Speakers
H.E Dr. Sahar Nasr
Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, Egypt
Her Excellency Dr. Sahar Nasr was sworn in as the Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation on February 16, 2017 and reappointed on June 14, 2018. Dr. Nasr reformed the Ministry, including by establishing a unit for monitoring and evaluation and a policy development and strategic planning unit to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Egypt. She coordinates the National Committee for the Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and also serves as Governor of Egypt to several international institutions, including the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Dr. Nasr earned her Professorship from the Supreme Council of Universities. She is a Professor of Economics at the American University in Cairo and a Lecturer at several Egyptian and foreign universities. She published over 60 research papers, technical reports and books in the fields of international finance, economic development, private sector and SME development, and women empowerment, among others. Her Excellency was awarded the 2015 prize of the most influential woman in the Arab economic sector.
Dr. Mohamed Megahed
Deputy Minister of Education & Technical Education, Egypt
Dr. Mohamed Megahed was a distinguished professor in the Department of Mechanics at Cairo University at the Faculty of Engineering, before assuming his position at Deputy Ministry of Education & Technical Education. In 2016, Dr. Megahed received a “National Recognition Award” in the field of advanced technological sciences. He has served as the head of both the Technological Institute for Technical Education in Fayoum and the Education Development Fund and is known for his work to improve the social and public image of technical education and develop the student assessment system.
H.E. Mr. Mostafa M. Khaled
Governor of Luxor, Egypt
H.E. Mr. Mostafa M. Khaled is the Governor of Luxor. Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy General Attorney in Beni Suef and Minia, and Court President and Counsellor and Head of Appeal. H.E. Mr. Khaled received his Bachelor’s Degree in Law in 1976.
Eric Oechslin
Director a.i., International Labour Organization Country Office Egypt
Eric Oechslin is a French economist holding a postgraduate certificate in mathematical economy and econometrics from the Pantheon-Assas University (Paris). He had worked for more than 13 years as Senior Adviser for Europe at the International Organization of Employers (IOE), the largest business organization dealing with labour and social issues. He managed projects for the Western Balkans on social dialogue and on employment. He also was the organizer of the IOE European Meeting, which brings together, national European employers’ organizations. He was the IOE Sherpa for the G20 in France.
In 2012, he joined the ILO as Senior Specialist for Employers’ Activities for the North African region. He has been in charge of providing technical and political support to employers’ organizations from 12 countries. Under his leadership, human resources academies were established in Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia and, soon, in Morocco. In June 2018, he has been appointed Director a.i. of the ILO Office in Cairo.
Solveig Schuster
Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Canada to the Arab Republic of Egypt
Solveig Schuster is Canada’s Head of Cooperation in Egypt, based at the Embassy of Canada in Cairo. A lawyer by training, Ms. Schuster brings a wealth of experience in development policy and programming from her 20 + years at ex-CIDA and her various assignments in the Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Partnership and Multilateral branches. She has served as Head of Cooperation in New Delhi, Deputy Director in Jakarta and First Secretary in Islamabad and Moscow. Prior to joining government, Ms. Schuster spent 10 years in the private sector as a trade, business and human rights lawyer in Ottawa, Canada.
Jean-Marie Moreau
Head of the Human and Social Development Section of the European Union Delegation to the Arab Republic of Egypt
Jean-Marie Moreau is an Official of the European Commission with more than 20 years of professional experience in field of management of EU external aid programmes including through three postings in EU Delegations, Hungary and Croatia before accession to the EU, and now Egypt. Mr. Moreau developed extended expertise on HRD, employment and social inclusion programmes, measures and issues.
Ahmed Osman
President Elect of the International Council for Small Business
Ahmed Osman is the President Elect of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), the world’s oldest and largest non-profit organization devoted to small businesses internationally. He is the first Arab and African elected to this position since ICSB’s establishment in 1955.
Ahmed is also a Project Management Advisor for several Government and private sector organizations in Egypt. He holds both a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering with Honors and a Masters Degree in Engineering and Management from the University of Birmingham, UK, and is a certified Project Management Professionalfrom the Project Management Institute, USA. He is also the Founder and CEO is of a Project and Facility Management firm in Egypt – CHROME. Ahmed has been instrumental in the launch of the Egypt Entrepreneurship Summit and Nawah Social Entrepreneurship Competition. He is currently working on the development of the Middle East & North Africa’s first GEN Branded Entrepreneurship & Innovation Hub at Bloomfields, East Cairo.
Dr. Ahmed Shalaby
Managing Director, Tatweer Misr
Dr. Ahmed Shalaby supervises the day to day management of the Tatweer Misr as Managing Director and Founding Member of its Board of Directors, including the business development and the strategic planning for Tatweer Misr’s major projects. In addition to his work with Tatweer Misr, Dr. Shalaby is also a Professor of Architecture and Urban Development at the Department of Architectural Engineering at Cairo University, Egypt and a non-voting Board Member at the International Council for Small Businesses (ICSB). Dr. Shalaby has over a decade of experience in the development and management of major real estate portfolios in Egypt, working with Al Fawares Holding and the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure, and Urban Communities as a Technical Advisor to the Minister. Dr. Shalaby holds a Degree in Architectural Engineering, which he received in 1993 as well as a Ph.D. in Urban Planning, which he received in 2003 through a joint program between Cairo University, Egypt and Cornell University, USA.
Amal Mowafy
Chief Technical Advisor, International Labour Organisation Country Office Egypt
Amal Mowafy is Chief Technical Advisor at the International Labour Organization (ILO), managing the ILO/Canada flagship project on Decent Jobs for Egypt’s Young People (DJEP). She works with the Government and the people of Egypt to deliver results implementing policies at national, governorate and community levels. She oversees large-scale interventions that tackle the supply, intermediation, and demand aspects of the labour market to achieve decent work for all and advance the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Ms. Mowafy is an Egyptian development professional with 20 years of experience. She has completed course work for a PhD in Public Administration at Cairo University, Faculty of Economics and Political Science. She holds two degrees with highest honours from the American University in Cairo: an MPA with a specialization in international organizations (on a merit scholarship) and B.A. in Economics.
Amina Khafaga
International Cooperation Specialist, National Training Academy, Egypt
Amina Khafaga is an International Cooperation Specialist at the National Training Academy. She used to be an English teaching specialist at the British Project at Al-Azhar University and the Ministry of Defense Languages Institute. Amina was able to integrate the knowledge of creativity and innovation for the first time in the English curriculum, so that students were able to come up with new ideas for their future. Thereupon, five students started their projects after graduation. This result drove her towards getting an indepth knowledge in the entrepreneurship and leadership; therefore, she applied for Rowad 2030. She strongly believes that learning entrepreneurship will enhance her ability in establishing and running her own business in addition to achieving her aspiration of promoting the culture of innovation and self-employment among the Egyptian high-schoolers and university students.
