The Heartbeat of Tech in MENA

Entreprenure / Board of Directors / CEO & Founder / Wealth Management & Investment Expert.

With more than two decades of experience in leadership roles across the globe, Mercedes has cultivated expertise in strategic management, high-performance environments and international leadership. She seamlessly succeeded in implementing her knowledge towards founding Parkron, an innovative smart parking solution in the social and sustainable ecosystem. Her expertise lies in leveraging resources within to achieve success. Mercedes is a visionary tech founder in the dynamic world of technology and innovation. With a relentless passion for pushing boundaries, she is reshaping the landscape of smart cities and the tech industry with profound curiosity and a determination to create transformative solutions.

Neha is the Founder of MeritX Ventures, a cross-border advisory and investment platform driving innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability with a focus on emerging technologies and high-growth markets. As a seasoned investment professional, she brings significant venture building experience working with international accelerators and incubators across India, North America and the MENA region. She has guided startups through their 0-to-1 journeys and enabled them to scale globally. Recognized by LinkedIn as a Top Voice in Entrepreneurship, Neha’s influence and thought leadership extend across the global startup ecosystem. An internationally recognised investment readiness expert, she mentors startups through leading platforms such as Startup India, NITI Aayog, TiE, and Ignyte by DIFC. She is an accomplished speaker and has shared her expertise at prestigious forums, including the G20 Y20 Summit, India Internet Day, India Mobile Congress, and the International Solar Alliance, speaking on entrepreneurship, venture capital, AI, and the future of work. Her commitment to fostering diversity in entrepreneurship and investment led her to establish Rise Union, a community initiative advancing women’s participation in these fields. Neha holds an MSc in Economics and Management from the London School of Economics.

Lamis, Founder & CEO of “FoodSwap” – Personalized food experience. She has 5+ years of experience in Product Management working in FoodTech, e-Commerce, Oil & Gas. Holds MSc from New York University, NYC in Management & Systems, and alumni of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Scholars program.

Nihal Shaikh is an award-winning communications leader and business strategist scaling exceptional brands and building thriving communities. She currently heads The Impact Hub for Emirati Women Achievers and global communications at NYU Abu Dhabi’s startup accelerator, startAD. She has been instrumental in developing the brand since its inception, powering an international community of 600 + startups, 650 investors, 30+ corporations, and 20,000 collaborators, furthering UAE’s transition into a knowledge-based economy. Nihal comes with 15 years of business experience, a knack for making meaningful connections with audiences, and an insatiable appetite for helping others maximize their potential. Nihal mentored women business owners through UN Women, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and the Cherie Blair Foundation. She is passionate about creating opportunities for social innovation and for the youth and women to participate in the economy.

Quant Engineer with backgrounds in science and law. Entrepreneur across 4 sectors. Wide span of experience and skills over various industries; entertainment, finance, retail, FnB, education, and tech. Marketing, Ecosystem Building, PR, Investor Relations & Fundraising, Product Dev and strategy mapping. Co-Founder of Pierre Fashion, Founder of CAPRI Caffe’ (Managed by BARISTA ACADEMY OF EGYPT), Founding CEO at G.P.I. Global Partners Investments Limited (Foreign Direct Investments and Public Private Partnerships), and creator of DSRPTD.net platform, Refaie holds a BEng in Computer Engineering, the PMT Professional Market Trader Certification, Cambridge International Diploma in Business majoring in Marketing and HRM, the European Business Competence Licence Level A, and a MSc in Financial Engineering.

Pier is a Senior Associate at Iliad Partners where he is constantly looking to meet and interact with the best entrepreneurs in the MENA region and beyond. He has a background in banking, venture capital and startup acceleration and comes from a small business family where he experienced first-hand the impact that entrepreneurship has on our everyday lives.

