SAUDI’S HOTTEST TECH & STARTUP FESTIVAL

STARTUP BASECAMP

200 startups based in KSA and across emerging markets will be showcasing their products and services physically and will have the opportunity to gather leads and network with potential clients and partners. Selected startups get 2 tickets for the price of 1, a free branded booth for 1 day, and priority access to participate in startup activities to meet regional and global investors.

Startup Package Benefits

Startup Package Benefits
  • 2 All-Access Pass tickets.
  • Branded Booth for 1 day at the Startup Basecamp.
  • Access to workshops and mentorship sessions.
  • Access to pre-booked one-on-one Investor meetings with top VCs and Angel Investors.
  • Logo included in startup announcements on our website and social media channels.
  • Opportunity to be selected for the Step Pitch Competition.
Startup Package Fee
  • $365 + VAT
 

PITCH COMPETITION

Startups are selected from those participating in the Startup Basecamp to be part of Step's pitch competition, Saudi edition, and present their products and services to leading investors and industry experts.

previous Pitch Competition Judges

Emon Shakoor

Blossom Accelerator

Emon Shakoor

Blossom Accelerator

Emon Shakoor (إيمان عبد الشكور) is a Saudi neuroscience researcher turned venture capitalist. She is the founder & CEO of Blossom Accelerator; Saudi’s first female focused & tech-inclusion accelerator. A Venture Partner at Oryx Fund Hambro Perks. An Angel Investor. She serves as an advisory board member at Oqal; Saudi’s largest angel investment group. Emon hosts the leading podcast in Arabic titled “شغف” dedicated to women leaders & female founders in partnership with Anghami. She is also the Saudi ambassador for Women Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO). Emon has been recognized as one of nine Saudi women who has made an impact on the world as she is the pioneer of women entrepreneurship in KSA. NEOM has also recognized Emon Shakoor as one of five Saudi’s driving change in Saudi Arabia and the world.

Loulwa Bakr

Global Ventures

Loulwa Bakr

Global Ventures

Loulwa Bakr lead a notable career in corporate finance and investment banking that spanned 15 years and culminated with heading the investment banking division of Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia. In 2017, she founded Chrome Advisory, an investment advisory firm that supports and enables the venture capital ecosystem. She has participated in various CMA committees that reviewed regulations at the inception of the CMA, and lead some of the landmark transactions in Saudi capital markets. Loulwa has advised and arranged the financing, restructuring, growth through mergers and acquisitions and most significantly, access to capital markets, for top tier corporations. In addition to being recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, she is currently an independent member of the Board of Directors of Reyl Finance (MEA), a member of the audit committee of Budget Rent A Car Saudi Arabia and a member of the advisory board of Columbia University’s Global Centers. Loulwa holds a Master’s degree of Business Administration in Finance and Economics from the Graduate School of Business of Columbia University in the City of New York.

Eyad Alharbi

Raed Ventures

Eyad Alharbi

Raed Ventures

Eyad Alharbi joined RAED as a Senior Associate in 2022 after starting his career as an operator in multiple technology driven companies. Prior to joining RAED, Eyad was the Director of Growth and Analytics at Tamara and prior was heading UberEats operations in KSA where he launched and scaled the business in multiple geographies and did the same at the ride-share segment at Uber where he was a Regional Operations Manager for the Middle East region in charge of expansions and strategic projects. Eyad holds a bachelor of science degree in Management, Supply Chain, and Information Analytics from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, West Lafayette.

Maryam Tina Duhaim

Merak Capital

Maryam Tina Duhaim

Merak Capital

Maryam has one year of experience working in Investments. Prior to Merak Capital, Maryam worked as an Investment Analyst at Sanabil Investments. Maryam also was the Vice President of the KSU Investment Club. Maryam holds a Finance First Class Honors degree from King Saud University.

Aboudi Al-Qatta

DASH Ventures

Aboudi Al-Qatta

DASH Ventures

Aboudi is a Principal at DASH Ventures, one of the oldest VC firms in the MENA region. After graduating from Babson College, where he founded a social enterprise, Aboudi joined DASH as an analyst. Soon after, he followed a childhood dream to pursue a professional basketball career in Kuwait (while working simultaneously at Messilah Ventures) before returning to DASH Ventures in early 2020. Aboudi also helps manage his own family office that follows a similar VC structure.

Christos Mastoras

Iliad Partners

Christos Mastoras

Iliad Partners

Christos is the Founder and Managing Partner of Iliad Partners, a Venture Capital fund based in the UAE investing in early stage tech startups in the MENA region. Christos has actively been making VC investments in MENA over the last six years, with a focus on Series A startups, including in regional success stories such as Trukker. He is a VC investor and former tech entrepreneur, angel investor, digital executive, and management consultant with 23+ years of experience in the US, Europe, and MENA. Based in Dubai for the last 14 years, he was previously the Head of Business Development of Yahoo! Maktoob and an engagement manager with Booz & Company. Christos previously held operating roles at four startups he helped build and exit: GlamBox (UAE), Upstream (Greece), govWorks (US) and SloanGear (US). He serves on the Boards of several startups and is a founding member of the Board of the Middle East Venture Capital Association (MEVCA). Christos holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a B.S. in International Relations from Georgetown University.

Investor Meetings

Participating startups and entrepreneurs will get the opportunity to sign up for 1-on-1 sessions with specifically leading investors from KSA and wider regions from pre-seed to early and growth-stage investors.

previous Participating Investors

Talal Almoayed

Almoayed Ventures

Talal Almoayed

Almoayed Ventures

Almoayed Ventures W.L.L. is the venture arm of Almoayed General W.L.L. The company focuses on partnering with investment professionals with a track record of supporting and scaling innovative businesses. The company also makes direct investments in passionate entrepreneurs and supports them throughout their journey.

