Issa’s career has focused on finance and investments for the past 20 years with a focus on Venture Capital. He started his career in investment banking and transitioned into the MENA Venture Capital space in 2006 as a founding member of Accelerator technologies, one of the first venture funds in the Arab world. He has since occupied numerous roles that include M&A consultant at Yahoo!, Head of Investment at N2V – a regional Venture Builder, and Head of Investments and Venture Capital at twofour54. Prior to establishing Access Bridge Ventures, Issa headed IFC’s Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Europe’s venture investments both from a Direct and Indirect (accelerators and fund of fund) perspective. His track record includes, having invested in 65+ direct and indirect investment deals (from $100K to $25M per transaction), managed over $150m in MENA Venture funds, launched the UAE’s first Accelerator, fully exited 6+ MENA based deals, supported with 2 IPOs and much more. Issa now the founder and managing partner of Access Bridge Ventures, an early stage MEPAP focused Venture Fund with over 18 investments to date and growing

Hani is the Middle East Managing Director supporting along with 20+ partners the various clients from the Public and Private sectors. He joined Roland Berger in 2011 and has since established a new practice in the MENA region focusing on sustainability and addressing the major problems concerning the environment and climate change. Mr. Tohme is leading topics related to circular economy, effective resources, waste & water management, and green technologies. He has successfully led transformative projects around the world with special focus on emerging countries. Some of his key projects include setting national waste and recycling champions as well as supporting governments develop national master plans in line with the concepts of circular economy. Mr. Tohme is also leading the participation of Roland Berger at COP28 by unifying fronts with major players at different industries to showcase commitment efforts related to relevant issues (i.e., decarbonization, water management, sustainability, etc.)

Saqr Mashhor Ereiqat is the Co-Founder of Crypto Oasis Ventures, a Web3 Venture studio, purpose-built for the Crypto Oasis Ecosystem, which is the fastest-growing ecosystem in the world. Before devoting himself to Crypto Oasis Ventures, Saqr served as a consultant for fintech, blockchain solutions, healthcare, and innovation management. He is a thirteen-year veteran of IBM in the Middle East and Africa. He was the former Head of Public Sector Consultancy in Dubai for IBM, where he was recognized as a pioneer in enterprise blockchain, being a co-author of the first IBM blockchain for government methodology and helping define the official government blockchain strategy of Dubai. While at IBM, Saqr led projects in 23 countries across Europe, Middle East & Africa where he worked with both public and private sector entities to define, create, and implement their blockchain strategies. Saqr serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Innovation Institute. He is currently also working with the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), the Arab Youth Center, and the Founder Institute as a mentor supporting startups in the region. In the field of healthcare, Saqr has advised several large hospital conglomerates on their technology strategy and set up the National Health Lab for Emerging Technology for the Saudi Arabian Government.

Erich Sieber is the Founding General Partner of PeakBridge, a global expert venture & growth fund manager focused on FoodTech. PeakBridge manages today three FoodTech funds with AuM of over €200M and invested in some 25 portfolio companies in Europe, Israel and the US around the five verticals of ingredients, alternative protein technologies, digitalization, nutrition, and alternative farming. Prior to creating PeakBridge in 2018, Erich was Partner at Nestlé’s €750M strategic “fund-of-one” since its creation in 2001, investing in agritech, foodtech and health & nutrition start-ups. Formerly an executive at Nestlé, the World Economic Forum and the German Finance Ministry. Erich received a B.A. in Business Economics and Law from HSG University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, a tri-lingual MBA of EAP-ESCP (Paris-Oxford-Berlin), and an L.L.M. in Financial Law of Geneva University, Switzerland.

Kiyan Foroughi, CEO and Co-Founder of Needle, is a serial entrepreneur passionate about helping brands grow. With a background in investment banking and private equity, he co-founded Boticca, a London-based fashion e-commerce marketplace for brands, later acquired by Wolf & Badger. Kiyan then co-founded Electric8, a profitable growth agency in Singapore which inspired his latest venture. Needle is an AI marketer for young brands in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries, built off the back of his experience of acquiring and retaining millions of customers worldwide for brands as a CMO. Kiyan is a graduate of Tufts University and has lived in Paris, Dubai, Boston, New York, London and now Singapore. Fluent in English, French, Farsi, and social Italian, he has a love for neo-soul, hip-hop, and R&B music, actively producing tracks in his spare time.

Mo is the VP of Careem Pay. Previously, Mo co-founded Mamo, a leading fintech payments startup in the Middle East. Mo has served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Global Ventures as well as on the Investment Committee at Dubai Angel Investors. He previously led Google Play’s efforts in the MENA and Turkey region. Mo started off his career in management consulting with Booz & Company and went on to become CCO @Telly after their acquisition of his initial startup Sha-Sha TV. He has an MBA from Stanford GSB and undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering from the American University of Beirut and Georgia Tech

Ramzi is a Berlin based entrepreneur, angel investor and founder of Dunbar, a second brain to unleash your network’s potential. He is a cofounder of Aware, and previously cofounded EyeEm and Berlin Photo Week (both acquired). He is also an angel investor (more than 50 investments in last 4 yrs incl. Pitch, Gorillas, Softr, Microacquire and Grover) and an LP in several early funds. For over a decade now, Ramzi has spoken and published on a range of topics including AI, entrepreneurship and society in major conferences (SxSW, MWC, TOA, Unesco General Assembly, etc) and publications (Wired, Bloomberg, Time Magazine and the MIT Tech Review, etc).

