and inspiring her employees and communities, Mona is on a mission to change the region, one mum at a time. Mona Ataya, a proud mum of 3 and ranked one of the Middle East’s 100 Most Powerful Arabs is a transformational leader. She has managed to grow Mumzworld from a business plan on paper to a brand reaching 2.5 million mothers across the region. Founded in 2011, Mumzworld has pioneered a leading, revolutionary and gold standard e-commerce shopping experience for all things mother, baby and child in the ME region. Today, Mumzworld is the leader in the vertical space for mothers and ranked No.1 Forbes up & coming company, and hosts over 250,000 products, delivered to over 20 different countries, in the fastest, most convenient and cost-effective way, at everyday low prices.

Born in Chicago, originally Syrian and having grown up in Dubai, the London College of Fashion graduate in Fashion Media and Communications launched her style blog, myfashdiary.com in 2009

The ambitious founder of Wandering the Future. Cécile is a little obsessed with the Future and she aspires to be the voice of the ever-changing needs of the intercultural consumer by being a creative innovator supporting brands, meeting these future demands. Her speciality is not to inspire people regarding the future, but to make them understand the underlying needs and the value shifts that drive change and hand them the tools to translate these findings into actions.

Co-founder and Chief of Business Development of First Medicine, she leverages her expertise in international business development to form strong relationships with partners overseas. She has worked with New Generation Power and Seaspire Advisors, building relationships for global projects in the healthcare, agriculture, and renewable energy sectors. `

At IBM, work is more than a job – it’s a calling: To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate. Not just to do something better, but to attempt things you’ve never thought possible. To lead in this new era of technology and solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. My mission is to creatively articulate technology, streamline processes and build effective teams to attract, select and hire talented and diverse candidates for IBM in the Middle-East and Africa. Reporting to IBM Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition, I’m accountable for the overall MEA TA strategy, budget and execution in 70 countries, operating across 5 time-zones.

A Lebanese serial entrepreneur passionate about innovation and building technology that creates tangible value for people around the globe. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Krimston SAL, an innovative hardware company which is getting ready for the mass production of its first product: TWO- the first active dual SIM case for iPhones. Throughout his journey, Fouad became an expert in hardware development, prototyping, mass production along with various commercial tasks such as fund raising, strategic business planning and worldwide distribution. With a wide and varied background of business experience, Fouad has extensive expertise in guiding organizations through the strategic processes of implementing technology.

A well rounded and result focused digital veteran with over 14 years of experience enabling the areas of digital marketing and customer engagement effectively across award winning campaigns & technology agnostic platforms. Currently handling the regional responsibilities for digital and social strategy, digital engagement programs, and the HumanTech Lab13 offering at FP7 MENA. Anis orchestrated and integrated pure play communication programs for blue chip clients across MENA such as Nestle, Nakheel, Aldar, Etihad Airways, Coca Cola, Samsung MENA, Mobily, and Jawwy STC having worked with global media and advertising agencies.

A serial entrepreneur at heart, Karl started his career in the hospitality industry after graduating from UCCR Switzerland. After leaving hi marketing role at the Armani Hotel Dubai, Karl went on a six-month backpack tour of southeast Asia, where he found his entrepreneurial calling. Karl decided to come back to Beirut and create his first venture Aimpeeps, an app connecting hobbyists, that completed the Bader entrepreneurship program; followed by Planitair, a hotel and flights booking engine targeting the MENA region, and his latest venture Sqwirl Lab, Lebanon’s first startup studio.

Produces creative content, enabling best-in-class brands and entrepreneurs to influence decision-makers in their industry. Over two decades, Raj has built audiences, engagement and opportunities for both his clients as well as his own original ventures in media, business and entertainment. Raj is a former DJ and celebrity interviewer that took to YouTube early on to promote his music career. Quickly recognised by brands, he built out his agency in 2006 and expanded to Dubai in 2014. Since moving to the region, Raj has founded the fastest growing networking event in Dubai, My Friends Your Friends.