Abdullah Althamir

Waed Ventures

Abdullah Althamir

Waed Ventures

"We are always excited to meet and learn about new companies with innovative ideas and successful track records. By way of background, WAED Ventures focus on post-revenue and local tech-enabled startups, emphasizing disruptive, innovative, impactful ones with high-growth potential and scalability."

Saleh AlShaya

Rasameel Investment Company

Saleh AlShaya

Rasameel Investment Company

Head of the Private Equity division and managing Rasameel Startech Fund, a VC fund focusing on opportunities in the region

Ayat Al-Sabbagh

HALA Ventures

Ayat Al-Sabbagh

HALA Ventures

Investment Associate at HALA Ventures

Hasan Haider

+VC

Hasan Haider

+VC

Hasan is an experienced investor in MENA startups, having invested in more than 200 startups in the region since 2010. Hasan was previously Managing Partner, MENA at 500 Startups and led the firm’s growth in the MENA Region since 2017, turning 500 Startups into the most seed stage active VC fund in the MENA region. 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.

Muhammad Alaa Radwan

InnLife Technological Investments

Muhammad Alaa Radwan

InnLife Technological Investments

Radwan is Chairman of InnLife, an investment vehicle in disruptive and thematic technologies at early stages. InnLife currently invested in tech-wear, prop-tech, eCommerce fin-tech, food-tech and dark butchers and eCommerce data analysis and marketing. Muhammad participated in structuring 18 collective investment schemes with equity approximately 1.5 billion USD and holds multiple professional and academic accreditations in Law, Risk, wealth/investment management and Governance/Compliance in UK and USA.

Laith Zraikat

Arzan Venture Capital

Laith Zraikat

Arzan Venture Capital

Having led investments into many early stage companies in MENA, North America, and UK, he covers most verticals with a special interest in SaaS, marketplaces, logistics, transportation, and direct-to-consumer (D2C) models. With nine exits and seven years in Venture Capital, he has built a portfolio spanning two funds that includes: Careem, Swvl, Mejuri, Trukker, Onfleet, Tamatem Games, iKcon, Zid, and 37 others. Currently raising a third fund.

Mohammed Al Wahaibi

Al Jabr MENA

Mohammed Al Wahaibi

Al Jabr MENA

Partner & CEO at Al Jabr mena, an innovation development company unlocking MENA’s innovation potential through entrepreneurship. With almost 10 years of experience in the entrepreneurial scene, working on various startup development projects, corporate innovation and access to knowledge, funding and markets.

Fatma Sultan Bahwan

Al Jabr MENA

Fatma Sultan Bahwan

Al Jabr MENA

Fatma Sultan Bahwan, Partner and Chief Operations Officer at AL JABR & co-founder of Al Rud'ha Oman's first membership based entrepreneurship platform. I've been working in the entrepreneurial ecosystem for the past 9 years in startup development and building innovation programs and initiatives to support entrepreneurship in Oman and MENA region.

Kerim Muvdi

Biosis Ventures Limited

Kerim Muvdi

Biosis Ventures Limited

Kerim Muvdi is an entrepreneur, investor, and tech enthusiast, with over ten years of experience in establishing successful companies and seeking out best-in-class startups that contribute to health and wellness, and elevate human dignity.

Turki Aljoaib

Rua Growth Fund

Turki Aljoaib

Rua Growth Fund

Co-founder & Managing Partner of Rua Growth Fund. A Saudi based Venture Capital Fund in partnership with OBIC & iMENA Group. Co-founder of Sun Capture, solar energy services company, & Desert Agriculture, AgTech hydroponic farming startup.

Sujude S Dalieh

JAZZ Venture Partners

Sujude S Dalieh

JAZZ Venture Partners

Sujude is an investor at JAZZ where she both invests in new opportunities and supports existing portfolio companies across all funds. She is most passionate about companies that are building generational health and growing community capital for the 99%. Sujude started her career off as a Berkeley-trained scientist and was active in green chemistry research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she synthesized and tested nanocatalysts for carbon dioxide conversion with the Somorjai Group. She led the integration of Jupyter computation into social sciences research and curricula at the Berkeley Institute of Data Science. She has also worked for an array of community-forward health initiatives at Hopelab and YTH (Youth + Tech + Health) and contributed to projects including Engage, an empowerment program to reduce childhood marriage in Malawi, and Oregon Reminders, a state-funded SMS platform to reduce HIV transmission. Sujude is also active in the MENA-affiliated startup world as an operating board member of TechWadi. Prior to JAZZ, Sujude supported investments at Lux Capital and K50 Ventures across frontier tech, digital health, and consumer fintech. She was named a Top Gen Z VC by Business Insider and Bay Area’s 25 Under 25 by San Francisco Business Journal. Sujude holds an MEng in Design from Stanford University and a BS in Chemistry from UC Berkeley.

Saleh Alrumaih

BIM Ventures

Saleh Alrumaih

BIM Ventures

NA

Abdullah Nasser Alsaeed

BIM venture

Abdullah Nasser Alsaeed

BIM venture

Investment analyst

Mohammed Alrajhi

Bim ventures

Mohammed Alrajhi

Bim ventures

Part of the investment team and an angel investor

Ayman Hamdan

Unifonic

Ayman Hamdan

Unifonic

My career has spanned the geographies of Gulf Countries, the Middle East, and North Africa. I played several roles and acquired various skills within different business entities, such as establishing companies and startups, including a spectrum of responsibilities such as being a shareholder, an executive director, a mentor, a manager, a trainer, and a consultant.

Qusai Alsaif

Sadu Capital

Qusai Alsaif

Sadu Capital

-

Najd Alabood

Rua Growth Fund

Najd Alabood

Rua Growth Fund

Najd is an Investment Analyst at Rua. Prior to Rua, Najd worked with Aljazira Capital at the Asset Management Department. Najd holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from King Saud University.