Khaled Abu Al Kheir is a seasoned Entrepreneur who started his career as a electrical engineer and continued to reach higher positions until he was appointed as VP Engineering. Mr. Abu Alkheir experience include working with national and international enterprises including Palnet, Jawwal, Gssi (PDF) and gSoft. Mr. Abu Alkheir is the Founder of CoDoo Innovative Solutions, a startup that focused on building innovative services for the Palestinian mobile operators, also Mr. Abu Alkheir is a Co-founder of PinchPoint, the first VC backed gaming studio in Palestine. In 2016 Mr. Abu Alkheir joined Freightos as Data and Optimization Director focusing on Growth Hacking before joining SocialDice as COO in 2017. In 2019, Mr. Abu Alkheir founded Rush Gaming Ltd. a holding company for gaming centers in Palestine, with the first center opened in Ramallah July 2019. Recently Mr. Abu Alkheir is holding the position of Early Stage Financing Programs Manager at the World Bank funded IPSD Project.

Rizk is Chief Growth Officer at Ideas Bureau, a leading regional headhunting and recruitment firm. He used to be the Director of Operations at Setup.sa and the former Deputy CEO of Telemed International where he contributed to 10x growth of both companies in 2 years. He is an expert in strategy, innovation and scalability. Ahmed has 16 years of experience across different sectors and industries. Prior to that, Rizk has been the Managing Director of ACHIMAR Consulting, an impact-driven innovation management consultancy. He also was the co-founder of CoatConnect, the first MENA Network for Healthcare professionals. He’s been the Managing Director of Nahdet Misr EdVentures, the first MENA Venture Capital focusing on EdTech. Throughout his career, Rizk has worked closely with multiple international and national NPOs including GIZ, UNICEF, Fard Foundation, AlHassan Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation Network.

Tarek Mounir is an entrepreneur and an advocate for positive change in the fitness world. He serves as the Founder and CEO of Enhance. Tarek’s career spans various industries, including roles as the CEO of Deezer MENAT and VP of MENAT at Warner Bros. Discovery. Beyond his corporate pursuits, Tarek has a track record of investments dating back to 2012. His involvement with Dubai Angel Investors (DAI) since 2016 underscores his commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial ventures. Over the years, Tarek has led more than 15 startups to success, and launched three companies, solidifying his influence on the startup ecosystem. Enhance is the leading independent provider of personal trainers in the Middle East, with an expert team of over 350 professionals across KSA, UAE, and Qatar. The company is now embarking on a global journey by introducing a cutting-edge SaaS enterprise solution for large-scale gym operators worldwide. This technology is reshaping how personal training businesses operate, leading to increased revenue, reduced client turnover, and more efficient operations.

As an entrepreneur guided by curiosity, I am currently building Actuality, an AR SaaS company to enable more immersive experiences. I thrive on continuous learning as an avid reader – staying atop advancements across consumer tech, fintech, crypto and AR/VR. My diverse expertise equips me to identify issues ripe for innovative disruption. An alumnus of Antler and the Founder Institute, I also hold an Executive MBA from Schulich School of Business expanding my strategic perspective. Through ventures like Rewardly and Youthconnect, I honed collaboration by placing partners and users at the core. I leverage technology to solve problems and deliver value, believing profoundly in its potential to drive human progress. At Actuality, I remain devoted to energizing teams realize audacious visions focused on transforming people’s lives through AR’s possibilities rather than hype cycles. I enjoy opportunities to innovate and collaborate with like-minded professionals to make a meaningful difference.

Anastasiya is an accomplished PR professional and business advisor who leads Dubai-based communications consultancy Sherpa Communications. With more than 16 years of expertise developing and executing all aspects of public relations and marketing campaigns, she provides senior counsel to brands of any size and structure helping them achieve business objectives and meaningful results through the strategic use of communication.