The Founder & CEO of insydo, a search-centric city guide, and Brand Ripplr, a micro-influencer marketplace for the Middle East. Graduating with a BSc in Accounting and Finance from the University of Warwick, Tanaz started her career as a chartered accountant in investment management at PwC in London. Before delving into the world of technology, Tanaz was the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Omnicom Media Group and led philanthropic and artistic projects for the Elephant Parade and START. Recognitions • Awarded ‘Start Up of the Year’ by Arabian Business 2016 • Awarded ‘Startup Brand Penetration’ by Enterprise Agility Awards 2016 (Entrepreneur Middle East) • Awarded as one of the ‘Most Promising UAE Startups’ by Forbes Middle East 2016 • Recognised as one of the UAE’s 50 Most Influential Brits by Arabian Business in 2014 and 2015 • Shortlisted ‘The People’s Choice Award: Entrepreneur of the Year’ by Arabian Business 2016 • Shortlisted for the 2016 Integrated Award at Dubai Lynx • Shortlisted for Digital Leader of the Year at the 2018 Seamless Awards • Shortlisted for Business Leader of the Year at 2018 Gulf Capital SME Awards • Shortlisted for Digital Business of the Year at 2018 Gulf Capital SME Awards • Awarded ‘Business Leader of the Year’ at 2018 Gulf Capital SME Awards Conferences • Speaker at STEP Conference 2016, 2017, 2018 • Panel speaker at Gitex • Panel speaker at Global WIL Economic Forum • Host speaker at StartUp Grind Dubai • ITP LIVE: Influencer Marketing Summit • Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival

The founding partner and CEO of Raed Ventures, a Saudi venture capital firm owned by Almajdouie Holding and invest in seed and early stage startups in the MENA region. He is the former CEO of Almajdouie Manufacturing LLC and he has more than 17 years of enriched experience in various managerial and executive positions. As an investor and entrepreneur, Omar founded RAED Ventures in 2016 as part of Almajdouie Holding diversification strategy, and it provides funding for more than Twenty innovative startups in MENA region. Omar also is a member of board of directors for several leading tech startups.

Managing Director, Digital Lead at Accenture MENA and Turkey with responsibility to drive the digital transformation agenda for Accenture’s public and private sector clients in the region. Prior to joining Accenture, and over his 23+ years of professional experience, Xavi was CEO – International in Cash Credit Group (a leading Fintech player), Partner and Group COO of Delta Partners Group, a combined Telecommunications, Media and Digital advisory and investments boutique with global presence and had leadership roles at Oliver Wyman, Ono and Hewlett-Packard. Xavi has lived in 4 continents and served clients in over 30 countries, MBA from ESADE Business School in Barcelona and MSc in Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications Engineering, from La Salle Engineering in Barcelona.

A digital marketing consultant and expert with more than 13 years of experience. She has developed omni-channel, 360-degree marketing campaigns for various companies and sectors, ranging from automotive to telecommunications and from travel to commence. Mamta is a partner and Digital Director at Yellow – branding and digital consultancy based in Dubai, UAE and the CMO of Ejarcar, a startup which is UAE’s largest online car rental marketplace.Her primary area of expertise is defining digital and social media marketing strategies for SME’s and startups. Mamta is also very passionate about the startup ecosystem and co-hosts a podcast called: Startup Hustle Middle East, where she shares growth-hacking tips which are beneficial to entrepreneurs and interviews founders from the region.

An Associate Professor at the Olayan School of Business (OSB), American University of Beirut and the Director of Samih Darwazah Center for Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Azad teaches in OSB’s Executive MBA, Executive Education and MBA programs. Bijan pioneered the popular experiential Accerelation Practicum graduate course at AUB (modeled after Steve Blank’s Lean LaunchPad). In 2016 he designed AUB’s Scale-Up Readiness Program that focuses on scale-up challenges of companies reaching beyond $5 million revenue in the Middle East—supported in part by USAID and Darwazah Center funds. Bijan is also very active in the startup ecosystem serving as an affiliated mentor/instructor at Flat6Labs accelerator, also as a mentor at the IM-Capital Venture Mentoring Service. Bijan, in 1988 was co-founder of a successful map technology startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts, GIS/Trans’ technology (developed fast search algorithms for network systems) was acquired later by Google Maps. In 2001 he co-founded another successful map technology startup International Land Information Systems bv (acquired by ARCADIS bv 2003), in Arnhem, Netherlands.