Tala Almoayed

Almoayed Ventures

Tala Almoayed

Almoayed Ventures

Almoayed Ventures W.L.L. is the venture arm of Almoayed General W.L.L. The company focuses on partnering with investment professionals with a track record of supporting and scaling innovative businesses. The company also makes direct investments in passionate entrepreneurs and supports them throughout their journey.

Turki Aljoaib

Rua VC

Turki Aljoaib

Rua VC

Turki graduated with a BS in civil and environmental engineering and a minor in construction management from the University of Southern California (USC). Turki also holds a Master of Science degree in renewable energy & sustainability engineering (green technology) from USC as well as a graduate certificate in technology commercialization from the USC Marshall School of Business. Turki is currently the managing partner at Rua VC. Prior to Rua, Turki launched two startups under Aljoaib Holdings that focus on solving environmental, sustainability and renewable energy challenges facing Saudi Arabia, Sun Capture and Desert Agriculture.

Fahad Alrasheed

Vision Ventures

Fahad Alrasheed

Vision Ventures

Built “Tamawal®” the region’s first marketplace for loans. Then transitioned to Investment Banking at “HSBC” where I worked on several IPO/M&A deals. Today, I am a VC at “Vision Ventures” acting as a bridge between the previous roles—investing in talented founders to help them achieve superb exits.

Ibrahim Alshaya

Unifonic

Ibrahim Alshaya

Unifonic

Ibrahim is leading UnifonicX Venture Builder as part of the 100 million spin-off fund to create startups and support the SAAS industry in MENA

Jeffery Potvin

SUPPORTERS FUND/OPN

Jeffery Potvin

SUPPORTERS FUND/OPN

Serial entrepreneur: Mentor. Coach. Investor. Loves to climb mountains Investments in 70+ Companies in last 12 years Self-funded Venture Build-Up of Open People Network & Supporters Fund Residential Real Estate investor over 20 Yrs (15+ Doors in Canada and USA) 8 Angel Groups screening member globally

Riyad Abou Jaoudeh

MEVP

Riyad Abou Jaoudeh

MEVP

Partner at MEVP. Wharton MBA

Ali Almajthoob

MEVP

Ali Almajthoob

MEVP

Executive Director at MEVP, a regional MENA based VC firm; passionate about startups including Fintech, SaaS, Social Businesses, B2B Ecommerce and Crypto.

Hatem Altariqi

SIP Global Partners

Hatem Altariqi

SIP Global Partners

Hatem is a cross-border strategic and venture capital investor with deep experience in technology and sustainability. Prior to joining SIP Global Partners, he worked as Head of Venture Capital Investment at Riyadh Valley Company, the investment arm of King Saud University where he was responsible for sourcing, due diligence, investments, investor relations and driving value-add for portfolio companies in the private and public sector. In this position, he also managed a portfolio of 19 international venture capital investments in the areas of healthcare & life sciences, information & communication technology and sustainable resources for international companies based across the US, Europe, and Asia.

Rywa Karaki

Saudi Angel Investors

Rywa Karaki

Saudi Angel Investors

Tech Enthusiast with a background in Strategy Consulting, helping startups grow

Ambar Amleh

Ibtikar Fund

Ambar Amleh

Ibtikar Fund

Ambar is a Managing Partner at Palestine’s only venture capital firm, Ibtikar. Ibtikar has two funds under management, its current fund (Ibtikar Fund II) is targeted at USD 30M. Ibtikar fills a critical funding gap faced by Palestinian entrepreneurs between seed and later-stage regional VCs. Portfolio companies include Mashvisor, Gamiphy, Alma Health, Tawazon, and 360Moms. Ambar is a member of the 23rd class of Kauffman Fellows, and was named as one of the “50 Most Influential Women in the Arab World” by CEO Middle East Magazine and “20 Women VCs of MENA” by MENAbytes.

Abdulaziz Alhassan

Osool & Bakheet Investment Company

Abdulaziz Alhassan

Osool & Bakheet Investment Company

Fundly is an Equity Crowdfunding platform it is connecting investor with Entrepreneur

Faisal Aldawsari

Osool & Bakheet investment company

Faisal Aldawsari

Osool & Bakheet investment company

Interested in fintech companies and looking to funding SME.

Ahmad Mohammad Zaki Kalha

AB Accelerator

Ahmad Mohammad Zaki Kalha

AB Accelerator

Ahmad Kalha, an Innovation Analyst at AB Accelerator, is responsible for overseeing and managing a global pipeline of FinTech startups. He represents the first point of contact when sourcing and screening new investment and strategic collaboration opportunities that further enrich Arab Bank’s ecosystem. Ahmad conducts market scan assessments, due diligence reports, and recommends new innovative expansion opportunities for AB’s Investment Committee. Since joining, Ahmad played a key role in closing key investment and partnership deals, which accelerated the integration between startups and the Bank.

Walid Mansour

MEVP Capital Limited

Walid Mansour

MEVP Capital Limited

Walid’s deep involvement in the VC & Technology ecosystem in the MENA region dates back to the mid 2000s. Since 2005, Walid has been intimately involved in this transformational entrepreneurial story by participating in the setup, scale up and exit of several VC Funds and Technology companies. Previously he was a Managing Partner & CIO at MEVP, he also serves as a board member and advisor to many successful internet and technology companies regionally and globally.

Mohammed Al Rasbi

OTF

Mohammed Al Rasbi

OTF

Mohammed Al Rasbi is an Omani serial entrepreneur, startup mentor and technical director. Mohammed started his first business in 2003 and has since been working in the information technology industry. With a comprehensive understanding of market evolution and online technologies, Mr. Al Rasbi is responsible for major digital project launches for institutional clients in the Sultanate of Oman. Today he works as the managing director, venture investment leader and entrepreneur-in-residence at Oman Technology Fund, and runs the fund’s acceleration pre-seed and seed programs. Within the past two and half years, he has invested in and accelerated more than 110 startups in the Middle East. His international studies include The George Washington University where he earned Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Mechanical Engineering and worked several years as a senior analyst.

