Dr. Al Kuwaiti is currently holding the position of the Managing Directorof the National Data Centre under the Supreme Council for National Security. He is also working as Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Homeland Security Program at Rabdan Academy. In his current role Dr. Al Kuwaiti aims to create a fully governed approach to data privacy, sharing and processing as well as the unification and connectivity of government systems and digitization towards a smart government.

His interests are consulting on detecting, monitoring and responding to cyber warfare, Network Forensics, Corporate Governance & Process, and national cyber policy. He is an honorable member of Society of Engineers –UAE, IEEE Society, Golden Key National HonorSociety and Computer Society. He is a visiting lecturer on Cyber Security at few universities such as Khalifa University and National Defense College in Abu Dhabi. 

Named among TIME's 100 most influential AI leaders 2024, leading humanity's first global commitment to inclusive AI governance rooted in human rights

Global food delivery giant listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with a market cap of US$8 Bn, operating in 70+ countries and led landmark acquisitions including Woowa Brothers ($4B, Korea), Yemeksepeti (Turkey), and Talabat (UAE/Kuwait), which became the Middle East’s largest food delivery app.

Pablo A. Zamora is driven to accelerate biotech startups by applying his knowledge and experience in consolidating business models, scaling operations, and guiding startups to success. Over the course of his career, Pablo has raised nearly $350M USD from venture capital and public funds.He currently serves as a Presidential Advisor to the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric. Demonstrating a strong commitment to public service, since 2022, he has held the position of Chairman of the Board of Fundación Chile, Board Member of the Chilean National Public Bank (BancoEstado), and Board Member of the Atacama Astronomical Park. He has been founder and Science Director of the Life Sciences Innovation Center of the University of California Davis.His spirit also led him to venture into the culinary world by creating Nobel, a restaurant inspired by the universe of poet Pablo Neruda, offering a multisensory culinary journey through the vast and complex life experience of the renowned Chilean writer.Pablo is the Co-Founder and former Chief Science Officer of The Not Company (NotCo) one of the fastest-growing biotech startups in Latin America, which holds unicorn status due to its valuation of 1.5 billion dollars. He currently leads the strategy team as the director of Spora, the first end-to-end company focused on discovering fungal strains through expeditions in the world’s most pristine ecosystems and processing them using bio and nanotechnology to deliver mycelium-based alternatives for various products. In 2022, he founded Rebel Factory, a dark lab for advanced R&D aimed at supporting the creation of products, ingredients, and brands for the food industry. As a scientist, Pablo's research interests lie in plant-microbiome interactions, genomic resources, access to genetic resources, artificial intelligence and intellectual property. He has published numerous research papers and is frequently invited to speak at universities, research centers, and international symposia.He serves as an advisor to approximately a dozen Chilean and international startups, and he also holds several patents related to AI, gene editing of fungi, nanotechnology, bioprocess, regulation of plant secondary metabolism for pharmaceutical applications and crop development. Pablo holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the University of Santiago, Chile, both specializing in plant biology. He later completed a postdoctoral position at the University of California, Davis, and became a Senior Scientist at UC Davis, where he led and developed research projects in plant genomic sciences. In 2012, Dr. Zamora was named one of Chile's top 100 leaders by the newspaper El Mercurio, and in 2013, he was awarded the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Fellowship in Germany.Three years ago, Pablo transitioned to the private sector, becoming a Senior Scientist at the Mars Advanced Research Institute of MARS Incorporated, where he led a portfolio of R&D projects in plant and microbial genomics, systems biology, and plant breeding. Additionally, he serves as International Alliance Manager for The Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA).

A dedicated professional in Shipping and Logistics, Mr. Salah embarked onhis career journey with Sharaf Group, gradually assuming various roles acrossthe UAE, Germany, and Hong Kong. This diverse experience has equippedhim with a profound understanding of the Shipping Industry.

Mr. Salah's entrepreneurial mindset and strategic approach haveempowered him to oversee diverse business ventures encompassing sea, air,and road transport, along with allied businesses. He has been instrumental inspearheading the development of fresh business avenues and growthstrategies for numerous entities under the Sharaf Group umbrella.

Mr. Salah is highly esteemed for his leadership style, strategic insights, forward-thinking approach, business acumen, and profound understanding of theShipping Industry, both Agency and Fleet Management businesses. Currently,he holds the positions of Group Vice President, Group Board member, andChairman of Emirates Logistics.

As a respected figure and strategic visionary in the Shipping industry, Mr.Salah actively fosters collaborations with key stakeholders through hisinvolvement with various organizations, including not-for-profit Boards. Hecurrently serves as the Vice Chairman of the UAE Shipping Association andPresident of the Dubai Shipping Agents Association. Additionally, herepresents the UAE International Investors Council as a Board Member andserves as Deputy Chairman of the China Classification Society.

VARA plays a central role in Dubai’s D33 Agenda, which aims to double the size of the emirate’s economy by 2033.

Jack leads SandboxAQ, which focuses on enterprise SaaS solutions at the convergence of AI and Quantum tech.‍He is the author of Quantum Computing: An Applied Approach, published by Springer. This work, now in its Second Edition, is one of the leading textbooks in the field and is used both in undergraduate and PhD programs, as well as corporate training sessions. Hidary also co-authored a series of AI research papers with collaborators at MIT.Jack is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of several tech companies, including EarthWeb/Dice (NYSE: DHX), which he led from its founding through IPO. He also co-founded Vista Research which was acquired by S&P/ McGraw-Hill.He is a trustee of the X Prize Foundation and has been a board member of Trickle Up, which helps thousands of entrepreneurs start small businesses each year.Jack has been recognized for his leadership by organizations such as the World Economic Forum and is a member of YPO. He studied neuroscience at Columbia and subsequently received the Stanley Fellowship in Clinical Neuroscience at NIH, where he worked on functional brain imaging and artificial neural networks.

Tomaso Rodriguez was appointed to our board in 2024. Since 2019, Tomaso has served as our Chief Executive Officer. Tomaso launched his career in 2008 by founding AgencyManagement, which was later acquired by a major consumer goods company. At Uber Eats, Tomaso led Regional Operations in the Asia-Pacific region and managed Uber in Italy and Greece. In 2018, as Head of GrabFood, he expanded its food delivery business from 1 to 250 cities in 18 months. Tomaso graduated from Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy, and holds an MBA from Collège des Ingénieurs, Paris.

Antonio Zappulla is CEO at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the corporate philanthropic arm of Thomson Reuters and a leading international development actor fostering free, fair, and informed societies through media and legal initiatives and data intelligence.   In 2022, Antonio was knighted as an Officer of the Italian Republic for "merit acquired in the fields of public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities” under the OMRI order, the highest-ranking honour of the Italian Republic. In 2018, he ranked first in the OUTstanding list of third sector LGBT executives published by the Financial Times. In 2017, he was named a European Young Leader by Friends of Europe. Antonio sits on the Boards of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford and the International News Safety Institute.   Prior to his present role, Antonio was Executive Producer at Bloomberg Television in charge of news, factual programming for Europe, Middle East and Africa, developing several Award-winning TV series distributed globally.   Antonio holds a Degree in Journalism, a Master’s Degree in Middle East studies, and has continued his executive education at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Roman Cyganov is a serial entrepreneur and AI strategist with 10 years of turning frontier ideas into investor-backed ventures. As Founder & CEO of Antix, creator of the hyper-realistic, AI-driven digital-human and content engine AIGE, he is redefining how brands such as Warner Bros., HBO, EA Sports, and Tencent deliver immersive content and personalized experiences. Under his leadership, Antix has: • Earned #2 in Machine Learning and #3 in Generative AI at the 2024 Startups of the Year awards. • Showcased its flagship digital human “Helisa” on billboards from Times Square to Tokyo. • Been named among the Top 10 innovators shaping metaverse avatars and digital fashion.