Dr. Anji Benhamed holds a PhD from the University of Paris 13, Sorbonne, Paris City, in the area of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship with the highest level of distinction that could be awarded for a PhD in that first Category University in France. She is currently the Business Program Team Leader (PTL) and a business faculty member at Higher College of Technology (HCT), Al Ain, UAE. She has served as adjunct faculty at the postgraduate Entrepreneurship Program at Hamdan Bin Mohamed Smart University (HBMSU) UAE. She has served as Part-time faculty at the University of Bahrain (UOB) and she was former Director of MBA program and Entrepreneurship Center and assistant professor at Ahlia University Bahrain. Dr. Anji has a very rich experience in teaching and research, as well as in the training and consulting field for more than 18 years in different countries worldwide. In addition to teaching, Dr. Anji has been certified as a professional Coach-trainer in Entrepreneurship and Leadership from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), USA in collaboration with the William Davidson Institute (WDI) at Michigan University, USA. As an expert in Business education, training, and mentoring, Dr. Anji has designed and conducted a variety of workshops and trainings in entrepreneurship and Business in general. In addition, she has been appointed as startups mentor/coach by the Business accelerator Flat6lab Bahrain and accordingly she has mentored many start-ups. She has also served as External consultant for several companies in the region. Dr. Anji has conducted various research in different areas, such as Entrepreneurship, leadership, Digital marketing, Strategic management and CSR, and new teaching and learning approaches in the Higher Education. Moreover, she has been appointed as reviewer and editorial board member for several international journals. Furthermore, she has been appointed as an external quality assurance validator-reviewer and has conducted various QA reviews as part of Bahrain Quality Assurance Authority (BQA) for National Qualification Framework validations. Dr. Anji teaches Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, New Product Development, Entrepreneurship and family businesses, Startup-Lab, and new venture creation and growth, Strategic Marketing, Consumer Behavior and Industrial Marketing. Along her career, she has supervised many bachelors degree projects, MBA/ Master theses and projects and conducted reviews for several PhD theses.

An Award winning, experienced Chief Executive Officer, Keynote Speaker, Marketing Guru, Master Trainer, Serial Entrepreneur & a go to market expert with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Marketing Management, Negotiation, Business Planning, and Market Research. Strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) focused in Finance and Financial Management Services from AAST. Founder & CEO of the award winning INETWORK Middle East, Managing Partner of Talents Tailor & INETWORK Creative Labs, Senior Partner at Brooz – KSA, Professor of Business Administration at Matn University College of Technology (MUC) Lebanon and, former Special Events Manager at KidZania Cairo. A Guinness World Record Holder and an International Visitors Leadership Program – IVLP USA April 2018. Mazen is also a motivational speaker in Egypt, UAE & the Middle East. He is also a Certified Google Trainer of Trainers in Digital Marketing. He has been working as Head of Special Programs and Media Department (Strategic Marketing Unit) at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport, and many respectable multinationals such as Allianz, British American Tobacco, Jazzercise and The Little Gym. A talented serial entrepreneur and a Marketing Guru that does not take no for an answer and managed to establish a strong brand name to every project or challenge he handled, also managed to rank INETWORK Middle East within the top 10 Marketing Agencies in Egypt in less than 6 months, from the Top 100 Marketing and Advertising companies world wide in less than 18 months and The Most Innovative social media Management agency and The best integrated creative marketing agency in the MENA region just after 2 years. He has been chosen from the top marketing and advertising leaders worldwide at the Marketing2.0 conference 2022. He loves sharing his knowledge and has been giving courses on various articles such as: Working in Groups, speaking in Public, Presentation skills, Sales, Marketing, Understanding oneself and others, Body Language & the subconscious mind. Delivering More than 1000 workshops and trainings in over 100 schools, universities and training arenas all over Egypt and the Middle East.

Two time founder, 1 successful exit, 25 years experience in enterprise sales and management consulting working with early stage startup founders in MVP Development and Fundraising advisory.

Entrepreneur, award-winning marketer & and creative. Founder of AR-MORE – a creative tech studio specializing in multimedia production and social-first, high-impact content and ads. Official marketing partners of TikTok, Creative partners of META in MENA region, and certified Snapchat Lens Creators.