Abdulaziz A Al Marzouq

Rasameel Investment Company

Abdulaziz A Al Marzouq

Rasameel Investment Company

Senior wealth manager at Rasameel Investment Company managing Startech VC Fund

Dalal ALMUTLAQ

Iliad partners

Dalal ALMUTLAQ

Iliad partners

Dalal currently leads Iliad’s investment initiatives and ecosystem engagement in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on cultivating our relationships with the startup community and key stakeholders such as incubators, accelerators, angel networks, government authorities, and our co-investment network in KSA. Dalal is responsible for sourcing and screening for top founders, startups and dealflow in the Kingdom and supporting our portfolio post-investment, while leading our presence on the ground in KSA

Abdulrahman Al Twaijri

TWAIJRI FUND

Abdulrahman Al Twaijri

TWAIJRI FUND

A family based fund, focuses on investments with early stage startups, more focused on Agri-tech, Logistics-tech and Prop-tech companies.

Rakan Alrashed

Access Bridge Ventures

Rakan Alrashed

Access Bridge Ventures

-

Aboudi Al-Qatta

DASH Ventures

Aboudi Al-Qatta

DASH Ventures

Aboudi is a Principal at DASH Ventures, one of the oldest VC firms in the MENA region. After graduating from Babson College, where he founded a social enterprise, Aboudi joined DASH as an analyst. Soon after, he followed a childhood dream to pursue a professional basketball career in Kuwait (while working simultaneously at Messilah Ventures) before returning to DASH Ventures in early 2020. Aboudi also helps manage his own family office that follows a similar VC structure.

Kareem Ayyad

Plug and Play

Kareem Ayyad

Plug and Play

Ventures at Plug and Play - investing in startups. I am an entrepreneur and builder with an L.L.B degree in Law. Self taught in Deep Learning, Signal Processing and Neuroscience. I spent the last few years building software products through DSGN ST. and pursuing my passion for building a Brain Operating System; a transformative technology that expands the way humans interact with computers, each other, and the world. Cerebian’s BrainOS enables users to silently communicate using brain signals. Winner of NASA Space Apps Challenge ’16 in Waterloo, World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2018, and recipient of The Brain Institute ONtrepreneurs Award.

Pier Armando Vender

Iliad Partners

Pier Armando Vender

Iliad Partners

Pier is an 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.

Ghassan Noursi

Nuwa Capital

Ghassan Noursi

Nuwa Capital

Supporting tech startups on their fast lane development journey to bridge the gap between idea and successful business. Passionate about new business models in Foodtech, Traveltech, and Ecommerce. My weeks are split between investments, platform operations, and value creation for our 30+ portfolio companies.

Sarrah

MEVP

Sarrah

MEVP

Seasoned investment professional with over ten years experience in asset management

Abdulaziz H Al Alshaikh

Nomd Holding

Abdulaziz H Al Alshaikh

Nomd Holding

NOMD Holding Co is privately owned company and part of Future Horizons Group based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We invest in different ICT field such as IoT, Big Data, Digital Education, Digital Marketing, ICT infrastructure and ICT distribution.

Daniel Dos Reis

Wamda Capital

Daniel Dos Reis

Wamda Capital

Daniel is the Investment Director of Wamda Capital. Wamda Capital is part of Wamda Group and invests in early-stage startups in the MENAPT region. Before joining Wamda Capital, Daniel was the Senior Manager of Dtec Ventures. From 2012 to 2015, he built and managed the corporate VC arm of Etihad Etisalat in the Kingdom, Mobily Ventures.

Qussay Abusssaud

Hala Ventures

Qussay Abusssaud

Hala Ventures

With over 10 years and through different financial services industries, between SABB bank, American Express Saudi Arabia, Q-Invest and Financial Horizon Group, where he has held different positions focusing on the compliance and operation internal audit.

Rafat Elmasri

Liferay

Rafat Elmasri

Liferay

-

Hussain Almarhoon

HALA VENTURE

Hussain Almarhoon

HALA VENTURE

After several years as a corporate banker at National Commercial Bank “NCB”, where he used to manage a diversified portfolio of more than USD 150 million, Hussain AlMarhoon joined his family business as a Deputy General Manager, where he managed the Finance & Investment Division. Later on, he joined Financial Horizon Group to co-manage the SME Consultation department. In 2018, Hussain co-founded Hala Ventures, one of the well valued active venture capital firms in Saudi and MENA region. Hussain holds a B.S. degree in Management Information System from KFUPM.

Ali Abussaud

HALA VENTURES

Ali Abussaud

HALA VENTURES

After 18 years in managing the family investments, and 10 years in the Corporate & Institutional banking sector, between ABC Bank, SAMBA, NCB, & Saudi Hollandi Bank, where Ali Abussaud was managing a portfolio in excess of USD 1.5 Billion, Ali founded Financial Horizon Group in 2014 that provides financial & management consulting, recruitment and executive search services. During the same period, Ali & his business partner started their Corporate Investment Fund which invested in various Asset-Classes including Venture Capital. In 2018, Ali co-founded Hala Ventures, one of the well valued active venture capital firms in Saudi and MENA region

Yousef Albabtain

Shorooq Partners

Yousef Albabtain

Shorooq Partners

Principal and Saudi Country Manager at Shorooq Partners

Talal Khatib

Access Bridge Ventures

Talal Khatib

Access Bridge Ventures

VC in MENA, interested in fintech, healthtech, edtech and ecomm

Christos Mastoras

Iliad Partners

Christos Mastoras

Iliad Partners

Christos is the Founder and Managing Partner of Iliad Partners, a Venture Capital fund based in the UAE investing in early stage tech startups in the MENA region. Christos has actively been making VC investments in MENA over the last six years, with a focus on Series A startups, including in regional success stories such as Trukker. He is a VC investor and former tech entrepreneur, angel investor, digital executive, and management consultant with 23+ years of experience in the US, Europe, and MENA. Based in Dubai for the last 14 years, he was previously the Head of Business Development of Yahoo! Maktoob and an engagement manager with Booz & Company. Christos previously held operating roles at four startups he helped build and exit: GlamBox (UAE), Upstream (Greece), govWorks (US) and SloanGear (US). He serves on the Boards of several startups and is a founding member of the Board of the Middle East Venture Capital Association (MEVCA). Christos holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a B.S. in International Relations from Georgetown University.

