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.”

Prashant K. Gulati (PK), Entrepreneur | Technology Evangelist Founder, The Assembly; Founder, SmartStart Fund Prashant K. Gulati (popularly known as PK) is an entrepreneur, idea accelerator, angel investor, mentor and writer with interests in innovation, startups, entrepreneurship, technology, mobility, wireless, intelligent buildings, online media and more. In addition to serving on boards of several startups and community initiatives, PK is an active Angel and early stage investor with a nose for fresh ideas. He is a mentor, providing guidance and advice to founders at various levels. He has been associated with a large number of successful startups and has an active portfolio in the US, Middle East, and India. PK has also been an influencer in the technology community in the Middle East, Silicon Valley, as well as the Indian subcontinent. He is well-connected with technology leaders and influencers of the region and is a respected voice and a trend spotter for leading-edge technological innovation. A postgraduate with Honours in Computer Science and Management, PK has been residing in Dubai for more than 20 years.

Alain Bejjani is a globally recognized business leader, investor, and strategic advisor focused on building high-impact ventures across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Formerly the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim, where he led the group to USD 9.4 billion in revenues and pioneered the region’s first green sukuk, he now leads thought leadership initiatives that elevate entrepreneurship and modern leadership. Based in Dubai, Alain serves on the Atlantic Council’s International Board and remains an influential voice in global economic dialogue, sustainable finance, and cross-border collaboration. Through his work, he continues to connect capital, talent, and opportunity to drive long-term, inclusive growth across emerging markets.

-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.”

Rana Nawas helps organisations sell, lead and communicate confidently in the AI era. A strategist, sales leader and storyteller, she turns complex ideas into simple, practical frameworks. Over 25 years on four continents, Rana led a US$1bn GE Capital business in the Middle East, advised CEOs at McKinsey’s London office and as a Partner at Oliver Wyman Dubai, and scaled a Houston logistics SaaS as Chief Revenue Officer of Velostics. She created When Women Win, the chart-topping podcast where global female leaders share the tactics behind their success, and hosted Bloomberg’s The Abu Dhabi Advantage. Rana is an Operating Partner at Global Ventures, and her keynotes deliver tools grounded in data, brought to life with stories, and designed for immediate use.

Luca Barbi is General Partner and COO at STV, the largest technology venture capital fund in the MENA region with over $1.5B AUM. He leads the firm’s development, market research, and publication of the STV Insight Reports, and is a member of the investment committee, contributing to 40+ investment decisions and serving on several boards. Luca is deeply embedded in the Saudi and GCC tech ecosystem, engaging government entities, sovereign funds, global LPs, and top founders. Before STV, he was a Partner at BCG in the Middle East. Earlier, he worked in Transaction Services at PwC Milan. Luca holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

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”.

Moe Abeidat is a technology and AI advisor and former Group CTO at Aramex, with experience spanning large enterprises, startups, and government. He has worked with senior leadership in Jordan and the UAE, including the Prime Ministry, the Crown Prince’s Office, and UAE government entities, on large-scale digital and AI transformation initiatives. Moe focuses on practical AI strategy, operating models, and execution that deliver measurable outcomes

Sam Huber is the Global President of Enterprise and CEO of MENA at Napster. Previously, Sam was the CEO of Landvault, a metaverse infrastructure company acquired by Infinite Reality for $450m. Sam founded the company in 2018 under the name Admix, a gaming company pioneering product placement technology in games, which raised $40m and rebranded to Landvault in 2022. An early Bitcoin investor since 2013 and one of the first land owners in the metaverse in 2017, he has since invested in over 20 companies, mainly in Web3. Before this, Sam’s first venture was an indie game studio. In a previous life, he was an engine strategy engineer for Mercedes Formula One, responsible for Lewis Hamilton engine strategy following a degree in Physics and Engineering.

Omar Almajdouie is the Founding Partner of Raed Ventures, a leading early-stage venture capital firm that partners with exceptional founders building transformative companies in the MENA region. Raed has grown to manage AUM exceeds SAR 1.5 billion and backed by top investors in the region including PIF’s Jada, SVC, Mubadala, Almajdouie Holding, among others. As an investor and entrepreneur, Omar founded Raed Ventures in 2016 as part of Almajdouie Holding diversification strategy, which has invested in over 60 innovative startups to-date. Omar previously served as CEO of Almajdouie Manufacturing Co. and was Vice Chairman and Founding Member of the Saudi Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, as well as a chairman and board member of several leading tech startups and companies. Omar has more than 20 years of enriched experience in various managerial and executive positions.

Parthi Duraisamy, Co-Founder and CEO at Alaan, brings 16 years of experience in banking and payments. With an engineering background, an MBA from Dartmouth, and lead roles at McKinsey, Barclays, and Airbus, he has global expertise in large scale transformation, mergers and banking.