 

Stephen Richardson is Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Banking at Fireblocks, an enterprise platform to manage digital asset operations and build innovative businesses on the blockchain, Stephen’s role at Fireblocks involves structuring, developing, and evaluating strategic opportunities with traditional financial institutions, as well as helping them drive digital asset innovation. Prior to Fireblocks, he was Senior Manager in the Financial Services practice of Accenture Strategy, focused on transforming customer experience and digital enablement programs for leading Financial Services firms. Stephen was previously Head of Strategy and Vice President of Product for Noble Markets, a next-generation banking platform that focuses on enabling clients to clear, net and settle FX & OTC transactions in real-time. While at Noble, Stephen was responsible for the development of Noble’s banking and trade settlement products. He also completed various stints with BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs and Teach for America.

 

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

 

Ever since its inception in 2018, droppGroup was a cutting-edge technology company like no other in its domain. Faisal’s focus among was to identify strategic funding and operational partners. He has helped to deliver many world’s firsts with fortune 500 companies as clients. Founder and CEO of SSS IT, a system integrator in Saudi Arabia that focused on developing innovative solutions for the public sector. Built a proprietary middle wear that connected SADAD (the national online bill presentment and settlement hub) to all operating banks in Saudi as well all government agencies. The platform runs a daily transaction volume over a USD $ 400 Billion. On another note, over 50 of the current government agencies in Saudi relies on a correspondence management system that is also an IP of SSSIT built from scratch to suite the government local needs. Faisal Monai has sold his share SSS IT for a decent 7 figures value. Faisal also worked at Microsoft, HP and Oracle managing the public sector. Facilitated 3 exclusive meetings with Bill Gates during his time at Microsoft.

 

Nick Santonastasso is a global keynote speaker, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and resilience expert. Born missing his legs and one arm due to Hanhart Syndrome and given less than a 30% chance of survival, he turned adversity into his mission—helping others overcome challenges and achieve peak performance. His speeches, programs, and social media have impacted over 1 million people live and reached billions of viewers worldwide.

 

Heather Goldman has a more than 25 year career as a global capital markets and technology senior executive. She has consistently operated at the intersection of financial services and web-based technologies to deliver high-quality products and services for both retail and institutional clients. Heather currently serves as an independent director and trustee for global fund complexes managed by leading industry investment managers Brookfield Asset Management and Oaktree Capital Management. Heather is a Web3 fintech advisor with a focus on innovation in traditional finance and the adoption of emerging DeFi solutions.

 

Wen Sang is the Co-Founder and COO of GenSpark (https://www.genspark.ai/), a Palo Alto–based AI agent company pioneering the future of work through cutting-edge AI for knowledge workers. Previously, Wen was the Founder and CEO of Smarking, a San Francisco–based enterprise SaaS company backed by Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Slow Ventures, UpHonest Capital, Govtech Fund, and other top-tier investors. Smarking empowers commercial real estate owners, municipalities, universities, hotels, hospitals, airports, and parking operators to maximize business performance. Its market-leading platform is used at over 2,500 parking facilities across North America. Wen holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, where he also enjoyed running by the Charles River and sailing in it with the MIT Sailing Club. Outside of work, he’s an avid swimmer, golfer, and a loving husband and father.

 

As the program lead for Europe and Africa, Julien helps the team building connections with the most outstanding startups for Honda Xcelerator Ventures in the region. Hondia Ventures has partnered with 40+ startups, investing $70M annually, and driving innovation across mobility, AI, robotics, and energy solutions. Born in Paris and based in Berlin, he has a founder and innovation consulting background and has built a deep knowledge of the startup ecosystem. He is particularly passionate about deep tech startups in the fields of energy transition, decarbonization, robotics, and AI.

 

Mr. Chee is a finance professional with over 20 years of experience. He founded Summer Capital in 2017 and is the Vice Chairman of Amina Group. Since 2017, he was instrumental in making many of Summer Capital’s investments including privatising CWT from the SGX, acquiring Swiss Education Group, incubating Amina Group, and making minority PE investments into XPeng EV (Top 3 EV company in China), ARM China, Giant Biogene, Animoca, Hashkey, JD Logistics, JD Digits, etc. Prior to founding Summer Capital in 2017, Mr. Chee was Asia Head of Investment Banking and Head of Global Capital Markets at UBS AG. He was a seasoned banker in the Asia Pacific and with an extensive network across corporates, financial institutions and regulatory bodies. Under Mr. Chee’s leadership, UBS Asia Pacific maintained a dominant role across various IPO and capital markets league tables for consecutive years and frequently received prestigious awards including “Bank of the Year” and “Equity House of the Year”, from reputable institutions such as IFR, FinanceAsia, the Assets, and Asia Money. Over the course of his career, Mr. Chee has completed more than 150 IPOs and over 300 equity, equity-linked and debt transactions for issuers, raising in excess of US$250bn capital. Mr. Chee holds a Doctorate degree from joint program of Tsinghua University and University of Geneva, an EMBA from Tsinghua PBCSF, an MBA from NYU Stern, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technolog

 

Ruben Bombardi brings over two decades of legal expertise and strategic insight to the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) as General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Enablement. A dual-qualified lawyer, Ruben has a wealth of experience spanning financial markets, fintech, and regulatory compliance, positioning him as a key player in shaping VARA’s legal and regulatory frameworks. His career has seen him lead cutting-edge initiatives at some of the world’s most prominent financial institutions, including Standard Chartered, MUFG, Barclays Capital, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). At these institutions, Ruben played a pivotal role in advising on complex legal matters, overseeing cross-border transactions, and driving forward major fintech projects aimed at transforming traditional financial services. His deep understanding of regulatory environments and commitment to fostering innovation in finance are instrumental as VARA continues to establish itself as a leader in the virtual assets space. Ruben’s experience in balancing regulatory compliance with innovation ensures that VARA’s legal frameworks support responsible growth, investor protection, and the sustainable development of Dubai’s burgeoning digital economy. 

 

Elias Abou Samra is a seasoned real estate development  executive specialized in mixed-use projects and urban regeneration. He possesses a successful track record in corporate transformations and restructuring. Over the past 15 years, Elias has played a leading role in the conceptualization, structuring and delivery of projects with Gross Development Value (GDV) in excess of USD 12 billion across the region. Elias assumed the position of CEO at Rafal Real Estate Development Company since September 2021. He is leading the transformation of Saudi’s leading private developer to play a pivotal role in the various PPP project under vision 2030. Most recently, Elias has led the repositioning of the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, under RCRC, introducing 16 different projects ranging from lifestyle and culture to education and healthcare. (2020-2021) Elias has played an instrumental role in the inception of some of the most ambitious mega projects under Vision 2030 in his capacity as Executive Advisor for PIF projects under Strategy&. (2018-2019) He brings a solid experience in transactional services, having led the flagship deal involving the restructuring of King Abdullah Financial District and the transfer of its ownership from the Public Pension Agency to PIF. (2016-2017) Other projects under Elias’s portfolio include Wadi Qortuba, a high-end residential compound in Riyadh, and Golden Tower, a luxury residential tower on Jeddah’s corniche, in addition to three executed master plans with total land area of 2.5 million SQM in Riyadh and Jeddah, under Solidere International (2009-2015). Elias worked extensively in investment banking and private equity under regional and multinational firms such Morgan Stanley (2007-2008). He holds a degree in Finance & Economics from the American University in Beirut (2002).