Amira Dawoud
Private Sector Engagement Manager, TVET Reform Programme, Egypt
Amira Dawoud is the Private Sector Engagement Manager and Acting Manager for the Transition to Employment thematic area in the Support to the TVET Reform Programme in Egypt. She has started working in the development sector since 2003. Since 2009 Amira has worked on the TVET reform focusing on career development and employability skills for Agricultural Secondary schools all over Egypt. From 2012 till Feb 2016 Amira has managed the capacity building component in a regional World Bank project. Amira has conducted around 60 training workshops and events on the regional level to mainstream the application of participatory civic engagement for enhancement of public service delivery and budget transparency. Amira has joined the TVET Egypt programme in Feb 2016. Amira has obtained a bachelor degree in English Literature from the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University in 2002 and is currently enrolled in an MBA in Global Management in ESLSCA Business School.
Amr Abouelazm
Chairman & Co-Founder of Tamweely MicroFinance, Egypt
Amr Abouelazm is the Chairman & Co-founder of Tamweely MicroFinance company. Tamweely is a Microfinance company comprising NI Capital, Ayadi & Post For Investment. Previously Mr. Abouelazm was the Vice Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Tanmeyah Micro Enterprise Services. Mr. Abouelazm is a board member of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and President of the Middle East Council for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (MCSBE). He is a Board Member and Member of the restructuring committees of Nasser Social Bank. Mr. Abouelazm is also a board member of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (MSMEDA). Mr. Abouelazm has accumulated 25 years of experience in banking, finance, economic development and investment finance and is recognized as a leading thinker and executive in these fields in Egypt. Mr. Abouelazm holds a B.A in Economics from the American University in Cairo in 1993 and an AUC Masters Degree in Development specializing in Commercialization and Development of Micro Enterprises in 2004.
Dr. Atef El Shabrawy
Founder, Social Innovation Expert, Bahrain
Dr. Atef El Shabrawy is a global entrepreneurship and innovation leader. Founder of www.socialinnovationexpert.com, SDG’s experts at UNDP, International Board Member at World Startup Festival. He was CEO of Family Bank, Social Development advisor to Bahrain Government, Manager at Bahrain Development Bank, Director at Egyptian incubator association-SFD, advisor to Centennial Fund in KSA, partner at AlMaali Islamic finance UAE. Awarded by Social Innovation Leader Awards-India, the prize of Mohammed Bin Rashid-UAE, the International Research Award-Bahrain, the AUGC Young Researchers – France. He holds a Ph.D and a D.E.A from L’institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine (INPL) – France and BSc. from Cairo University – Egypt, certificates in HR, finance and innovation from UK, USA, China, France. He registered the “Social Innovation Labs®” using Design Thinking and Behavioral Economic in public and social innovation.
Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy
Executive Director, International Council for Small Business
Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy is the Executive Director of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), the oldest and largest non-profit organization across the globe devoted to advancing small business research and practices with affiliated organization in over 70 countries. Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy is currently an Associate Teaching Professor of Management at the George Washington University’s School of Business. He was awarded Most Outstanding Faculty voted by students in 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011. Dr. El Tarabishy created and managed the Global Entrepreneurship Research and Policy Conference (GWOctober.org) that is hosted at the George Washington University. The GW October conference connects the latest and most cutting edge of entrepreneurship research to the most pressing and important national and international policy to promote entrepreneurship and SMEs. Dr. El Tarabishy recently published the book “Information Technology for Small Business – Managing the Digital Enterprise”.
Charles H. Matthews, Ph.D.
Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, University of Cincinnati, USA
Dr. Charles Matthews is an internationally recognized scholar and innovative teacher in the field of entrepreneurship. His teaching and research interests include: strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, startup financing, leadership and decision making. He is publishing in leading field journals and has co-authored several books on entrepreneurship and innovation. An award-winning teacher, Dr. Matthews has taught over 5,000 students ranging from freshmen to doctoral students to executives. He has facilitated over 500 faculty-guided, student-based field case studies; served as a consultant to numerous organizations; and has entrepreneurial and family business experience in the automotive, photographic, and real estate industries. Dr. Matthews was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Vilnius, Lithuania, 2018, and has served as a delegate on entrepreneurship development in China, the former Soviet Union (including Russia, Latvia, and Estonia), studied at the University of Antwerp, was honored to receive a Malone Fellowship for study in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He has taught at universities in China, Singapore, Egypt, and Lithuania.
Christophe Malherbe
Team leader, MiSMESIS project, European Union Delegation to Egypt
Christophe Malherbe is the team leader of MiSMESIS, an EU-project accompanying the development of the entrepreneurship culture as well as MSMEs in Egypt. Entrepreneurship issues are addressed in close partnership with the MSME Development Agency, with the MTI and any stakeholders of the innovation ecosystem. Recently, Christophe played a leading role in the design of the EU-Innovation call for proposals and of the EU-value chain SME financing schemes. For year, he focuses on the Mediterranean basin where he started as venture capitalist, creating the first VC fund on the continent and the first private equity fund in Egypt.
Dr. Deborah MacLellan
President of the University of Canada, Egypt
Dr. Deborah MacLellan is currently the President of the University of Canada. She previously was a Full Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Canada where she taught a variety of courses in the Department of Applied Human Sciences for almost 30 years. Dr. MacLellan served as Department Chair for nine years and Dean of Science for almost five years. She also served on the Board of Directors of Dietitians of Canada for three years, one of those as Board Chair. Prior to coming to the University of Canada, Dr. MacLellan served as Co-Chair of the UPEI Strategic Planning Committee working with a variety of stakeholders to renew UPEI’s strategic plan.
Dina Sherif
CEO & Co-Founder, Ahead of the Curve, Egypt
Dina Sherif is committed to building sustainable societies through the application of a more ‘conscious’ form of capitalism which is why she founded Ahead of the Curve (ATC) in 2012. ATC is a social enterprise promoting responsible & sustainable management practices and the development of socially innovative business models. As CEO, Dina is responsible for business strategy and business development, as well as overseeing all research related activities within the firm. Dina formerly held the endowed Willard Brown Chair for International Business at the American University in Cairo. Dina was given the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Egypt, by the American Chamber of Commerce in 2016, was chosen as one of 10 United Nations Global Compact Sustainable Development Goal Pioneers, and was most recently named as one of the top 50 most influential women by the Amwal Al Ghad Magazine. Dina currently serves as a member of the Board of EducateMe and Ruwwad
both based in Egypt.