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.

With 25 years of progressive global experience in payments – at Network, I built and ran, which became world’s third biggest cards digital FX business that includes partnerships and strategic negotiations across payments ecosystem. At PayQuik (which Citigroup acquired in 2008), I built India and Canada country centers and teams to manage complex payments operations and pricing leadership. Additionally, I have progressive experience of developing 600 locations franchise for western Union business in India.

More than 20 years experience in public and private sector with a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. Working in KAUST and developing innovation Ecosystem overseeing entrepreneurship programs, venture funds and managing a thriving research and Technology park.

I am the Co-founder/CEO of EduMESS, an online software platform dedicated to digitizing schools in Africa. With over 20 years of experience, I have successfully built products for startups, private organizations, and the Nigerian government. I find fulfillment in offering hands-on support to founders from the perspective of an experienced founder. Additionally, I contribute as a mentor at Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator.

Marketer, creative hustler, innovation enabler, capacity builder, business growth catalyst, business model innovator, real estate development enabler, mentor and musician. A serial entrepreneur with a proven record in a variety of disciplines and industries. Humanity, nature and values shape everything I do and I represent.

Expert with more than 18 years in HR, conducting training programs with solid experience in OD and Business development, playing main role in strategy planning and operations.

Hossam Taher, a father, serial entrepreneur, and a doctor, leverages his expertise in product management and business strategy in venture building and business growth. As the former CEO of Orcas, which he successfully exited in 2023, he expanded the company’s regional presence, built an international team, and secured over $4 million in funding. Hossam now offers consultancy and mentorship in venture building, digital transformation, product strategy, and business strategy, while exploring angel investing, with a preference for tech startups.

25+ Years of experience in public, private and not for profit sector spanning across continents (Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America & Australia New Zealand) across a diverse set of organizations (Governmental or Semi-Governmental Entities, Fortune 500, Family run Joint Ventures, Import & Distribute companies and Startups). A Proven track record of transformation, growth or turn-around and diversification. Highly skilled at Strategy (Public sector or corporate) or Marketing (brand building, communication, new product development or research). Currently, helping public sector and not for profit sector entities with, social development strategy, community engagement strategy, Micro SME strategy, Local content strategy, Policies, Social return on investment modeling, City GDP modeling, as well as municipal investment strategy and operations. In parallel, continues to help startups in GCC with strategic choices.

Hashim has demonstrated a flair for business since his first leadership position over 25 years ago, acquiring cross-sector exposure in start-up, mid-sized and established organisations. Advancing to director level, Hashim showcases strong strategic, operational and commercial acumen that enables organisations to expand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). With a vast network of contacts across the region, he is well respected and revered by his peers and colleagues. Hashim knows how to build an organisation from the ground up, yielding the highest growth and realising an impressive $multimillion turnover in the first trading year

As the Digital Marketing Manager at SDC App (Saudi Startup), I bring 9 years of experience and a proven track record of driving company growth through creative and strategic collaborations. Beyond my professional role, I have mentored budding entrepreneurs at the Founder’s Institute, specifically in the 1st Saudi Arabia chapter & the GCC-Silicon Valley Cohort 3. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experiences, helping new startups navigate their journeys, and learning from my past mistakes 2/2

Noor is an Industrial Engineer and holds MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship, with more than 12 years of experience in the innovation, entrepreneurship, and business consultation fields. Currently, Noor is the Program Director at Falak Investment Hub, designing and managing acceleration and incubation programs in KSA. Before that she was Program Director at Rainmaking and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Supervisor at The Tank by Umniah, as she managed the incubator for 3 years. She is the founder of SHEE, which is an empowerment hub that helps women to reach empowerment. Also, she is a Trainer and Mentor for many startups and worked as a Consultant, Researcher and Coach in the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Women Empowerment Fields. This allows her to build a wide network in the entrepreneurship field, understand the entrepreneurship ecosystem and help hundreds of startups in their journeys.

