Tim Draper founded Draper Associates, DFJ and the Draper Venture Network, a global network of venture capital funds. Funded Coinbase, Baidu, Tesla, Skype, SpaceX, Twitch, Hotmail, Focus Media, Robinhood, Athenahealth, Box, Cruise Automation, Carta, Planet, PTC and 15 other unicorns from early/first rounds.

Fadi Ghandour is the Executive Chairman of Wamda Group, a platform that invests, nurtures and builds entrepreneurship eco-systems across the Middle East and North Africa. Mr. Ghandour is also the Founder of Aramex, one of the leading global logistics companies. Mr. Ghandour 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 world to do so, then on Dubai Financial market. He continues to be active on the Aramex board. Mr. Ghandour is a serial entrepreneur. In his career, he was involved with founding, investing and launching tens of companies and non-profits, ranging from digital tech, hospitality, fitness & wellness. Passionate about impact and social entrepreneurship, Mr. Ghandour 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. Mr. Ghandour also served and continues to serve on several global and regional boards of companies, education institutions and non-profits.

“Noor is the Founder and Managing Partner of Global Ventures, a leading venture capital firm based in the UAE, investing across the Middle East and Africa (currently deploying from Fund III). Prior to launching Global Ventures in 2018, Noor was the Chief Investment Officer at The Dubai Future Foundation. Before her tenure at DFF, she successfully scaled two companies. The first was Depa, initially her family business and ultimately the world’s largest interior company, which she listed on the LSE and NASDAQ in April 2008 in a billion-dollar IPO. The second company was ZenYoga, the region’s first yoga studio, which became the largest yoga and wellness chain, and which she exited to a PE firm in 2014. Noor is frequently featured as an authoritative voice on venture capital in the region by Bloomberg, CNN, and Forbes. She has appeared on the covers of Entrepreneur ME and Womenpreneur ME and has been cited by Forbes as one of the “”World’s Top 50 Women in Tech”” and “The Middle East’s Top Venture Capitalists.” She has also been recognized by Arabian Business as one of the “”Top 100 Most Influential Arab Women”” and is a judge on Shark Tank Dubai. She is an MIT Sloan 2005 alumni, Aspen Fellow, Kauffman Fellow and YGL. Noor is the author of the book, ‘Coming of Age: How Technology and Entrepreneurship are Changing the Face of MENA’, and is a strong advocate for founders in the region, helping them scale their businesses into global success stories.”

Fares Akkad is the Managing Director for Meta in the Middle East and Africa, leading business operations, policy engagement, and P&L performance across the region. He is Meta’s primary representative to heads of state, regulators, and strategic partners, driving commercial growth amid complex geopolitical dynamics. Fares also heads Meta’s Messaging and Enterprise business across EMEA, overseeing go-to-market strategy, partner ecosystem development, and commercial performance. Recognized by Forbes as one of the Top Executives in the Middle East for four consecutive years, Fares is celebrated for his business foresight and leadership. Previously, he directed Media Partnerships at Meta for Growth Markets and led digital development at MBC Group, scaling Shahid into the world’s largest Arabic VOD platform. A serial entrepreneur and board member, Fares holds degrees in Biotechnology, Information Systems, and an MBA with Highest Distinction. He is fluent in four languages and resides in Dubai with his family.

Dany Farha is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BECO Capital. Founded in 2012, BECO Capital is a Gulf-focused institutional venture capital firm, managing +$820M in AUM across five funds. The firm is a full-stack venture platform investing from inception to growth and has two $1B+ exits in its track record. With 30 years of experience in investing and entrepreneurship, Dany has successfully founded and exited several ventures. Since establishing BECO, he has led nearly 30 investments, including early backing of Kitopi, Property Finder, and Careem, supporting them on their journeys to becoming landmarks in the regional VC ecosystem.

-What you see: – Independant Board Member – Serial Investor – Restructuring Architect – Transformation Advisor The other Side of the moon – Storyteller – Knowledge seeker – Author: The future is young, Learning in the times of AI The Journey in Milestones – 2020 to date: Founder & Chairman, Fikratech (AI Everywhere) – 2006 to 2019: Founding CEO du, (Add life to Life) – 1998 to 2005: Founding CEO Mobinil, (A Mobile in the Hand of Everyone) – 1994 to 1997: President Questel Orbit Inc, (The birth of the Internet) – 1984 to 1994: Questel (Subsidiary of France Telecom), The Minitel, (The Ancestor of the Internet)

I am a strategic advisor and senior executive with 20+ years of experience leading transformation, growth, and brand innovation across media, retail, and luxury in MENA and emerging markets. My career has been devoted to building brands and experiences that shape culture, drive performance, and inspire people. Today, as CEO of The Giving Movement, I am focused on scaling a homegrown UAE brand to global relevance, strengthening its foundations, deepening its creative and community impact, and showcasing what Middle Eastern excellence can look like on the world stage. Alongside my executive work, I partner with boards, investors, family offices, and CEOs to unlock new opportunities, refine strategy, and deliver measurable, sustained value. My advisory experience includes market positioning, brand and product strategy, governance, transformation, and capital structuring. Over the years, I have launched and scaled flagship ventures such as Level Shoes, led transformation agendas inside major organizations, and guided leaders navigating growth, change, and investment decisions. My work blends creativity with commercial rigor, backed by two decades at the intersection of culture, consumers, and business.

“Armineh is a Managing Director at Partners for Growth, serving as Head of Europe, Middle East, and Africa and Co-Head of Global Fintech. She leads the firm’s efforts in sourcing and structuring new transactions and working closely with portfolio companies across EMEA. Armineh launched PFG’s strategy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and, under her leadership, PFG closed its first deal in the region in 2020 and has since become one of the most active structured credit lenders to leading technology and fintech companies in the region. Armineh joined PFG in 2017, bringing more than two decades of experience across technology operations and investment. Prior to PFG, she spent 12 years as a CEO, COO, and Co-Founder of several global technology companies headquartered in the Bay Area. These include Solinea, a consulting firm serving Fortune 1000 enterprises; Treq Labs, which she helped lead through a successful acquisition by Sonus Networks; and Vello Systems, where she managed global finance and operations. She also has prior investment experience from her earlier career in growth equity. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and is a board member of Lamsa, a leading EdTech company in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. She also serves as an advisor to funds, startups, and women in technology.”

Melissa C. Guzy is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Arbor Ventures. Melissa is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong and the Singapore Venture Capital Associations and a former member of the advisory counsel to the Hong Kong SFC on Innovation. She serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Jackson Labs. Melissa’s expertise in Fintech has earned her recognition as a Top 100 Influencer in Fintech (NxBnk), AlwaysOn Fintech Power Player, as well as One of the Most Influential Women in Tech in Asia. Her current board seats include Paidy, TrueAccord, InCountry, Fundbox, Tabby, EverC and Planck Re.

Whether inside or outside the office, Philip is passionate about connecting with people in ways that are truly meaningful (not just tactical). He never hesitates to get up in front of a crowd, which his wife finds both admirable and embarrassing. When not at work, you can find him spending time with his family, traveling to new places or swimming, biking, running, or skiing — his own personal “quad-athalon”.