WORLD’S LARGEST FORUM FOR WOMEN LEADERS

Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said is a well-established Mental Health Clinical Counselor and founder of Whispers of Serenity, the first private mental health clinic in Oman. She is also a hypnotherapist and PTSD trainer with over 23 years of experience seeing and treating patients. Sayyida Basma is a pioneer in mental health awareness, renowned for tackling taboo subjects in the Middle East such as abuse and eating disorders. Sayyida Basma is the founder of Not Alone, a mental health awareness campaign. One of its major initiatives was to provide psychological and emotional support during the COVID-19 pandemic through a messaging support line that was available worldwide.

In addition to her work in mental health, Sayyida Basma has been recognized for her contributions to society and culture. As Honorary President of Oman Heritage, she helps to preserve Omani traditions and practices. She has also attended and delivered hundreds of talks, workshops and webinars internationally, and also has received numerous awards and honors from the MENA region and Europe for her work. Sayyida Basma has been named as one of the 50 Omani women who have played a significant role in the country's development.

Dame Anna Wintour CH DBE has held the position as editor in chief of Vogue since July 1988, and was named U.S. Artistic Director of Condé Nast in March 2013. Most recently, she was appointed global content advisor of Condé Nast in August of 2019.
During her tenure at Condé Nast, Ms. Wintour has been actively involved in philanthropic fundraising, particularly for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, for which she has raised more than $400 million for the museum. She serves as an Elective Trustee of the institution. She is also a Founding Committee Member for the New York-Presbyterian Youth Anxiety Center, which focuses on anxiety disorders in people aged 16–28.
In 2017, for her service to British journalism and fashion, Ms. Wintour was named Dame Commander (DBE) of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2011, she was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. In October 2009, President Obama appointed Ms. Wintour to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden in January 2025, and received a Companion of Honor (CH) by His Majesty King Charles III in February 2025.
She has been the recipient of numerous awards for her leadership and charitable efforts, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Award of Courage for AIDS Research from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amFAR).

Stephenie is on a mission to impact a billion lives by 2025 and democratise safety in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2018, she founded WanderSafe.com, and developed an ecosystem that empowers women, remote workers, and vulnerable people to go anywhere better and safer. In addition to being a tech founder in the AI sector, and a resilience expert, she is also an advocate for inclusivity and innovation as a bilateral bionic amputee, the Global Ambassador for Rotary International's Finish-the-fight.org and working with The Global Fund as an Ambassador to raise funds and awareness to eradicate humanity's greatest biological killer, Malaria. Stephenie is currently competing as Australia's first female Parafencer in Sabre in the qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Renata is an actress, director, producer and screenwriter known for her work in cinema and theater. She's been acting since 1994 and has received worldwide acclaim for her work, which have been featured in festivals such as the Berlin Film Festival and Kinotavr. Currently, Renata is focused on her own projects in theater and cinema, taking on roles as an author, director, actress, costume designer, and producer. Her latest film was included in the program at the Rotterdam Film Festival.

Renata has been an ambassador for brands such as L'Oréal, Volvo, Carrera y Carrera, RADO, and has written and directed short films for them, as well as for GUCCI and, Comme des Garçons. Renata has also been collaborating with the famous Russian singer Zemfira, directing several music videos and a renowned film-concert for her. Having moved to France in 2022, Renata now plays the lead role in her new play The Cactus, which has been on stage in Paris since the end of January.

Currently, Kinda Ibrahim overseas TikTok's operations across the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Pakistan, Central and South Asia. Under her direction, Kinda is responsible for setting TikTok's content strategy in the METAP, central and South Asia markets, to maintain TikTok's diverse community of users, creators, and content partnerships in order to provide the most pertinent, original, and enjoyable experience for our regional TikTok community. She is also responsible for building and developing teams that will manage and nurture these communities. Additionally, she also partners with the business teams on strategic growth initiatives and works directly with business and cross-functional teams to expand TikTok's footprint in these areas.

Kinda has over 17 years of international experience in digital media, content and marketing acquired in both the Middle East and North America. Before TikTok, Kinda was the Director of Media Partnerships for Twitter Middle East, Turkey and Africa. She led the team responsible for accelerating Twitter’s push for content partnerships across the news, politics, sports, TV, and entertainment verticals. Prior to Twitter, she worked at Microsoft where she was the Editor-in-Chief responsible for English MSN Arabia. She has also held numerous leadership positions in several multinational companies such as leading the media operations division at Yahoo Maktoob. Previously, she played an instrumental role in shaping the digital and data strategy at companies such as EMAP Middle East, the Yellow Pages group and the National Bank of Canada. Kinda holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Concordia University in Canada and a BSc in computer science from the American University of Beirut.

Manizha (Sanghin) is a Russian musician of Tajik origin, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador in Russia, and co-founder of the SILSILA foundation. Fleeing the Tajik civil war in the 90’s, she settled in Moscow as a refugee. She gained recognition for her "Instagram album," 'Manuscript,' and her experimental album 'ЯIAM' ('ya-I-am'). Manizha's music videos and advocacy against domestic violence led to the SILSILA foundation. In 2021, she represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest with "Russian Woman." In 2022, Manizha became the face of the Spotify EQUALS international project of the music strimming platform on women's rights in the music industry. Big screens with her image appeared at Times Square in New York. She faced backlash for not supporting military actions against Ukraine, leading to concert cancellations in Russia. Manizha consistently integrates her national identity and life experiences into her art, striving to resonate with those who are different and in need of support.

Maye is an international author, dietitian, supermodel, and speaker. She is a respected expert in health, nutrition, aging, gender equality, single parenting, and overcoming challenges. Her book "A Woman Makes A Plan" is an international best-seller and she continues to give talks to corporations, associations, and universities. Maye has been a role model and trendsetter in the industry for over 50 years, overcoming obstacles such as poverty, weight issues, and ageism. She is also an active participant with the non-profit Big Green. Now at 74, she is a Dior Beauty ambassador and travels the world doing high-fashion campaigns.

Zaria is senior global social media manager in Duolingo. She leads social strategy, community management, and creator partnerships across all major social platforms. She spearheaded the development of Duolingo’s TikTok account. As a direct result of Zaria's work on Duolingo's TikTok strategy and execution, the now-famous TikTok channel grew from 50K followers in September 2021 to 6.7M followers today and was recently recognized as one of AdAge’s Top 5 Brand TikTok accounts. The Duolingo TikTok has 143 viral videos (view counts of 1M or higher) due to Zaria’s creativity. What started as a test-and-learn initiative has become Duolingo's most successful social buzz and word of mouth initiative to date – all because of Zaria's insights, instincts, and expertise. More broadly, Zaria is a role model for a new, diverse class of Gen Z social media talent and has proven what's possible when given creative freedom and trust in the work she does. Since her time at Duolingo, Zaria has been named AdAge Social Marketer of the Year 2021, Adweek Creative 100 and Forbes 30 under 30.

Dr. Eng. Suaad Al Shamsi is a trailblazer as the first Emirati woman aircraft engineer specialist in landing gear as well as first aviation researcher. Currently, she holds the position of aviation technical advisor for a major aviation project in the UAE, VP of women in aviation organization (shehana) and is also the CEO of L2L consulting company. She has received several accolades, including the Emirate women award from HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, most influential in aviation award, etc. Along with her work in aviation, she is also an accomplished author of novels and a sought-after motivational speaker at various conferences. And an artist participating in many exhibitions in the UK, UAE, Paris, Thailand, etc.

Mila Semeshkina is the CEO & Founder of Lectera.com, a pioneering global learning platform with more than 7 million users from 60 countries. A serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and venture investor, Mila is deeply committed to democratizing education, making learning efficient and accessible.