Anna Tutova is a public speaker, Fortune media journalist and CEO of Coinstelegram, crypto-media group and consulting agency. Anna holds a degree of Master in International Law. She is an expert in public relations and business development, featured on CNBC Arabia TV, Forbes Middle East, Nasdaq, Finance Yahoo, Gulf News, Cointelegraph. Additionally, Anna is a Partner at Fintech company https://kyc-pay.com/ , marketplace for direct matching business with financial and legal providers, Furthermore Anna is a co-producer of the documentary film “Decentralized – no Matter What” on the new era of the digital economy(featuring El Salvador’s government officials, Vitalik Buterin(creator Ethereum), CZ, Founder Binance, Sandeep Nailwal, Polygon Founder, Charles Hoskinson, Founder Cardano, Justin Sun, Founder Tron, Sebastien Borget, co-Founder Sandbox, Chairman DMCC, Head of Dubai blockchain center etc.). Link on the light version of the film: https://youtu.be/jP5W8PmyC1c

Mo Ali Yusuf is a highly accomplished fintech and digital asset leader, who is deeply committed to leveraging the power of financial technology to drive positive change in individuals, communities, and businesses across the globe. As the CEO and co-founder of Fuze, a regulated digital assets infrastructure platform, Mo is spearheading efforts to enable businesses in the Middle East to seamlessly integrate digital asset products. Fuze recently announced their record breaking $14Mn seed funding round. Mo Ali is also the Co-Chair of Digital Assets, for the MENA Fintech Association, an industry body enabling the ecosystem Prior to launching Fuze, Mo held leadership positions at some of the most prominent fintech and finance companies in the world, including Checkout.com, Visa, Booz & Company, and Emirates NBD. Mo holds a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from a Canadian university and an MBA from the prestigious London Business School. Mo’s impressive background and deep expertise in fintech and digital assets make him a highly sought-after thought leader and speaker at industry events worldwide.

Abhishek Kar is a seasoned Energy and Sustainability expert who seamlessly integrates technology and business acumen. With over a decade of dedicated service in the Energy sector, his journey encompasses both traditional power systems and cutting-edge technologies such as Smart Grids, Microgrids, Green Hydrogen, and e-Mobility. Educated in Engineering and holding an MBA, Abhishek has cultivated extensive experience in leading and guiding teams across Sales, Operations, and Product Management, affording him a holistic understanding of end-to-end business strategies. Abhishek is well-versed in Sustainability, Decarbonization, and Clean Energy technologies. He has been actively working with industries and organizations across Middle east on these topics. He fervently advocates for climate change awareness and the education of clean technologies, considering it a purpose close to his heart.

Constantin is the Founder and Managing Partner of CSTouch, a Swiss-based boutique firm founded in 2006 providing management consulting and investment advisory services to innovative social enterprises, startups, MSMEs and corporates in Lebanon and the MENA region. He has a 40-years track record in funding and transforming corporations and MSMEs across the world as the CEO of HP Financial Services in EMEA and Asia Pacific (1984-2003) and as the CEO of global investment groups such as AMS Group and Al-Ghurair Investments (2004-2014). He joined Stanford’s Graduate School of Business SEED Program in 2015 and provides advisory and funding services to Stanford SEED social SMEs in both East and West Africa. Constantin was the Head of Investments for the WE4F MENA program (2020-2023) helping a portfolio of 35 innovative scale-ups raise more than $USD30 million over the past 2 years while providing them with investment readiness advisory services. Constantin is an investor and board advisor of several innovative ventures including Berytech (Fund I & II), the Yaro PE Fund, the Debbane Agri Group, CCHO, Joisam, the EHS Group, Emigoh Ltd, Optique & Vision, the ABC Group, Ground Vertical Farming, FabricAid, Ashesi University, Bedayati and the Nyaho Medical Group. He holds engineering degrees from King’s College London & the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

With over 20 years or retail technology experience Ed is a leader in delivering transformational projects for customers in the region. Having worked for technology vendors, agencies and integrators he has a clear understanding of the challenges and how to address them.

Shinez is the Head of Startups and VCs growth at Google Ads MENA where she helps startups and VCs grow using Google platforms. Prior to that Shinez worked for McKinsey Middle East in their Digital Practice and at Bell in Canada in telecoms. Shinez is an industrial engineer and holds an MBA from the University of Oxford.

Caroline Guyot is the Managing Director of ENGIE Factory Asia-Pacific, which she co-founded in 2018 to develop new solutions for the energy transition. Caroline has spent her career working with entrepreneurs to address social and environmental issues. She started her career with Ashoka, the world’s leading network of social entrepreneurs, where she oversaw a global accelerator. Based out of London and then Singapore, she also launched an initiative for young entrepreneurs across Asia: ChangemakerXChange. More recently, she worked as Managing Director of Reseau Entreprendre, a support network for entrepreneurs, and launched Forward, a new accelerator for impact startups in Brussels. Caroline is passionate about driving impact through new startup ideas and creating synergies across multiple stakeholders. She is also an active angel investor and startup advisor.

Zohare (zo-hay-rr) is a 3x and award-winning entrepreneur, building jalebi.io, an award-winning and Techstars-backed B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) product company. He previously founded Digital Street (digital.st), an award-winning digital agency, built Micro Drip, a venture-backed agritech startup, and is deeply involved with the regional startup ecosystem, following a 15-year stint with corporate life.

Karam is a seasoned entrepreneur and fintech innovator, who stands at the forefront of financial technology with over a decade of product development experience. As a second-time founder, he has navigated the highs and lows of the startup world, emerging with invaluable insights. Karam is passionate about mentoring emerging entrepreneurs, sharing lessons learned from multiple failures and successes. He firmly believe in the synergy of technology and human empathy, advocating that this blend is crucial for long-term benefits in today’s world. Karam’s journey is not just about creating cutting-edge products; it’s about inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs to build technology solutions with a human heart.