Ronit runs Future of Finance team in Citi Institute, Citi’s thought leadership unit. He’s also an Advisory Board member at tech firms/early stage VCs. Ronit’s book “Future Money” published in 2024.

Miku Jha is a distinguished AI technologist and executive leader known for translating breakthrough innovations into enterprise-scale outcomes. At ServiceNow, she founded and leads the Applied AI Forward-Deployed Engineering (FDE) organization — where AI meets execution. Her team bridges the gap from proof-of-concept to production, driving co-innovation on Agentic AI solutions that deliver measurable business impact and shape ServiceNow’s AI-native product flywheel. Previously at Google Cloud, Miku led Global AI/ML Partner Engineering, pioneering the Agent2Agent (A2A) interoperability protocol and launching an AI Agent Marketplace with 1,000+ solutions. A serial entrepreneur and Forbes honoree, she has led three successful startup exits and continues to mentor emerging AI talent and women in STEM.

Investor and technology builder. Having invested in over 55 companies over the last 10 years and co-founded multiple startups, some successful and some not so much.

Sara Rona is a managing director of Global Gateway for Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and is the head of UK/Europe and Middle East North Africa for the bank. Sara manages an expansive global portfolio of tech startups and venture capital firms who are expanding stateside and need cross-border banking services as they scale. Additionally, Sara brings 17 years of global experience and strives to provide value beyond banking by helping clients with their international strategy and being a bridge into the US. Sara joined SVB in 2018 and has been in finance for the last 15 years at a variety of different financial institutions including HSBC, IFC-World Bank and Deutsche Bank. She is half French and half Afghan, has an MBA in international business and has spent time living in Dubai, Bangkok, Paris, London, and the US with volunteer work in Afghanistan and Kenya.

Imane El Majdoubi, Executive Director – Enterprise Commercial, Microsoft UAE Imane El Majdoubi is an accomplished technology leader with over 18 years of experience in enterprise strategy, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships. Her career spans multinational consulting, regional system integration, and a 14-year tenure at Microsoft, where she has consistently driven innovation and customer success. In her current role, Imane leads Microsoft’s Enterprise Commercial business in the UAE, empowering major industries—including Financial Services, Energy, Manufacturing, Retail, Telecommunications & Media, and Travel & Entertainment—to harness AI and advanced digital technologies for growth and resilience. A recipient of the prestigious Microsoft Pinnacle Award in 2023, Imane holds an Industrial Engineering degree and is deeply committed to youth empowerment, women’s advancement, and socio-economic inclusion through global and local initiatives.

Murat is a seasoned professional specializing in open innovation programs and startup ecosystem development. With a background in engineering, an MBA in Strategic Marketing & Brand Management, and expertise in Experiential Design Strategy, he brings a unique combination of technical depth and strategic insight to both startups and corporates. Beyond his corporate role, Murat is an active community builder and trainer, focusing on behavioral science, communication strategy, and innovation methods. His mission is to bridge startups and corporates through meaningful programs that create real-world impact in the aviation industry and beyond.””

MP Oliveira is the SVP, Venture Investments at NeoVentures, Mashreq’s corporate venture capital fund, and Chairwoman of AI Salon, a global community of AI professionals. She has held senior roles at Mastercard, EY, and Experian, securing large clients, launching products, and expanding into new markets. MP established innovation hubs in LATAM, APAC, and MENA, and managed M&A deals worth over $1B. As an entrepreneur, she co-founded two Silicon Valley startups and graduated from 500 Startups and Plug & Play accelerators. Her expertise spans financial services, professional services, and payments, with a global reach across Latin America, US, APAC, and MENA.

Khaled Talhouni is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Nuwa Capital, a VC firm investing in early-stage startups across the MENAPT region, based in Dubai and Riyadh. He has managed over 150 early-stage deals with a total AUM exceeding $300M and has successfully exited 15+. With deep expertise in venture investing and portfolio management, he plays a key role in shaping the region’s startup ecosystem.

Dr. Abdul Malik Al Jaber is a Palestinian-Jordanian business leader and investor known for leading Paltel, Zain Jordan, and founding MENA Apps and MEPS while driving digital growth in the region.”

Natasha Hannoun is a Founding Partner at Tenami Capital, an innovative alternative asset manager backing entrepreneurs and SMEs in the GCC. She was formerly Head of Debt and Venture Debt at Shuaa Capital in Abu Dhabi, where she structured one of the region’s earliest venture debt deals and sat on the Board of Pure Harvest Smart Farms. With over a decade of experience in private equity and debt, Natasha has led $7B+ in financings across asset classes, including last mile and mezzanine transactions. She began her career in Corporate Finance and Debt Advisory at Deloitte in Dubai and holds an MSc in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Bristol.