Mila's efforts to uplift women professionally and personally led her to establish the Women’s Empowerment Council, the organizer of the WE Convention. Mila's business achievements and community involvement have earned her recognition on the British HolonIQ agency's top-100 women in EdTech list, Arabian Business's "100 People You Must Know in Dubai" and CEO Middle East magazine’s “Top-50 CEO in the Middle East”. With a vast speaking portfolio, including interviews with Maye Musk and Carla Bruni, and addresses at major global events such as the Women in Tech Global Summit in Paris, Mila's influence in the educational and entrepreneurial sectors is undeniable. She is also a member of the Forbes Business Council and boasts an impressive 8.5 million followers on Instagram.

Natalia Vodianova is a supermodel and impact investor who has graced the covers of more than 70 Vogue magazines and been the face of brands such as Calvin Klein, Guerlain, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel. She has been ranked among the world’s highest-paid models for many years and is considered a global icon. Natalia is also the founder of the Naked Heart Foundation (2004), an organization that supports families raising children with special needs. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), working to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services around the world.

In recent years, Natalia has turned to angel investing and impact investing in startups such as Flo period tracker, PicsArt, Prisma Labs, Re-Face. Out of her 25 tech investments so far, five are unicorns - companies with valuations of over $1 billion. Natalia is a co-founder of Locals.org, the mobile app that connects people via real life meetups and networking activities. Natalia believes that it's important to invest in founders rather than businesses. Her commitment to creating a sustainable future for generations to come has earned her much recognition in both the business and philanthropic worlds.

Amna Al Qubaisi, the first female Emirati racing driver to compete in Formula 4 and 3. She became the first female Arab to win an F4 race in 2019 and the first female to test a Formula E car and the first to claim points in Formula 3.

Tatyana Bakalchuk, a former English and German teacher and mother of 7, founded the e-commerce platform Wildberries in 2004. Today Wildberries operates in 7 countries, shipping over 11 million items daily, with distribution centres covering 3 million sq.m, and over 30,000 pickup points. Wildberries markets itself as an online platform for small businesses, presenting a wide range of products from international and local brands, from clothing, toys, beauty products, baby food to household appliances and electronics. Over 90% of sellers are individuals and self-employed entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

Wildberries has changed the notion that business ownership is expensive, time consuming and complicated. Wildberries’ IT solutions allow entrepreneurs to find customers in both local and international markets. Tatyana is a recipient of the “Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award” In 2018 and the RBC “Entrepreneur of the Year Award”. She was also listed in Forbes “15 businessmen who changed the perception of Russia” In 2019. In 2020, she took 1nd place on RBC's Women CEOs list.

Sara embarked on her entrepreneurial journey at the young age of 15, and her success and passion have since inspired women to embrace self-confidence and achieve business success. She has since served as a board member at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and at the UAE SME Council in the Ministry of Economy in Dubai. Sara holds an honorary PhD in Business and Women Leadership. She is a respected public speaker, and has delivered over 200 keynote speeches. Sara believes in the power of community involvement, and she actively shares her knowledge and experiences, particularly with the younger generation. To Sara, women are already born strong - hence they don’t need to be empowered, they need to be inspired.

With a focus on educational activities, Irina has established herself as one of the top ten business speakers in Russia. She leads personal coaching sessions and delivers impactful masterclasses on achieving success while maintaining personal freedom and effective leadership.

In 2004, Irina Khakamada made history as the second woman to run for the Russian Presidency, garnering approximately 4 mln votes in the election. Subsequently, she founded the "Our Choice" party. In May 2008, she announced her decision to step away from political activities.

Irina is also an accomplished author, having written numerous books including a best-selling book "Dao of Life: Masterclass from a Convinced Individualist.

With over 15 years of experience leading a production company, Nayla has a rich tapestry of experience and cultural insight. In addition to being fluent in Gulf dialects and five languages, Nayla navigates complex, cross-cultural projects with ease. Nayla is unwavering in her commitment to authentic storytelling and women's empowerment.

Nayla's film "The Shadow," now on Netflix, attracted the interest of prominent producers and led to the development of her first feature film, titled "Three, which has been released on February 1, 2024 across the Gulf and major MENA territories. Nayla Al Khaja is set to direct a Fantasy/Drama film titled "BAAB," featuring the acclaimed two-time Oscar Winner AR Rahman for the entire musical score.

Nayla's impressive accolades include recognition as one of the "Top 50 Most Powerful Personalities in Arab Cinema" (Variety), "Top 100 Most Powerful Arabs Under 40" (Arabian Business), "Visionary of the Year" (Arabian Business Awards), "Businesswoman of the Year" (Gulf Business Awards), and many more.

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan Al Maktoum is a prominent member of the Emirati society. She belongs to one of the significant UAE’s ruling family, which is Al Maktoum family, to which the rulers of Dubai belong and led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the United Arab Emirates Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan Al Maktoum achievements are just as impressive as her family lineage. The youngest in her class at the Oxford Aviation, she was only 17 when she was admitted. She obtained her commercial pilot licence first and then later joined the Dubai Police Airwing as First Lieutenant Pilot, recently being promoted to Captain Pilot, becoming the first woman in the UAE and the Gulf Region, and the first member of the Royal Family in aviation.

Her ambitions are only matched by her determination to create a legacy of her own, opening doors and enabling other women to enter a career in aviation. With this mission in mind, she set in motion the establishment of “Shehana”, the Women in Aviation Association, with the sole purpose to create opportunities and a framework for increasing the number of women joining the aviation sector. Her motto is: “Reach altitude with the right attitude”.

Meryem Uzerli is an actress who received numerous awards worldwide for her performances in projects like „magnificent century“ ( a show about the Ottoman Empire which was sold into more than 90 countries ), the Movie „my mothers wound“ which portraits a Serbian woman who kills herself after finding out that her husband was a rapist during war times as a soldier and for the movie „keeping the bees“ on netflix she was awarded as best main actress by the Chelsea Filmfestival New York. Her upcoming project is an eight episode show for a streaming platform which will be released in 2024.

Beside her movie and theater career she’s involved in charity work which focuses on the support of children in need and women empowerment. She was a speaker at the Forbes Middle East women Panel and also is participating in a Book Project where the income goes directly to young girls who can’t afford education. During the Asian world Filmfestival, which takes place in Los Angeles every year, she was the youngest president of the jury and is a board member ever since.

Meryem recently was the guest of honor at the cinema heritage filmfestival under the patronage of UNESCO in Paris, where she did a speech about peace, togetherness and bridgebuilding.

She’s a mother of two daughters, and the daughter of a German mom and Turkish dad, based in Berlin, Germany.

Manager of Maestro Andrea Bocelli since 2006, Veronica has orchestrated his presence at iconic events worldwide, strongly contributing to the further growth of his fame and increasing record sales to over 90 million.

With her long-standing volunteering and charitable activities, she was instrumental in the creation and design of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF), established by Andrea Bocelli and his family with the mission: "Empower people and communities". ABF operates globally with a special focus on initiatives in Italy, the United States, Syria, Iraq, and Haiti.

Veronica has been honored with the "UNCA Global Citizens of the Year" award, presented by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, a recognition that she shared with Andrea Bocelli for the humanitarian commitment carried out through the projects of their foundation.

Forbes Italia has elected Veronica Berti among the hundred most influential women of 2022. Further testament to her humanitarian efforts, Veronica has recently received the "Leonardo da Vinci Award" in Humanitarianism at the National Italian American Foundation, in the presence of President Joe Biden.
Veronica is married to Maestro Andrea Bocelli and is mother to their daughter Virginia.