 

Farshid Fallah is a visionary leader in gaming, XR, and Web3, with a track record of driving strategic partnerships, developer relations, and business development across the world’s top tech companies. With over 15 years of experience, he has held senior leadership roles at Apple, Unity, and Samsung, shaping the future of gaming ecosystems and interactive content. At Samsung Electronics, he served as Director of Strategic Partnerships & Technical Account Management, Games & XR, where he led high-profile collaborations with Fortnite, Call of Duty, and other industry giants. Prior to this, as Director of Developer Relations at Samsung, he played a key role in XR, gaming, and entertainment partnerships, helping to position Samsung as a leader in emerging interactive experiences. 

 

Mario Casiraghi is a globally recognized financial strategist with over a decade of experience at the intersection of global capital markets and advanced technology. With a background in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and ING, Mario has executed over $80 billion in structured debt, M&A, and capital markets transactions across Europe and the United States. He was directly involved in landmark deals including the $46 billion AB InBev acquisition financing—the second-largest corporate debt raise in U.S. history. In recent years, Mario transitioned into technology finance, becoming one of the leading financial architects in the decentralized AI and digital infrastructure space. As Group CFO of the SingularityNET Foundation, he has overseen a multi-token digital ecosystem valued at over $5 billion. Mario played a central role in structuring the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI)—a $6 billion token-based merger between three of the world’s largest decentralized AI networks. This transaction represents one of the most significant consolidations in the history of blockchain and artificial intelligence. In addition to his CFO role, Mario is the Founder and CEO of Singularity Venture Hub, a venture and treasury advisory firm managing over $100 million in assets. The firm provides capital allocation strategy, risk governance, and regulatory structuring to a portfolio of fast-scaling AI and blockchain startups. Mario also led the $100 million acquisition of a leading decentralized cloud computing network, reinforcing his position as a key figure in the tokenization of core infrastructure. Mario holds three master’s degrees in finance and management from ESCP Europe, City University London, and Università di Torino. His combined background—global investment banking, large-scale tech M&A, and strategic treasury leadership—brings unmatched value and foresight to our advisory board.

 

Joseph Ziolkowski is Relm’s founder and CEO. With nearly 15 years of experience in risk management, Joseph saw a clear need for aligned insurance capacity to support companies breaking new ground. In 2019, he started Relm to provide the resilience these innovators need to thrive.  Today, Relm partners with businesses in emerging industries, helping them manage their risk so they can stay focused on what they do best — push limits and drive change.  

 

Dr. Max Bernt is Taxbit's Global Head of Regulatory Affairs & Managing Director for Europe. He holds a PhD in transnational criminal law and related regulatory affairs, focusing on transnational collaboration and information reporting in the fight against organized crime. Moreover, Max has served as board member of several international companies and trade associations and has extensive practical background in criminal defense litigation, working at a renowned law firm in Vienna for over 8 years and, based on his achievements, was also appointed to the Austrian judge exam, which he passed in 2020 with distinction. Max lectures at different Universities, has published numerous articles with well-known publishers and regularly acts as an advisor and speaker in the area of crypto-related regulation. In his positions, he has been heavily involved in the European Union's work on the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), the crypto-related tax reporting Directive DAC8, the recent anti-money laundering package as well as the OECD's work on the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). Currently, Max serves as GBBC's Global Ambassador as well as acting Co-Chair of the Business Advisory Group to the OECD's Working Party 10 negotiations on CARF.

 

Stephan Lutz is the CEO of BitMEX. He initially joined the company in 2021 as the CFO and was appointed as the group's CEO during late 2022 - one of crypto's most colourful periods. Stephan has been instrumental in driving the exchange's position as one of the crypto derivatives market leaders. It is under his direction that the decision was made for BitMEX to pivot back to its successful origins, with an emphasis placed upon providing professional and institutional traders with a derivatives trading platform that caters to their key needs of liquidity, performance and reliability. Before BitMEX, he was a Senior Partner at PwC for close to a decade, where he advised many of the world's largest financial institutions. Prior to PwC, he held senior positions with Deutsche Börse. His career began in corporate finance and equities trading at Dresdner Bank AG (now Commerzbank AG). 

 

Phil sets the strategic vision for Aquanow and leads on new market opportunities and partnership initiatives around the world, including in the Middle East and Asia. He was previously responsible for global electronic trading at CC&L Investment Management ($50B AUM) and launched electronic trading solutions during his time at CIBC Capital Markets. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Engineering) from Queen’s University and a Master of Financial Engineering from Cornell University.

 

Yiannos is a recognized expert in regulatory compliance, digital assets, and corporate governance. He has extensive experience advising global financial institutions, fintech firms, and crypto service providers. As Managing Partner of Pnyx Hill, he specializes in governance, regulatory strategy, AML compliance, and the development of compliance frameworks, He helps clients navigate complex regulatory landscapes across multiple jurisdictions. In addition to his advisory work, Yiannos serves as Chairman of Revolut Digital Assets, where he provides strategic governance and regulatory oversight, supporting the company’s mission within a compliant and secure framework. His expertise in crypto, AML, financial, and banking regulation makes him a trusted advisor to investment firms, payment institutions, and regulators worldwide. A recognized thought leader in crypto and fintech innovation, Yiannos is a frequent speaker at major global industry conferences, where he shares insights on the evolving intersection of finance, technology, and regulation. His contributions help shape industry best practices and foster a sustainable, compliant digital asset ecosystem. Through Pnyx Hill, Yiannos and his team deliver cuttingedge solutions in regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and risk management, empowering businesses to scale confidently while meeting evolving regulatory demands.

 

Recognised as one of Forbes Middle East’s Top Venture Capitalists in 2024 and was previously ranked among the Top 100 Startups Shaping the Future by the World Economic Forum.

 

Dishang Patel joined RAKBANK as Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Assets within the Wholesale Banking Group (Products). With leadership experience at institutions including Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates NBD, JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, Citigroup, and Societe Generale, Dishang also brings an entrepreneurial background in technology, finance, and consulting—reflecting a strong passion for innovation and growth. At RAKBANK, Dishang will work with teams across the Bank to develop new and innovative digital solutions, helping us offer smarter, faster, and more secure financial services to our customers. He is also a proud father of two energetic boys and an avid sports enthusiast with a particular passion for golf.

 

Nilixa is an experienced policy maker and regulatory expert and founder and CEO of Payments Solved a regulatory consultancy advising on the regulatory frameworks for open banking and open finance , digital assets and payment services both in the UK and globally. Nilixa is a qualified lawyer holding a Masters in European Competition Law and has extensive knowledge of banking, payments and payment systems gained from her time in industry and with the UK and EU regulators. Nilixa has worked extensively with UK Government, the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), and EU regulators. Nilixa has been appointed to various strategic European level committees including the ECB SecurePay Forum, ECB Digital Euro Market Advisory Group, the EU API Evaluation Group, the UK Payment Strategy Forum, the EU Payments Systems Market Expert Group and the EU Data Expert Group. Nilixa started her financial services career as an in-house lawyer with Barclays before moving to lead payment policy at the Financial Conduct Authority. Nilixa has also held roles with the European Banking Authority, the Open Banking Implementation Entity and Mastercard.