Dragan Radic
Head of the Small and Medium Enterprises Unit, International Labour Organization, Switzerland
Dragan Radic is the Head of the Small and Medium Enterprises Unit (SME) of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The unit works on improving the business environment, delivering entrepreneurship education and training, integrating small entrepreneurs into local and global value chains, and upgrading SME productivity and working conditions. Dragan, in the course of his 20 years professional international career, gained extensive experience in the area of business management, strategic planning, advocacy and policy work, leadership, coaching and capacity building around the world. He held various senior positions including ILO’s Senior Specialist in Employer’s Activities, Chief Executive Officer of Accuro Health Insurance in New Zealand and Business Services Manager of New Zealand Nurses Organisation. He has lived and worked in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. He holds a Master in Business Administration Degree with distinction from New Zealand and a Bachelor’s Degree with honours in Psychology from Croatia.
Effat El-Shooky
Technical Director, Women Business Development Centre, National Council for Women, Egypt
Ms. Effat El-Shooky is the Technical Director of the Women Business Development Centre, affiliated to the National Council for Women-NCW in Egypt. She is the National Project Director of the Women to Work (W2W) National Egyptian Project; and the Founder of the Community-Based Knowledge Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Initiative-CKI&SE». Ms. Effat El Shooky is a renowned expert in the Information and Communication Technology field and holds various leadership positions in development advisory and executive bodies, including the Board of Directors of the UN e-Content World Summit Award, as Advisor to the Minister of Communication and Information Technolog (MCIT) and as National Project Director of the UNDP-MCIT project Empowering and Connecting the Community through ICT. Ms. El Shooky was instrumental in initiating, activating and coordinating the Finnish-Egyptian Partnership Initiatives, Programs and Projects in the ICT field and was awarded the Decoration of First Class Finnish Knight – Order of the Lion of Finland by the President of Finland in 2008.
Eman Omran
Sustainable Economic Growth Program Team Leader, Canadian Embassy to the Arab Republic of Egypt
Eman Omran has 35 years of experience in development cooperation in general, of which the last 25 years has been working with the Development Section Canadian Embassy to the Arab Republic of Egypt. She currently is the Sustainable Economic Growth (SEG) Program Team Leader in Egypt. In addition, she is the Chair of the SEG Synergy Group with the mandate to promote collaboration and coordination between Canada’s investments in Egypt and other international partners, donor funded projects, Government of Egypt and the private sector. She is also the Chair of the M/SME Donor –Sub-group, along with GIZ, for policy and donor coordination. Her portfolio includes policy dialogue, coordination with international and national partners, project management and integrating the cross cutting themes of gender and environment in the sustainable economic growth projects funded by Canada in Egypt.
Dr. Eric Liguori
Executive Director, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Rowan University, USA
Dr. Eric Liguori sits at the national forefront of entrepreneurship education. In addition to serving as the Rohrer Chair of Entrepreneurship and Executive Director of Rowan’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, he is the youngest person ever elected to serve as President of the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the largest academic organization dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship education. In 2016 he was recognized as the ASBE’s Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year. Liguori’s work has been published in leading outlets including Journal of Management, Journal of Small Business Management. He is the lead author of The Start-up Student: Practical Advice on how to succeed as a Student Entrepreneur, Co-Editor of the Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, Executive Editor of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, and Associate Editor at Journal of Small Business Management. His work has been featured in media outlets including USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, Forbes.com, and BuzzFeed.
Eugene Cornelius
Senior Advisor, US Small Business Administration & Director of International Trade, ICSB, USA
Eugene Cornelius is the Senior Advisor to the Office of International Trade at the US Small Business Administration (SBA). He is currently on a year detail to the International Council of Small Business (ICSB), located at George Washington University, Washington, DC. He is responsible for the design, development, and delivery of the ICSB Global program called the 10×10 Program between the United States and ten allied countries around the world that are interested in learning best practices on how to establish small business support agencies. Prior to his current position, he successfully set up and organised the newly formed Office of International Trade at SBA. Before joining SBA, Mr. Cornelius was the Director of Business Services for the Los Angeles Community College District in
California — the largest community college system in the United States, the Senior Administrative Officer for the City of Redondo Beach, California, and the Risk Manager for the Compton Unified School District in Compton, California.
Fadi Jundi
President & COO, NOOR Telecom, Egypt
Fadi Jundi has over 18 years of experience in overseeing ISPs and green field IT projects, managing their operations, path to profitability and eventual strategic exit. Since 2014, He currently manages NOOR Group one of the prominent ISPs in Egypt alongside its incubator NOOR Cube. He has carried research on the impact of information & communication technologies on labor input in Egypt. Mr. Jundi has held several key positions managing dot com startups, content & e-commerce portals, and high speed internet access provisioning. Mr. Jundi oversaw the acquisition of TheWay-Out HSIA arm by British Morgane and managed the acquisition of the WiFi local Hotspots in Egypt by Orascom Telecom. His education and experience provides him with the entrepreneurial fluidity needed to successfully manage emerging companies. He serves as an Advisory Board Member for several start-ups in Egypt.
Dr. Ghada Khalil
Director of the Technical Office & Director of Rowad 2030 Project, Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform, Egypt
Dr. Ghada Khalil obtained her Ph.D. from Complutense University of Madrid in International Relations. She is presently the Director of the Technical Office of the Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform as well as the Director of the Rowad 2030 project. Rowad 2030 is a national entrepreneurship initiative created under the umbrella of Egypt’s National Vision 2030.
Rowad 2030 aims to create a scientific community capable of adopting innovative thinking and supporting the Egyptian Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. Prior to joining the Ministry, Dr. Khalil worked at UNWTO for more than 5 years at the Regional Programme for the Middle East (based in Madrid). Previously, she was Head of External Relations and Communication at Nexos Alianza (UNAOC) for more than 8 years. Dr. Khalil is also, Member of the Board of Directors of the International Union for Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Education (ADIC).
Eng. Hala El Shahed
Manager of TVET– Education Sector for International Projects and Grants, Misr ElKheir Foundation
Eng. Hala El Shahed is the acting Manager of TVET– Education Sector for International Projects and Grants at Misr ElKheir Foundation. She holds a BSc in Architectural Engineering from Cairo University and a Masters in Aesthetics of Urban Environmental Islamic Architecture. Her professional experiences stretch from positions in marketing and advertising to design and architecture. Her diverse experiences also include project management, accounting, and executive positions. Highly motivated to make a difference, Hala has always been a key team player. Only five years ago, she re-oriented her career towards the development sector. Her work experiences throughout the years, especially at Misr Elkheir Foundation, have reinforced her interests in the area of entrepreneurship promotion. Hala is also an executive manager at her family owned business.