Maria Sharapova is a world-class tennis champion, investor and entrepreneur. She brings her championship mindset to everything she does, a mindset hard earned from her career as an elite athlete. During her career she won five career Grand Slam titles and is one of only the 10 female players in the Open Era to complete the career Grand Slam. Since retiring, Maria is an active founder, CEO, investor, and new mom. She is an equity owner of Supergoop! and a long time ambassador for evian, and has recently expanded her business portfolio as an investor and strategic advisor to include Tonal, Therabody, Public.com, Bala, and Wolf & Shepherd. Last year, she was named to the board of public company Moncler. Across all of her business ventures, Maria works with her partners to advise on a variety of aspects of each business — including product development, creative branding, content strategy, growth and expansion — leveraging her experiences as a professional athlete, entrepreneur, and consumer to provide unique insights and strategic counsel. Whatever it is, Maria approaches all aspects of her life with a mindset to achieve greatness and optimize her and her partners’ performance.

HE Dr. Maryam Matar is recognized as one of the most influential scientists in the UAE. Her significant contributions to preventive healthcare and the advancement of genetic sciences have earned her a place among the top 20 Arab scientists, as recognized by the British Scientific Community.

A leading figure for women scientists in the Arab world, Dr. Matar actively champions gender equality and women’s leadership in science and technology. Her efforts have been recognized with over 35 prestigious scientific and leadership awards, establishing her as a highly influential and inspirational woman role model.

A pioneer in epigenetics and regenerative therapies in the Arab region, Dr. Matar is instrumental in driving scientific discussions and community engagement in these vital fields. As the founder of the Sheikh Zayed Genetics Research Centre, she plays a pivotal role in developing innovative healthcare models for the MENA region.

Her 'Reprogram Your Genes' awareness program, adopted by over 200 academic institutions and 150 organisations, engages a wide audience from students to professionals, encouraging them to embrace healthier lifestyles. Through her lectures and scientific events focused on epigenetics and regenerative therapies, Dr. Matar equips physicians and medical professionals with the knowledge and tools needed for improving patient care.

Paula Yacoubian is a Lebanese TV star renowned for her impactful contributions to both Lebanese and pan-Arab international television stations. Her advocacy for women's rights, dedication to women's empowerment, and relentless support for electoral quotas and fairer election laws in Lebanon earned her a role as an expert on the World Bank Group's External Advisory Panel for Diversity and Inclusion.

Known for her commitment to social activism, Paula initiated the successful "Dafa Campaign", a prominent in-kind donation campaign in the Middle East. In the midst of Lebanon's severe economic and financial crisis, this initiative has been invaluable to more than 250,000 underprivileged families.

Paula Yacoubian was elected to the Lebanese parliament in 2018, and she was re-elected in May 2022 with her unwavering commitment to her constituents. Paula is a dedicated environmental advocate who takes part in beach clean-up campaigns and challenges environmental harm. Paula played a pivotal role in forming an opposition bloc to combat corruption, revive state institutions, and uphold the constitution and laws in Lebanon. King Philippe I of Belgium awarded her the prestigious order "Officier de l'Ordre de la Couronne" for her remarkable contributions.

Delphine Bellini has a degree in International Marketing and Management, with a specialization in Luxury industries. She began her career in the Luxury tourism industry and swiftly entered the universe of Fashion.

In 2002, she joined the Couture House Leonard where she oversaw the management and business development of the brand licenses. From 2005 to 2011, she worked for Jean-Charles de Castelbajac participating in the revival of the House to expand the label of the pop-centric Artist into a comprehensive lifestyle brand. She then launched her own consulting business bringing her global expertise in management, finance and business development to high end and luxury brands. In May 2014, she joined the mythic Couture House Schiapa­relli to shape the brand and lead its strategic development.

Since 2010, Delphine has been an Adjunct Faculty Member at IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) and an active mentor to young entrepreneurs. Member of the Women Initiative Foundation, a philanthropic organization acting for the promotion of women in business, she is a regular speaker in its training programs with the world's leading universities (Stanford, McGill…).

In 2022, Delphine Bellini was recognized as one of the 50 Women in Power who are impacting their businesses and communities by the WWD magazine.

Karen Wazen is the Founder & CEO of Karen Wazen Eyewear and has successfully grown her personal brand to become a globally recognized personality where she shares her everyday life with over 14M+ fans on social media. She is also the Co-Founder of KE Partners, an investment firm and portfolio of over 12 companies.

Karen’s been honored in Forbes' Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands List and earned the Achieving Women in Digital Influence accolade at Entrepreneur Middle East's annual Achieving Women Awards. Since 2021, Karen has served on the board of executives of Fashion Trust Arabia to support up-and-coming local talents in the MENA region. Karen Wazen has become synonymous with high-fashion luxury brands and appeared as the global face of Roberto Cavalli, Guerlain, and Pantene.

Bazaar Arabia, L'Officiel Levant, ELLE Arabia, and Grazia Morocco, Karen Wazen's unique style, authentic personality, and her innate ability to break gender-norms and stereotypes for women in the region continue to excite her fanbase around the world.

Karen Wazen is a passionate humanitarian who uses her voice to advocate for the rights of refugees, displaced persons, and host communities worldwide. Since 2020, Karen Wazen has been an ambassador and advocate for UNHCR. In addition, she continues to be vocal about her struggle with Vitiligo on social media to inspire others worldwide to love their bodies and imperfections.

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar is at the forefront of driving business growth in the GCC region at Visa. She manages a team that collaborates with major financial institutions, business partners, and governments, focusing on Visa's mission to empower a digital-first environment for individuals, businesses, and economies.

In addition to her role at Visa, Dr. Jaffar serves on the Board of Trustees at Kuwait University. Her extensive experience includes former positions at United Arab Bank and Ishraq, as well as an Advisory Board role at Bahrain Fintech Bay. Moreover, she served in leadership roles at McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company as well as Alvarez & Marsal ME.

Dr. Jaffar's 20+ years of leadership and expertise have earned her accolades on prestigious lists such as Arabian Business' 50 Inspiring Female Business Leaders (2022, 2023), Forbes Global Meets Local 2022, Economy Middle East Women in Lead 2023, Forbes Middle East's 100 Most Powerful Women 2023, and Fast Company's Most Creative People 2023.

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa represents a magnificent blend of entrepreneurial courage, humanitarian principles, and inspirational grace. As a beacon of motivation, she epitomizes the essence of an Arab Princess, captivating hearts with her unwavering dedication and dynamic spirit.
From an early age, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa embarked on a remarkable journey of self-discovery and excellence. With her relentless pursuit of knowledge in International Relations and Business Management, she forged a strong foundation on which she built her illustrious reputation. Her artistic prowess and unparalleled vision positioned her as a unique and influential figure in the business world. But beyond that, she is also an ardent philanthropist, actively striving to create positive impact within society.

Championing women's empowerment is a cause that ignites a fire within Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa. Firmly believing in the power of women to shape a brighter future, she has spearheaded initiatives that support gender equality and advance women's rights. Her visionary leadership inspires countless individuals to fearlessly pursue their dreams and shatter societal limitations.
Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa's journey from humble beginnings in public relations and marketing showcases her expertise and unwavering confidence. As a young investor, she dedicates herself wholeheartedly to motivate and guide budding entrepreneurs, recognizing their potential as the driving force behind a thriving future. Her ultimate vision is to foster inclusivity and sustainable asset management, placing her unwavering trust in the ambitious younger generations.

Undoubtedly, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa is a trailblazing leader, relentlessly creating opportunities for individuals from all walks of life. Through her multifaceted projects, she transforms lives and leaves an indelible mark on the world. Renowned for her astute investment skills and boundless philanthropy, she serves as a graceful role model, inspiring women of all generations to embrace their full potential and fearlessly pursue their dreams.