Andrew is driving Blockdaemon’s global growth strategy as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). In this role, he is responsible for driving and aligning all revenue generating processes across the organization. Previously, Andrew was VP and GM at APAC, where he has successfully led regional growth, forged strategic partnerships, and expanded market presence in the Asia Pacific Region. Prior to joining Blockdaemon, Andrew has held leadership roles in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco Systems and Singtel/Optus. In AWS, Andrew built out the teams focussed on Startups, Digital Natives, Crypto/Fintech and AWS’s partnerships with the Venture Capital and Private Equity community. In Cisco, Andrew led sales and Business Development for several acquisitions and internally built software solutions, most notably the GTM in APAC for an acquisition, tail-f systems. In Optus Business, Andrew led and owned the P&L for the Data Centre and Cloud Practice.

“Juliette is the Founder and Director of Pineapple Audio Production, which specialises in the production of podcasts. Our expertise in podcast production has been instrumental in crafting over 1800 episodes for top-tier clients, including global brands and media powerhouses. Clients have included Heart, Grazia, CNBC, Marie Claire, Aramco, The Telegraph, Metro.co.uk and the chart-topping ‘Love Island: The Morning After’ podcast for ITV. Previously, as an award-winning, high-achieving audio producer, I created station sound, imaging and trails for the Heart network’s biggest national campaigns for a weekly audience of 9 million. Clients included Sky (the biggest UK commercial radio partnership at the time), Netflix, Disney, Santander, Sony and Sainsbury’s. AWARDS AND HONOURS: >Radio Academy’s 30-Under-30 Award in 2016, and 2018 >Honorary Life Member of the Student Radio Association 2019 >Rising Star Award by The Times and We Are The City 2019 >Non-exec Advisor on the board of the Student Radio Association 2020-present >Business UK Music and Entertainment Company of the Year for Wiltshire 2023 >Corporate Livewire Innovation and Excellence Audio Production Company of the Year 2024 >Corporate Livewire Global Audio Production Company of the Year 2024”

Ankit Shah is the CFO and Co-Founder of Silkhaus, a cutting-edge proptech startup transforming short-term rentals across Asia. At Silkhaus, he leads the company’s strategic vision and plays a pivotal role in securing financing through successful collaborations with investors and venture capitalists. Before Silkhaus, Ankit was the Senior Director of Corporate Development at Careem, one of the Middle East’s most successful startups, where he drove strategic initiatives and expansion efforts. In India, he served as Director of Finance at Snapdeal, a leading e-commerce platform. Ankit began his career in consulting with Deloitte and later KPMG, gaining a strong foundation in finance and strategy. Ankit holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Arizona and an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona. As an Indian citizen with a global perspective, Ankit has lived, studied, and worked across continents, making Silkhaus’s mission particularly personal. He is passionate about creating a new asset class for real estate owners while providing high-quality living spaces for digital nomads like himself, redefining the future of work and travel.

She heads Venture Capital at Aditum Investment Management. Sonali has been an investor across multiple alternative asset classes over the past 20 years – Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Derivatives of Fixed Income, Currencies, Commodities and Credit for high-alpha. Her experience has spanned all stages of investing from early-stage VC to late-stage PE buyouts. She has also directly managed portfolios of a few family offices, out of which two have been of UAE Royal Family investors. Sonali has an MBA (triple-major) from The Wharton School (UPenn), and a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore.

I’ve always believed that the best brands aren’t just seen, they’re felt. That belief has shaped everything I do as a brand builder, leader, mentor, and creative thinker. With nearly 20+ years of experience in branding, content, and marketing in the UAE, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with some of the region’s most ambitious brands from launching innovative brands like Cafu and Oli Oli, to working with Mitsubishi Motors, to reimagining legacy giants like Barakat and Pan Emirates (now Pan Home). Today, I lead as General Manager and Partner at Yellow, an award-winning branding and marketing agency I co-founded. Alongside an incredible team, I’ve helped craft iconic brands and breakthrough campaigns that don’t just look good, they solve real business problems and drive measurable impact. Beyond agency life, I co-hosted Startup Hustle Middle East, a podcast I launched with my husband that has garnered over 90K listens and featured leading voices in venture capital, entrepreneurship, and innovation. I also mentor startups and SMEs, and speak on topics close to my heart: branding, content, creative leadership, and the evolving role of AI in marketing.

Hisham has close to twenty (20) years of experience representing companies and individuals in the venture capital and private equity space. Hisham has worked on hundreds of transactions over the years representing a wide range of venture and private equity clients from North America, Europe, and the MENA region. His expertise includes cross-border transactions, international M&A, fund and SPV formation as well as international tax planning and structuring. He is fluent in English and Arabic and is a published scholar in U.S. law reviews. Hisham is also a frequent speaker and contributor in the startup ecosystem. He regularly leads workshops, masterclasses, and mentorship sessions for founders and investors.