Recognized by KPMG as Bahrain’s Tech Innovator in 2021, Omar Munawar is a Product Manager at Alrajhi Bank, leading go-to-market strategies for AIS products. With over 10 years in FinTech and FoodTech, he excels in validating product-market fit and driving growth through user research and data analysis. Omar has a strong track record in negotiating and integrating third-party platforms with AIS-based accounting software. As a startup mentor at Brinc, Step, StartUp Bahrain, and Eureka GCC, he guides aspiring entrepreneurs.

I am a seasoned intrapreneur and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the media, marketing, and digital space. I have a proven track record of setting up and scaling new business divisions and companies for large organizations like Publicis Groupe. I also invest and advise regional innovative startups focused on Data and Analytics, Martech, Travel Tech and Ed Tech. In 2019, I became the Co-founder of Verofax, an industry leader that has developed and patented an AI-powered product twinning service. Verofax’s provides global Fortune 100 brands and governments with increased supply chain transparency, reduced operational costs, and enhanced customer engagement.

Faten Matmati is Founder & CEO at WeaveLines. Faten has a solid technical and management background with over seven years of substantial experience in startups outsourcing. She is a startup consultant with a strong expertise in Product Management. She has started her career in Tunis as a software engineer. Throughout her experience in the U.S., she had insights into to the technology entrepreneurship ecosystem and the world of management consulting firms. Faten holds a Software Engineering degree from the National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT) in Tunisia and, a Master’s degree in Information Management and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Data Science from Syracuse University, NY. She is a Fulbright Alumni.

Khalil Alami is the Founder & CEO of the leading online payment gateway, Telr. Khalil has more than two decades of experience in the financial services sector, including 23 years in the payment and card industry, with a focus on payment infrastructure and system implementation. Khalil has deep knowledge of industry structure, with emphasis on card processing and settlement, the four-party system, international payments architecture, electronic and mobile payments, consumer touch points, and network security. Khalil is also a Member of the Regional Fintech Working Group of the Arab Monetary Fund. Khalil has an MBA from the American University of Beirut and a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University in Economics.

Renjit Philip is a Partner at Futureu Strategy Group, a boutique consulting firm specializing in M&A, startup funding, and advisory for the MEA region. With an MBA from IIM Bangalore and executive education from Wharton, he has 22+ years of experience in capital markets, retail finance, payments, and insurance. Renjit has global work experience across the USA, India, APAC, and MENA. He is a mentor at various accelerators and advises startups in fintech, insurtech, web3, and cleantech. He hosts the Insurtech podcast “”FS Brew”” and writes the AI-focused newsletter “”One More Thing in AI.”” LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/renjit-philip

Josh has invested over $300m into startup companies and venture capital funds during his career across Europe, the US, Asia and MENA. At Spring Studios, he leads the investment team and is responsible for all aspects across fund management including sourcing and executing investment opportunities, and portfolio management. Through this experience, Josh has worked across organisations of all sizes from larger entities (such as the Guardian Media Group and Cambridge University) to pre-seed startups.

A tech startup founder combined with 10 years experience in advising startups and recruiting impactful leaders across the APAC & MENA regions, I have developed a deep understanding of what makes high growth tech businesses successful.

