1 Festival, 4 Conferences

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.

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.

Managing Partner at MSA Capital and brings over 7 years of experience in the industry in China. At MSA, Ben also focuses on investments and business operations. He previously worked for the Boston Consulting Group in Germany and co-founded the Middle East office later on, where he served many of the world’s largest financial institutions. Ben was a Fulbright Scholar at Freie university Berlin and a Neubauer Scholar at Tufts University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in international relations. Ben sits on the Board of Advisors of the School of Arts & Sciences at Tufts University.

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.

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.

Adnan has worked globally in investment banking, management consulting, and finance, managed capital markets trading desks, set up entrepreneurial ventures and is well established in the crypto banking space. He has worked at Barclays Capital, ADCB, KPMG, and Arthur Andersen and has an MBA from London Business School, MAcc from University of Waterloo, and is a qualified CPA and CA.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

With a wide range of technical skills, Abdel Razzaq 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. Abdel Razzaq 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. Abdel Razzaq 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.

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.

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 RYOT Studio in EMEA. RYOT Studio is Verizon Media’s immersive storytelling platform, featured and celebrated at iconic film festivals such as the Oscars. The team produce award winning creative content for some of the world’s biggest brands. RYOT is a world leader in AR/VR, and 360 content.

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.

Editorial director at Lovin Dubai, Caitlyn has previously worked for 7DAYS UAE, Time Out, ARN News Centre and in broadcast media in Australia.

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.

The CEO and co-founder of Asia Innovations Group (AIG), a leading mobile social entertainment platform in Asia with over USD $150m revenue in 2017. Before AIG he founded XPD Media, a social games company which was acquired by Zynga. As GM of Zynga China, Andy operated a portfolio of top-ten mobile games accessible in 15 languages globally. Previously, Andy led Google’s mobile business in China where he introduced Android to the Chinese market. At AIG, Andy has integrated the Gifto token into their flagship livestreaming app Uplive ($100m USD revenue in 2017) to revolutionize the economics of social media for content creators.

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.

A 16 year old super passionate about exponential technologies and sciences. He has built a variety of applications in various fields such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. Right now he is the co founder of a startup that is disrupting preventive medicine.

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.

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.

Marketing & Communications Leader 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.

A sought-after expert, contributor, and speaker on key developments in and the future of social media and communications. Eric is executive director of the London office of digital agency VaynerMedia, whose clients include General Electric, Pepsico, Unilever and Anheuser-Busch InBev, among others. Previously, Eric worked at Mullen Lowe Group, an international full-service agency headquartered in NYC and London, which works with brands including Google, JetBlue Airlines, American Honda Motors, and Bose Audio.

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.

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.