Eyad Albayouk

Flat6Labs

Eyad Albayouk

Flat6Labs

An experienced alternative investments professional, prior to Flat6Labs, Eyad was Principal at Arzan VC, assisting in the launch and deployment of Arzan VC Fund II LP, an early-stage MENA-focused venture capital fund. Before that, Eyad was Portfolio Manager at Sanabil Investments, specializing in private equity, real assets, and venture capital. Eyad previously served on the Board of Directors of Virgin Mobile KSA, a Sanabil portfolio company. He began his professional career working for EY. Eyad is also an investor Qoyod, a cloud accounting software tailored for the KSA market, and board member in AlwanMed, a medical supplies distributor in KSA.

Patrick thiriet

EQ2 Ventures

Patrick thiriet

EQ2 Ventures

Patrick is the CEO of EQ2 Ventures, a Dubai-based evergreen holding investing in startups across Middle East and Africa. Patrick is also a founding member of Dubai Angel Investors.

Maryam Tina Duhaim

Merak Capital

Maryam Tina Duhaim

Merak Capital

Maryam has one year of experience working in Investments. Prior to Merak Capital, Maryam worked as an Investment Analyst at Sanabil Investments. Maryam also was the Vice President of the KSU Investment Club. Maryam holds a Finance First Class Honors degree from King Saud University.

Omar Alshabaan

The Space

Omar Alshabaan

The Space

co-founder and CEO of The Space. He launched The Space as one of the first co-working space in KSA back in 2013, expanding it today to be one of the leading & fastest growing brand in the business with more than 11 locations owned or operated. Omar is an expert matter, advisor and consultant in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and business development.

Ibrahim Seksek

Startupbootcamp

Ibrahim Seksek

Startupbootcamp

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

Abdulaziz Aljehani

Tech Invest Com

Abdulaziz Aljehani

Tech Invest Com

Investment Analyst at Tech Invest Com with cumulative experience in both private and government Venture Capital. My role at TIC includes, and not limited to, sourcing deals that fit the firm's investment criteria, conducting due diligence on investment opportunities, and providing free-of-charge consultations to founders at the ideation and MVP stages. Eager to spread the knowledge and experience I acquire to positively impact the VC ecosystem.

Hussein Attar

Tech Invest Com

Hussein Attar

Tech Invest Com

Hussein Attar is the CEO of Tech Invest Com, an investment firm that was established with 1Bn SAR to invest in regional early stage tech startups. Ex-Founder of a startup, and ex- CEO of software development company. He is now also an investment committee member of two angel investor groups, and a board member of several of the leading tech startups in the region.

Syrine Ben Mansour

Hambro Perks

Syrine Ben Mansour

Hambro Perks

Syrine focuses on screening, selecting, and assessing emerging technology start-ups based in the MENA region. She is also in charge of executing new investments and does portfolio management. Syrine previously worked at EQ2 Ventures as an Investment Associate and as a Private Equity Analyst at Rothschild. Syrine holds a bachelor’s in economics & management and a master’s in finance from Université Paris Dauphine. Syrine is fluent in three languages: English, Arabic, and French.

Ivo Detelinov

Hambro Perks Oryx Fund

Ivo Detelinov

Hambro Perks Oryx Fund

Riyadh-based partner at ORYX Fund, a VC fund dedicated to MENA Tech and managed by Hambro Perks.

Leen Nabulsi

BECO Capital

Leen Nabulsi

BECO Capital

Leen leads Deal Sourcing at BECO Capital where she focuses on managing deal flow and further enhancing BECO’s capabilities. Prior to joining BECO, Leen worked in Corporate Venture Building at Rainmaking, and was also the Managing Director for their Accelerator Program “Startupbootcamp” focused on Smart Cities in Dubai. Furthermore, she worked at Endeavor, an organization that supports high impact entrepreneurs, where she managed a portfolio of scale-ups and supported them with their capital needs, strategic alliances, and deployed services through local and global networks. Leen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing from Bentley University.

Mohammed Sayyaf Alkhushail

Nomd Holding

Mohammed Sayyaf Alkhushail

Nomd Holding

Since completing his formal education in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in 1996, Eng. Mohammed AlKhushail has been a trailblazer in instituting and standardizing groundbreaking technologies in Telecommunications, Logistics, Facility Management & Big Data across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Technological advancement for the betterment of industrial efficiency, and social literacy in the technologies of tomorrow, have also been a hallmark of Mohammed’s contributions to business and greater society. Highly admired by his employees, and partners alike, for the innate knowledge and wit he displays in the daily running of his businesses, and in his proven strategic vision. Beginning his career in 1998, with Future Horizons Construction as Vice Chairman, a position he still holds, he was able to master the craft of leadership and management, demonstrating humility, commitment and responsibility in his collaborations with colleagues and staff. In the decades since, he has come to operate in additional roles, NOMD Holding Chairman, Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) Board Member, Riyadh Chamber of Commerce Chairman. As an enabler of talent and nurturer of gifted individuals, Eng. Mohammed AlKhushail, took a hands-on approach from an early stage, personally constructing the infrastructure and framework for products and solutions still changing lives today. From those humble beginnings in 2007, NOMD under his leadership and talent has grown into a group of 10 companies, with 1,100 employees, developing and serving the fields of IoT, ICT & Big Data Analytics.