 

Founder and CEO of Al Maryah Community Bank, the first independent digital bank in the UAE. Before starting his journey with Al Maryah Community Bank, Mr. Khayata spent 18 months in Berlin working ontransforming classical financial services into blockchain based disruptive solutions. His project involved globaltechnology experts and business leaders who collaborated on developing the concept of community banks onbasis of the latest crypto based concepts. During his 29 years in senior positions with leading banks and innovative financial institutions in the UAE suchas National Bank of Abu Dhabi, First Gulf Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Finance House and CAPM investment,he has delivered exceptional retail banking products like the first Credit Card in the UAE back in 1994, anddeveloped progressive and out of the box corporate banking solutions for diverse segments. Mr. Khayata has very significant presence in the capital and equity markets. He has lead formation of multiplegreenfield entities in financial sector and has managed multiple corporate transformations. He has been inequity and IPO market for over 25 years, with special focus on IPO Advisory, IPO Management and participatedin starting Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange. In most recent IPO for Fertiglobe, he handled all external stakeholdersand provided strategic, professional and operational guidance to Al Maryah Community bank team. He ensuredthe vision of the first fully digital IPO is achieved and ensured great investor / customer experience. With strong footing in customer orientation, blended with focus on technology and blockchain, Mr. Khayata isnow continuing his journey to make Al Maryah Community Bank a premier hub of innovation and prestige. Mr. Khayata holds Master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Hull (UK), and is an Alumna ofHarvard Business School in Leadership Management.

 

Usman Ahmad is one of the few leaders in the digital asset space with deep-rooted experience across both traditional finance and DeFi innovation.   He began his career in technology, enterprise leadership and strategic transformation at Merrill Lynch and HSBC, working across London, New York and Hong Kong. As former CIO of BC Technology Group, he helped scale the business and played a critical role in launching OSL, the world’s first SFC-licensed virtual asset trading platform.   Now CEO of Zodia Markets, Usman has led the company through a transformative period – closing acquisitions, launching new regulated entities and partnerships, becoming a design partner for Circle’s new Payment Network, and broadening the firm’s suite of non-dollar stablecoins, integrated ECN connectivity and client base. Most recently, Usman led the firm through a Series A raise closing $18.25 million in capital to accelerate international growth and evolve stablecoin payment solutions.   Usman was named one of Financial News London’s Most Influential in European Finance 2024 and 2025.

 

As a principal investor, senior manager, company founder, and advisor to the German government, Jörg is distinguished by his proven international track record in Private Marketsand his valuable network of industry leaders and government representatives acrossGermany and Europe. Currently, Jörg serves as the CEO of KfW Capital, a subsidiary of the German state-owned KfW Group and a leading European VC fund investor, which he cofounded in 2018. His prior roles include Partner at The Blackstone Group in London, Managing Director at Cerberus Capital and Member of the Management Committee at BNP Paribas in Frankfurt. Earlier in his career, he held positions at The Boston Consulting Group, and Metzler Bank. Jörg holds a PhD in Finance and a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Economics.

Ravi Jain leads India investments for TDK Ventures, the corporate venture arm of TDK Corporation—a global leader in magnetics, sensors, electronic components, power electronics, and energy solutions.A technology entrepreneur and business leader, Ravi has a proven track record of taking companies from 0 to 1 and driving innovation at scale. He most recently spearheaded the launch of Ola Krutrim, India’s pioneering AI unicorn, after heading strategy for Ola, India’s leading ride-sharing company and GTM for Ola Electric, India’s leading EV company which went public.Earlier, Ravi founded GenY Medium, a marketing technology firm that enabled enterprises and funded startups across India and North America to achieve tech-led growth. He also served as Principal of Investments at VenturEast, focusing on early-growth healthtech and cleantech, where his portfolio delivered strong M&A outcomes.Ravi began his career as a Scientist at Procter & Gamble’s Technology Development Centre in Kobe, Japan, deepening his expertise in technology and innovation. He holds an Engineering degree from IIT Bombay and an MBA from the Indian School of Business.Beyond work, Ravi is a badminton enthusiast, and passionate follower of emerging technologies.

Lily Liu is an operator and investor focused on the blockchain industry. Lily is the President of the Solana Foundation and Co Founder of Anagram. Lily has a background as a CFO and operating executive in the US, Europe, and Asia. Previously, Lily co-founded [Earn.com](http://earn.com/) which was acquired by Coinbase in 2018. She was also the CFO of the Chinaco Healthcare Corporation, where she built a 500-bed private hospital in China. Lily also worked at KKR in New York as well as McKinsey in New York and Beijing. Lily received a BA in Economics and International Relations from Stanford, and studied East Asian Studies at Harvard.

Sung Sik brings 20 years of operational and investment experience to his role. He initially joined Samsung Electronics’s Mobile Business in 2004 as an Engineer and Marketer and spent some time in Management Consulting and Business Development role in various companies.

Heather Goldman has a more than 25 year career as a global capital markets and technology senior executive. She has consistently operated at the intersection of financial services and web-based technologies to deliver high-quality products and services for both retail and institutional clients. Heather currently serves as an independent director and trustee for global fund complexes managed by leading industry investment managers Brookfield Asset Management and Oaktree Capital Management. Heather is a Web3 fintech advisor with a focus on innovation in traditional finance and the adoption of emerging DeFi solutions.

Sunita Grote leads the Ventures team within UNICEF’s Office of Innovation and co-founded its Venture Fund that provides seed funding in fiat and crypto - the first in the UN system. UNICEF Ventures explores how emerging frontier technology can accelerate results for the most marginalized children, including through investments in open source solutions from emerging markets. She steers UNICEF's co-leadership of the Digital Public Goods Alliance, a network of partners who collectively contribute to the discovery, development, and deployment of open source digital public goods. Sunita has a background in innovative financing and previously spent 10 years working in the global HIV and health response based mostly in the UK and in South Asia. She holds an MBA from INSEAD and lives with her partner and two children.

Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, is an internationally renowned expert in the field of nanophotonics and advanced materials, with two decades of experience at leading universities and research centers. His contributions to the field have been substantial, with over 300 published papers and an impressive citation count exceeding 10000.Valentyn’s research spans a wide range of topics in nanotechnology and materials science, including linear and nonlinear nano-optics, near-field optical microscopy and spectroscopy, plasmon-based nanophotonics, and integrated optics. He is particularly renowned for his pioneering work in nano-optics and the development of nanophotonic waveguide structures, including photonics integrated circuits based on low-dimensional and van der Waals materials. These results form the backbone for the development of XPANCEO smart lenses. His current research interests primarily focus on the field of graphene nanophotonics, 2D materials, sensing, biosensors, and functional 2D materials-based devices.

Roman Axelrod is the founder of XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing an invisible and weightless smart contact lens as the ultimate interface for the next generation of AI-powered XR computing. With over 17 years of experience, Axelrod has built and scaled companies across Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East. At XPANCEO, he oversees corporate strategy, product development, marketing activities, and team operations, guiding the company towards its vision of replacing the current generation of computing.Axelrod graduated from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School with a master level Diploma in Strategy and Finance. He also has an academic background in international private law and financial management.In 2024, Axelrod was named to MIT Arabia’s Innovators Under 35 list and received Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year Tech Innovators Award.