Began her role at Mindshare MENA in 2013, and is responsible for leading the digital platforms, developing new and relevant product streams, planning and overseeing full end-to-end digital performance growth of clients and internal teams across the MENA region. In 2017, she was appointed as the Future Adaptive Specialist Team (FAST) lead for the region, to ensure a 360 approach to client outcomes by putting an integrated performance unit at the heart of the business. She brings in depth digital and product perspective, having worked in the US and the Middle East on both the agency and client sides across many industries. In previous role, she led digital business for Staples USA, Canada, and international businesses at Aegis Media in Boston. She holds her bachelors, from American University in Dubai and Masters in Science, from DePaul University, Chicago. She is on the global jury of I-Com Data & Creativity, jury at Effie’s Media Effectiveness platform 2017, an author on industry press in MENA, on digital transformation topics, including Artificial Intelligence. She’s featured in Star Parade in London’ MarComm online publication. Her recent speaking events include Step Conference, Mobile Marketing Association (MMA-MENA), Oracle’ DMP Marketing meet and Dubai Lynx (Mar-April 2018).

The Investment Manager at Insure and Match Capital Holding SAL (IM Capital) since April 2015. She supervises the matching & insurance capital process and manages the work of the analytical team. Ms. Kiame is responsible for IM Capital operations, including deal sourcing, investment project evaluation and valuation, business models validation, value creation and mentoring in investments, and supervision of exits from investments. Prior to joining IM Capital, and for more than 9 years, Ms. Kiame was a Director at SHUAA Capital psc Dubai, UAE, where her responsibilities included Product Development, Strategy and Project Management, and Operations. In 2006 and 2007, Mrs. Kiame worked as an assistant fund manager on several regional funds representing USD 1 Billion in assets under management, covering fifteen Arab markets. Ms. Kiame holds a Masters in Finance from Paris IX Dauphine in Paris, an Executive Education Certification from Harvard Business School with emphasis on Private Equity and Venture Capital, an Executive Certification from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with emphasis on Venture Mentorship and is currently a member of the “Grant Evaluation Committee” of the iSME Program, a Kafalat-World Bank program, a member of the Lebanese League for Women in Business and a member of the Rising Tide Europe 3.

Founder & CEO of Tamatem Inc., the leading mobile games publisher in the Arabic speaking market. He is a serial-entrepreneur who founded Faye3.com, the first Arabic social network that was acquired by Maktoob.com which was later acquired by Yahoo. Hussam then co-founded Wizards Productions in 2009 a gaming studio and finally Tamatem, which currently has 30 employees in its HQ in Amman, Jordan where they have published 40 games with over 55M downloads.

Joined Nokia in 2015 and is currently Head of Global Smart City Solution in the Global Digital Economy Practice. In his role, he leads the Smart City E2E Solution based on existing and emerging technologies such as IoT, 5G, AI, and Blockchain. Dr. Zuhdi has worked globally for telecom vendors and operators. He led functions such as Technology Strategy, Network & Digital Transformation, Smart City Solutions, and global R&D while working for Etisalat, Tellabs, and Ericsson. Dr. Zuhdi has a Ph.D., MSEE, MBA, and over 20 American patents, and he is an adjunct professor in entrepreneurship and innovation management.

Founding Partner of VentureSouq. Previously, he was Vice President of Private Equity at Waha Capital, a diversified investment company based in Abu Dhabi with assets of c.$3 billion. Prior to joining Waha, Tammer worked with UBS and HSBC in New York and Dubai, respectively. He served as a Fulbright Scholar in Damascus, Syria and worked with the Office of Presidential Personnel at the White House in Washington, D.C. Tammer holds a B.A. from Yale University and serves on the Board of Directors of Addax Bank in Bahrain and of the Yale Arab Alumni Association.

A serial entrepreneur that has founded, managed and exited three businesses over the last 13 years. During the course of his entrepreneurial career has invested close to $7 million of proprietary capital and raised $28 million of external financing against which he has created nearly $100 million of value. Advanced industry domain expertise across: • Digital media and advertising; • FinTech (Digital & mobile payments, crypto-currency/blockchain, credit scoring/data analytics and demand generation); • Retail (Omnichannel and e-commerce).