Hassan Mansi
Program Director, Start Egypt, Flat6labs
Hassan Mansi, is an entrepreneur who co-founded training and consultancy firms in Egypt and UAE. Coming from an engineering and business background, he managed several organizational development projects using the Lean Six Sigma methodology as well as organizational re-structure for a wide variety of clients, featuring financial institutions, across different countries in the region. He also headed the Youth Committee at Alexandria Business Association, providing training for young entrepreneurs; supported the entrepreneurial movement in the city of Alexandria by collaborating with international programs featuring USAID and others enabling access to finance for local start-ups. Last year he received his MSc in Technology Commercialization from McCombs School of Business – Austin, Texas, USA, and he holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering & Management from the Arab Academy for Science & Technology.
Dr. Hisham Danana
Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) at the American University in Cairo, Egypt
Dr. Hisham Dinana has over 30 years of professional and academic experience in strategy, marketing, information technology, and hi-tech manufacturing. He is a Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) at the American University in Cairo and has taught MBA & DBA courses in Strategic, International Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Arab Academy for Science & Technology. His research agenda focuses on Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship & SMEs Marketing and the use of the Internet-of-Things & Analytics. Through his various managerial positions and his consultancy work in the USA, Europe and the Middle East, his experience and expertise evolved to cover a wide spectrum of business and technical areas.
Mr. Hossam El Gendy
Public Relations Specialist, The Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board, Egypt
Hossam El Gendy specialized in events planning and organizing conferences, workshops and media and familiarization trips for key partners in the tourism industry. From an early age, Hossam has shown great interest in meeting new people and knowing about other cultures. This was the main driver for him to work in tourism industry and in the area of PR and Marketing. Hossam aspires to create a change in his life and the life of others through exploring different issues and working with others to come up with better solutions to those issues. A turning point in his life was the day when he was awarded a scholarship for a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management which will not only provide him with the theoretical framework of entrepreneurship but also will bring great opportunities to turn his ideas into real world solutions to development challenges.
Hossam Farid Hassanein
Advisor to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Egypt
Hossam Farid has a proven executive management track record and over than 18 years of experience driving remarkable growth in the industrial sector. He serves in various leadership positions, including at the Allweiler Farid pumps Co., International Castings and Modern Industries and the Sons of Farid Hassanein Co. He is an advisor to the Minister for MSME’s & Entrepreneurship at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, a board member of the Federation of Egyptian Industries. Previously, he served as Chairman and Secretary General of the Egyptian Junior Business Association. Hossam earned his BSc degree of Business Administration from RICHMOND University London, UK and about to finish his masters in International Business Administration MIBA from ESLSCA University in Paris, France.
Imran Shams
Accelerate Prosperity Manager, Aga Khan Development Network, Pakistan
Imran Shams has more than 10 years of experience in commercial banking, microfinance, market development and development finance in United Kingdom, Central, South Asia, & Africa. He has 7 years of experience with AKDN in South & Central Asia. He has worked at Habib Bank in Pakistan, HSBC in the UK, Microfinance in Central Asia and Aga Khan Rural Support Program in Pakistan as the head of its economic portfolio. Currently, he is the Country Manager and Regional Team Leader of Accelerate Prosperity in Central and South Asia. He holds a Masters degree from the University College London
(UCL), UK and is a Certified Trainer of the IFC, a Certified Microfinance specialist of Asian Development Bank. He has also received executive education from Tufts University (Digital Finance) and Harvard Business School (Impact Financing).
H.E. Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghafar Ismail Farag
President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Egypt
His Excellency Prof. Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghafar Ismail Farag is the President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport since October 2011. In acknowledgment of his leading and pioneering role in the region, he was selected as a Member of the Board Council of the World Maritime University (WMU), affiliated to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN specialised agency. Moreover, he serves as the Head of the League of Arab States official delegation to the IMO Council, the Head of the Technical Committee for Developing Maritime Education, IMO. He is a Member of the Board Council of Arab Ministers of Transportation and a Member of the Board Council of Arab Ministers of Economics, League of Arab States. Moreover, he holds various others leadership positions. Dr. Ismail is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and has acquired his Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering in 1989 from George Washington University, USA. He served as the Director & Dean of the Egyptian Military Technical School (MTC) from 2009- 2011.
Dr. Joel Bloom
President, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), USA
Dr. Joel Bloom started his career in industry working as an economist. He subsequently became an educator and administrator for the New York City public schools. In July 1990, Dr. Bloom began his career at NJIT, New Jersey’s public polytechnic university, as a vice president. He was responsible for growing the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) enrolments. As president since 2011, using the “Vision 2020 Strategic Plan” as a guide, Dr. Bloom and his team have added a million square feet of teaching and research facilities to NJIT’s campus, appointed 120 new faculty, and grown research expenditures from less than $80 million to over $140 million. Dr. Bloom is the incoming chair of the New Jersey President’s Council. He was recently named “Educator of the Year” by the New Jersey R&D Council. Dr. Bloom holds a master’s degree and a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Dr. Jon Larson
President, Ocean Country College, USA
Dr. Jon H. Larson became the fourth President of Ocean County College on 1 August 2000. An enthusiastic and innovative leader, Dr. Larson›s vision for Ocean County College›s future includes making Ocean County College the technology hub of Ocean County, and reaching out to the community. Over the years Dr. Larson has held both teaching and administrative positions. Previously, he was President of Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, PA. Previously and also served as Vice President for Administration/Dean of Institutional Services at Frederick Community College in Frederick, Maryland. An experienced writer and an articulate speaker, Dr. Larson has had more than two dozen articles published. Throughout his career, Dr. Larson has taken a number of leadership roles in education including Pennsylvania’s Advisory Board of the state›s 15 community colleges and 12 state universities. Dr. Larson holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Administration from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Katia Passerini
Dean of the College of Professional Studies at St. John’s University, USA
Dr. Katia Passerini is Dean of the College of Professional Studies at St. John’s University, where she also holds a Professor appointment in the Division of Computer Science. Prior to joining St. John’s, she was Professor and Hurlburt Chair of MIS and Dean of the Albert Dorman Honors College at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She holds MBA and PhD degrees from the George Washington University. Prior to academia, she worked as a management consultant in the automotive and telecom industries. Her research spans knowledge management, entrepreneurship education, technology management and computer-supported learning. She has published over a hundred peer-reviewed journal and conference proceedings articles and has received numerous teaching, research, and service recognitions.