Creative leader, Connector, Innovator and Entrepreneurial Executive. Out of the box thinker. With extensive experience managing international expansion and operations in the Food Manufacturing and Trading Industries as well as involved in Digital Transformation, Incubation, Acceleration & Venture Investments ( Seed-VC ) for the past 17 years. CEO/ Managing Director in the Food Ingredients Industry. Board Member of the UAE Spanish Chamber of Commerce Founding member and former Board Member of the Spanish Association of Researchers and Scientist in the UAE (ACIEAU, Scientific Diplomacy ) Jun 23 Steering Committee at In5 ( Dubai Government Incubator / Accelerator ) Venture Partner at Founder Institute (Sillicon Valley Pre-seed accelerator) Founding member of Conexión España, network of Spanish Executives Abroad (Business Diplomacy) Mentor and expert at Innovator Fellowship program from EIT Food Board Advisor at Mago Equity , ESG Private Equity Fund for Spanish SMEs focused in SDGs impact. Subject matter expert, with experience as contributor at Big4’s (UAE), Food Tech Valley, Neom Food Sector, Plug&Play, AgroTraction, Smart Cities, Smart Agrifood, Rainmkr Capital, Future Hackers, International Humanitarian Summit, Anual Investment Meeting, IESE, ESADE, BITS, etc.

Techstars | Startups Advisor to 150+ Global Ventures | Ex-Foodics CRO | Driving Growth in Platform Economy and Saas | Revenue, Strategy, Business Design, and Innovation I Empowering Startups to Pitch and Fundraise

Dr.Majed is an entrepreneur and strategy consultant with twelve years of experience in investment, consulting and technology with Merrill Lynch, EY, and PWC in the US, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE

Ludwig Lindermayer counsels and represents clients on trademarks and patents. He is focused on start-ups and SMEs, also regarding strategy and enforcement in Asia – esp. China. Ludwig is a mentor for several startup-incubators in Germany and the UAE and a consultant to the IP-Office of Singapore. Ludwig started his career with an apprenticeship as a mechanic. A French/German Master’s program followed. For several years, he counselled government agencies in the UAE and also participated in a Sino/ German exchange program for IP-attorneys. He privately gets his hands oily restoring historical vehicles and is a patent and trademark applicant himself.

Ayman guides government and corporate organizations in understanding AI and Web3. He applies strategic insights to transform the visions of senior leaders into tangible, executable projects. His focus on operational transformation and technology integration, particularly in AI and Blockchain, helps government and corporate organizations achieve their objectives and drive sustainable growth.

Mahmoud is a seasoned entrepreneur with deep roots in both the corporate and start-up worlds. With over a decade of experience, his multifaceted background spans business, technology, and entrepreneurship. He has honed expertise in various industries such as Banking, Telecommunications, Education, and Retail. This diverse exposure has equipped him with a sharp understanding of this disruptive world. He’s currently leading the LeanTech team in Singapore and UAE and working with incumbent companies to upskill and reskill their workforce, helping them to foster innovation and accelerate their digital transformation journeys. Furthermore, as a mentor at Startupbootcamp, Mahmoud passionately guides Misk startups, particularly those in FinTech, EdTech, and B2B SaaS, steering them toward success.

A passionate professional with a 15+ years of proven track record in marketing, strategic planning, brand management & development, B2C & B2B marketing, business strategy, marketing mix modeling and integrated marketing communication.

Victor is leading Epam Middle East division for experience consulting, supporting global and regional brands in their digital transformation programs. Apart from that, is an active mentor and advisor at Founders Institute GCC, angel investor and non-executive board of advisor for several startups. As a founder, Victor comes with a wealth of experience on business modeling, growth marketing, customer experience, innovation and emerging technology.