Waseem Afzal brings 19 years of Media and Ad-tech experience to the table. With leadership roles at Omnicom Media Group and TikTok, he’s well-versed in consumer behavior and Ad Technology. Waseem is now running a bootstrap startup, www.platformance.io, focused on aiding e-commerce and app-based advertisers in the MENA region. His passion lies in making advertising more effective in the digital platformization era.

Jenny Zeng is a serial entrepreneur in the Chinese private equity fund space with over 20 years of experience in the VC/PE sector. She has witnessed and actively participated in the development of the Chinese private equity funds ecosystem from inception to its growth. In 2014, she founded MSA Capital and serves as a co-founder and Managing Partner, leading all China based investments from the fund. Prior to founding MSA Capital, Zeng served as the first Executive Director of the China Venture Capital Association (CVCA) in 2002 and went on to establish Fenggu Investment in 2004, a leading investment bank in China, successfully raising hundreds of millions of dollars in financing for numerous rapidly growing companies across various industries.

Ms. Nada Sayarh Lebbar has 20+ years of Strategy, marketing and ESG experience working for global blue-chip companies (P&G, Colgate Palmolive, Shell, Consulting) with 15+ years of experience in Academia in Switzerland. Her topics of interest are Sustainable business models, Female education, ESG and Technology, Responsible Marketing and making our planet more sustainable. She is passionate about bridging academia, the industry, nonprofits, and public policy makers to build responsible leaders that are ready for future jobs and global challenges. She works with these stakeholders to drive ESG impact through the below involvements: – Content head for the sustainability squad for the Marketing Society in Dubai – Founder of the project « Rise Up Girls » for high school girls’ empowerment in rural areas through education, targeting 300 girls – Member of the environment group of the Swiss business council – Member of the sustainability committee of the Supply chain and logistics group in Dubai.

Tatiana Antonelli Abella is the Founder and Managing Director of Goumbook, a Social Enterprise established in 2009 and dedicated to raising awareness among the local community on Sustainability and Green Living.

Jessica is the Co-Founder and Chief of Sustainability Communications and Marketing at Olive Gaea, a UAE leading Climate-Tech company automating decarbonization. A seasoned PR, Communications, and Sustainability professional with a solid background in international affairs, public policy, and foresight, Jessica helped organizations navigate through shifting economic, geopolitical, and social landscapes across the MENA region for the past 14 years, advising businesses and government entities on Communications and Sustainability strategies to mitigate risks, protect reputation, and improve stakeholder relations. Holding a B.A. in Political Science, an M.A. in International Affairs from the University of Turin, and an MA in Strategic Public Relations from The George Washington University (US), Jessica is certified in Corporate Sustainability Strategies from the Harvard Extension School, Sustainability by the Massachusets Institute of Technology (MIT), and Reputation Management from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Emine is a distinguished senior executive with a proven track record in Finance and Strategy Management, Strategy Execution, and investor relations. Her expertise extends to Go-To-Market, Product Launching, Marketing, Communications, and Business Development. A visionary change leader and entrepreneur, Emine crafts and leads innovative business strategies, motivating teams for organizational success. Holding a Master’s degree in Auditing and Finance from Istanbul University, she is pursuing further education in Innovation in Healthcare at Harvard University. Seamlessly merging multinational big corporate matrix companies with domestic firm culture, Emine’s core values include Persistence, Integrity, Honesty, and Trust. She is a formidable advocate for DEI, creating environments that prioritize diversity and inclusion. In her role with a domestic family company, Emine devised a growth strategy, expanding operations into Europe, Sweden, and Dubai. Her unwavering dedication to excellence, innovation, and advancing DEI makes her a formidable asset for organizations.

Ali Hashemi is an early-stage venture investor, specializing in health-tech innovation, emphasizing the synergy of human-machine solutions in healthcare. He is also the CEO of meta[bolic], a healthcare company known for exceptional patient outcomes, powering GluCare.Health and Zone.Health platforms, dedicated to diabetes care and weight management. Previously, Ali founded Amana Healthcare, a leading Middle Eastern continuum-of-care hospital network acquired by Mubadala Healthcare in 2018. He also established and led Booz & Company’s Middle East Healthcare Practice and worked at Bain & Company’s Healthcare and Private Equity Practices in NYC. Ali studied Medicine and received his MBA concurrently from McGill University. Ali is a member of the Global Advisory Board for the Fuqua School of Business at Duke, a lecturer for the Duke Global Executive MBA Program, and a proud Duke basketball fan.

Dr. Shadab Khan is the Director of AI and Applied Sciences at M42, where he leads a team of AI scientists, product managers, and engineers to solve problems in Healthcare AI. Dr. Khan’s team develops solutions for real-world evidence (RWE) powered by a real-world data (RWD) platform developed in-house to manage and query multimodal healthcare data ranging from electronic health records, genomics, medical imaging, and healthcare claims, among others. Before joining G42 Healthcare, he was a Healthcare AI researcher at IIAI in UAE. At IIAI, Dr. Khan was also a lead developer of MS and PhD Machine Learning course curriculum for the inaugural class of Mohamed Bin Zayed University of AI (MBZUAI) and closely participated in founding, and accreditation of the university. Prior to moving to UAE, Dr. Khan was a Fellow in Radiology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. He got a PhD from Dartmouth College in Biomedical Engineering and CS, where he was a recipient of the highly selective Neukom Fellowship in Computational Sciences for his research in building medical devices and medical data analysis tools for robot-assisted prostatectomy.