Bogdan is Heading the Product Innovation team at Visa CEMEA, helping to build new profitable revenue streams in the region. For the previous 5 years, Bogdan was the Chief Product Officer at Thunes, a global leader in cross-border payments. Bogdan is a seasoned FinTech enthusiast with over 20 years of experience and he has a proven record in building and scaling successful business and consumer products across emerging markets. With a career spanning Amsterdam, Dubai and Singapore, he has held leadership roles at prominent companies including Nike, PayU and Ingenico. Holding an MBA from Amsterdam Business School, Bogdan brings a strategic and analytical mindset, driving innovation and growth in the payments industry.

Alison brings over two decades of experience in global operations, transformation, and technology portfolio management within a major FT100 international organization. With a track record of leadership up to executive levels, Alison has navigated complex corporate landscapes, driving innovation and efficiency across diverse sectors. Alison is a respected serial entrepreneur, who is an active contributor in the start up eco system. She has founded tech startups leveraging blockchain, and AI in cyber security and financial services, received VC funding and an exit. She is a mentor to FINTECHs and advisor to a number of other startups. Alison is an active angel investor and GP of Equisscore.

Mamoun serves as Wego’s Chief Business Officer. Prior to this, he occupied the positions of Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director for Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the MENA region and one of the fastest growing tech companies in Dubai. Wego is dual-headquartered in Singapore and Dubai and Mamoun runs the business from the Dubai office where he is responsible for managing operations across the region. He is a significant shareholder in the company. Mamoun helped launch Wego’s Middle East operations in 2013 and expanded the company’s footprint across MENA and into India. Prior to that, he established the Advertising & Media sales unit and was Acting GM for MENA before being promoted to Managing Director. It’s Mamoun’s ability to move effortlessly between the high-tech world of Silicon Valley and the high-touch world of the Middle Eastern travel and tourism industry that makes him a particularly effective senior executive. Mamoun is a member of EMIR Corporate Intelligence Network, MEA business group and German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce (AHK). He was named by Arabian Business as one of the “Young Achievers 2021”. Prior to joining Wego, Mamoun held senior roles in some of the region’s best known digital media start-ups including iKoo (first and largest online advertising network in the Middle East acquired by Yahoo!) and Diwanee (largest premium lifestyle content publisher acquired by Webedia). Mamoun has lived in Dubai since 2005 and was a sales exec for Audi before joining the tech industry.

CEO and Founder of MAGNiTT the leading Private Capital Data platform for Emerging Markets with a focus on the GCC for Venture Capital, Private Equity and Private Credit.

Ted Kemp is Chief Content Officer at Khaleej Times, the No. 1 English-language news organization in the UAE. In 2025 he began introducing a new editorial strategy and organizational structure there. He formerly was International Managing Editor of CNBC Digital and has led newsrooms in East Asia, India, the Middle East, Europe and the USA. He is a podcast producer, multimedia manager, digital editor, documentarian and the author of The Ragged Edge, a 2017 book about the Iraq War that was named “Best History” by Amazon.com.

Jamie Lane is the co-founder of FWDstart, one of the Gulf and MENA region’s most widely read technology and venture publications, reaching thousands of founders, GPs, and LPs each week. Based in Abu Dhabi, he reports on AI, fintech, deeptech, and capital formation across the region, with an emphasis on clarity and data-driven insight. Jamie also hosts the FWDstart Podcast and co-hosts VC React, two weekly series that explore how the region’s leading founders and investors build and scale companies.

Paula Tavangar is a seasoned entrepreneur, who currently serves as Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital. Prior to that, Paula was focused on venture capital as Principal at SwissBorg Ventures. With a strong background in quantitative strategies, Paula co-founded Genesis Capital LATAM, overseeing the Quant Arbitrage Fund delivering consistent alpha. She also co-founded Wethaq, an Islamic Fintech startup. Paula’s diverse expertise led her to serve on the World Business Angels Forum (WBAF) Global Startup Committee and as a commissioner representing WBAF in the UAE. She holds a B.A. in International Finance and an MSc in Financial Engineering with a focus on Automated Trading Systems

Aslan Sultanov is the Managing Partner at White Hill Capital & Tumar Venture fund, and a leading figure in Central Asia’s venture capital landscape with 20+ years of experience in banking, FinTech, investments, etc. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Kazakhstan Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, and the visionary behind the Al-Farabi Innovation Hub in Riyadh and Dubai, platforms dedicated to assisting entrepreneurs from Central Asia and the Caucasus in expanding into the MENA region. Under his management, Tumar Venture Fund has a 2.5x growth per year and 17 portfolio startups from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia, etc. Aslan has deep expertise in: – Scaling technology companies in emerging markets – FinTech, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Investments – AI implementation cases in Finance and Governance – EdTech, etc.

Anupa Kurian-Murshed is a pioneering journalist, AI Editor Trainer and media strategist at the forefront of human-AI synergy. As an expert, she was part of the deployment of top AI developments, architecting an evolving model for human professionals in specialised editorial segments. With a 28-year legacy in the UAE media landscape, Anupa previously transformed Gulf News, scaling social reach to 7+ million and driving 60% of total web traffic through innovative content ecosystems. An expert in crisis management and digital transformation, she advises media startups on AI-integrated workflows and institutional policy. She bridges the gap between traditional journalistic ethics and the frontier of Large Language Models, making her a definitive voice on the future of intuitive technology and entrepreneurial evolution.