An ex-corporate banker with six years of experience at Standard Chartered, Abdul Rafay Gadit is a seasoned entrepreneur dedicated to empowering visionary founders and scaling transformative technologies through the Disrupt.com platform. With a strong belief in Web 3.0 as a vehicle for achieving financial independence at scale, Rafay leverages this new paradigm to democratize access to wealth-building opportunities.One of Rafay’s most notable achievements is Zignaly, an FSCA-licensed social investment platform that connects over 600,000 users with top-tier fund managers. Expanding this success, Rafay is currently building ZIGChain, Zignaly’s Layer-1 blockchain, as foundational infrastructure for next-generation investment protocols, connecting fund managers and retail investors alike. As tokenization of real-world assets accelerates, ZIGChain is being built to meet institutional standards, offering the rails needed to bring regulated, on-chain exposure to traditionally off-chain assets. Supported by a $100 million Ecosystem Fund backed by prominent Web3 entities like DWF Labs and UDHC Finance, ZIGChain aims to democratize access to expert-managed investments in a broad spectrum of asset classes. Rafay also serves as an advisor to multiple Disrupt portfolio companies, including SavYour, SquatWolf, Covolv, and Laam, and has achieved notable exits, including the $350 million acquisition of Cloudways.

Ran Neuner is the founder of Crypto Banter, one of the world’s largest and most influential crypto media platforms. With over 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, 10M+ monthly views, and one of the most engaged communities in the industry, Crypto Banter is a go-to source for real-time crypto content. Ran personally hosts the largest live crypto show on the internet.

He also co-founded Crypto Town Hall, a leading daily X (formerly Twitter) Spaces series, alongside Mario Nawfal and Scott Melker, making it one of the most consistent and widely followed audio platforms in the crypto space.

In addition to his media leadership, Ran is the CEO of Onchain Capital, a blockchain investment fund and advisory firm that manages over $250 million in venture and listed crypto assets.

Ran gained international recognition as the creator, producer, and host of CNBC’s “Crypto Trader”, the world’s first televised cryptocurrency show, where he interviewed the biggest names in Web3 during their earliest days, building a vast network of early blockchain pioneers in the process.

Before entering the crypto industry, Ran was already an award-winning entrepreneur. He co-founded and scaled The Creative Counsel, Africa’s largest marketing agency, which was acquired by Publicis Groupe in 2015 for over $150 million, marking one of the continent’s largest private transactions at the time.

Ran’s mission is to build the most profitable and educated crypto community in the world, a vision he pursues through a mix of educational content, community-building, investment, and mentorship.

Spearheads Cardano Foundation’s technical strategy and product development through open-source, with prior experience as Co-Founder and CTO of Procivis AG and software engineer at UBS. 

Christoph Koster has been building financial services and investment platforms for banks, governments and technology companies. He is currently serving as the CEO of ruya, the UAE’s digital-first Islamic community bank. Under his leadership, ruya is dedicated to creating a fairer and more sustainable world through ethical Islamic banking practices, exceptional customer service and active community engagement.Before his role at ruya, Chris served as the Chief Operating Officer at a G42 joint venture, where he was responsible for building the business unit from its incubation phase. He also led the asset management of the group's portfolio of operating businesses and developed its proprietary investment programme.Prior to G42, Chris was a key member of the executive management team at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). His leadership and strategic vision were vital in positioning Abu Dhabi as a significant player on the global investment stage.At Emirates NBD, Chris led award-winning strategy and customer experience teams across Private Banking, Asset Management and Retail Banking. His tenure saw Emirates NBD's Private Banking business rise to prominence as the leading wealth management franchise in the region.Chris's career began at Roland Berger’s restructuring and turnaround practice as well asthe corporate development and M&A team at a major renewable energy conglomerate.

Czhang Lin is a Taiwanese Canadian entrepreneur, investor and crypto pioneer. Around 2017, Lin became an investment director at PreAngel, where he managed funds focusing on early-stage internet startups, and was a partner at JRR Crypto, where he first handled blockchain investment and incubation. In the last five years, Lin’s knowledgeability of digital investment strategies contributed to over a hundred successful crypto and blockchain projects. At the end of 2022, Lin spearheaded the direction IC board of LBank Labs, the investment arm of global crypto exchange LBank, where LBank Labs dedicated 100 million dollars in USDT for its blockchain and Web3 fund. While on the lookout for his next investment in blockchain, Lin serves as a regular guest at panel discussions held at crypto conferences around the world.

Dato’ Abdul Radzeen is the creator of NeoKhat, a groundbreaking NFT collection that fuses Arabic calligraphy, elemental art, and Web3 technology to inspire a global community. Built on the success of his earlier project CryptoKhat, NeoKhat blends faith, art, and blockchain innovation with gamified rarity mechanics and immersive experiences like NeoWorld.He is also the Founder & CEO of ThinkQuran, a pioneering EdTech platform that teaches the Arabic language of the Quran through gamification with a focus on Islamic content. With a mission to empower Muslims worldwide to understand the Quran, ThinkQuran has grown into a global learning community with tens of thousands of active users. Radzeen is a visionary entrepreneur, crypto enthusiast, and advocate for purpose-driven business, recognized for building scalable platforms that merge tradition with cutting-edge innovation.

Jimmy Zhigang Su is the Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Binance, where he leads global cybersecurity strategy to safeguard the platform’s vast digital asset holdings. A seasoned cybersecurity executive, he has a proven track record of aligning security with business objectives across startups and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to Binance, Dr. Su served as Senior Director of Information Security at JD.COM, China’s top e-commerce firm, where he built and led teams in AI security, IoT security, and risk control for over 300 million users. Earlier, as Director of Data Science at FireEye, he spearheaded malware detection engines that powered 68% of the company’s $797M annual billings. With a PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, Dr. Su is a hands-on leader who has driven innovation in cloud security, blockchainapplications, and threat intelligence—earning patents, top conference awards, and recognition for building world-class red teams. His expertise spans secure product development, large-scale risk mitigation, and cutting-edge research in AI and big data security.

 

Professor Dr Naseem Naqvi is the Founder and President of The British Blockchain Association (BBA). In 2022, he was awarded the UK’s highest National Honour (King’s Honour, MBE), the first ever UK Honour awarded globally in the field of Blockchain Technologies. He is also the Head of Secretariat of the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Blockchain Technologies.Prof Naqvi is the lead author of the UK’s National Blockchain Roadmap (NBR) VISION 2030. He established the world’s first Centre for Evidence-Based Blockchain (CEBB) in 2018, and launched the world’s first peer-reviewed academic blockchain journal (The JBBA). Prof Naqvi is also the founder of the Blockchain Associations Forum (BAF), uniting 51 countries. He established the world’s first and largest university blockchain network, now spanning 900+ institutions across 107 countries. He has Chaired several International Conferences on Blockchain and is an internationally respected authority on Web3 technologies.