Dr. Khaled Habib
CEO at Fit for Life For Sustainable Development, Egypt
Dr. Khaled Habib is the CEO at Fit for Life for Sustainable Development. He is a senior management and human resources executive as well as a well-rounded academic, enjoying a rich profile of regional and global expertise, with a proven track record in organization design, development, change and performance management, as well as restructuring, talent management and executive leadership coaching. He has been nominated by the Egyptian presidency to design and be a core member of the steering committee for the Presidential Leadership Program aimed at identifying, developing and qualifying Egyptian youth to take senior and critical positions in the government and public sector. Khaled graduated from Cairo University with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, and received his MBA certificate with highest honors from the Arab Academy in Egypt (2001). He has been honored by acquiring his doctorate degree in management from Edinburgh Business School, with a new grounded theory on managing conflict in matrix organizations in growth markets in 2015.
Dr. Khaled Hegazy
Professor and Acting Dean of the School of Business & Finance at New Giza University, Egypt
Dr. Khaled Hegazy is currently Professor and Acting Dean/Associate Dean of the School of Business & Finance at New Giza University. Professor Hegazy’s recent academic research works include strategy management and execution, strategic and entrepreneurial finance, risks in financial institutions and Islamic finance. Dr. Hegazy has also extensive experience in financial and management advisory, and is a registered Consultant with the World Bank in Egypt and a founding partner of Crowe Hegazy, a member firm of Crowe International, and registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board – PCAOB – USA. Dr. Hegazy has been awarded the Fulbright’s Commission Senior Scholar Scholarship, and has been a Visiting Professor at Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois USA). Dr. K. Hegazy graduated from the Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and holds a Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics & Political Sciences, University of London.
Laila Hosni
Head of CSR and Sustainable Development at ALEXBANK, Egypt
Laila Hosni is the Head of CSR and Sustainable Development at ALEXBANK, the Intesa Sanpaolo group’s subsidiary in Egypt. She is currently tasked with the development of the bank’s multi-faceted approach to sustainable business, community investment and creating shared value. In 2016, she founded the “Ebda3 Men Masr” (Inspiration from Egypt) initiative which has changed the landscape of the Egyptian handicrafts industry and has empowered thousands of craftsmen via financing, training and consultancy. She is also a member of the Federation of Egyptian Banks Sustainability Committee in addition to serving as an advisor to many NGOs and Corporations on how to enhance their community investment programs. As a student, she was an advocate for Egyptian street children, launching several key projects in this field. Laila holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from the American University in Cairo where she specialized in Sociology and Psychology.
Eng. Magdy Wahba
Independent Senior Entrepreneurship Expert
Eng. Magdy Wahba obtained his diploma in the field of project appraisal from IDA, Dublin, Ireland, in 1978/1979 after an Engineering degree (BEng) in 1974. Until 1994 he worked with international agencies in the field of Engineering Management (incl. UNIDO, ITAP-USAID, ECEP-USAID, Royal Netherlands Embassy, and EU). He represented the Government of Egypt in a twining project with the National Association for Adults Vocational Training, France (AFPA) from 1996 till 2005. Before joining the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as an International Professional Officer in 2013, he worked as an ILO National Coordinator for the entrepreneurship education programme “Know about Business” in 2008 and Horticulture Value Chain Project in Upper Egypt in 2012. In 2005, He established KIROMAG – Consulting and Human Development, a service provider in the field of entrepreneurship training programs for Intilaqaha-Egypt, Shell Live Wire International, PLAN International and African Development Bank. He worked since 2005, as National Senior Expert in TVET-EU, a joint project with EU. He published several working papers and articles on entrepreneurship education and training. He works now, as a Senior Expert for ILO Cairo Office and TVET-EU Project.
Mahmoud El Zohairy
CEO, EFG-EV Fintech, Egypt
Prior to joining EFG-EV Fintech, Mahmoud worked as a Senior Economist at the Minister of Investment and International Cooperation’s office. Before that he was Project Manager at Finance and Banking Consultants International (FinBi). His work includes establishing the Egypt Entrepreneurship Platform (Fekretak Sherketak), setting up Egypt Ventures (a Government back VC fund), providing technical assistance to start-ups and formulating strategies for change management. Mahmoud has more than 8 years of work experience in Strategic Planning and Implementation, Finance, Economic Research and International Economic Development. He graduated with a double major in Economics and International Business, holds an MBA from Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh, passed his level 1 CFA examination and graduated the Oxford University Fintech program.
Mai Emam
CEO and Co-Founder, Hommect, Egypt
Mai Emam is CEO and Co-Founder of Hommect, an online outsourcing platform that aims to fill the gap between homeowners and interior designers. Hommect it offers homeowners all the help they need in one place through a website and mobile app. It supports users in organizing the entire process of interior design: starting from picking the right designer to receiving homes fully furnished. Hommect was one of the winners at Injaz Egypt startup competition 2016 and Upscale competition at Techne
Summit 2015 and Women in IT from ITIDA and was incubated by TIEC during 2017/2018. Maii is also a part-time teaching assistant at Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, she worked as an architect and project engineer for 3 years at Oman. She graduated from Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, with a bachelor degree in architecture in 2012, and has a master’s degree in architectural education since 2018.
Marwa Zaki
Board Member and Secretary General at Egyptian Society of Actuariest, Financial Regulatory Authority, Egypt
Marwa Zaki is an experienced Actuary with passion in identifying, assessing and managing risks facing various industries and organizations. With over ten years of experience working with insurance companies and regulators, she contributes to the financial withstanding of those entities and the insurance market as a whole and has a leading role in shaping the Actuarial Profession in Egypt. She is entrepreneurial at heart and aspires to start a consulting business that provides innovative risk management solutions to individuals and businesses. Pursuing a Masters in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management enables her to learn about innovation and how it can be used to boost businesses on a wider scale.
Massimiliano Vesci, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Business Management at University of Salerno, Italy
Dr. Massimiliano Vesci is an Associate Professor in Business Management at University of Salerno, Italy. He is member of the scientific committee and executive board of the library of the University of Salerno. He is also member of the LISA Lab (Laboratory on Innovation and Academic Spin Off) at the University of Salerno. His research interests focus on entrepreneurship, humane entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial behavior. His business experience includes management consulting and market research in the agri-food industry. He also gained expertise in consumer behavior, in destination management and in local development. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Small Business Management and also served as reviewer for several top ranked journals. He teaches Management and Project Management at the University of Salerno. He is also lecturer at the PhD programme in Big Data Management at the University of Salerno. He has been widely involved in the supervision of Master thesis and PhD dissertations across several research areas.