Beyond her artistic prowess and philanthropic endeavors, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa's compassionate soul and warm spirit shine. She passionately engages with her community, seeking to understand their needs and find effective solutions to uplift their lives. Her unwavering commitment to serving others and making a positive impact has earned her profound respect and admiration from people across all spheres of life.

As the Founder and Chairperson of FUTURE8, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa embarks on a grand mission to unite startups across different sectors and geographical boundaries. Additionally, as the Chairperson of NFINITY8 Group, she spearheads an array of companies offering comprehensive marketing solutions, and agencies specializing in cybersecurity and AI. Her visionary leadership breathes life into these ventures, shaping a future where innovation and progress are at the forefront.

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Khalifa's contributions have enriched Bahrain's cultural tapestry and touched the lives of countless individuals in need. Her unwavering commitment to arts, culture, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy serves as an eternal flame of inspiration for aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, and humanitarians alike. It reminds us all of the extraordinary power of creativity and compassion to shape a better world.

Amnah Ajmal, Group Executive President - Merchants & Commerce, Digital Partnerships, Fintechs & Enablers, Strategy, M&A, Mastercard. In this role, she leads the P&L across multiple business verticals including merchants, telcos, governments, fintech’s, digital players across 80 markets. In addition, she also heads the strategy, pricing, analytics and M&A function for the region. Prior to this role she led the North America product & innovation organization, based out of the US, creating sustainable, competitive differentiation for Mastercard and its customers by delivering digitally integrated consumer experiences across consumer and commercial products.

Prior to joining Mastercard she was the CEO for Standard Chartered Consumer Bank Malaysia. She was also responsible for retail banking strategy for Indonesia, Malaysia & Taiwan in a global role based out of Singapore. Prior to Standard Chartered, Amnah worked at Citigroup in UAE, Egypt, UK and Poland. She held a number of leadership positions at Citigroup including Asset Business Head for Poland responsible for a full range of consumer asset products, innovation and distribution including credit cards, co brands, personal loans and mortgages.

She was honored to be listed in Forbes Middle East’s 100 most powerful businesswomen 2024; the top 100 women in fintech for 2021 by IBM & Fintech magazine; the top 25 women leaders in financial technology by the Financial Technology Report US for 2019 & 2020 and the top 100 women in Fintech, across the globe, for 2019 by Lattice80. She also holds the honor of being in America’s top 10 women in Fintech by the Fintech Magazine for 2020.
Passion advocate for women gender equity. Speaks annually at 30+ conferences.

She is passionate about social empowerment for women and gender equity. She holds a master’s degree from London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).

Carla Bruni's journey exemplifies women's empowerment in the arts. Born into an artistic family, she was naturally drawn to music from a young age, nurturing her talent for guitar and songwriting. After a successful modeling career, Bruni made a bold move to pursue her true passion: music. Since then, she has written for Julien Clerc and released the critically acclaimed album "Quelqu'un m'a dit" with sales of over 2 million copies.

In addition to her artistic pursuits, Carla Bruni masterfully balanced her role as the First Lady of France with her popular singing career. This dual role underscores her versatility and ability to navigate both political and cultural landscapes with grace and impact. Her success in these distinct realms further highlights the empowering narrative of women effectively managing multiple prominent roles and making significant contributions to each.

Her music career flourished with several albums, each showcasing her poetic sensitivity and unique style. As an artist committed to philanthropy, Bruni uses her fame to support causes she's passionate about, demonstrating the power of pursuing one's passion while positively impacting the lives of others.

Ida Galich, with a following of 7 million on Instagram, is one of the platform's most popular bloggers. Renowned for her humorous vines about women and their relationships with men, Ida's content has captivated hearts worldwide. Born and raised in Russia, she initially gained prominence as a television presenter, quickly distinguishing herself with her charismatic hosting skills.

Transitioning from the screen to social media stardom, Ida has continued to enchant audiences with her dynamic presence and infectious humor. Over the years, she has also ventured into acting, appearing in various TV shows and receiving praise for her versatile performances. More than just a traditional media figure, Ida excels on social media, where her ability to connect with fans through relatable and engaging content truly shines.

An Emirati woman who believes in the value of community work. She has specialized academically in the study of history and sociology, especially social security. Emirati identity remains her primary issue, in addition to her interest in spreading reading and the cultural and cognitive construction of the Emirati citizen. By enhancing the role of reading and knowledge, and building the critical mind of the emerging generations, based on its intellectual and cultural role that it plays through the institutions of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, of which it chairs the Board of Directors, and also through effective partnerships across other cultural and humanitarian institutions inside and outside the United Arab Emirates.
Based on her belief in the value of women and their role in society, she adopted the philosophy of achieving fair equality between the sexes, expressing her support for the state’s effort to achieve balance through her public lectures, articles she wrote in many newspapers and magazines, and her academic studies.
She actively contributed to enriching Emirati cultural life by launching the Thought and Knowledge Council, which is the first women’s literary salon in the Emirates, in 1996 when she saw that cultural work needed to unite thinking and knowledgeable minds under a knowledge system capable of influencing cultural life.

Mary Gukasyan is a seasoned FMCG leader with over 22 years of experience in the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) market. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a well-balanced approach, driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to excellence. Mary is currently serving as the Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa at Kraft Heinz.

Her comprehensive experience spans various aspects of business management, including developing and aligning strategic plans, managing crisis situations, implementing organizational and route-to-market structures, launching new products, and optimizing resource utilization. Mary is adept at motivating and developing teams, as well as negotiating with major customers and partners at the highest levels.
In her capacity as General Manager for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region at Kraft Heinz, Mary achieved record-breaking results in net sales value and spearheaded structural changes for the MEA zone. She focused on key priorities and successfully opened offices in strategic locations, leading to certifications for Great Place To Work in Egypt and Dubai. Mary is also focused on professional equality through empowering women, people with disabilities and youth. She is actively involved in executing Kraft Heinz ESG agenda in the region and has been an instrumental change agent in that regard.

Before joining Kraft Heinz, Mary held the position of General Manager for Russia & CIS at Kraft Heinz, where she drove significant sales and profitability growth over three years. She merged business units, developed innovative product launch plans, and fostered employee engagement, earning recognition for her leadership in the region.

Earlier in her career, Mary held various leadership roles at Danone, Sun InBev, Nestle, and ALGRO, where she gained extensive experience in sales, business development, and strategic management.
Mary holds a degree in Foreign Languages from Kuban State University, with additional education in Marketing from Kellogg University and Executive Management from INSEAD. She continues to be recognized for her leadership and achievements in the CPG industry.

Mirna Arif is the first woman to serve as Microsoft Egypt's General Manager. With over 20 years of international working experience across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, she is spearheading Egypt's digital transformation with a focus on empathy-based management and youth training. Arif is expanding Microsoft's digital footprint in both public and private organizations to drive the growth of the country's tech industry. Prior to joining Microsoft, she held leadership positions at Schlumberger, Emerson Automation Solutions, GE Oil & Gas where she led digital transformation efforts across multiple international markets. In addition to her role at Microsoft, Arif contributes to the boards of Banque Misr and Rameda Pharma, and serves on advisory boards for Al Nas Hospital and The Knowledge Hub Universities.

In April 2019, Her Excellency Hala Badri was appointed as the Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority by a royal decree from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, following 20 years of an impressive path in dynamic business sectors critical to the UAE’s economic development: telecommunications, oil & gas, media and real estate. A passionate marketer, a technology enthusiast, transforming businesses through innovation and her exemplary managerial qualities, she is able to capably spearhead the achievement of the Authority’s strategic objectives.