MENTOR’S CORNER

Participating startups and entrepreneurs will get the opportunity to sign up for 1-on-1 sessions with successful startup founders and industry experts who will participate as Mentors. Booking for mentorship sessions will open closer to event day.

previous Participating Mentors

Saud Altassan

EFG Hermes

Saud Altassan

EFG Hermes

Saud has 18 years of experience in investment banking and has founded several business ventures, and is an active angel investor. He recently joined EFG Hermes KSA as CEO. Prior to that Saud was heading Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Saudi Arabia and before that was the CEO of Swicorp. EFG Hermes is playing an active role in advising tech startups with M&A and IPOs.

Noor Abu Jbara

The Tank by Umniah

Noor Abu Jbara

The Tank by Umniah

Noor is an Industrial Engineer and holds MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Currently, Noor is the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Supervisor at The Tank by Umniah. Also, she is the founder of SHEE, a hub for social, human, economic empowerment. Noor has more than 10 years’ experience. 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. She is an Entrepreneurship part-time Lecturer at AlHussein Technical University. Noor is passionate about research, as she published 2 conference papers in topics related to women’s economic empowerment and social entrepreneurship. She is the winner of the UK Alumni Award in Business and Innovation category for 2021.

Hasna Abdullah Alghamdi

Sport Talent

Hasna Abdullah Alghamdi

Sport Talent

Entrepreneur and founder of Sport Talent for sports marketing, talent and sports creativity specialist, Certified Professional Marketing Manager, holds an international license in entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship and investor pitch mentor at Brinc Accelerator - Kingdom of Bahrain

Yasmen Dehne

Google

Yasmen Dehne

Google

Yasmen is a Digital Growth consultant at Google and specialise in onboarding high potential businesses onto the Google growth program. She has an MSc in International Marketing from King's College London. She has previously worked as a various roles in the telecommunication and communication industry and has also worked as a business consultant and in Business Development for the Financial Times helping with growth in MENA.

Tameem Alhassan

Sukna Ventures

Tameem Alhassan

Sukna Ventures

Tameem is part of the investment team at Sukna Ventures. His main responsibilities include managing deal-level workflow, conducting due diligence, drafting investment memos, and presenting opportunities to the Investment Committee. His role also includes working closely with founders and developing periodic portfolio management reports.

Hatem Altariqi

SIP Global Partners

Hatem Altariqi

SIP Global Partners

Hatem is a cross-border strategic and venture capital investor with deep experience in technology and sustainability. Prior to joining SIP Global Partners, he worked as Head of Venture Capital Investment at Riyadh Valley Company, the investment arm of King Saud University where he was responsible for sourcing, due diligence, investments, investor relations and driving value-add for portfolio companies in the private and public sector. In this position, he also managed a portfolio of 19 international venture capital investments in the areas of healthcare & life sciences, information & communication technology and sustainable resources for international companies based across the US, Europe, and Asia.

Aaron Dupre

SALT - Recruitment

Aaron Dupre

SALT - Recruitment

Salt is the leading digital recruitment agency, connecting the best talent with businesses around the world. We are an award-winning global recruitment business with over 260 staff across 14 locations and 4 continents: Amsterdam, Auckland, Austin, Bristol, Cape Town, Dubai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne, New York, Singapore, Sydney and Toronto. We deliver outstanding candidates for digital roles across Consulting, Creative, HR, Marketing, Sales, and Technology, whilst our services range from single hires to covering complete outsourcing solutions involving business change. We invest in thought leadership events, advertising campaigns and intelligent targeting to identify game-changing candidates by their individuality and talent. Our consultants are true specialists, each covering a specialism in cutting-edge digital markets which enables them to build strong networks in their field and helps to find the right talent – locally or globally. Our clients range from global powerhouses to independently run start-ups, covering both agency and client side. We partner with our clients to find and place not only the best individual talent but also produce the most impressive and exciting digital teams across the globe. My core function is building top performing commercial teams, primarily across KSA. This will include but not limited to; Account Management, Sales, Business Development, Head of Sales, Country Managers, Commercial Directors & Sales Directors across Digital Media, Ad Tech, Martech, SaaS, Vendors, Technology & Cyber Security.

Alexandra Parr

Salt HR Consultancy

Alexandra Parr

Salt HR Consultancy

Salt is the largest digital recruitment agency in the UAE. A global powerhouse with a network that spans five continents, we're experts at connecting people and businesses within Creative, Operations (HR/Finance), Marketing, Sales, Technology and Senior Appointments. We partner with clients large and small on permanent placements, acquisition strategies, contractor solutions and building whole teams from scratch to achieve your goals and successfully launch in this market. Whatever and whoever you need to grow in the UAE - Salt can help.

Hasan Jad Traboulsi

Google

Hasan Jad Traboulsi

Google

Hasan Jad has more than 12 years of developing business & marketing strategies with a leading multinational across the Middle East. He has also launched, Rakmajeh his own startup before joining Google to lead the digital growth program in Middle East & Africa. Currently, Hasan consults many C-level executives on their digital growth plans including, revenue growth strategies, performance marketing, industry best practices and budget allocation. He is looking forward to sharing some insights on the latest trends in the Middle East.

Ayman Hamdan

Unifonic

Ayman Hamdan

Unifonic

My career has spanned the geographies of Gulf Countries, the Middle East, and North Africa. I played several roles and acquired various skills within different business entities, such as establishing companies and startups, including a spectrum of responsibilities such as being a shareholder, an executive director, a mentor, a manager, a trainer, and a consultant.

Muna Balhemar

Passioneurs

Muna Balhemar

Passioneurs

A passionate entrepreneur who works as creative consultant to many startups all over Saudi

Michael Golomb

Sukna Ventures

Michael Golomb

Sukna Ventures

A senior executive and company builder, with 25+ years of senior management experience across a broad spectrum of industries. His expertise has been successfully applied across verticals ranging from startups to large public corporations including telecom, blockchain, digital health, consumer electronics, manufacturing, software, and real estate among others. Key leader in two IPOs, multiple M&A transactions, and rapid business growth. In addition to his experience across multiple categories in raising equity though variety of public and private equity/debt instruments, as well as experience in handling complex M&A transactions, he also brings exceptional knowhow of global capital markets, compliance, and fintech.