May ElBatran Ph.D.
Committee Deputy Chair, Communication & Information Technology Committee, House Of Representatives, Egypt
May ElBatran was elected on October 2015 to represent the district of Giza as an independent in the House of Representatives of Egypt. She was elected as Egypt’s youngest ever Chair of the Communication & Information Technology Committee and now serves as the deputy chair of the committee. Previously, May was Co-Founder & CEO of TMA Education Management, Investment & Development. TMA is the education company of the family group, and is the first in Egypt to be awarded the integrated quality management system. Dr. ElBatran served as the Academic Advisor and International Relations Officer of the High Institute for Specific Studies. She founded and is a board member of the Egyptian Federation for Electronic Games EFEG in 2010 which became a
member of the International Electronic Sports Federation IeSF. Dr. ElBatran acts as Vice President of the Middle East Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Board Member of the Egyptian Red Crescent. May received Ph.D. in technology health policy from Swansea University, Wales.
Mina William
CEO & Founder, Hall of Talents for Media Productions, Egypt
Mina William (Nano) is a 25 years entrepreneur and an electronics engineer graduate from the American University in Cairo. For the past year, he has been working as a freelancer producer and assistant director until founding his company Hall Of Talents for Media Productions. Through this company Nano is fulfilling his dream to combine his passion for both entrepreneurship and the entertainment industry through creating creative content that aims to educate the community and entertain it at the same time.
Eng. Mona El-Khodairy
Director and Co-Founder of EL Khodairy Company, Egypt
Mona Khodairy is the Director and co-founder of EL Khodairy Company. Mona earned her BSc degree in Civil engineering in 2011 from the faculty of engineering of Assiut University. Intrigued by the energy problems in her home town, Luxor, Mona was challenged to take a training course with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment where she was granted the opportunity to train other engineers in the same field because of her outstanding performance and innovativeness in the biogas concept. She has managed to reach over 40 villages in various governorates and worked in over 11 of the 27 Egyptian governorates. As director to the El-Khodairy Company, Mona has built over 300 biogas units across the country since the company’s launched. The philosophy behind her efforts is that every farmer no matter where they are or what they do should have access to a clean, safe and sustainable source of energy.
Dr. Nabil Shalaby
Chairman, Arab Entrepreneur House, Egypt
Dr. Nabil Shalaby is the founder and chairman at the Arab Entrepreneur House (ARENHO) Consulting Firm, Co-Founder of Delta Technopreneurs Association (DTA), Egypt and Adviser of Entrepreneurship & SMEs Capacity Building for 57 countries, members of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). He is the author of 31 books, and more than 40 research papers onSMEs development, entrepreneurship and engineering. He designed the first Egyptian Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Infograph (EEEI), which accommodates 214 supporting channels. He was selected by Entovation, USA as one of top 100 global entrepreneurship and innovation gurus. He writes periodical articles at Loghat Alasr Magazine, published by Al-Ahram, Entrepreneur International Magazine, Al-Watan and Al-Ahram newspapers. He has 30 years’ experience on fostering entrepreneurship, SMEs development and capacity-building programs. His expertise ranges from on-the-ground experience as a SMEs development consultant to serving as the Director of Mansoura University Technology Incubator. He holds a PhD degree in industrial engineering from Mansoura University, Egypt.
Nathalie Rainville
Senior Gender Equality Specialist, Global Affairs Canada
Nathalie Rainville is a Senior Gender Equality Specialist with Global Affairs Canada where she supports Canada’s programming efforts in Africa and in the Middle East. She has worked in international development for over a decade at Global Affairs Canada and has gained a variety of experiences addressing gender equality issues across a variety of sectors. This includes addressing women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan, sexual and gender-based violence in West and Central Africa and sustainable economic growth in Haiti. Her work in leading and implementing bilateral programming gave her an opportunity to gain concrete skills in gender equality analysis and advocacy, which resulted in her receipt in June 2017 of the Global Affairs Canada’s Deputy-Minister’s Award for Excellence in Advancing Gender Equality. Nathalie holds a Master Degree in International Development and Globalization from the University of Ottawa.
Nashwa Ghoneim
Ph.D. Candidate, Alexandria University, Egypt
Nashwa Ghoneim is a native of Egypt. In 2006, Ms. Ghoneim graduated from Alexandria University, Business Administration Department, where she was enrolled as a teaching assistant. She has obtained two masters’ degrees; the first in Public Policy and Administration from the American University in Cairo in 2012, and the second in Business Administration from Alexandria University in 2013. She is currently working as an assistant lecturer and a Ph.D. candidate at Alexandria University. She has extensive experience in research, academia, and international publications due to participating in international conferences, trainings, and seminars. She serves at the editorial board committees at a number of international journals. She got selected to the Egypt World Youth Forum in 2018 as a potential leading figure to represent Alexandria University.
Nehal Balbaa
Deputy Governor, El Behira Governorate, Egypt
Nehal Balbaa graduated from the faculty of dentistry at Alexandria University. She has been an endodontic specialist working in the national health insurance sector, after a working and volunteering as a dentist and for non-profit organisations. She participated in the free medical and dental convoys to rural areas of Egypt like Halayeb and Shalatin. Nehal also organised many scientific conferences and joined the presidential leadership program PLP 2016 and graduated 2017. She played an important role during the program as the head of Alexandria sector workshop which resulted in numerous recommendations to be applied in the sector. Recently she was accepted to the Rowad 2030 program where she aims to achieve her life time goal of developing an entrepreneurial mindset within the public sector through her career. Finally, she was sworn in as the deputy governor of El Behira Governorate in a nouvelle experiment to empower young Egyptians in leadership positions.
Nermine El-Tahri
Assistant Sub Governor, Central Bank of Egypt
Nermine El-Tahri, joined the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) in May 2016 since then she has been leading the CBE SME initiative with the local banks, private & public sector entities, local & international organizations and governmental ministries. Nermine returned to Egypt from the United Kingdom in 2007 and joined Banque du Caire as General Manager of Business Development and Marketing. During her tenure she has successfully contributed to the banks unsurpassed portfolio growth and profitability by revitalizing and launching new pioneering products, optimizing the existing infrastructure, maximizing employee effectiveness and enhancing customer satisfaction. Previously, Nermine worked for American Express in the United Kingdom and the Global Network Services group. Throughout her career Ms. El Tahri achievements have consistently been appreciated and recognized. She is the recipient of numerous diverse Global & European Awards by American Express for Business Development & Transformation, Outstanding Performance, Innovation and Customer Commitment. Nermine holds a BA in accounting and business administration from the Cairo University, equated from the University of Toronto.