Cyba Audi is a three-time award-winning journalist, executive coach, and one of the most recognized faces in Arab business media. Her career bridges global finance and high-impact journalism. She began in London as a private banker advising high-net-worth clients before transitioning into broadcasting. Over the past two decades, she has led and produced high-profile interviews for CNBC Arabia, Al Arabiya, and Asharq Business with Bloomberg. She anchored the two-time award-winning Mornings with Cyba for four years and currently hosts Hadith Ma’ Cyba, known for thoughtful conversations with decision-makers and regional changemakers. Cyba is also the creator and host of Ta7t El Hawa, a bold podcast exploring leadership, purpose, and voice, including its Legend Woman series spotlighting influential women. A strong advocate for women’s leadership, she founded Saba Consultants in 2010 and is regarded as a “warm but sharp” interviewer.

Emad is the Founder and CEO of Mohtawa, a creative operating system designed to revolutionize how businesses approach content. Mohtawa empowers brands to generate comprehensive social media calendars and creative assets from a single prompt, seamlessly blending AI generation, freelancer matching, and stock content remixing. With over 13 years of experience in the advertising trenches, Emad has led content, social, and digital teams across top-tier global and regional agencies, serving some of the Middle East’s biggest brands. He founded Mohtawa to solve the inefficiencies he witnessed firsthand in the industry.

Omar Kassim is a fintech-focused technology entrepreneur, who specialises in conceiving, building, and scaling interesting technology ventures. Omar is the Founder and CEO of Nomod, the UAE’s leading small business payments platform. Nomod is backed by leading global investors including Y-Combinator, Global Founders Capital, and Goodwater Capital. Omar is also Co-Founded Esanjo, a family office to manage investments in technology and alternative assets. Omar previously founded and scaled JadoPado into a prominent e-commerce marketplace, and engineered a strategic acquisition by Noon.com in May 2017. The technology developed at JadoPado became the foundational core of Noon’s platform, a dominant player in the MENA region’s digital economy.

Jeremy has over 20 years of experience scaling and operating businesses in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Jeremy is also a professional Board member, supporting organisations in their journey. As a co-founder of Jumia, he helped grow Jumia across Africa and achieve an IPO on the NYSE. Jeremy now serves as Board Member as well as Investment Committee member of some incredible organizations, as well as helping McKinsey as a Senior Advisor. He is also running a family business, bringing change to a traditional industry in the Middle East.

Issa Aghabi has been focused on finance and venture capital since 2004. He began his career in investment banking and entered the MENA VC ecosystem in 2006 as a founding member of Accelerator Technologies, one of the region’s first venture funds. He has since held senior investment roles at Yahoo!, N2V, twofour54, and led IFC’s venture investments across MENA, Pakistan, and Europe. Issa has invested in over 95 deals, managed more than $150M in venture funds, and exited multiple leading regional companies. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Access Bridge Ventures, an early-stage UAE-based fund backing high-growth technology companies across MENA and Pakistan.

Phd in ICT (AI & 4IR) with more than 22 years of experience Certified chief ai officer Certified AI auditor Leading ai and dx projects Member in differnt academic advisory councils Board of trustees Member AI judge Global and GCC award Participating in international events as a speaker Having media broadcasting and sessions

Aida is an entrepreneur, advisor, founder, and author-to-be operating at the crossroads of technology, capital, and culture. Her career began in fashion and brand building before evolving into fintech, mobility, and venture growth, giving her fluency in both storytelling and scale. She brings an operator’s discipline to her advisory work, shaped by building across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. She serves in an advisory capacity to technology founders and is a judge at Monaco Tech, where she evaluates early-stage companies navigating growth, fundraising, and international expansion. Aida is the founder of Break The Ice, a growth agency working with founders and investors to turn early momentum into durable businesses, including collaborations with companies like BLADE Mobility. She is also a poet with a debut collection scheduled for publication this year. Beyond tech and poetry, her pursuits include sailing, tennis, French lessons, and the occasional Taylor Swift sing-along with her niece, which she considers equally formative.

Paul Papadimitriou — aka Paul Papa — explores how humans experience the world in the age of intelligent technology. A sought-after speaker, show host, and emcee, he examines how AI and emerging tech are reshaping the way we travel, shop, and live, blending cultural insight with practical, future-facing thinking. An award-winning photographer and show producer, Paul brings a visual storyteller’s eye to complex ideas, making them engaging and accessible. He has been a startup entrepreneur for over 30 years and has advised global companies for more than two decades, sitting at the intersection of innovation, human behavior, and technology’s real-world impact.

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.