Dr. Marwan Al Zarouni is a leading figure in emerging technologies, serving as CEO of AI for Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC). His appointment is part of Dubai's ambitious 'Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence', which aims to position the city as a global leader in AI innovation and implementation.In his role at DET, Dr. Al Zarouni works closely with both the public and private sector to roll out policies and initiatives to harness AI to enhance the quality of life for Dubai's residents and enrich visitor experiences. As the CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC), he has been instrumental in driving blockchain adoption in the region. With over two decades of experience in technology, information security, digital forensics, and AI, he has driven significant advancements in blockchain adoption and AI innovation. As a founding member of the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) and the Artificial Intelligence Ethical Committee (AIEC), Dr. Al Zarouni is recognized globally, including being named one of the top 100 influential figures in blockchain and cryptocurrencies by CoinTelegraph in 2022. His contributions to the field have also earned him a place as a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Cryptocurrencies from 2020 to 2021.

Karl is a seasoned entrepreneur and investment professional with over 18 years of global experience spanning technology, venture capital, wealth management, asset management, and private equity. He held roles at UBS, Goldman Sachs, and Mubadala before becoming a full time start up entrepreneur in 2015, and founded 1 foodtech and 2 fintech startups.Karl currently serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at XBTO, where he leads the firm’s global commercial strategy and growth initiatives. He also serves as the Senior Executive Officer of XBTO Middle East, based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). He holds an MBA from London Business School.

Riaz Mehta is a media entrepreneur and technologist with over two decades of experience building ventures at the intersection of content, technology, and global distribution. An international Emmy Award nominee, his productions have aired on platforms including Netflix, HBO, FOX, and others, with shows sold in more than 50 countries. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ritestream.io, a decentralized entertainment platform that enables creators to fund, distribute, and monetize film and television projects using blockchain, NFTs, and smart contracts. At Ritestream.io, Riaz leads the development of tools that shift control away from traditional studios and towards creators and communities. The platform’s flagship production, ‘CryptoKnights’, is a Web3 reality series premiering on Prime Video, where startups pitch to leading investors for funding and exposure. Dubbed the ‘Shark Tank of Web3’, the show was funded through NFT-based crowdfunding on Ritestream’s own platform, underscoring his commitment to community-driven media. Riaz is also the Founder and CEO of allrites, a global B2B content marketplace that simplifies licensing and rights management for film, TV, and sports properties. Often referred as "Alibaba for content”, allrites serves buyers and sellers in over 50 countries. His latest brainchild ContentX Labs is at the forefront of AI technology providing content to the leading AI companies in silicon valley whilst also helping creators with dubbing and subtitling solutions using cutting edge AI tech.

Romain has more than a decade of experience in the blockchain industry, from building one of the first crypto start-ups in Switzerland to helping international organizations adopt blockchain technologies. At Arab Bank Switzerland, he leads the expansion of digital asset offerings and drives business growth. From developing a dedicated Web3 platform to modernizing banking infrastructure, Arab Bank Switzerland has quickly become one of the most advanced banks in the world for crypto services.

Vincent Kadar is an experienced technology and capital markets executive leading Polymath, where he builds practical blockchain solutions for private assets. With nearly 30 years bridging complex technology and market needs, he previously served as CEO of Telepin Software Systems, expanding its global mobile payments network, and co-founded Airwide Solutions, an early leader in secure mobile messaging. At Polymath, he oversees the Capital Platform and serves on the Governing Council of the Polymesh Association, advancing permissioned blockchain infrastructure for regulated assets.Nearly 30 years at the intersection of technology and capital markets, Vincent Kadar has led companies that have powered mobile payments for over 60 operators in 35+ countries, pioneered secure mobile messaging, and now drives blockchain innovation for regulated assets as CEO of Polymath and Governing Council member of the Polymesh Association

Andrew is co-founder and CEO of Cerebras Systems. He is an entrepreneur dedicated to pushing boundaries in the compute space. Prior to Cerebras, he co-founded and was CEO of SeaMicro, a pioneer of energy-efficient, high-bandwidth microservers. SeaMicro was acquired by AMD in 2012 for $357M. Before SeaMicro, Andrew was the Vice President of Product Management, Marketing and BD at Force10 Networks which was later sold to Dell Computing for $800M. Prior to Force10 Networks, Andrew was the Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development at RiverStone Networks from the company’s inception through IPO in 2001. He holds a BA and an MBA from Stanford University.

 

Justin Grooms is the President of Bolt, the preeminent fintech partner for American enterprise merchants, commanding a network of over 80 million U.S. shoppers through its unrivaled, data-driven platform. Bolt sets the standard in commerce innovation, delivering powerhouse solutions—like seamless checkout experiences—that streamline transactions, amplify personalization, and provide enterprise merchants with unmatched insights to dominate their markets. As the go-to ally for America’s leading retailers, Bolt drives smarter, more intuitive shopping experiences that redefine success in the digital economy. Since assuming leadership in 2019, Justin has propelled Bolt to the forefront of fintech, harnessing massive datasets to craft brilliant, human-friendly solutions that cement its dominance. Under his guidance, Bolt empowers enterprise merchants with cutting-edge technology and a user-first approach, solidifying its position as the industry’s most trusted and transformative force. Justin graduated from the University of California, San Diego and holds an MBA from the University of California, Irvine

 

Dr. Zain Farooq is an award-winning fintech entrepreneur and the Managing Director of Barq PK (formerly MyTM). Recognized with the Presidential Award 2024, he has pioneered digital finance solutions including the Sullis Card with Mastercard. His ventures have earned global acclaim, winning GITEX Supernova 2021 and reaching the finals of the Xtreme Tech Challenge USA 2022.

Kevin Lee assumed the role of Chief Business Officer at Gate in 2024, expanding from his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Gate.HK since 2023. A cryptocurrency and digital asset pioneer since 2013, he previously led Sales Trading at Hong Kong's inaugural SFC-licensed digital asset trading platform. With over 20 years of expertise in algorithmic trading and AI-driven financial products across the Asia-Pacific region, Mr. Lee's background includes prominent positions at major financial institutions such as BNP Paribas, Macquarie Group, and JPMorgan Chase. He also demonstrates a strong commitment to startup growth, notably serving as General Manager for Yelp's successful Hong Kong launch. Today, he is recognized as one of the region's most influential keynote speakers in the industry. Mr. Lee holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in so

 

Alona Shevtsova is the Director and CEO of Sends, a UK-based fintech company focused on delivering payment solutions for both B2B and B2C clients across the EU and UK markets. With over 15 years of experience in the financial technology and payments industry, she has played a pivotal role in shaping Send's development strategy and expansion.Alona began her career by founding and leading LEO, a major Ukrainian payment system, where she spent over a decade building and scaling operations. Under her leadership, LEO became the second-largest payment system in Ukraine by 2021. Following this success, she expanded her expertise into the banking sector, deepening her knowledge of international finance and regulatory frameworks.In 2024, she took on the role of CEO at Sends, where she is driving the company's vision to simplify cross-border payments and support modern businesses with secure, scalable financial infrastructure.

Dragons’ Den investor Tej Lalvani is a businessman, Television Personality and the CEO of Vitabiotics. Vitabiotics is Britain’s largest nutraceutical company, offering nutrition-rich food supplements. Tej has witnessed the phenomenal growth of Vitabiotics for over twenty years. Moreover, he has expanded the company to 100 countries. Vitabiotics has received several awards, namely the Queen’s Award for Innovation and Boots’ Supplier of the Year.