Vaanathi is a seasoned banking and payments professional with a hands-on approach, boasting over 17 years of extensive experience in the Middle East and Africa. Her diverse expertise spans product conceptualization, growth strategies, and P&L management across the BFSI sector, financial inclusion, and cross-border payments. With a keen understanding of regional regulations and a strong pulse on the market, she has facilitated fintechs in successfully bringing products to market and building sustainable businesses. An advocate for women entrepreneurship, Vaanathi actively promotes diversity for long-term industry sustainability. As the Business Head for the MENA region at M2P Fintech, Asia’s largest API infrastructure company, she leads with a wealth of knowledge gained from key roles at Finablr, ICICI Bank, and Citibank. Vaanathi’s impact extends beyond her roles, as she is a recognized industry expert, co-chair of SHIFT (the payments arm of the MENA fintech association), and a mentor to startups, guiding them to leverage technology for financial solutions.

Mitin Chakraborty heads global brand and marketing strategies at Babyshop, a leader in the baby and kids retail sector across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Celebrated for his creative flair and result-driven approach, Mitin’s campaigns have earned accolades at Cannes Lions, Global Effies, and more. Recognized by Forbes as a top marketing professional in the Middle East, he also serves as a Grand Jury member at the Global Effies. Mitin champions marketing that harmonizes purpose with performance, focusing on creating brands that resonate deeply with audiences and drive business growth. His vision for marketing extends beyond commercial success, emphasizing positive community impact and setting a new benchmark for impactful, modern marketing strategies.

Hosam is the Co-Founder & CEO of Tabby, the leading consumer fintech across the GCC. Previously, Hosam was Co-Founder and CEO of Namshi, the Middle East’s premier online fashion destination which was fully acquired by Emaar Malls in 2019. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Canada’s Queen’s University and an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston.

Farah is the Head of Climate Change & Policies Department at Alpin Limited. With a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment, he dedicates his career to the oversight and delivery of climate change services, including Net Zero Advisory, GHG assessment and decarbonization Strategies, development of policies and guidelines, and ESG consultancy. Over the course of his self-motivated journey as an accredited Climate Change Professional, Farah has developed a profound passion for combating climate change and advancing the decarbonization efforts in multiple sectors.

Rabih El Chaar is the CEO and co-founder of Nadeera Technologies. Nadeera is a new breed of waste management companies that engages communities to recycle through their digital platform Yalla Return to divert waste from landfill. Yalla Return focuses on maximizing recycling though technology enabled behavioural change through (1) Promoting recycling awareness, (2) Verifying that waste is sorted through IoT and (3) Rewarding sustainable practices through cash back. Rabih comes from an engineering and consulting background. He has a Masters in Engineering from Canada and an MBA from INSEAD business school.

Miguel Lasprilla is the Chief Technology Officer of Software AG, for the Middle East and Türkiye region. He empowers C-people like you to get value out of your data. By implementing cutting-edge strategies and solutions, Miguel inspires and motivates to embrace innovation and data-driven decision-making. During his 24 years of international B2B2C experience in the ICT Industry, in mature and emerging markets of North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, LATAM and Asia, Miguel has served customers from Fortune100 to SMBs in Automotive, Aviation, Financial Sector, Government entities, Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, Retail, Telecom Operators and Service Provider industries.

Jen is a highly successful entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience running seven-figure businesses. Originally from Canada, Jen has owned and managed businesses in several international cities, including London, Brussels, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. As the CEO and Founder of Female Fusion, a global professional network for female entrepreneurs, Jen is committed to helping women access opportunities to start, build, grow, and scale their businesses. With a community of more than 40,000, and close to 1,000 paid members, Female Fusion is focused on empowering women to build profitable businesses by accessing opportunities around the world. Jen’s passion for supporting female entrepreneurs has made her a sought-after mentor and speaker in the industry. In March 2023 Jen was named as one of 25 global female visionaries by Mastercard Priceless for the work that she does with female entrepreneurs. About Female Fusion Female Fusion is a global digital membership for female entrepreneurs that helps them start, build, grow and scale their businesses. From women who are just starting out up to 8-figure businesses, we provide an online platform and in-person community to help women excel in business. Female Fusion is a business of impact that helps women: – get access to business opportunities – get access to finance and investment – build their networks and contacts globally – understand how to build a profitable business of their dreams – be part of a community of like-minded women that values collaboration over competition, supporting everyone to start, build, grow and scale their businesses With a community of more than 40,000 businesses and a membership of over 1,000 businesses worldwide we are truly stronger together.

Regional Director at Mitgo MENA – a global tech company focused on delivering innovative solutions and promoting entrepreneurship. Mitgo offers solutions and services in the MarTech, FinTech, Smart Shopping and IT-driven Startup Incubation sectors. Key details about the speaker: – Has been developing Mitgo presence in the MENA from the scratch since 2017 – Mentor at Abu Dhabi SME Hub – Forbes Middle East contributor – Mentioned in Gulf News, Zawya, ArabAd etc. – Speaker at Seamless Middle East

Suraya Turk is Managing Partner of Legal Circle, a forward-thinking UAE-based law firm providing startups, SMEs, multinationals and government entities with optimal legal and commercial solutions. Legal Circle has positioned itself as a leading legal firm in the technology sphere, providing expert advice to diverse clients navigating this ever-changing regulatory landscape. Suraya has held the role of Managing Director with both international and local law firms in the UAE, and prior to that enjoyed a highly successful career as a qualified lawyer in Australia. This background provides her with a wealth of experience advising clients on a global platform as well as establishing top-performing legal firms and specialist legal teams.Suraya is passionate about working with startup founders, investors and women in business to enable them to achieve and exceed their business goals.