Second Generation FinTech Entrepreneur. Tech Investor. Advisor. Mentor. Gaurav Dhar is the Manager of the Payments Solution Provider Marshal Equipment. Gaurav has been working at Marshal for over 13 years now, handling the day to day business, delivering solutions, building long-term partnerships and payment ecosystems. He personally leads the charge on innovation, with a view to the future of payments both locally and globally via his network and clients around the world which include VC’s, incubators, accelerators, and start-ups. Marshal Equipment has clients in over 18 countries, with all of its IP developed in-house, based out of Dubai for the last 37 years. The company looks to cater to, foster and work with FinTech solution innovators locally and globally. Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/GauravDhar13

The Director of Ecosystem at Hyperledger. Marta obtained her BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Warsaw University of Technology and a double Master from Computer Science and Informatics at Technical University of Berlin and Warsaw University of Technology. Marta received PhD in User-Informed Design of Privacy Tools while working at one of the hottest startups in Silicon Valley – Blockstream. Marta also taught at Technical University of Berlin as a Post-doc. As part of her role in Hyperledger Marta evangelizes the technology and Open Source at conferences around the world and helps enterprises with applying permissioned Blockchains to their use-cases. Marta is passionate about how Blockchain can help in non traditional spaces, such as identity, last mile aid and education delivery and sustainability. She leads the public speaking and outreach at Hyperledger, has given numerous interviews, both written and in visual media. Marta also formed the W3C Blockchain community Group and is a valued member of the technical advisory to ID2020, DIF and participated in Rebooting Web of Trust on regular basis.

The Co-founder and CEO of rise, a platform which democratizes access to essential financial services for millions of migrants globally. Prior to starting rise, she was an award winning Banker from California and World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow. She holds an MBA from Oxford.

A tech entrepreneur based in Dubai, UAE with successful track record in growing and raising funding for tech startups. Previously she worked at Aramex Corporate Ventures, Ernst & Young and supporting tech entrepreneurs locally and regionally. She’s a holder of BEng(Hons) Electronic & Communication Engineering degree from University of Birmingham (UK).

Began his automotive career with W Motors as the Head of Business Development in 2014. The team always had a vision to create a new electric vehicle brand in China and founded ICONIQ Motors in early 2016. Karim then became the Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder of ICONIQ. The company aims to be the first passenger-focused electric vehicle to offer industry leading comfort, entertainment and productive technologies. ICONIQ’s strategic partnership with Microsoft will enable a truly unique in-vehicle digital user experience.

Leads the marketing function for Microsoft in the Middle East and Africa region, a role he assumed in March 2017. His team takes an integrated marketing and communications approach, using digital marketing and traditional channels to both build the Microsoft brand and also engage customers and partners on their purchase journey. Peter’s has lived and worked in the Middle East region for over 30 years and has deep experience of growing business in diverse Emerging Markets. Prior to joining Microsoft, he has had a distinguished career leading the marketing function in several of the world’s leading brands, including General Electric, Philips, and FedEx, where he has led multiple growth and investment programs to drive top line growth. He has built multiple public private partnerships with large government organizations to drive regional technology development, local software and engineering skills , and entrepreneurship. Peter has been a regular speaker at Marketing conferences across the region and is a member of several industry organizations. He is a past President of the Alumni Association of Dubai College, one of the top non-profit British schools in the region, and is also a member of their Board of Governors. Peter is based in Dubai with his wife and two children aged 10 and 4.

Consultant on Digital Business Strategy for Watson Internet of Things at IBM Middle East, Africa and Turkey where she explores how artificial intelligence is making ‘things’ smarter. She is passionate about how IoT and AI is progressing citizen convenience and as a marketing leader, tries to investigate its impact on communications. Asma was previously the Territory Marketing Leader for the Enterprise and MidMarket portfolio at IBM Middle East. Before joining IBM, Asma was engaged in B2C and B2B communications as Director, Account Management and Business Development, at Corporate & Marketing Communications, CMC (an affiliate of Ketchum) one of the largest PR firms in Pakistan where she focused on public policy and corporate communications. During her tenure, CM expanded into digital communications services and successfully executed campaigns for blue chip companies including P&G, Nestle and Microsoft. Asma is a Fulbright Scholar and received her Master’s in Strategic Public Relations from the University of Southern California, USA. She has another Master’s in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA). Asma sits on the board of the CMO Council Middle East and the College of Media and Mass Communications at the American University in the Emirates. She is also a Co-Founder of Afterwork Dubai, a community initiative that provides a platform to UAE expats to network. She is also a public speaker on topics including Marketing & Communication trends, IoT and gender equality.

I began my career with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management where I achieved my NASDAQ Series 7 and Series 66. I then made the switch to UBS AG where I partnered with one of the top Private Wealth Teams in Washington, D.C. I made the jump to Sarwa after understanding that Fintech and passively automated investing is the future. Sarwa and my commitment to you is to offer an affordable investment solution without sacrificing expert advice.