 

Marcus is a co-founder at Carousell. Since the launch of Carousell in August 2012 together with co-founders Quek Siu Rui and Lucas Ngoo, he has been deeply involved in product design, brand, and community, and built the app’s first interface as a self-taught designer. His role has since expanded to encompass many operational aspects of the organisation. Carousell Group is the leading multi-category platform for secondhand in Greater Southeast Asia on a mission to make secondhand the first choice. Founded in August 2012 in Singapore, the Group has a leading presence in seven markets under the brands Carousell, Carousell Media Group, Cho Tot, Laku6, LuxLexicon, Mudah.my, OneShift, REFASH and Revo Financial, serving tens of millions of monthly active users. Carousell is backed by leading investors including Telenor Group, Rakuten Ventures, Naver, STIC Investments, 500 Global and Peak XV Partners (formerly known as Sequoia Capital India).

 

Jawad Mahmood is the Chief Innovation & Business Officer at Barq Pakistan and Founder of MyTM, with 13+ years of fintech leadership across Pakistan and the Middle East. Recognized as an Emerging Leader in Islamic Fintech, he has pioneered cashless Hajj payments and represented Pakistan at global forums including London Tech Week, LEAP Saudi Arabia, and GITEX Dubai.

Oliver Stauber, CEO of KuCoin EU, is a seasoned leader in the Web3 and digital asset space. With over 9 years of experience across legal, regulatory, and executive roles, Oliver brings deep expertise in crypto, fintech, and AI. Previously, he was Chief Legal Officer at Bitpanda and Glassnode, where he helped scale legal operations in fast-growth Digital Asset environments. As Founder and Board Member of the Digital Asset Association Austria (DAAA), Oliver actively contributes to shaping the regulatory dialogue in Europe. He is certified as a Capital Markets and Crypto Lawyer and is recognized by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) as fit and proper for Managing Director roles in MiFID II investment firms and PSP II/e-money institutions. Oliver also serves as a business angel and strategic advisor, leveraging his passion for Web3 to support early-stage innovation across the ecosystem.

 

US$6 Bn Quantum unicorn building Chicago's $1Bn quantum campus to deliver America's first utility-scale fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2028

CoinSwitch is India’s largest crypto investing platform, trusted by over 20 million users. Built with a user-first approach, CoinSwitch makes investing in crypto simple, secure, and accessible to everyone — whether you're just starting out or you're a PRO user. Backed by global investors like a16z, Sequoia Capital, and Tiger Global, CoinSwitch is on a mission to make money equal for all. Ashish also serves as the Co-Founder and Group CEO of PeepalCo, a platform that houses brands offering tailored wealth-tech products in India. Ashish's product development philosophy, honed through experiences such as creating a note-taking app during his engineering days and pioneering a 1-hour delivery service at Amazon as a member of Jeff Bezos' elite team, is refreshingly simple: Build products that align with customer needs and make complexity disappear.

 

Karim Chouman is a fintech and wealthtech enthusiast, and the founder of Myne, a platform built with a bold vision to enhance financial well-being across three pillars: Track, Grow, and Protect. Myne empowers users to see their full financial picture, manage their money proactively, and secure their legacy through modern estate planning tools. This is Karim’s third startup. He previously co-founded and exited Sweetheart Kitchen, a multi-brand cloud kitchen funded by Delivery Hero, and co-founded Zero&One, a leading AWS Premier Partner with presence across five countries, backed by PwC. Before his entrepreneurial journey, Karim spent 14 years in the corporate world, holding senior leadership roles at Procter & Gamble and Nestlé, where he last served as General Manager of Nestlé Kuwait and Head of Key Accounts across the region.

Neeraj Makin supports the Group CEO and Board on strategy development across the Group and the development and execution of the strategic vision and aspirations of Emirates NBD and its entities/businesses, along with managing its strategic acquisitions and international growth plans. He also handles Advanced Analytics and manages the Corporate Venture Fund for the bank. Skills and Expertise: Strategy Development, Mergers & Acquisitions, Investments, Negotiations, Business Development, International Banking, Venture Capital, Digital Banking, Analytics, TransformationExperience:Mr. Makin previously led the International Business for the Group with overall business management responsibility for International Subsidiaries and Branches of Emirates NBD. He played a pivotal role in leading Emirates NBD’s international expansion, including the successful acquisition of BNP Paribas Egypt and DenizBank in Türkiye, as well as the getting the branch licences and expansion in India and Saudi Arabia. He is a member of the Group Executive Committee and leads the Advanced Analytics Centre of Excellence for Emirates NBD, which drives Group-wide efforts to leverage data and analytics. He also heads the Corporate Venture Capital Fund for Emirates NBD to invest in fintechs and tech companies to drive innovation for the Bank.Prior to Emirates NBD Mr. Makin spent a combined 8 years plus with McKinsey & Co in strategy consulting and with Ernst Young in UAE in Transaction Advisory and M&A Services.Education & Qualifications• Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics• MBA in Finance from International Management Institute in India• Venture Capital & Private Equity Program from Columbia Business School, New York.

Marina Bzovii is a seasoned leader in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, currently serving as the MITP Director. With expertise in ICT policy development, digital transformation, and strategic management, she is dedicated to driving Moldova’s digital economy forward. Previously, as Executive Director of the Moldovan Association of ICT Companies (ATIC), Marina led impactful initiatives to strengthen the tech ecosystem and cultivated vital public-private partnerships. A strong advocate for digitalization, e-governance, and artificial intelligence, Marina is committed to establishing Moldova as a premier destination for ICT investments and innovation.

Mohamed is currently a General Partner on the DPI Venture Capital, MEA focused early and late stage VC fund. Prior to DPI, Mohamed led investments at Global Ventures, a Dubai-based VC fund investing across the MEA region. His domain expertise includes FinTech, HealthTech, Insurtech, SaaS, Mobility, and e-commerce. Prior to his MEA focus, Mohamed worked for Allianz X, a Munich-based €1 billion digital investment fund of Allianz SE. He sourced, executed, and closed investment deals in Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia. Mohamed began his venture capital career at Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, a Hamburg-based €400 million fund that primarily invests in B2B SaaS solutions in the US and Europe. Before shifting to venture capital, Mohamed gained operational experience working for multiple early and late stage startups in Germany, such as Solarisbank AG and Medigo GmbH. Mohamed holds an MSc in Business Administration and Engineering from Berlin University of Applied Sciences, focusing on Corporate Strategy and Venture Capital. He also has a BSc in Engineering Mechatronics from the German University in Cairo.

Rhett Power is the CEO and Co-founder of Accountability Inc., a leadership consultancy that has advised global giants including the United States Department of State, United Airlines, McDonald’s, FIFA, and Vodafone. A six-time founder, bestselling author, and respected Rolling Stone and Forbes columnist, Rhett is recognized by Global Gurus as one of the world’s leading management and startup thinkers and was named the #1 Thought Leader on Entrepreneurship by Thinkers360. He is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and a Fellow at the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. A sought-after global speaker, Rhett has delivered keynotes at premier events such as SXSW, TEDx, Web Summit, and the World Economic Forum in Davos. His third book, Headamentals (October 2025), explores how self-talk shapes leadership and performance, and introduces the groundbreaking concept of “Team Talk” to transform organizational culture.