Michael Joseph is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ion Pacific, a market trailblazer in the creation of liquidity to the venture capital ecosystem. Since Ion Pacific’s founding in 2015, Michael has led the team globally in the roll out of the various funds they manage. Before founding Ion Pacific, Michael was a founding member at Reorient Group, the Hong Kong listed financial institution that was sold to Jack Ma in 2015. In his role on the investment and management committees, Michael led strategic acquisitions for the firm to drive returns and enhance its position in the region. Prior to that, Michael had a 12-year career at some of the largest hedge funds of their time investing globally across asset classes with a penchant for special situations.

Wolfgang is a Co-Founder of Flawless, where they enable companies to make their business operations data-driven and automated. Before that, he founded and scaled Sixfold – a B2B SaaS supply-chain visibility platform – to 8-figure ARR and 60+ employees before exiting it to Transporeon. Wolfgang also acts as growth-advisor to various SaaS start- and scale-ups and in his past consulted leading tech companies regarding innovation, digitization, and operational efficiency at McKinsey. Wolfgang holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and a Masters from WU Vienna – both with honors. In his spare time, he’s an avid traveler (70+ countries) and sports enthusiast (skiing, mountaineering, marathon running, beach volleyball, mountain biking).

Paul ‘The Profit’ Dawalibi is a technology entrepreneur, investor, futurist and gamer, with over 20 years of venture capital and startup experience. He is currently the CEO of Holodeck – the leading global media and technology company focused exclusively on gaming, metaverse, esports and web3. This combination of skills and experience allows him to understand and communicate the business opportunity around gaming and metaverse in a unique way, and has made him the largest gaming influencer and expert in the MENA region. Paul is the host and creator of Game Changers – a groundbreaking gaming and metaverse business show on CNBC Arabia reaching 50M homes in the Middle East. As ‘The Profit’, Paul previously hosted the largest gaming industry show in the world – the Business of Esports. ‘The Profit’ is a frequently requested speaker at metaverse and gaming conferences all around the world. He consults family offices, governments, venture funds, and global companies on the gaming and metaverse opportunity. Paul is also the creator of the world’s 1st esports NFT and founder of the 2020 fastest growing company in Canada. His core belief is that gaming is the future of fun™️.

Hikma Ventures Lana is the VP of Digital Investments and Partnerships at Hikma/Managing Director of Hikma Ventures which she helped establish in 2015. Lana started her career at Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC in 2012 as the Assistant to the CEO and Director of Corporate Strategy & Development where she worked on strategic projects across the company’s various functions including strategy, M&A, operations, and finance. Prior to joining Hikma, Lana worked as a Financial Analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions department at Dresdner Kleinwort Investment Bank in London where she worked on transactions for clients across multiple industries. Lana co-founded the Innovation & Leadership Advisory Board (ILAB) at Hikma which consists of young Hikma employees who share a dedication to advancing Hikma and ensuring it is at the frontier of innovation. Lana holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University.

Kushal Shah is the Managing Director – Corporate Venture Capital at e& capital, the investment arm of e&. He is one of the founders of Dubai Angel Investors and an investment committee member of several VC firms. He is one of the pioneers of venture investing in the MENA region and has a well-established reputation with founders and investors. Prior to joining e&, he was also the head of digital and technology at RolandBerger for the Middle East and Asia. Kushal studied economics at Cambridge University (UK) and is also a chartered accountant. He enjoys participating in technology disruption and expects the next 5-10 years to be the most transformative we have ever seen.

Shameed Sait is a recognized expert in artificial intelligence. He holds 18 US patents on AI and has authored numerous AI articles. As the leader of the AI team at GEMS Education in Dubai, he’s helping students learn in new and better ways. Over the years, his exceptional work has earned him several awards, marking him as a standout in the AI community.

Sarah Toukan is the Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Ziina, MENA’s digital wallet. The company has been growing over 40% month-on-month for the past twelve months and processes 260 mn AED and growing in volume annually. Sarah and her team have built a product that is beloved by the UAE with a 4.8 star rating from over 500 reviews in the Apple App Store and the recipient of 8 international design awards, including the Red Dot Award and the UX Design Award. Sarah has product experience across several industries including the fintech space in the UAE, the proptech space in London, and the autonomous vehicle space in Silicon Valley. In 2021, Sarah was selected as one of Forbes Middle East’s Top 10 Women in Tech. Sarah graduated from Stanford with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

In my career, I have worked in multiple roles, from leading a marketing team to grass- root process automations. In the digital world, being a marketer is a role best suited to my creative geek personality. I can combine my love for story telling with my understanding of technology and business to reach out to customers in the right way, and at the right time. My biggest strength is my mindset and solutioning skills gained via years of varied professional experience.

Victor Kiriakos is the Founder and CEO of Dunes Ventures, a hybrid venture studio located in the UAE. Dunes Ventures supports founders, corporates, and governments in developing pioneering companies that create exponential impact. Prior to his entrepreneurial venture, Victor served as GM-UAE at Careem, where he contributed significantly to scaling the company’s SuperApp proposition, pivoting its food business, and launching its subscription program. Victor has over eight years of experience in investing, building, and scaling digital start-ups, and he has a proven track record as a venture capitalist. He has worked with Precinct Partners, Flat6Labs, and Intigral, where he acquired valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship. Victor has a BA in Economics from AUB, an MBA from INSEAD, and is a Thnk.org participant.