Ibrahim Alshaya

Unifonic

Ibrahim Alshaya

Unifonic

Ibrahim is leading UnifonicX Venture Builder as part of the 100 million spin-off fund to create startups and support the SAAS industry in MENA

Khalifa Albarakati

UnifonicX

Khalifa Albarakati

UnifonicX

I have been working in the entrepreneurship scene since 2013 from angel investment angle, accelerators and incubators, bootcamps and hackathons.

Umaer Abid

Anker Innovations

Umaer Abid

Anker Innovations

An Enthusiastic Business Professional with 15 years of proven track record in Strategic planning, Brand management & development, Idea Validation, Product management, B2C & B2B marketing, Business strategy, Marketing mix modeling and Integrated marketing communication. Proficient in enabling startups to be Sustainable and Scalable.

Zuhair Shamma

Zest Equity

Zuhair Shamma

Zest Equity

Co-Founder at Zest Equity

Talal AlBakr

SCCC / AliBaba Cloud JV

Talal AlBakr

SCCC / AliBaba Cloud JV

Talal AlBakr, CEO of SCCC, has had a diverse experience in the market that exceeded 20 years in cloud, product management, ICT and sales. Talal held various leadership positions in many companies both national and international like Fujitsu, Dell EMC and solutions by Stc. He previously held the roles of VP digital solutions and VP of cloud services in solutions by stc and senior B2B advisor to the Group Chief Business Officer in stc. Talal is also an entrepreneur and has co-founded Embark Ventures, a venture builder studio which has launched a fintech; Data Insights Ltd. an Open Banking API Gateway provider (which Talal is a co- founder and also the chairman of the board). Data Insights operates in the SAMA sandbox after having achieved approval in September.

Reine Metlej

R-yen

Reine Metlej

R-yen

Ms. Reine Metlej is a civil & environmental engineer. Eng. Metlej is currently leading a global innovation ecosystem “InnovatorsGate” with direct cooperation with business and tech thought leaders and practitioners. She’s also the founder of R-yen (a startup that offers solutions within the renewable energy sector) and BIOwayste (a tech startup that provides machines converting organic waste into cooking gas and biofertilizer). Eng. Reine is also a business development and waste management consultant along with being a certified startups trainer; she delivers trainings and workshops for entrepreneurs with many NGOs in Lebanon. She’s also a women empowerment and impact advocate.

Ahmed Wazir Husain

VAST Marketing

Ahmed Wazir Husain

VAST Marketing

I have an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship and a BBA from Alfaisal University in Marketing therefore understand what challenges a startup may face in terms of launching their idea or getting the right marketing done for their businesses. An aspiring entrepreneur and marketer who is not only willing to take the extra step in achieving the set goals. Working with Marketing Agencies has exposed me to the regional market very well, which would help in building the right strategies for marketing campaigns.

Jose Burneo

Reinvance

Jose Burneo

Reinvance

Jose Burneo is a Co-funder and Growth Director at Reinvance. He focuses on boosting growth for Startups. Passionate about e-commerce and disruptive technologies. With 10+ years of Marketing experience in high-growth startups. He helps funders and business leaders build and grow sustainable businesses. His greatest talent is the ability to bring people together.

Fares Bardeesi

Sukna Ventures

Fares Bardeesi

Sukna Ventures

Fares has more than 20 years of professional experience including 7 years as an entrepreneur and business owner. Fares began his entrepreneurial journey in 2014 and founded Sukna Ventures; A Riyadh based investment company, which invests in high-growth transformational ventures, having total AUM of ~USD 60Mn. He led the launch of Sukna’s first Fund, a USD 50Mn MENA focused VC Fund, anchored by two Saudi sovereign funds.

Waleed Alballaa

Sukna Ventures

Waleed Alballaa

Sukna Ventures

Waleed is a General Partner at Sukna Ventures , and a veteran of the high-tech industry in the United States and Saudi Arabia. Waleed has deep expertise in sourcing and structuring technology deals and has a long track record of working closely with founders to help grow and expand their businesses. He is also a founding member of Riyadh Angel Investors, the Saudi VC/PE Association, the Saudi Business Analysis Association, and is a founding member of the eCommerce committee in the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce.

Maria F Garrido

Sukna Ventures

Maria F Garrido

Sukna Ventures

Maria is the Chief of Staff at Sukna Ventures, streamlining strategic initiatives, overseeing program management, and communicating across the organization. She brings over 10 years of local and international experience. During her years in consulting and retail she held responsibilities related to strategy, innovation, project management and process improvement areas.

Hussain Ali Almarhoon

Faisal S. Al Naimi Co. Ltd

Hussain Ali Almarhoon

Faisal S. Al Naimi Co. Ltd

HR expert with 16+ years in the field, suuporter for the SMEs to have solid relible admin and HR Operations.

Omar Munawer

Taajer

Omar Munawer

Taajer

Omar is an ambitious and well-organized growth-driven Business Development and Product Manager with over 10 years of experience growing revenue for various organizations. Passionate about developing new businesses and planning marketing strategies. Eager to boost and redefine KPIs. In previous roles, he has increased revenue by 33.5%, grown ROI by 63% YOY, and slashed yearly customer acquisition costs by 48%. If you catch him outside of work, He is a gym rat and fitness trainer for over 13 years!