Ramez T. Shehadi is Accenture’s Global Lead – Public Sector Strategy and plays a pivotal role in expanding Accenture’s Global Strategy Practice, aiming to accelerate profitable growth as well as expand business capabilities and technology adoption through a powerful ecosystem to deliver 360° value to clients. Ramez brings a wealth of experience as a transformative leader, industry and technology strategist, thought leader, venture capitalist, and community builder. His career spans across diverse sectors, having started, scaled, and led regional and global lines of business and cross-industry portfolios for strategy consulting and technology companies such as Kearney, Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company), Booz Allen Hamilton, Meta (formerly Facebook), and REEF (a global proximity- and quick-commerce platform). He has also held numerous board roles at publicly traded and private firms and global NGOs, demonstrating his broad understanding of business and social issues. Beyond his professional achievements, Ramez is deeply committed to regional and global social responsibility and diversity programs. His active involvement in community leadership initiatives reflects his dedication to driving positive change on crucial issues, including DEI, sustainability, and social entrepreneurship. Ramez’s influence extends to international media platforms, where he is recognized as an authority on digital strategy-led transformation, technology-driven socio-economic growth, and the digital economy at large.

Mahmoud is the Director of Investment and Ecosystem at the Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF), where he leads Fund of Funds investments and co-investments with leading General Partners, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship aligned with Dubai’s strategic economic priorities. His focus spans key sectors including Health & Life Sciences, PropTech, Mobility & Logistics, the Circular Economy, and DeepTech & AI. Prior to DFDF, Mahmoud served as Head of Community & Operations at Hub71, where he helped build a thriving startup ecosystem in Abu Dhabi by connecting founders with capital, mentorship, and global opportunities. Earlier, as Chief Operating Officer at BECO Capital, he played a critical role in scaling technology startups across the MENA region. His career also includes senior growth leadership roles in multiple startups, alongside experience in corporate leadership, consultancy, and audit, giving him a well-rounded perspective on building and scaling high-growth ventures.

I bridge the gap between data science and decision-making, drawing on my experience in finance and tech. Now at Palantir, I engineer AI solutions that help companies operate at their absolute best—delivering automation and hard outcomes instead of just buzzwords.

EMEA advisor in TMT. Former MBC GROUP spokesperson. 20+ years in Media & StratComm. Known for strategic insight and quiet, discreet, under-the-radar counsel.

Tamara Pupic holds the position of Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East magazine, a division of Dubai-based BNC Publishing officially licensed by the US-based publication Entrepreneur. She is a seasoned journalist and legal expert with a deep passion for exploring the intersection between law, technology, and finance. With a master’s degree in international law and economics (M.I.L.E.) from the World Trade Institute in Bern (Switzerland) and more than a decade’s long experience in business journalism in the UAE, Tamara Pupic focuses on incisive analysis and engaging storytelling around complex regulatory issues, business growth, and emerging technologies.

Anil Joshi is the Founder and Managing Partner at Unicorn India Ventures, a leading Venture Capital Fund focusing on early-stage investments in tech companies. With over two decades of experience in the field, Anil pioneered angel investments in India as the head of operations and President at Mumbai Angels, one of the most reputable and prolific Angel Investment forums in India. As an early mover in early 2000 in this segment, Anil was investing in budding companies even before venture investment had taken any formal shape in India. Within the start-up ecosystem, Anil has been at the helm of over 100 venture-financing deals. He serves on the board of several companies in the field of Fintech, Robotic, Meditech, IOT, Bigdata, SaaS and is involved with multiple incubation centres as a board member and mentor in India as well as internationally. Additionally, he also advices the government and industry bodies on start-ups regarding policy. Young entrepreneurs draw upon his vast experience for guidance and strategic direction for their own start-ups.

Basil Moftah, Key Capital MP, invests in 70+ ventures ($200M+) across MENA, Europe, and Asia. Formerly co-founder of Reuters VC and President of $1B IP & Science unit. Harvard MBA

Kate King is an International Executive Coach, Author, and Founder of The Team Coach. With over 20,000 hours of coaching experience, she has worked with CEOs and leadership teams across the globe to elevate performance, culture, and consciousness. Her clients include LVMH, Aldar, Al Tayer, Jumeirah, Kempinski and Hugo Boss. Her upcoming book, Highest You: A Coaching Playbook for Leading with Soul in the Age of AI, explores how leaders can upgrade their humanity in an artificially intelligent world. Known for her blend of strategic insight and spiritual depth, Kate guides leaders to connect with their authentic power and lead from purpose, presence, and intuition – what she calls soul-led leadership.

Manar Alkassar is a German-Syrian serial entrepreneur with a strong track record of building and scaling ventures across Europe and the broader MENA region. He is the Co-Founder of multiple companies including Kaso AI, Helpling, and qlub – each addressing unique challenges in B2B Supply Chain, F&B, and home services. An alum of Y Combinator, Manar is also a former Managing Director at Rocket Internet, where he helped launch and expand ventures across global markets. He is passionate about digitizing traditional industries, scaling sustainable business models, and investing in early-stage startups. Top 3 awards/achievements: Y Combinator Founder. Ex-Rocket Internet MD. Co-founder Kaso, Helpling, qlub.