She is the Vice Chairperson for the Dubai Women Establishment Board of Directors, a member of Dubai Media Council, as well as Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) Board of Trustees. In April 2022, Badri was appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Higher Colleges of Technology. She was also appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment. Currently, she is also a member in the Supreme Committee to Oversee Development of Hatta and the Dubai Road Naming Committee. She also chairs the Women and Sports Committee in the Dubai Sports Council and serves as Vice President of the Investment Committee in the Dubai Sports Council. Additionally, she is a board member of the Officers Club, a member of the Financial, Administrative, and Investment Affairs Committee at the Higher Colleges of Technology, and a member of the board of governors of Citizens School.

Candace Bushnell arrived to NewYork at 19 with a typewriter and the audacity to believe women’s stories mattered. From her early days as a freelance writer for Mademoiselle, Self, and Esquire, Bushnell developed a voice that was sharp, daring, and unapologetically female.

She rose to fame with her New York Observer column Sex and the City, which became a bestselling book and iconic HBO series. Through ten novels, Bushnell has chronicled the lives of women navigating love, ambition, and identity, making her one of the most influential voices in women’s literature. Through her books and television series, Bushnell’s work has influenced and defined two generations of women.

Bushnell is the winner of the 2006 Matrix Award for books, and a recipient of the Albert Einstein Spirit of Achievement Award. With wit and candor, Bushnell now takes audiences behind the scenes of her journey. Her talks peel back the layers of the modern world’s biases while offering real-world insight into writing, resilience, and reinvention.

Dr. Maky Zanganeh is a visionary biotech leader, entrepreneur, cancer survivor, and author recognized by Forbes as one of the 34 self-made female billionaires in the United States. With a career defined by courage, innovation, and impact, she has transformed the landscape of oncology and global healthcare.

Currently the Co-CEO and President of Summit Therapeutics, Dr. Zanganeh is known for her bold leadership in advancing patient-friendly cancer therapies. She played a pivotal role in the historic $21 billion acquisition of Pharmacyclics by AbbVie and was instrumental in the success of IMBRUVICA®, a breakthrough blood cancer drug.Earlier in her career, she helped lead the world’s first transatlantic robotic surgery—Operation Lindbergh—at Computer Motion, proving that innovation knows no borders.

A featured speaker at the United Nations and other global forums, Dr. Zanganeh speaks on topics including leadership under pressure, women in science, health equity, and redefining what’s possible in business and life. Dr. Zanganeh’s memoir, The Magic of Normal (Forbes Books, 2025), reflects her powerful journey through war, cancer, and business. It’s a tribute to resilience and the human spirit. Through every challenge, her mantra remains: “Take responsibility, and the ability will follow.” Her life’s work continues to push boundaries—bridging science and business to deliver hope, healing, and a better future.

She holds a DDS and an MBA and speaks four languages fluently. Dr. Zanganeh continues to inspire audiences around the world to dream big, lead boldly, and never give up.

Demet Ozer is a visionary entrepreneur redefining luxury in the global beauty industry. Born in Belgium and rooted in Turkish heritage, she began her career at just 15 and quickly became a pioneer in in the beauty industry across the Benelux region. Her brand, DMT Beauty, grew into the most exclusive permanent makeup salon in the region, praised for unmatched quality and innovation.

Now residing in Dubai, Demet is the founder of Migems – a high-end beauty sanctuary. With bespoke treatments, exclusive memberships, and holistic wellness offerings, Migems represents a new global standard in beauty.

Through her ventures like The Golden Agency, The BB Event, and CapitalQueens, Demet continues to empower women in both beauty and business, proving that elegance, innovation, and impact can go hand in hand.

Valentina’s journey began in business, and evolved into a deeply personal, human work. As a Clinical Psychologist, Gestalt Therapist, and ICF-Certified Coach, she spent years helping people in their most vulnerable moments. She saw how many were struggling silently, unable to access consistent care. So she decided to change that.

With an MBA in Psychological Guidance & Counselling and a professorship in Business Psychology and Coaching, Valentina combined her clinical insight with entrepreneurial vision. The result is Dzeny, the platform that blends the warmth of human understanding with the precision of AI. It helps people navigate anxiety, burnout, and emotional fatigue through mood tracking, personalized insights, and gentle, science-backed guidance. The app has rapidly gained popularity within the business sector, with numerous employers proactively integrating Dzeny into their benefits packages—highlighting their dedication to supporting and valuing their teams.

Lyasan Utiasheva began rhythmic gymnastics as a child, her extraordinary flexibility setting her apart early on. Her backscale pivot became a signature move, now named in her honor. By her late teens, she was a two-time Grand Prix Final all-around medalist and a winner of multiple championships.

But behind the beauty was pain. In 2002, after months of misdiagnosis, she collapsed during a performance. Doctors eventually discovered multiple stress fractures in both feet. The damage was so severe that amputation was briefly considered. She spent months unable to walk, undergoing surgeries and facing deep uncertainty about her recovery.

She returned to the sport in 2004, defying all odds. But two years later, another injury—this time to her knee—ended her competitive career for good at just 21.

Lyasan didn’t fade. She transformed. Turning her discipline into storytelling, she became a choreographer, then a television host. Now a mother of two, she connects with millions, speaking on resilience, reinvention, and the power of rising after the fall.

Lucy is known as one of the "OG" investors in the UAE. She is focused on the innovation space, both in terms of supporting founders and as an investor. Lucy has garnered a strong reputation as someone who has helped build the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the UAE. Her recently published book, "Changing The Game", highlights the importance of digital technologies (in sectors such as gaming) and its relevance to the future of work. Lucy is an advocate and capacity builder focused on digital transformation as it applies to businesses, as well as the education sector. Her role as Advisor, 2022FemaleAngels and Representative, World Business Angels Investment Forum is both on increasing funding for entrepreneurs, as well as to achieve gender equity in the investment ecosystem in MENA. Lucy is a Linkedin TopVoice and one of CEO Middle East's Influential Women in the Arab World. She has been recognized by Arabian Business as one of 50 Inspiring Female Business Leaders. She is Top 100 Women of the Future and HSBC Middle East featured her as one of 75 outstanding individuals, who have contributed to the UAE’s rise.

Lucy sits on the Board of Trustees for The American School of Dubai, as well as the Solidarity Circle, UNHCR. She has been a contributing author for Life on the Move, an anthology of stories about expat life and The Possibilities Project: A Young Person’s Guide to Career Success. She is pleased to be an Ambassador for Women In Games (WIGJ), Advisory Board member, HER Sports Summit and UNIPLAT and a Strategic Advisor #2022FemaleAngels. She has degrees from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management Northwestern University and HK University of Science &Technology, the University of British Columbia and Capilano University.

Elena Cardone is the CEO of Build an Empire. Model and actress Elena Cardone began her career in Hollywood and became a star in television and films. She is an author of a best-selling book "Build an Empire: How to Have it All" which grew into a universe of empowerment training programs including successful 10X Ladies and Women in Power events. Elena mentors hundreds of women with her own curriculum designed to assist aspiring empire builders.

She has recently partnered with EXP Realty planning to build the largest real estate team worldwide, creating generational wealth through real estate. Elena and Grant, her husband, have built a portfolio worth $5.2 billion in real estate.

Nelly Attar is a renowned fitness ambassador and sports leader in the Middle East. She started her professional journey as a psychologist and life coach but decided to follow her passion for fitness and physical activity, leading her to launch Saudi Arabia's first dance studio, MOVE, in 2017.