Nevine Gamee
Executive Director Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Development Agency, Egypt
Nevine Gamee has over 30 years of professional experience in the banking sector. After graduation from Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University, in 1985, Nevine Gamee started her career in the National Bank for Development. In January 2005, Nevine Gamee joined Social Fund for Development (SFD) and contributed to the elaboration of the SFD’s first Credit Policy. In 2012, Ms. Gamee was promoted to Head of SFD’s Central Sector for Small Enterprise Finance. Ms. Gamee participated in the elaboration of the first investment and venture capital policy of the SFD, and contributed to the launching of the first funding programme targeting innovative entrepreneurs and creative enterprises.
Ms. Gammee worked her way up to the highest executive level and has been selected as SFD Managing Director in November 2016. Pursuant to the establishment of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), that replaced SFD and included other entities, she has been selected to be agencies first Executive Director.
Nour Hamdy
Economic Researcher, Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform, Egypt
Nour is an Economic Researcher at Rowad 2030 – Ministry of Planning. She coordiantes academic programs and national awareness campaigns to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt. With over seven years of experience in volunteerism and representing Egypt international conferences as well as speaking before African Presidents at the African Youth Forum, Nour built her way being an active member of her local and international communities, volunteering for Sustainable Development and working towards the achievement of MDGs and SDGs in Uganda, Thailand, China and Malaysia. With a BSc in Political Science, Nour aims to make a difference and encourage members of her country to become change makers. This is also why she wishes to be an active intrapreneur working towards empowering youth in providing solutions for a better society.
Nourhan Yakout
Founder of Youkout Limited, Egypt
Nourhan Yakout is the founder of Yakout Limited, she started her business in August 2016 in the United Kingdom after finishing her Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A) in Loughborough University, UK. Yakout is currently B2B model, working in the field of textiles, in designing and manufacturing upholstery and soft furnishing fabrics. Nourhan has been recognised by Loughborough University as one of the successful entrepreneurial case studies. Yakout now is being expanded to B2C targeting new customer segments and adding an online personalised and commerce tool.
H.E. Oh Joon
Professor of United Nations Studies, Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea
His Excellency Oh Joon is a professor of United Nations Studies at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea. He is also Chair of Save the Children Korea Board and a visiting professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management. He previously served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York from 2013 to 2016. During this time, he also served as the 71st President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). He is currently working with several civil society organizations focusing on the rights of persons with disabilities both in Korea and internationally, including with the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and Rehabilitation International (RI). Recently, he served as an Honorary Ambassador for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games held in Pyeongchang, Korea. The Government of the Republic of Korea awarded him an Order of Service Merit twice, in 1996 and 2006. Oh Joon received a Master’s degree in International Policy Studies from Stanford University (1991-92).
Dr. Olli Vuola
Head of Aalto Ventures Program, Aalto University, Finland
Dr. Olli Vuola is Head of Aalto Ventures Program (AVP), a strategic university-wide entrepreneurship education initiative at Aalto University, Finland. In five years, he has ramped up AVP from zero to more than 20,000 participants in its events and study trips, and to more than 3,000 individual students in its academic courses. As an entrepreneur, company executive, owner, program director, advisor, and board member, Dr. Vuola has been involved in multiple companies to create new scalable businesses. He has almost 20 years of leadership experience in different types of organizations as Head of AVP at Aalto University, Director of Cerntech at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics CERN, Director at TeliaSonera Corporation, and Co-Founder and CEO of Neapo Corporation. He has lived and worked in various countries including Finland, France, Israel, Palestine, Switzerland, and the USA. Dr. Vuola received his PhD in Management from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC), University of Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2006.
Dr. Rasha Abdel-Hakim
Senior Economist & Program Manager, WISE Project, USAID
Dr. Rasha Abdel-Hakim is a senior economist and Program Manager at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Egypt. She is managing projects in the areas of macroeconomic reform, workforce development, technical education, customs reform, trade facilitation, public financial management, regulatory reform, industrial policy, competition policy, institutional strengthening, and ease of doing business. She has been working for USAID for the past 19 years. Before that, she worked as an economic adviser to the Minister of International Cooperation and an economic consultant with different research institutions. She received her Ph.D. in economics from Cairo University. She received her B.A. and M.A. in economics from the American University in Cairo. She is the author of several research papers and is also a part-time assistant professor of economics at the American University in Cairo.
Reem El Saady
Principle Regional Manager Small and Medium Business Program of Egypt and the Levant, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Egypt
Reem El Saady is currently the Principle Regional Manager at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD for the Small and Medium Business Program of Egypt and the Levant. During her previous work at the General Authority for Investment she established both “Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship and SMEs Development” as well as “Bedaya Fund for SMEs Development” – one of the first on-shore private equity funds dedicated to financing SMEs and innovative start-ups. From 2010 to 2012, she was the board member and CEO of Bedaya Private Equity Fund for SMEs financing El Saady was also an appointed member in the Technical Committee established by H.E. the Minister of Trade and Industry in 2017 to design the organizational structure for the new National SMEs Development Agency. She holds a BA and MA in economics from the American University in Cairo and is currently a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science.
Samar Sobeih
Executive Manager, GEN Egypt & MCSBE, Egypt
Ms. Samar Sobeih is currently the Executive Manager of MSCBE. Before that she served as a professional government representative with around 10 years of working experience in the field of international relations and development projects. She was the Head of International Relations Department in the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA). Before joining ECA, she was the Deputy Manager in the International Relations Department of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) in Egypt (2010 -2016). Through her career, Ms. Samar was engaged in drafting terms of references for different cooperation projects such as the Institutional Twinning program between Egypt and the European Union, in addition of representing Egypt in several regional and international events. Ms. Samar holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Cairo University, in addition to a Master’s Degree in Euro Mediterranean Studies from the same university.
Samira Negm
CEO & Founder, Raye7, Egypt
Samira Negm is the winner of the 2nd best mobile start up worldwide in MWC 2016. Samira – a Computer & Systems Engineering Graduate- played diverse roles during her 8 years’ experience in software industry in Egypt & Germany, ranging from software development, training, process design to optimization, project management and team leadership roles. After being awarded the Valeo international efficiency award, Samira decided to use the diverse knowledge she gained to solve problems faced by her own community. In particular she wanted to tackle the heavy congestion that requiring long daily commutes to work and back home. This is why Samira became a social entrepreneurship and started Raye7, a culturally sensitive carpooling app that was the 1st to tackle cultural challenges in the region preventing people from utilizing their resources to have an efficient, safe and affordable commute. Raye7 is now providing its services in Egypt & Finland and is further expanding with the help of GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator.