Gozde Demir Celen is an accomplished professional with diverse experience, currently serving as a Venture Partner at Practical VC in Silicon Valley and a Partner at Wings Capital and Advisory in Dubai. Her primary focus is on supporting tech startups and VC funds in the MENAT region and mentoring startups globally through Techstars. With a background in M&A buy-side advisory, she has held key roles at institutions like the Dubai Future District Fund, Shuaa Capital in Abu Dhabi, and 212 Capital in Istanbul, excelling in strategic management, particularly in logistics and technology. Gozde’s career began at Goldman Sachs in New York and extended to eight years in Turkey, where she managed various companies, initiated ventures, and gained expertise in logistics. Her contributions extend to the public sector and NGOs, including positions at TOBB Turkish Women Entrepreneurship Board and Turkish Economic Counsel (DEIK). She holds an MBA from Bogazici University and degrees in International Relations and Supply Chain Management from Syracuse University. Fluent in English, Turkish, and Portuguese, Gozde has been an Honorary Consul of Brazil in Turkey since 2011, earning recognition as a Brazilian Knight for her outstanding contributions to Brazil’s ‘Order of Rio Branco.’

A serial Entrepreneur with multiple exits Ibrahim “Abe” Seksek is the current Rainmaking CEO of MENA and Africa of and CEO Startupbootcamp, a Rainmaking company. Before joining Rainmakin he Co-Founded a couple of companies such as ZenHR Solutions, which addresses the entire HR cycle, and Crystel, Jordan’s first business process outsourcing (BPO) provider. Ibrahim also worked as Head of Global Operations Support for Naspers, the parent company of dubizzle and OLX, which oversaw the operations in 70 countries.

Zuby is an independent rapper, author, podcast host, public speaker and creative entrepreneur, with over 1.8 million followers on social media. He was born in England, raised in Saudi Arabia and is a graduate of Oxford University. He has sold tens of thousands of albums and books independently, performed in 10 countries, and gained dozens of millions of online video views. His podcast ‘Real Talk with Zuby’ has surpassed 5 million downloads and reaches thousands of listeners every week. Zuby has featured on The Joe Rogan Experience, BBC, Fox News, Sky News, The Adam Carolla Show, The Rubin Report, The Candace Owens Show and The Ben Shapiro Show, amongst others.

Mehdi is currently director of product management for Google DeepMind focusing on new products grounded in breakthrough AI Research. Mehdi brings more than a decade of early stage product development expertise, spanning multiple areas such as enterprise, cloud, consumer, emerging markets and AI/ML. Prior to Google, Mehdi was a management consultant at Booz&Cie, an investor at Macquarie Capital and a Technology Strategy Lead at Vodafone/SFR. Mehdi holds engineering degrees from Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees in France, a Masters of Science in International Relations from Sciences-Po Paris and an MBA from Columbia University.

Dr. Susan Graham is the Co-founder and CEO of Dendra Systems, a company that uses ecology, AI and technology to restore ecosystems at scale.

At Peak XV, GV Ravishankar advises on both technology as well as non-technology investments. He’s deeply interested in technology’s role in helping to drive efficiencies, reduce costs and improve access in consumer and healthcare markets. He currently serves on the boards of companies in the Middle East such as Huspy, Lean Technologies, and Tabby. Others across India include axio, Eruditus Learning, Faces Cosmetics, Five Star finance, Finova Capital, HomeLane, India Shelter Finance Corporation, Indigo Paints, K12 Technoservices, Prataap Snacks (NSE: DIAMONDYD), Rebel Foods, Rupeek, Suburban Diagnostics and Turtlemint. I have also served as board member/observer of companies like Via (sold to NASDAQ: EBIX ), Manappuram (NSE: MANAPPURAM) and Equitas (NSE: EQUITAS). Prior to this, GV worked at McKinsey & Company, where he advised senior management of top Indian companies on a variety of issues including business building, channel management and leadership development. He also had a prior stint with Wipro Technologies in their Embedded and Internet Access division. GV is the recipient of the Midas Touch award by Economic Times Startup Awards 2020 and IIM Ahmedabad’s Young Alumni Achiever’s Award, 2019-20 in the Corporate Leadership category. He has an MBA from IIM A and holds a BE in Computer Science and Engineering from NIT Trichy.

Mario Nawfal is the founder of the Athena Group of Companies, a business conglomerate that operates in more than 30 countries. He had embarked upon his entrepreneurial path, with $300 in the bank, selling blenders door to door which led to Froothie Australia. Through unconventional marketing techniques, efficient logistical systems and a team of global contractors, he propelled Froothie to $1m in year one and over $10m in year two, all bootstrapped. He since founded multiple ecom companies, runs a crypto consulting firm, is a partner at a blockchain law firm, angel invests in the crypto space, takes companies public, co-founded the world’s largest growth hacking agency and is the co-founder of the public company, NFT Tech. Mario also hosts the biggest show on Twitter with 2 million + weekly listeners. The show has been a hub for the press to get scoops on breaking news, for leaders during major events and for people to get informed. Recent guests include Elon Musk (multiple times), Hunter Biden, Rudy Giuliani, Marc Andreessen, multiple senators, Mick Mulvaney, Bill Ackman, Mark Cuban, CZ, Scott Adams, Dr Drew, Andrew Yang, Anthony Scaramucci, Vivek Ramaswamy, General Mike Flynn and various lawmakers.

Asmara Nomani is a Senior Global Human Resources Leader and Key Opinion Leader with 24+ years of International corporate career, currently serving as the CEO of ANC Global. She has held global leadership positions at The Coca-Cola Company, including Region Human Resources Director, Eurasia and Middle East Operating Unit, Talent Lead Eurasia and Middle East, and Global Co-chair for CWIS; Coca-Cola Women in STEM. Asmara has vast experience industries such as FMCG, Information Technology, Banking Industry, Academia and the Oil and Gas sector across the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of Europe. As a psychologist, Asmara is passionate about mental health and wellness for employees, and is an ICF Executive Global Leadership Coach. She is also a certified Hogan Coach, a PMP practitioner; bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to her clients.