Ibrahim Seksek

Startupbootcamp

Ibrahim Seksek

Startupbootcamp

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

Ricardo Osorio

Reinvance

Ricardo Osorio

Reinvance

Ricardo, Managing Director at Reinvance. He focuses on supporting entrepreneurs, and technologists to materialize their projects. His areas of expertise are business technology valuation and fundraising. Ricardo’s previous experience includes consulting and capital advisory in the following sectors: gaming, adtech, SaaS, edtech, commercialization of space technology, tech-enabled businesses, etc. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international business, a master’s degree in the same field and a master’s in financial markets and asset management. He is passionate about futuristic ideas that will change the way people live and interact.

Aiman Kabli

eleva8or

Aiman Kabli

eleva8or

Aiman holds a certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Stanford University. He is a serial entrepreneur and investor, with a diversified portfolio of technology startups including innovative web platforms and mobile apps. Aiman is passionate about enabling and supporting entrepreneurship culture and ecosystems around the world, and has co-founded the platform eleva8or.com which acts as a virtual accelerator for startups. Over the last decade he held numerous engagements as a mentor, speaker, judge, consultant, panelist, lecturer and coach in this field and advised hundreds of tech startups and investors, incubators/accelerators, sandboxes and other ecosystem entities.

Stefania Brunori

Stefania Brunori

Stefania Brunori

Stefania Brunori

Stefania Brunori is a Marketing Specialist , Wellbeing Entrepreneur and Business Coach with over 20 years international experience in managerial positions. Having worked in Europe and the Middle East, her core areas of expertise are Personal Branding, Brand Strategy, Digital/Social Media and Integrated Marketing Practice, developing and implementing solid strategies and marketing campaigns to facilitate companies and individuals expand beyond their limits. Originally from Europe, she has been working in the UAE for 13 years, both for multinational companies such as Teka and Nokia and Middle East leaders & SME corporations with regional reach. Her entrepreneurial career started in 2015, when she conceptualized and launched the Middle East's most complete website for Yoga & Meditation. Since then, she’s been working with Start-Ups, SMEs and Social Impact Entrepreneurs to enable their growth with the best practices of success. She provides Personal Branding & Business Coaching sessions and workshops too, where she brings together her expertise in Brand Strategy, Coaching and Growth Mindset techniques. She is also a Females Entrepreneur Mentor at the United Nations.

Hebah Zamzami

Merit Incentives

Hebah Zamzami

Merit Incentives

Hebah is a multifaceted, multicultural, people person with experience in setting up and supporting businesses. She brings a wealth of experience in working with companies for expansion and growth in MENA. She holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship and a member of the Misk Saudi Leadership Society

Khawlah M Fal

Merit Incentives

Khawlah M Fal

Merit Incentives

I am a passionate Saudi entrepreneur with deep expertise in SME consulting, sustainable entrepreneurship, project management, operations management, team leadership, financial modeling and building meaningful, trust-filled client relationships. Ex Country General Manager Joi Gifts. Currently, VP Operations and Business Excellence at Merit Incentives. Cofounder of Krooqi.com and Partner at XO Consulting.

Hamad Almuqbel

Lean Node

Hamad Almuqbel

Lean Node

CEO of Lean Node startup Studio, a venture builder and a product developer

Vaanathi Mohanakrishnan

M2P Solutions

Vaanathi Mohanakrishnan

M2P Solutions

A highly experienced banking and payments professional with extensive experience across the Middle East and Africa. She’s worked across verticals from product conceptualization to growth and P&L management. She has worked expansively with fintechs across the region and her pulse of the market combined with a deep understanding of regulations across the region allows the fintechs to greatly benefit in terms of how to take a product to market and make a business out of it. She is committed to the cause of women entrepreneurship and leadership particularly and evangelizes the cause of women inclusion and diversity for long term sustainability.

Abed Almalki

Falak Investment Hub

Abed Almalki

Falak Investment Hub

Young professional with leadership and operations excellence skills, have background in Industrial & Systems Engineering, expert in accounts and projects management. Expert in leading company's operations with excellence, expert in setup & advising international startups to effectively access KSA market.

Mazen Fekry

INETWORK Middle East

Mazen Fekry

INETWORK Middle East

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.

Pakiza Abdulrahman

Startup Grind

Pakiza Abdulrahman

Startup Grind

Pakiza is a digital transformation expert with specialization in the enablement of investors to grow, sustain, and transition their business into a digital-first enterprise, advising introductions of and amendments to existing public policies to accommodate a thriving digital economy. With an extensive background in Product Development, Enterprise Marketing, Corporate Sustainability & Entrepreneurship within the telecommunications industry, Pakiza joined the EDB in 2017 to head the newly established Startups division, aimed at attracting new and building existing technology-based innovative startups to Bahrain through a multi-stakeholder initiative. With further interest in the sustenance of investments, Pakiza was then appointed Head of Investor Aftercare for the Logistics, Manufacturing and Real Estate sectors. While many industries were struggling to thrive globally between 2020-2021, her trusted counsel and strategies were able to attract over 800mil USD in re-investments across various sectors under her care. Pakiza is a member of the Technology & Digital Economy Committee at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce. Contributing to Pakiza's strengths is her extensive network of contacts across international borders, including and not limited to startup founders, diplomats, government officials, and philanthropists, both mentors and mentees, with whom she engages frequently to consult on various matters. A frequent public speaker at both private and government lead events in Bahrain and abroad including Web Summit in Lisbon and GEN Policy in Estonia, she is currently also the Country Director for Startup Grind (Silicon Valley based global network of startups, investors, and mentors). She was a founding Board Member of GEN Bahrain, Google Developers Group Manama (The local chapter certified by Google to build local tech skills) and is currently an Advisor to the Board of WOMEN IN TECH Bahrain. Pakiza holds an Executive MBA from Duke University – USA and most recently completed her Level 7 certificate in Digital Transformation and Leadership in the Times of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Chaos and Ambiguity) from Babson University. She is an IVLP alumnae; the International Visitor Leadership Program for an Open, Reliable & Diverse Digital Economy) funded by the State Department.