In 2022, Nelly made history by becoming the first Arab woman to scale K2, the world's second-highest peak, standing at 8,611 meters above sea level. She accomplished this feat just four weeks before climbing the Matterhorn, a Swiss peak standing at 4,478 meters. Nelly has completed six major marathons, as well as one ultramarathon. She was the first Nike trainer and ambassador in Saudi Arabia and led the first official female run in the Kingdom in partnership with GSA.

Nelly's dedication to empowering women to participate in sports activities has played a significant role in transforming the sports landscape in the region. She has been recognized for her contributions to the sports and fitness industry in the Middle East, being named as "One of Top Influential Muslim Women in Sports" and "Female Fitness Influencer of the Year" and being nominated for the "Sporting Event of the Year" award. Her accomplishments as a fitness ambassador and sports leader have made her an inspiration to many, especially women, in the Middle East and beyond.

With extensive global experience, Dr. Giovanna has led independent projects worldwide, assisting corporations and brands, including RedBull, Finnair, Fortum, Adidas, Diesel, DKNY, DVF, Coach, D-Cave, Dundas, JPMorgan, Walmart, and more in their tech transformation journey.

Dr. Giovanna G. Casimiro, an XR specialist and brand strategist since 2010, boasts over a decade of marketing and production experience in the innovation landscape. From 2021 to 2023, Dr. Giovanna served as a Lead Metaverse Producer at Decentraland Foundation, where she headed the Metaverse Fashion Week, seamlessly blending fashion with the metaverse. Her active roles include consulting, mentoring. In 2022 she co-founded the educational and consulting initiative, Metaverse Fashion Talks, leading to several innovative projects and a podcast called Tech Fusion.

She holds a PhD from the University of Sao Paulo's Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, focusing on Open Source Heritage, digital memory, and open-source tools for the future of culture and arts. She has been taking part in educational global projects such as MIT's Hacking Arts (2016-2018), Farfetch Dream Assembly (2022-2023), and Harvard HealthLab (2023-). Recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Crypto by CryptoNewsZ, 2023 Innovators List art BishBaz, 100 Female Innovators list of Epoca Magazine, MENA Innovators list 2023, Threedium Top 50 XR Award recipient, featured at Vogue Greece's Change Makers 2022, Brytehall’s Bryte Fashion Forces 2022 Top 100 member.

Partner and dynamic Business Development Director and with a proven track record in driving international tech transfer initiatives across water, energy, environment, and infrastructure sectors. Expert in strategic partnerships, fostering collaboration, and making decisions that fuel growth and profitability. Fluent in English, French, Arabic, and German, with a passion for promoting diversity and empowering women in STEM.

Founder of the Global Women Forum (GWF), a pioneering platform connecting Arab female leaders with their global counterparts. A seasoned public speaker, mentor, and coach in intercultural communication for the Arab world, dedicated to mentoring and empowering the next generation of female talent, particularly in STEM and technical fields, to drive positive global change.

Svetlana Kuznetsova took up tennis at seven and rocketed to four-time Grand Slam queen, collecting 18 singles, 16 doubles titles, and a peak world No. 2 women’s ranking. She dominated the WTA tours for two decades. When chronic injuries forced her off tour after Wimbledon 2021, the setback only sharpened her resolve.

She pivoted that competitive fire into design, sketching a “Bosco Tennis Club × SVET” capsule that debuted in 2024 and sold out its first drop within weeks. Trading chalked baselines for sports design, Kuznetsova shows that true champions don’t retire. They reinvent, serving inspiration long after the final match point.

Hanan is an International Consultant and Business Director with over 20 years of experience in market acquisition, strategic branding, and executive leadership. Currently, she is the Business Director for the Energy Institute (London) in the Middle East.

Previously, Hanan spent 19 years at ABB Group, leading projects in the power automation sector. She has built a strategic network with major National Oil Companies and multinational corporations, including ADNOC and Saudi Aramco, and collaborated with organizations like the World Economic Forum and the United Nations.

As a keynote speaker at high-profile events such as ADIPEC, Gastec, and the Pipeline Technology Conference in Germany, Hanan shares insights on sustainability, empowering women, and corporate social responsibility. Her contributions have significantly influenced industry discussions and progress in these areas.

She holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Ajman University and is a certified project manager from George Washington University. An alumnus of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford, she specializes in Oil, Gas, and Mining Governance.

Hanan is also an Access for Women in Energy member and serves as the UAE ambassador for the Global Women Forum. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and lecturing on social practices & occupational therapy and moderating forums on quantum mechanics.

Nour Al Hassan, Founder & CEO of Arabic AI and Tarjama&, is a visionary leader in technology, business, and innovation. Recognized by Forbes Middle East as one of the top women behind Middle Eastern tech brands, she has played a pivotal role in driving the region’s technology sector forward since 2008.

She founded Tarjama& in Amman, Jordan, in 2008 to address the lack of high-quality Arabic content. What started as a small, bootstrapped venture became a market leader, offering state-of-the-art translation, content services, and linguistic innovations. Over the last 16 years, she expanded the company into the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. In 2017, Nour launched Ureed.com, the region’s first online marketplace connecting businesses with Arabic-language professionals.

Recognizing the demand for enterprise-grade Arabic artificial intelligence solutions in 2023, Nour spent two years developing Arabic AI, launching it as an independent technology powerhouse. The company delivers scalable, high-precision Arabic AI tools to global enterprises, governments and Fortune 500 companies.

Beyond technology, Nour is committed to upskilling talent and creating opportunities for women and freelancers. Her leadership has earned her recognition from Forbes, Entrepreneur Middle East, Arabian Business, The CEO Magazine, and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

By winning the gold medal in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Nawal El Moutawakel became the first Moroccan, African, Arab, and Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

Most of her training was in Morocco and the year leading up to the Games, she moved to the USA to trained at Iowa State University, where she had a full scholarship and achieved great success on the highly competitive American collegiate circuit.

Her Olympic triumph marked a turning point, giving Moroccan women confidence and the courage to pursue sports, which had previously been considered a male domain.

Born in Casablanca on April 15, 1962, Nawal held several governmental positions: Secretary of State for Youth and Sports (1997–1998), Minister of Youth and Sports (2007–2009). She was also member of the parliament ( 2016 - 2021).

In 1995, she became a council member of the International Association of Athletics Federations, and in 1997, the first Muslim woman elected to the International Olympic Committee.

She is currently Vice President of the IOC and serves on several key commissions: Public Affairs and Communications, Olympism 365, Women in Sport, the Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Paris 2024), the Coordination Commissions for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. In 2004, she was appointed Chair of the Evaluation Commission for the 2012 Games, a role she also held for Rio 2016.

From 2008 to 2012, she served on the board of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award.

She has received numerous international honors for her contributions to sport and social progress.

Over 15 years' experience in a senior position in private banking.

Alina has been Head of A-Club, a business unit working with large private equity, since 2019. Since 2024, she has led Alfa-Bank's wealthy client business unit.

Under Alina's leadership, A-Club consistently tops the rankings for best service.

In 2022-2025, she topped the rating of top managers of Russian private banking divisions by the business magazine Bankovskoe Obozrenie (Banking Review).

She is raising three sons.

Trained in diplomacy and educated in fine art at Sotheby’s and Christie’s, Angela Orlov traded real estate blueprints and interior design for the world of gemstones. In 2011 she co-founded the Monaco high jewelry house ORLOV with her husband, gemstone specialist Christian Orlov.

At ORLOV she crafts gem-laden masterpieces hand-forged in Valenza, Italy — a style she calls “native opulence,” celebrating strength cloaked in sparkle. She runs an exclusive jewelry production, ensuring every client feels like a curator, not a consumer. Every stone leaves the workshop with a certificate attesting to its origin and quality, underscoring Angela’s insistence on full traceability for each diamond and coloured gem.