• Over 14 years of professional experience as an educational technology (EdTech Expert) and Digital Product Manager, and project manager. my international professional experience includes working as a professional trainer for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with different international organizations such as Talal Abu Ghazaleh Group’, Zain innovation campus (ZINC), LOYAC organization, and a professional mentor and supervisor for a number of startups in Jordan, and in the MENA Region in addition I was honored to be a judge in many entrepreneurship competitions with many international organizations such as hult prize, Injaz , TTI , The Tank incubator, My Startup Incubator… • In 2018, she has found Entro Gate Company to support the educational system by providing schools, students and teachers with the future kills. She supervised the development of entrepreneurship and innovation curricula, learning platforms and a number of Extracurricular programs that were approved by the Ministry of Education. Also, developed entrepreneurship unique program with the ministry of education in Jordan where we provide entrepreneurship curriculums for students inside schools to improve the educational system. • During the last four years she was providing training for thousands of students and teachers in 400 schools. • She published her first book “the journey from idea to businesses for young children to teach them Entrepreneurship and innovation inside schools. she supervised the preparation of entrepreneurship and innovation curricula, where it became accredited by the Ministry of Education, in addition She supervised the development of entrepreneurship and innovation curricula, for Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 8, that were approved by the Ministry of Education. • She has launched the first online platform, “Lenabtaker platform”, dedicated to providing schools and students with entrepreurship and innovation skills, and digital skills and enable them to start their own innovative projects.

Karim Helal is a successful entrepreneur, mentor and angel investor, having been involved in the Entrepreneurship ecosystem for over 15 years. As the Founder and CEO of ProTenders, the leading ConstructionTech platform in the MENA region, Karim has helped streamline the way 30,000 companies working in the Construction Industry get found, connect, source new opportunities and manage over $50B worth of bids – all while being bootstrapped. Karim has also been an ardent member of the UAE Entrepreneurial scene by actively mentoring in over 50 startups, including at incubators & accelerators such as Seed Startup, Startup Weekend, Flat6Labs and Founders Institute. He was recently named as on the Top 50 Construction Tech Entrepreneurs by US-based Builtworlds.

Ali Ahmed is a seasoned business development professional specializing in accelerating startups across Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE. With over five years of experience, he has personally mentored over 300 startups, guiding them through the critical phases of ideation, Pre-Seed, & Seed stages. His deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the region stems from his hands-on experience leading major accelerator across Bahrain, Oman, & the UAE. Ali’s passion for consumer psychology, marketing, and business development fuels his drive to create impactful strategies that drive sustainable growth for startups. He is committed to empowering entrepreneurs and fostering a thriving startup ecosystem in the MENA region.

Nour Allam is an Investment Associate at +VC, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in tech and tech-enabled startups in MENA and its diaspora. She has a deep passion and broad knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt and the MENA region. Prior to joining +VC, she was with Savills, as an Analyst in the Strategic Consultancy Department in Egypt. She was actively involved in conducting market research and analysis, aiding investment decisions carried out by prominent real estate developers in Egypt and the region. Before that, she took part in the Analyst Accelerator Program at Endeavor, Egypt where she was part of the Entrepreneurial Sales and Growth team. Nour earned her BSc from The American University in Cairo, where she studied Finance and minored in Economics.

Co-Owner and Managing Director for the largest digital specialist recruitment agency in the MENA region. www.welovesalt.com

Stelios Leftheris is an IT, Information Security, and Risk Manager with over 19 years of extensive experience in IT operations and management, Risk Assessment, Governance, Infrastructure Security, Application Security, 3rd Party Security and Threat Management in very complex environments. He has been based in Dubai for the last 14 years. He currently runs the VESTIGOS group of companies that are mentoring, advising and guiding investors/family offices, SMEs and tech start-ups on business & technology strategy and funding in preparation for scaling up/growth and market networking.

Mahmoud is a business coach and a growth marketing expert having 17+ years of diverse professional experience in sales, marketing and entrepreneurship with a significant focus on startups and SME support across various sectors. In the last 5 years, he worked with 100+ projects and trained over a 1000+ professionals in the UAE, France, Canada, and Morocco, demonstrating a deep understanding of global business landscapes and the unique challenges faced by startups and SMEs and providing them with structured guidance and solutions to support their business growth.