Khawla is the Founder and CEO of Takalam, an award-winning technology for mental well-being. Prior to dedicating her full-time efforts to Takalam, Khawla held various positions in government entities based in Abu Dhabi, including Emirates Foundation and twofour54. In these roles, she effectively leveraged her skills and expertise in Business Development, Strategic Partnerships, Media & Communications. Additionally, Khawla served as an independent consultant, facilitating partnerships between startups in the UAE and the US while based in Washington DC. Khawla holds a Master’s degree in International Business from Georgetown University in Washington DC and a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Communication Sciences from Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. She has also been honored with the Emirati Women Achiever Award from New York University-Abu Dhabi. Khawla’s unwavering passion and drive are fueled by her mission to make a positive social impact in every role she undertakes.

As the founder and CEO of TwentyToo, Shay brings a unique blend of technical expertise and fashion acumen. Her innovative fashion-tech startup, TwentyToo, creates a vertical Saas for the fashion industry that uses AI to optimize the value chain and create an engaging experience for online shoppers. Before TwentyToo, she founded Nomad Story, a New York-based online luxury fashion marketplace for emerging global designers and a luxury DTC fashion brand for modest fashion that debuted in London Fashion Week. Shay’s background in technology, having worked at IBM and PepsiCo, and her BSc in Computer Science from Ain Shams University, has been complimented by her MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College, an MS in Data & Analytics from New York University, and a degree in fashion styling from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Jaspreet Bindra is the Founder of Tech Whisperer Limited in UK, which does Thought Leadership and Advisory work on Digital Transformation and Digital Technologies like AI (Including GenerativeAI), Digital Transformation, Web3 and Future of Work. Jaspreet is a leading expert on Digital Transformation, Blockchain, Future of Work, and AI. He was the Group Chief Digital Officer at Mahindra Group, a $20bn conglomerate, and a Regional Director at Microsoft before that. He is the author of the bestselling book ‘The Tech Whisperer: On Digital Transformation and the Technologies that Enable It’, published by Penguin Random House, as well as ‘The Immune Organisation: Future Proofing Organisations from COVID-like Disruptions’, published by Amazon Westland.

Andrea Giannini was born in Bari, Italy, the 25th of April 1994. He received the Bachelor degree in Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering from Politecnico di Bari, after working at CERN for the TOTEM experiment. He then received the Master degree in Electronic Engineering from Politecnico di Torino. He was a PhD candidate at ETH Zurich, working on ultra-low power architectures for deep learning on chip solutions up to August 2018. After that he worked as lead digital hardware design engineer in Fathom Computing, located in Palo Alto, California, developing Domain Specific Architectures for machine learning applications, integrating optics with digital designs. Since August 2020, he has been the Co-Founder of Exovolar Industries Corp., leading the advancement of next-generation air mobility systems.

Nadim Nagui is the CEO of Partment, a proptech platform simplifying second home ownership. In 2022, he co-founded Partment with Ahmed el Raggal and Chinmaya Das, marking a new chapter in his entrepreneurial journey. Recognized with the Forbes 30 under 30 award in 2022, Nadim’s strategic prowess and contributions stand out. Previously, he led Business Development DACH at Uber, helping expand global rides, meals, and deliveries. Nadim was instrumental in Uber’s Egypt launch and contributed significantly during his 7-year career, spanning Cairo and Amsterdam (Uber EMEA HQ), holding diverse leadership roles in Operations and Business Development. Starting his career in his family’s business after graduating with an Industrial Engineering degree from Virginia Tech, Nadim now resides between Cairo and Amsterdam, continuing to drive innovation in the proptech industry.

Dawn Barnable is the Co-Founder and Podcast Co-Host of The Mettleset, the Middle East’s first sports media platform to put women in sport first. After a long career in sports communications and a seeing a major gap in coverage on women’s sports, Dawn established The Mettleset with Afshan Ahmed to help diversify the sporting eco-system. The podcast has listeners in over 97 countries and has reached #1 in 14.

Hazem has collaborated with startups and multinational corporations across the GCC for the past 8 years, elevating their digital presence and optimizing advertising campaigns to drive sales growth. Currently, he is the Managing Director of Adbreeze.com, a specialized provider of social and Google advertising services, which has successfully served over 60 businesses since its founding in 2022.

Ludovica Mazzucato is a governance executive, entrepreneur, and artist with over 15 years of experience shaping the global market. She is the Global Chairwoman and CEO of the KOINY Foundation, dedicated to the advancement of entrepreneurship and philanthropy in the sectors of excellence, the arts, sports, and the natural environment. Ms. Mazzucato is also the Managing Director of Studio Ludovica Mazzucato, an award-winning, creative marketing and management agency with renowned expertise in innovation strategies for legacy brands. Ms. Mazzucato is the CEO and Resident Artist of Galleria TARALLI, a premier art gallery that designs signature art de vivre experiences. Ludovica Mazzucato is also the Editor-in-Chief of TARALLI Magazine, and the President of Galleria Taralli Institute of the Arts, whose offering spans from wine investment to legacy estate management and digital strategies for the arts. Ludovica Mazzucato is a professional Dancer and Artistic Director.