Diamond-scaled cuffs and sinuous chokers from ORLOV have graced red carpets on A-list celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez, turning collectors into devotees. In 2025 she pushed the brand further east, unveiling ORLOV’s first Middle-East flagship inside Dubai’s Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, bringing global connoisseurs even closer to its radiant vision of high jewelry.

Muna AbuSulayman is a Saudi media pioneer and award-winning entrepreneur celebrated for her trailblazing leadership in advancing women’s empowerment and inclusive innovation across the Arab world and beyond.

She rose to prominence as the founding host of Kalam Nawaem, MBC’s top-rated program and one of the most watched and influential women-led talk shows in the Middle East. The show broke cultural taboos, tackled social injustice, and gave millions of viewers unprecedented access to conversations on gender equity, legal reform, education, and economic opportunity.

As the former Secretary-General of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, Muna managed a $1 billion global philanthropic portfolio for innovation and strategic initiatives to combat poverty, empower women, and reframe the Islam-West dialogue. She also became Saudi Arabia’s first UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, championing global health and literacy initiatives, and serves as a Special Advisor to the United Nations International Organization for Migration.

An accomplished entrepreneur, Muna co-founded Glowork, the first MENA platform dedicated to women’s employment. She has also launched tech ventures such as ADRI (AI for Arabic knowledge), HealthKey Tech (blockchain health passports), and Niya (a CSR-driven social app). Today, she is a Partner at Transform VC, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm investing in deep tech and underrepresented founders across the MENA region.

She is repeatedly voted as one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World; and has helped co-found several organizations and companies that deal with leadership, empowerment, media, employment, gender and equity, and education.

Mona is a serial visionary entrepreneur, transformational leader, Investor, Board member, UN advocate and ecosystem builder. Mona has spent over two decades pioneering category-defining businesses across the MENA region.

She is best known as the Founder of Mumzworld, the Middle East’s leading mother & child e-commerce platform. Under her leadership, Mumzworld scaled rapidly to become the #1 trusted, platform for millions of mothers across MENA.

Mumzworld secured six funding rounds, becoming the #1 funded women-led tech business in the region and achieved a successful exit in 2024. Mona is also Co-founder at Bayt.com, the Arab world’s largest jobs board, and established Digitise360, a platform for Public and private sector strategic advisory and scalable business growth.

Her passion for enabling innovation extends beyond her businesses. She is a board member at the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and the Young Arab Leaders, a UN advocate, and mentor across the region’s startup ecosystem. She is also a highly sought-after speaker at global forums.

Her legacy is one of building from the ground up with a relentless commitment to impact and sustainable value creation, repeatedly ranked on Forbes’ top 10 lists, named among 100 Most Powerful Arab Women and amongst 100 most Powerful Arabs.

A trailblazer in the Middle East’s luxury evolution, Rosemin Opgenhaffen has been instrumental in shaping the region’s high-end retail landscape for over two decades.

After launching her career under Tom Ford at Gucci and gaining experience with fashion powerhouses in London and Milan, she brought her global perspective to the Gulf. In 2007, she founded RR&Co. Bespoke Luxury Management — the first PR showroom and consultancy of its kind in the Middle East. The agency became a vital bridge between European luxury houses and the region’s fast-growing markets, facilitating landmark store openings, celebrity visits, and brand launches for icons likeTom Ford, Prada, Burberry, and Christian Louboutin.

Rosemin has become a respected media voice, hosting fashion segments on Dubai One and Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, where she empowered a generation of women through style, beauty, and entrepreneurship. Her podcast, The Legacy Lounge with Rosemin, continues this mission, spotlighting the stories of remarkable women.

In December 2025, she will expand her influence with the launch of Rosemin Beauty, a luxury brand crafted for women with warmer skin tones.

Recognized by Vogue India, Arabian Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, and numerous international media outlets, Rosemin is also a committed philanthropist and global breast cancer awareness ambassador. She serves on the boards of the Serpentine Gallery, the British Fashion Council, and the Aga Khan Museum.

With 26 years of brand marketing experience, Kubi Springer joined AVANTGARDE Dubai from London in 2022 as Brand Marketing Director for the MEA region and became Global Marketing Director in 2024, overseeing marketing teams across 13 international offices including London, Dubai, Singapore, and Shanghai. In this capacity, Kubi has executed global marketing campaigns for the likes of L’Oréal Paris, FENDI, Dune London, Charlotte Tilbury, and the tourism retail divisions of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

From the success of her role as Global Marketing Director, Kubi is now heading up AUTHORITY by AVANTGARDE, a cultural marketing agency designed to help brands go global by tapping into authentic cultural narratives and audience insights.

Prior to this, having lived and worked in London and New York, Kubi worked with clients including Nike, TikTok, Beyoncé, MTV, Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Rio Ferdinand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and Aston Martin. In 2023, she was shortlisted for the 'Marketer of the Year Award' by Performance Marketing Weekly.

Dina is a visionary marketing leader with over two decades of experience shaping growth and innovation for global brands. As the Head of Marketing for Google Cloud in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, she is at the forefront of driving digital transformation across the region. A 10-year veteran of Google, Dina was instrumental in building the Cloud business from its inception, leading the marketing function through a period of exponential growth. Her leadership was pivotal in the successful launch of three cloud regions in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa —initiatives projected to catalyze over $150 billion in economic output for these countries by 2030.

She holds an MBA from London Business School, a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, and has completed executive development programs at Harvard Business School. She also previously worked at Barclays and P&G.

A passionate advocate for inclusive leadership, Dina champions diversity through initiatives like Women@Google MENA and her current role as the AI Committee Lead for the International Women Board of Directors (IWBD). This commitment extends to her work as a qualified coach, where she actively mentors and develops the next generation of talent at Google.

Helena Frumson advises Capital allocators, CEOs, boards of scale-ups and policy-driven funds - where capital is live, expectations are set, and decisions face scrutiny.

She is Co-Founder of NeoClear and Infinita Club, and has led commercial architecture, board design, and growth strategy across finance, startups, retail, and policy-linked platforms.

Previously Managing Director at Numerix and Commercial Executive with over 25 years of scaling businesses, she delivered high-stakes outcomes across EMEA and Globally and is a multi-award-winning commercial expert.

She is a mentor at the Founder Institute and The Female Factor, a guest lecturer at international MBA programs, and a board trustee at First Light.

Loren Naish is an accomplished marketing executive with over 20 years’ experience leading strategic marketing, brand, and communications initiatives across B2B, professional services, media, and agency sectors. She has held senior roles at global firms including Oliver Wyman, Accenture, WPP’s FITCH and The Brand Union, and The Mail & Guardian.

As Executive Director and Head of Marketing for India, Middle East, and Africa at Oliver Wyman, Loren has built a high-performing regional team from the ground up, transforming how marketing drives business growth across diverse and high-potential markets. She also shapes the firm’s global brand and marketing strategy.

Her career spans award-winning campaigns and high-impact C-suite engagement programs, including leading Accenture’s Innovation brand and service offer, as well as the professional services firm’s flagship global partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai. And more than a decade in WPP’s brand strategy houses honed her expertise in brand launches, global campaigns, and business development.

A former journalist, Loren is a skilled storyteller and strategist. She is passionate about nurturing the next generation of female leader from within, creating high performing, thriving teams, and helping organisations amplify their impact – whether through innovative leadership, culture transformation, or creative, budget-smart PR.

Iphigenia von Moock-Tsipas is a visionary leader driving large-scale transformation and systemic change across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and global markets. As Founder and CEO of PhiThea™, she has built a unique coaching and advisory platform empowering women founders and executives to break barriers, accelerate growth, and lead with clarity and purpose in complex, fast-evolving industries.