Yannick Marin Isambert is in charge of the Airbus Central Innovation and Airbus Corporate innovation & governance, Airbus’ venture studio and corporate innovation part. Airbus Central Innovation mission is to Accelerate development of disruptive technologies & solutions to create an impact on Airbus Future Businesses”. Previously, from 2020-2021 Yannick was the technical, operations & developments lead and French representative of the Bizlab supporting projects in close collaboration with startups and drones businesses. From 2018-2020 Yannick was leading & coordinating internal Technology Innovation within the associated ecosystem for Airbus aircraft division. During these 2 years, 140 projects have been accelerated.From 2016 to 2018, Yannick was in charge of Innovation for Airbus Airframe Engineering. Prior to this position, he was leading Stress, Design and modular activities for Nose Fuselage, developing and modeling the future of Cockpit from an Airframe point of view. Yannick Marin Isambert graduated in Aerospace Engineering at ISAE Supaero in 2010 and from General Engineering at ICAM in 2010. There he had the opportunity to study at Virginia Tech polytechnic institute & state university and worked for the US NAVY to develop counter missile equipment.

Hasan was the only Bahraini to be featured in the inaugural list of The Forbes Middle East Top Venture Capitalists 2024, a prestigious listing of the Middle East’s top venture capitalists. He has represented Plus VC at several high-profile events in the MENA. He has attended several live TV interviews/podcasts and has written a number of articles/blogs. Hasan Haider is the Founder and Managing Partner of +VC, an early stage venture capital firm focused on investing in tech and tech-enabled startups in MENA and its diaspora. He has over 14 years of experience investing in MENA startups. Hasan was previously Managing Partner, MENA at 500 Startups and led the firm’s growth in the MENA region, turning 500 Startups into the most active VC fund in the MENA region, raising and deploying the 500 Falcons fund, building partnerships and running programs in the region to help build the regional ecosystem. Hasan has invested in more than 220 startups in the region over the course of the last 15 years. Prior to 500, Hasan was the co-founder and CEO of Tenmou, the first business angel’s organization in Bahrain and one of the first in the MENA region. Hasan’s work in developing angel investment in emerging markets through Tenmou has been picked up as a Case Study by the World Bank and Harvard and was taught to Entrepreneurship Policy makers at Babson College. Hasan started off his career in finance and investment banking at Sico, before he moved to Tenmou.

Eric Piscini is the CEO of Hashgraph, powering the growth of the Hedera network-an enterprise-grade public DLT. With 25+ years of experience in building companies, developing strategies and launching new products, he has previously served in executive and management roles at IBM Watson Health, Emerging Business Networks, Deloitte and Citizens Reserve. He was the former Chief Strategy Officer at IBM Watson Health, where he launched the Digital Health Pass during the COVID-19 pandemic.                     Eric regularly speaks and writes on the business of innovation, Web3, and emerging networks, having been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Fortune, and Forbes, among many others.

 

Fadi Ghandour is the Executive Chairman of Wamda Group, a platform that invests, nurtures and builds entrepreneurship eco-systems across the Middle East and North Africa. Mr. Ghandour is also the Founder of Aramex, one of the leading global logistics companies. Mr. Ghandour spent the first 30 years of his work life as CEO of Aramex, building the company, making it the leading emerging market logistics company, employing over 15,000 people working in over 250 offices in 90 countries. He took the company public twice, first on Nasdaq making it the first company from the Arab world to do so, then on Dubai Financial market. He continues to be active on the Aramex board. Mr. Ghandour is a serial entrepreneur. In his career, he was involved with founding, investing and launching tens of companies and non-profits, ranging from digital tech, hospitality, fitness & wellness. Passionate about impact and social entrepreneurship, Mr. Ghandour founded and chairs Ruwwad for Development, a private sector led community empowerment platform that helps marginalized communities, across several countries in the MENA region, overcome marginalization through activism, civic engagement, education and financial inclusion. Mr. Ghandour also served and continues to serve on several global and regional boards of companies, education institutions and non-profits.

Ronaldo Lima Cohin Ribeiro is the Founder & CEO of Jade Autism, a HealthTech and EdTech company recognised globally for its impact on neurodivergent children. He led Jade to win the GITEX Future Stars Supernova Challenge (Dubai, 2020), the Web Summit Rio PITCH (2023), and the Santander X Global Challenge (2024). With a Doctor Honoris Causa in Computer Science, an MBA in Data Science (USP), and over 11 years of experience in AI and software development, Ronaldo has been featured internationally for building one of the most innovative startups in education and health, with patented technologies impacting over 180,000 children in 179 countries.

Harrison Lung is the Group Chief Strategy Officer of e&. He was appointed in May 2023 and oversees corporate strategy and planning, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Group transformation, ESG and sustainability. With over two decades of experience in the telecom and technology sectors, Harrison is directly collaborating with e&'s management team and board of directors to develop the overall business strategy, set the direction of the Group and develop plans to achieve e&'s business objectives. Harrison also focuses on maintaining e&'s position as one of the world's leading technology companies, developing the competitive advantage of the Group's portfolio of brands in the 16 markets in which it operates, and allocating resources to support the Group's vision of connecting communities while creating value for customers and shareholders. He has a wealth of expertise working internationally in strategy, management consulting, and private equity. Before joining e&, he was a Partner at Siris Capital, a leading New York-based private equity firm investing in core technology and telecom assets. Harrison formerly held the positions of partner for technology, telecom, and digital in North America and Asia at McKinsey & Company. During his time, he worked with technology providers across the value chain and technology buyers on their strategic agenda. He also He was a technical architect at Bell Mobility, Sprint Canada (now Rogers Communications), and Accenture's mobile technology department. He has published numerous articles in internationally renowned journals and is a frequent speaker and panel moderator as an industry thought leader at various technology conferences. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo and a dual M.B.A. from Cornell University (Johnson Graduate School of Management) and Queen's University (Smith School of Business). He is a licensed Professional Engineer (Ontario, Canada) and a Chartered Professional Accountant (British Columbia, Canada). 

Taavi Madiberk is the CEO & Co-Founder of Skeleton Technologies, a global leader in graphene-based high-power energy storage for AI data centres, grid, and defense applications. Skeleton’s solutions power exponential AI growth from GPUs to grid. Its latest innovation GrapheneGPU boosts computing performance in AI data centres by 40%, while increasing their energy efficiency up to 45%.   Skeleton Technologies Group was founded in 2009 and employs more than 300 people across several locations: in Estonia, Finland, Germany, and France. The company is currently expanding its footprint to the UAE.   Skeleton’s products use the company’s patented “curved graphene” material. For this innovation, Skeleton’s scientists have been awarded the European Inventor of the Year Award in 2022 by the European Patent Office. Curved Graphene brings to Skeleton’s supercapacitors an unrivalled technology advantage in power and energy. Skeleton is the only company with full value chain from materials to software, resulting in higher quality, reliability, and smaller products for high-power needs. Taavi co-founded the company at the age of 21 in Estonia. Since its inception, Skeleton has raised over 300 M EUR from investors such as Marubeni Corporation, Siemens, Innoenergy - Europe's top cleantech investor, and has been delivering its products to a wide number of industrial and tech companies and organizations, including Siemens, Hitachi Energy, Honda, and the European Space Agency, to name a few.   Prior to Skeleton Technologies, Taavi Madiberk has served as the youngest ever Chairman of the Supervisory Board in an European national railway company - Estonian Railways Ltd (AS Eesti Raudtee) - from 2012 to 2014. He was also a Member of the Supervisory Board of RKAS, a Estonian state-owned real estate company with over 400 M EUR of assets. A serial entrepreneur, Taavi is also a co-founder of a defense start-up and a non-executive chair of a hydrogen company.