With over 12 years experience in startups, Gergana is a highly ambitious entrepreneur with a good eye for building strong brands. Currently the Co-Founder and CEO for WILD FABRIK, a sustainable e-commerce marketplace changing the world of online retail with our planet in mind. Her goal is to start conversations and create change makers in all of us, as she continues her journey towards making the region more sustainable. She is a naturally analytical yet creative woman that loves to achieve goals quickly and leads those around her to reach their potential. Her hands-on mentality gives her the ability to set up efficient business processes, build products, and manage P&L.

Lucas serves as CEO of Darkroom, a progressive growth marketing and digital strategy firm focused on how consumers buy today. Lucas helps high-growth commerce companies with Digital Strategy, Attribution & Analytics, Creative Direction, and Revenue Growth by delivering a suite of proprietary research, strategy tools, and marketing execution services.

I make people go viral on tiktok

Ramzi is a Berlin based entrepreneur, angel investor and founder of Dunbar, a second brain to unleash your network’s potential. He is a cofounder of Aware, and previously cofounded EyeEm and Berlin Photo Week (both acquired). He is also an angel investor (>50 investments in last 4 yrs incl. Pitch, Gorillas, Softr, Microacquire and Grover) and an LP in several early funds. For over a decade now, Ramzi has spoken and published on a range of topics including AI, entrepreneurship and society in major conferences (SxSW, MWC, TOA, Unesco General Assembly, etc) and publications (Wired, Bloomberg, Time Magazine and the MIT Tech Review, etc).

Michael Lints has 20+ years of experience as a startup operator and investor. He is currently a partner at the Singapore-based VC Golden Gate Ventures. As a partner, he focuses on institutional fundraising. Michael supports the firm on portfolio-level priorities e.g., fundraising and capital allocation. In 2000 Michael co-founded an IT-managed services startup in Europe that was acquired in 2006. He joined the Economic Development Board Rotterdam as Vice Chairman in 2007. In that role, he launched the Young Economic Development Board, Michael is an active writer and a co-director of an award-winning social impact documentary called Broken Chains. Michael collaborates with world-renowned players in the sports and entertainment industries, bridging their world with tech and venture capital.

William is Managing Director of Orbit Startups the first and longest running startup program in Asia and General Partner of SOSV the #1 most active early stage venture capital investor in the world with US$1.5bn in assets under management. Our focus is on sustainability, human health and economic and industrial independence across emerging and frontier markets in Southeast and South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas in ecommerce, fintech, media, health, education, and logistics.

Vittal Ramakrishna is a Serial Entrepreneur and the founder of POD Investments, a full-stack fundraising platform with 28 funded startups to its credit. With over 14 years of global experience, Vittal has managed Multi-Million Dollar projects at KPMG and BOSCH. He is an expert in Investment Management and Alternative Investments, having achieved a successful exit in Germany. Additionally, he is the founder of Kreate, a marketplace for Indian artisans on the brink of profitability. Vittal serves as an ambassador of GINSEP and is actively engaged in pioneering Cross-Border Investments and fostering synergies.

Jonathan is the Co-Founding Partner at Antler MENAP. He has a proven track record of successfully building ventures across diverse markets. Before Antler, Jonathan founded Smileneo, a direct-to-consumer health tech business in the MENA region, which was acquired in 2023. He also served as the Co-CEO of Daraz, the leading online marketplace in South Asia, acquired by Alibaba in 2018. Additionally, Jonathan held the position of Managing Director at Jumia, the leading online marketplace in Africa that went public on the NYSE in 2019.

Ashwin is a co-founder and Partner at the Bharat Innovation Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund which invests in pre-series A to Series B rounds of world class deeptech startups originating out of India. Prior to this, he helped set up India’s first deeptech focussed fund, the India Innovation Fund, which was bought out by a Secondaries fund. He has invested in multiple successful B2B start-ups through these funds including Detect Technologies, Entropik, Sedemac Mechatronics, Mitra Biotech, Consure Medical etc Ashwin has been intimately involved in the start-up ecosystem in India earlier heading the Innovation Initiative at NASSCOM, with a mandate to increase innovation in the Indian IT Industry. He currently is a mentor at the NASSCOM Deeptech Club and serves on the investment committees of multiple grant and soft loan programs set up by BIRAC, and is also a member of the Investment Committee at the incubation cell at IIT Kanpur Ashwin has also been a part of organizations like Maersk and Wipro Technologies prior to becoming an investor and fund manager.

Vanhishikha Bhargava is the Founder of Contensify, a B2B SaaS Marketing Agency that works with startups and scaleups to help them set up their growth engines.

An expert in recruitment and talent for startups in the MENA & SEA regions and the founder of a B2B SaaS company in Singapore, Sam is the CEO & Founder of Numuun.io, a Tech and Talent Consultancy. Based in the UAE, Numuun is focused on helping startups and scale ups navigate two of the biggest problems the industry faces: Hiring & retaining great people and building great tech.

Mubariz is a seasoned legal expert specializing in tech startups and investors. He’s the founder of Carbon Law and a prominent startup lawyer in Pakistan. With vast experience, he’s advised on over USD 250m in deals for startups, venture capital, and angel investors. Mubariz collaborates with regulators to boost foreign investment and innovation in Pakistan. His work with the State Bank of Pakistan, allowing Pakistani founders to establish foreign holding companies, has been pivotal in driving startup investments in recent years. Mubariz also supports founder education on governance and fundraising through various initiatives.

Yemi is a FinTech Growth & Digital Transformation Consultant. She has 15yrs experience helping FinTechs, from Startups to Fortune 100s, grow revenue and enter new markets with Sales Funnel Automation, Go-to-Market and Global Expansion Strategies. She was listed on the UK Top 100 Most Influential Women in Technology for three consecutive years.