Grace Gong is the founder of Smart Venture Media and the host of two well-known VC podcasts: Smart Venture Podcast (SVPpro.com) and Venture with Grace, a daily show. She is an angel investor in the AI sector, a super angel & venture scout for Alumni Ventures, Advisor at Berkeley SkyDeck.

Amit Grover is the Founder and Managing Partner of Grover & Company and CEO at Grover Impact Ventures, where he actively backs intangible asset classes, particularly intellectual property (IP), with over 27 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience spanning marketing, management consulting, and venture capital, including senior positions at ITC Ltd, Lavazza Coffee, and Pernod Ricard. Amit offers deep industry expertise and holds a full-time MBA from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Amit’s leadership extends to serving as a board member for C3 Companies Creating Change, a steering committee member for in5 Tech in the UAE, a mentor at the Founder Institute in the UAE, and as the former Chairman of ANZIBC (Australia, New Zealand, India Business Chambers) in New Zealand.

Nuha Hashem is the co-founder of Cozmo AI, a VC- and YC–backed startup building AI workforces for regulated sectors like banking and insurance. She leads product and engineering, helping enterprises automate complex voice operations with real-time, compliant AI agents. After two years of pursuing her PhD in the US, she dropped out to build her startup full time.

Serial entrepreneur who’s passion about building amazing products, founded Drahim, Saudi’s first YC Company, which now is top growing robo-advisory in the region.

Asad ur Rehman is a versatile board qualified global business and transformation leader with a career spanning multinational corporations, advertising agencies, and listed media networks across the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe. He brings a distinctive blend of enterprise discipline, digital and data fluency, commercial acumen, and organisational transformation capability, accumulated over two decades. Most recently, Asad served as CEO-Designate of HUM Network Ltd, one of South Asia’s largest publicly listed media groups. In this role, he led a full leadership agenda to reposition the organisation for long-term growth. His mandate encompassed corporate governance, operating model redesign, P&L management whilst driving digital revenue diversification, digital transformation and modernisation of IP/Content frameworks. He drove strategic changes across the backbone such as cloud migration, AI-enabled production workflows, and agentic AI led transformation. His leadership spanned entertainment, news, sports, events and international distribution operations. Prior to HUM Network, Asad founded So&So Partnerships, a Dubai-based advisory working with start-ups, government entities, and corporates on digital product strategy, organisational transformation, emerging technology adoption, and AI governance. Asad’s majority of the career includes 20 years of senior global and regional leadership roles at Unilever and WPP’s GroupM. At Unilever, he served as a regional board member for MENA, Turkey, and Russia, where he led digital and media transformation across 23 markets, strengthened e-commerce and analytics capabilities, and built fully integrated digital operating models that were later adopted globally. His work accelerated growth, delivered operational efficiencies, and reshaped how brands engaged consumers across a diverse set of markets. At GroupM, he held leadership roles in Pakistan, Vietnam, and the global London headquarters, where he helped establish and scale agency operations, manage complex multinational portfolios, and contributed to GroupM’s work across a plethora of markets on client relationships and business growth. These roles grounded him in market-building, operational leadership, commercial growth, and client-side strategic transformation. Asad has consistently been recognised for his industry leadership. He served as Founding Chair of The Marketing Society Middle East and was awarded its UK Fellowship, in addition to being named Effie MENA Marketer of the Year. He is a qualified Non-Executive Director (Financial Times Diploma) and a qualified AI Governance Practitioner. Beyond the corporate arena, Asad serves on the Board of the GEMS Jumeirah School System and advises multiple start-ups in communication technology and AI.

Mohammad is a Corporate Venture Capitalist and innovation strategist specializing in open innovation. He drives organizational growth by connecting direct venture investments with structured startup–corporate partnerships, enabling institutions to validate, co-build, and scale solutions with early-stage founders. His experience as a former founder gives him a practical lens on what it takes to build from zero, shaping his approach to value creation inside large organizations. Mohammad holds a master’s degree in Global Strategy and Innovation Management from the University of Leeds and is an alumnus of the Kelley School of Business. He has also contributed to regional and global ecosystems and has been recognized by the World Economic Forum, Stanford University, Dubai Expo and other leading platforms.

Managing Director at Bloofusion. 20+ yrs in GTM strategy and client acquisition. Investor/partner connecting founders + funders. I scale startups with smart marketing that drives growth and funding.