The Editor in Chief of MIT Technology Review Arabia, where she leads the editorial, content, localization operations for both print and online platforms. She holds a BA in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut; two Master’s degrees in Corporate Communication, and in Visual Media, from IE Business School in Madrid. Dia’s experience in technology content goes back to her role as the founding editor-in-chief of Popular Science Arabia, where she has led the project launch including the website and the bi-monthly magazine. As head of content at Haykal Media, she’s overseen the creation and localization of hundreds of thousands of words every month.

Heads the MENA team of ROI Hunter and Business Factory and is responsible for company’s business in the region. Based out of Dubai, he has been associated with ROI Hunter – a Facebook Marketing Partner & Google Premium Partner – for the past 3 years. Beyond his role as he loves to share his knowledge and experience during various trainings and workshops, including University of Dubai and video tutorials under WeSpeakDigital channel.

VP of Growth at Voicera, formerly the founder and CEO of Wrappup (acquired by Voicera). Rami is a lifelong entrepreneur, starting his first company at 13 years old. After graduating as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Maryland, he joined the world of management consulting at Bain & Company. He came up with the idea for Wrappup while still a consultant, needing a tool to help manage the 7 different client teams in back to back meetings everyday. He took the idea to a hackathon where he met his technical co-founders. What they managed to build in 24 hours not only won the Global Demo Day in Silicon Valley, but Wrappup went on to raise a first round of funding led by Beco Capital & 500 Startups, and was eventually acquired by Voicera.

A global entrepreneur, innovator, and an investor who believes in creating shared value and impactful entrepreneurship. He has over 10 years of experience as a Financial Markets Expert, FinTech Professional, Business Consultant, Scientific Researcher, Executive and an Outstanding Leader. Samer’s professional career bridged many geographies and cultures including the Middle East, North Africa, Canada, Turkey, Egypt, and Europe. During the last decade, he has been involved in the investment of over $1 billion in the precious metals markets in the EMEA region. Currently, Obeidat is leading an artificial intelligence-driven asset management firm, called Investifai, and working with a team of data and machine learning scientists, quantitative analysts, and portfolio management practitioners to transform traditional asset management in the US and MENA region.

A writer exploring the world on a journalist’s paycheck. From crypto currency to motorcycle gangs, adventure always finds her on the road. She writes for Forbes, Outside Magazine, Playboy + AFAR, among others.

An Associate Professor of Robotics and Computer Science at Sorbonne University – France since 2004. He received his Ph.D. in 2003 in Robotics and Computer Science from Paul Sabatier University. His main current research interests are in the fields of human-centered robotics. He has been the principal investigator/partner of several European projects. In 2014, Anis Sahbani founded Enova ROBOTICS, the first company in Africa that manufactures its own-brand robots. Enova Robotics won several international awards such as: two gold medals from the World Intellectual Property Organization, gold medal of the International Invention Fair in Middle East, and the gold medal of the International Exhibition of Inventions at Geneva. Anis Sahbani is also the winner of the Best Young Leader award. Enova Robotics has raised $1.6-million Tunis-based investment firm Capsa Capital.

The Executive Chairman of Wamda Group, a platform that invests, nurtures and builds entrepreneurship eco-systems across the Middle East and North Africa. Fadi is also the Co-Founder of Aramex, one of the leading global logistics companies. Fadi spent the first 30 years of his work life as CEO of Aramex, building the company, making it the leading emerging market logistics company, employing over 15,000 people working in over 250 offices in 90 countries. He took the company public twice, first on Nasdaq making it the first company from the Arab work to do so, then on Dubai Financial market. He continues to be active on the Aramex board. Fadi is a serial entrepreneur. In his career, he was involved with founding, investing and launching tens of companies and non-profits, from digital tech, hospitality, F&B, fitness & wellness to security. Passionate about impact and social entrepreneurship, Fadi founded and Chairs Ruwwad for Development, a private‐sector led community empowerment platform that helps marginalized communities across several countries in the MENA region, overcome marginalization through activism, civic engagement, education and financial inclusion. He has also co-founded and continues to support one of the leading not-for-profit sports clubs in Jordan. Fadi also served and continues to serve on several global and regional boards of companies, education institutions and non-profits.