Founder, investor, and senior technology executive with over 20 years of experience who excels at defining the technology vision, strategy, and execution roadmap to develop and bring innovative offerings to market and position companies for accelerated commercial success. Track record of building and scaling new businesses (2x exits), directing multi million-dollar projects, and forging trusted client relationships. Hands-on technical leader with an extensive background encompassing software engineering, cyber security, and artificial intelligence. Passionate innovator directly responsible for creating valuable intellectual property and commercial software products achieving hundreds of millions in sales. Ryan is also an active startup mentor, public speaker/panelist, member of the Economic Collaboration Committee – SME Work group in Abu Dhabi, graduate of the yearlong Chief Technology Officer program at MIT, was one of the few chosen to present at the Innovation Spotlight to an audience of global CXOs at the MIT campus in Cambridge, and was honored to represent the UAE as a speaker at the G20 Digital Innovation Alliance Summit in India.

This would be my 3rd time being a mentor at STEP. I did it twice for the Dubai event. Bringing 18 years of commercial experience (worked at GE for 10 years in London, UK) and 13+ years from start-ups. Currently, I am a start-up mentor at Surrey University. I have created 3 startups. The 1st failed, the 2nd is thriving, and a 3rd is brewing. I know what both success and failure mean so this is what I teach to entrepreneurs today. I am a strategic advisor and mentor to 50+ start-ups and SMEs globally – from the idea stage to Series B, C, etc. Mainly tech: AI / ML / DL, Comp. Vision, IoT, AR/VR, RPA, Drones, Robotics, Crypto, NFTs,…you name it, and across pretty much any industry: finTech, insureTech, ag-tech, smart retail, e-commerce, industrial, medtech… Here is how I help my clients: Early Stage (Idea, MVP, pre-revenue) – MVP & Process design – “”Go to”” Market & Monetization Strategy – Investment Preparation (business plan, investor deck, financials, etc) – Market Networking Mature Stage (Series A, B, C plus with solid revenue for 2+ years) – Scaling-up / Growth Strategies – PMO setup – Operational Plans – Funding Support & Advice

Dorra is a seasoned product manager with over 9 years of experience in the dynamic landscapes of both B2B and B2C markets. Her journey began in the halls of engineering school and took her through the realms of public speaking and leadership studies at SMU Dallas, eventually leading her to the fascinating world of product management. With this diverse background, Dorra has amassed a wealth of knowledge and expertise that she now leverages to craft innovative and successful products, while also product Instructor at Product School.

Avneet Kohli is a Life and Business Vision Coach and the Co-Founder of StartUp Network Encubay. Avneet is the Co-Founder of Encubay, a startup network that helps women accelerate business growth by providing them access to mentorship, premium networking, and fundraising opportunities to scale up their ventures globally. She specialises in Growth Strategy & Marketing for early stage ventures. She helps driven founders take a holistic and sustainable approach to entrepreneurship and achieve their life and career goals faster. She recently authored the Life Planner, a thinking system toolkit that helps ambitious minds achieve growth and tangible results in life and business. Visit her website at www.avneetkohli.com and explore more about Encubay on www.encubay.com.

Ali Abulhasan’s interest in payments and technology has grown into a continuous road of discovery for over 10 years. Throughout his career working in the oil, banking, and telecom sectors, he always found himself struggling with the complexity of online payments in the region. This is why he founded Tap Payments in 2014: to help enable startups and SMEs to accept online payments easily throughout the MENA region. He also shares an interest in arts, design, and product development.

An award-winning thought leader in driving transformation and management by crafting Customer Experience, Design, and Digital strategies with a proven track record. I have assisted numerous businesses across various industry sectors by creating pathways, reshaping perspectives, and spearheading CX initiatives to foster customer-centric portfolio expansion.

With an entrepreneurial spirit deeply rooted in my 15+ years of software engineering expertise, I have crafted a legacy that blends technological ingenuity with the relentless scaling of startups. My odyssey, characterized by fervent dedication, has seen me harness the power of technology to architect and nurture startups from their embryonic stages to flourishing enterprises. As I continue to paint this entrepreneurial tapestry with threads of software mastery, my focus remains steadfast on catalyzing innovation, fostering sustainability, and driving impactful change.