Sanaa Abouzaid
Regional Corporate Governance Lead for the Middle East and North Africa region, International Finance Corporation, Egypt
Sanaa Abouzaid is the Regional Corporate Governance Lead for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. In her capacity, she is responsible for corporate governance work in IFC’s investment operations and advisory services across the MENA region. Ms. Abouzaid also leads IFC’s corporate governance work with other Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). She was a founding member of the 2011 “Corporate Governance Development Framework” initiative. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Abouzaid was a senior corporate governance officer at the IFC, based in Washington DC. Ms. Abouzaid is a family business governance expert and the author of several publications, including, the “IFC Family Business Governance Handbook”, a guide on best corporate governance practices for family-owned companies. Ms. Abouzaid holds an MBA in Finance and Investments from the George Washington University.
Seif Taher
Communication and Partnership Officer, Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform, Egypt
Saif Taher holds an Economics Bachelor degree holder. He has learned about the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation to the advancement of any economy, especially in a developing country like Egypt, which is facing tremendous economic and social challenges. Therefore, he joined the Rowad 2030 program since it provides him with the perfect opportunity to further advance knowledge about entrepreneurship and innovation management from global experts in the field. Seif is interested in the area of social development, and has always possessed the desire to build his own social enterprise, that is why he chose Social Entrepreneurship as a major to also support him in being a strong advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is at the core of his work in regard to the development of Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy, which is in line with the SDGs.
Shoroke Zedan
Executive Director and Imprest Administrator of EU-TVET, Egypt
Shoroke Zedan has worked with international organizations,throughout the Middle East and across Africa, on developing and managing international development programmes that advocate for and ensure sustainable initiatives. Throughout her work, she has focused on a combination of best practices from various disciplines. She has spent most of her career committed to solving critical social problems to foster lasting impact using frameworks and processes necessary to create and support system-wide change. She has vast experience in tailoring strategies based on the active engagement of stakeholders, from both the private and public sector, to positively influence communities at the grass-root level to improve their livelihoods. Her principle tasks have often involved coordination between partners and guiding the integration of programs on a large scale, which focused on systemic interventions using suitable and applicable methods. Ms. Zedan has recently relocated to Egypt from the UK to spearhead TVET Egypt, an EU-GOE co-funded programme.
Simon Nynens
Vice President of Business Incubation and Executive Director of Commercialization, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA
Simon Nynens, a Dutch immigrant, is the VP of Business Incubation and Executive Director of Commercialization at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Simon previously served as Chairman & CEO of Wayside Technology Group, a public company. Under his leadership revenue increased from $180 million in 2006 to $450 million in 2017 and Wayside Technology became a «Best place to work» for 5 years, including 2018. Simon is focused on forward-thinking and employee- empowered leadership. He is a philosopher, guest lecturer at universities and regular speaker, including multiple TEDx conferences. A graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, he serves on the board for the New Jersey Technology Council (NJTC) (Chairman 2008-2015) and received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® 2011 Award for New Jersey in Technology Services. Simon is also a founder of Football Club (FC) Monmouth.
Wael El-Desouki Bedda
Director, Entrepreneurship Center, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport
Wael El-Desouki Bedda is an Egyptian entrepreneur and the Director of the Entrepreneurship Center of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. Wael is passionate about inspiring entrepreneurs to develop a business vision that is scalable and profitable, capitalizing on his 15 years of experience in marketing, sales and feasibility study gained from business consultation and enhanced by teaching in London school of Economics, Cardiff Metropolitan University in addition to AAST. Wael is a strong believer in sector focused incubators and accelerators. Through AAST accelerators, Wael is supporting export and supply chain start-ups to go global. He is a Ph.D. Candidate at Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK. His Ph.D. is concerned with global entrepreneurial marketing mix, and focused in his MBA on niche marketing success factors.
Wassim El-Metwally
Head of Strategy and Change Management, Banque Misr
Wassim El-Metwally has more than 20 years of experience in Comprehensive Retail & SME Banking, Financial Background, Strategic Planning, Business Development, Marketing, Investment, Insurance, Sales, Merge & Acquisition, Training and Customer Care Excellence. Wassim currently is the Head of Strategy and Change Management in Banque Misr, whereas he is responsible for the strategic direction for BM by formulating, developing, owning, managing and monitoring the overall bank’s strategy. In addition to, Wassim is heading the Business Development Unit for SMEs in Banque
Misr. Previously, he worked as Head of Strategic Planning & Business Development for Barclays Bank Egypt. Furthermore, he played also an instrumental role in attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) as an Investment promotion manager at the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation. Wassim is a Master of Business Administration degree holder from the German University in Cairo and a certified Instructor at the Egyptian Banking Institute and other renowned research, training, education and development institutions.
Dr. Winslow Sargeant
Head of Strategy and Change Management, Banque Misr
Dr. Winslow Sargeant is the Senior Vice President for Partnerships at the International Council for Small Business (ICSB). He served as the sixth Chief Counsel for Advocacy (2010-2015) for the Small Business Administration (SBA) and a former venture capital executive with a background in engineering. Dr. Sargeant received a recess appointment on August 19, 2010, by U.S. President Barack Obama. He was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the SBA on November 11, 2011. At the SBA Office of Advocacy, he was «responsible for representing small businesses within the federal government’s law- and rule-making». He published more than 100 economic research reports, including the Innovation Initiative report to the White House. Sargeant earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a Kauffman Fellow.
Dr. Xiaohong He
Professor and founding chair of the International Business Department at Quinnipiac University, USA
Prof. Xiaohong He is a professor and founding chair of the International Business Department at Quinnipiac University, USA. She received Ph.D. from University of Texas at Dallas and M.S. in Finance and M.A. in International Management. Her undergraduate degree is in Mechanical Engineering from China. Dr. He teaches international business, global entrepreneurship, international finance, etc. and is a recipient of Excellence in Teaching Award from Quinnipiac University. Her publication areas are MNCs, FDI, developmental entrepreneurship, globalization and international business education. She received many best paper awards and several international citation excellence Awards. She served on leadership positions on several professional and community organizations.
Yehia Adel
National Director for Entrepreneurship, AIESEC, Egypt
Yehia Adel holding a bachelor degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the German University in Cairo, Egypt. He obtained his bachelor thesis in medical engineering from ETH Zurich in Switzerland. After graduation he worked for 9 months in Oil & Gas where he learned about the infrastructure of the country. As the AIESEC National Director for Entrepreneurship his is aiming to contribute to the economic developments happening in Egypt right now and have a social contribution to lives in communities.