Arvind Ravishunkar is the Founder and CEO of Lenz AI Innovation Studio, a Silicon Valley–based venture studio pioneering Agentic AI systems for strategy and innovation. Through its flagship platform ASTRA, Lenz is building intelligent “strategy twins” that help enterprises move from insight to execution with unprecedented speed and clarity. Before founding Lenz, Arvind spent over 15 years driving innovation and growth strategies for global enterprises. At Wipro, he built and led the Emerging Technologies Think Tank, the GenAI Startup Accelerator, and multiple innovation programs that bridged frontier technologies with real-world business impact. Educated at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Arvind combines human-centered design, systems thinking, and data-driven strategy in his work. His current focus is on bridging innovation ecosystems across Silicon Valley, Dubai, and Bangalore—creating a global corridor where AI, design, and entrepreneurship intersect to shape the next generation of business and technology.

Racha Ghamlouch is co-founder and GM of Digital Digest (DD), a strategic communications agency serving technology companies and innovation-focused organizations across the MENA/GCC region. With 16 years of experience in market research, program development, and innovation consulting, Racha specializes in brand positioning, media relations, and integrated communication strategy. She previously held senior roles at ArabNet and BECO Capital, where she developed deep expertise in the regional digital economy landscape. The Digital Digest combines agency services with a curated news aggregator and newsletter covering the region’s digital economy.

John R. Woodward is head of the School of Mathematics and Computer Science at Heriot Watt University, Dubai. His expertise in AI and machine learning and optimization techniques. He holds a BSc in Theoretical Physics, MSc in Cognitive Science, and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence. He has worked on application domains including combinatorial optimization problems, airport scheduling, and automatically fixing software bugs. He regularly contributes to The Conversation, BBC, podcasts & other public engagement activities. He has 100+ peer-reviewed publications and has given over 100 presentations at international conferences and as an invited speaker at international universities. He has worked on four continents and has been employed in industrial, military, educational and academic settings, by organizations as diverse as EDS, CERN and RAF and 5 UK Universities.

Leila Serhan currently serves as Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan (NALP) region – a region which serves 15 countries from five regional offices. In this role, Leila and her team are focused on driving Visa’s business growth in the region with key clients and partners from financial institutions, partners, and government in support of Visa’s mission to help individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. In support of national digitization agendas, Leila and her team are committed to making Visa a partner of choice, while unlocking growth opportunities for new and existing clients and partners across the NALP region. Leila brings more than two decades experience of leadership positions, including 20 years gained at Microsoft prior to joining Visa

Based in Dubai, Dana Alhanbali is a strategist, storyteller, and speaker whose work lives at the intersection of business, culture, and creativity. She is the founder of Bark & Berg, a story-led studio developing strategy and original IP for film, television, and podcasts. A serial entrepreneur and award-winning creative, Dana’s career spans global brand building, media, and storytelling—earning recognition from Cannes Lions and shaping some of the region’s most resonant narratives. As the host of Something to Consider, winner of the Best Podcast for Social Change, she continues to explore the ideas, people, and conversations shaping our time.

“Rawan Baddour is the Co-Founder of Zest, a digital transactional infrastructure company streamlining private market execution through integrated SPV, escrow, and licensed distribution modules. She oversees Zest’s compliance, governance, and risk frameworks. These are central to Zest’s differentiation and ensure that every transaction on the platform meets global regulatory standards and regional best practice. Rawan brings more than 12 years of experience in strategic advisory, banking, and finance. She previously led a Dubai based investment banking subsidiary and invested across both public and private markets, building deep expertise in regulatory structuring, operational oversight, and investor governance. At Zest, Rawan is focused on creating trusted and transparent transactional infrastructure that removes friction, increases confidence, and ensures institutional-grade integrity across alternative asset classes in emerging markets.”

Hussein Attar is the CEO of Tech Invest Com, a 1Bn SAR saudi investment firm that invests in MENA-based growth-stage tech startups and private equity investments in technology companies. He founded a tech startup that was selected as one of the top 50 Arab startups by Forbes. He sits on the board of several tech companies and a member of Oqal and Falak angel investment groups. He is also a board member of the Saudi Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, and a member of the National Entrepreneurship Committee under the Council of Saudi Chambers.

Dr. Shadab Khan is a Senior Scientist at ADIA Lab, where he leads the computational sciences and AI research in Health Science. Previously, he was the SVP of AI and Applied Sciences at M42, where his team of scientists and engineers developed AI models such as Med42 (LLM), Gene42 (Genomics LLM), AIRIS-TB (Imaging AI), amonth others. Before M42, he was a Healthcare AI researcher at Inception (G42) in UAE. At Inception, Dr. Khan was a founding faculty member at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of AI. Prior to moving to UAE, Dr. Khan was a Fellow in Radiology at Harvard Med and Boston Children’s Hospital. He holds a PhD in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College, and Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from Harvard University.

Zubair writes about technology and internet trends in emerging markets. He runs Termsheet, a leading newsletter on startups and venture capital in the Middle East and North Africa. Before this, he built MENAbytes, one of the region’s most widely read platforms on tech and startups, and founded Flare, a video-first ecommerce platform for Pakistan.