With over 25 years of cross-continental experience spanning technology, financial services, family offices, insurance, fashion, and more, Iphigenia is a seasoned expert in change management and strategic leadership. Her approach blends rigorous business acumen with cultural fluency, enabling women to navigate pivotal career and organizational transitions confidently.

PhiThea™’s distinct value lies in combining personalized coaching with embedded strategic advisory, creating resilient leadership ecosystems that scale impact for individuals and organizations alike. Iphigenia has forged key partnerships with industry leaders, government bodies, and advocacy groups throughout the Gulf and globally to drive inclusive policies and elevate women’s leadership to world-class standards.

An MBA graduate from London Business School and alumna of executive programs at Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business, she is a respected voice shaping global conversations on gender equity and leadership innovation.

Motto:
“Empowering women to lead boldly and shape global impact”

Eva Banzeraite is a global award-winning entrepreneur and the founder of The Exclusive Real Estate Ventures, a PropTech-driven global platform. Her ventures span luxury real estate, technology, fashion, and innovation — all united by a mission to empower women and redefine industry standards.

Eva’s career began in the beauty industry, where her creative leadership earned multiple awards. Drawing on her family’s entrepreneurial background, she transitioned into real estate. Her business journey reflects a unique blend of creativity, resilience, and strategic vision.

In 2024, she received a Global Recognition Award for leadership and impact. Recognized as a voice for a new era of leaders, Eva is known for her commitment to continuous learning and for creating environments where others can thrive. As a mentor and speaker, she inspires entrepreneurs to break barriers, embrace their creative power, and build lasting legacies.

Dr. Nadine Nehme is the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Medicus AI, a leading health tech company that transforms complex medical data into personalized, easy-to-understand insights for patients and healthcare providers.

With a PhD in Molecular Biology, Postdoctoral expertise in Gene therapy, and extensive experience in digital health innovation, Nadine bridges science, technology, and user-centric design to create solutions that empower individuals to take charge of their health. She has led multidisciplinary teams across Europe and the Middle East, spearheading initiatives in AI-powered health information, digital diagnostics, and patient engagement.

Nadine is a passionate advocate for women in STEM and entrepreneurship, and she regularly mentors startups in health technology, AI applications, and product-market fit. Through Medicus AI and various advisory roles, she continues to champion the use of technology to make healthcare more accessible, ethical, and meaningful.

Donna Benton is the founder and CEO of the ENTERTAINER, the leading provider of Buy One Get One Free offers for dining, leisure, attractions, beauty, fitness, hotels and more across the GCC. Donna played a pivotal role in its success, expanding to 15 countries and transitioning from a book to a data-driven technology company before exiting in 2018.

Donna then went on to found The Benton Group, a dynamic organisation focusing on establishing new companies and investing in businesses with the potential to scale. Donna is a shareholder and on the board of directors at Sunset Hospitality Group, a Dubai-based hospitality investment and management company whose portfolio includes METT Hotels & Resorts, Azure Beach Club, Ammos, Dream, Drift Beach Club, AURA, SUSHISAMBA, Black Tap, Luigia, Signor Sassi and many more.

In September 2023, the ENTERTAINER announced her return as a shareholder and CEO – her unique vision and passion for the business model is revitalising the much-loved brand with an emphasis on innovation, data and customer experience.

Sonja Ravic Vuckovic is the founder of Lofi Legal, a legal platform dedicated to protecting small businesses and empowering their safe, sustainable growth. With a clear mission to make high-quality legal support accessible, Sonja helps entrepreneurs navigate complex regulatory environments with confidence.

In addition to leading Lofi Legal, Sonja serves as Head of Legal at Fincore Digital Ltd. in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), where she brings a unique combination of legal and operational expertise to highly regulated sectors. She successfully managed the legal and operational dimensions of Boeing’s investment in Fincore, aligning business goals with strict regulatory compliance.

Sonja played a key role in Fincore’s expansion, where she integrated legal strategy with operational execution to support rapid, compliant growth. Earlier in her career, as a Legal Advisor at Fincore, she negotiated critical contracts with the Serbia Ministry of Defence, while also overseeing HR operations and scaling the company to over 200 employees in one year.

Sonja is passionate about the intersection of law, business, and innovation, and continues to advocate for practical, protective legal solutions that enable businesses of all sizes to thrive.

Prior to her current role, Aradhana was CFO for Alexion, responsible for driving strategic growth, financial performance and business development. She brings operational experience in biopharma plus more than 20 years of professional experience at global financial institutions and has extensive knowledge of global healthcare systems, having closed more than 100 transactions across M&A, equity and debt financing.

Before joining Alexion, Aradhana was Managing Director of Healthcare Corporate and Investment Banking at Citi Global Banking, focusing on clients in the life sciences and biopharmaceutical sectors. Previously, she served as Managing Director of Healthcare Investment Banking at UBS and worked at JP Morgan in the M&A Advisory and Healthcare groups. Aradhana trained as a medical doctor in India and spent two years practicing in both India and Africa. She completed her medical training at the University of Delhi and received her MBA from Stanford Business School.

Other appointments: Aradhana is on the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross and is an Independent Director and Audit Committee member of Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Dr. Sara Ramadan is a trailblazing force at the intersection of corporate leadership and entrepreneurial innovation. With a distinguished 22-year career as a professional Emotional Intelligence expert for leaders and C-suite executives, this individual has been instrumental in shaping high-performing, emotionally intelligent organizations. As a key architect of talent strategy advocate, she is not only cultivating the next generation of leaders but is also spearheading a transformative female empowerment leadership program, championing diversity and inclusion at the highest levels.

Dr. Sara Ramadan, a holder of a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, this expert embodies the spirit of a true change-maker. This is further exemplified by her successful venture as a female entrepreneur in the dynamic field of Edutech, where she is revolutionizing learning and development for the digital age. Her unique blend of academic rigor, corporate acumen, and entrepreneurial zeal makes her a powerful voice and a sought-after expert in leadership, innovation, and the future of work.

Joana Jamil is a digital strategist and partnership expert, currently serving as Strategic Partner Manager at Meta, where she supports leading content creators and public figures across the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey regions. Her work focuses on helping strategic creators and public figures maximize the power of Facebook and Instagram tools to achieve their creative and business goals.

With over a decade of experience in tech and media, Joana brings deep expertise in platform strategy, content development, and digital monetization. Before joining Meta, she was a Partner Manager at Twitter, where she worked with digital publishers, broadcasters, and sports partners, guiding them in monetization strategies and content innovation. Her ability to position content offerings, build pricing strategies, and craft compelling pitches made her an invaluable partner to brands and creators alike.

Jamil promotes Meta's creator economy initiatives in the region, including programs like Creators of Tomorrow and Creators for Purpose. She works with emerging regional talents and supports Meta's recent launch of Meta AI in Arabic, designed to empower Arabic-first creators with culturally relevant tools. Passionate about youth and education, Joana also serves as Communications Advisor to Jusoor, an NGO supporting Syrian youth through education and entrepreneurship.

Sara Alwari is a Dubai-based Syrian content creator and influencer with over 14 million followers across TikTok and Instagram. A certified dietitian and ISSA-certified personal trainer, she creates content focused on fitness, health, beauty, and lifestyle.

Since the beginning of her journey, Sara has transformed her social media presence into a powerful space for motivation and practical storytelling. Her influence goes far beyond visuals as she leads meaningful conversations around self-worth, modern womanhood, and the power of consistency. Sara also collaborates with leading global and regional brands, aligning only with projects that reflect her core values of integrity, empowerment, and authentic audience impact.

In her personal life, Sara is married to fellow creator Ghaith Marwan, and together they represent a new wave of Arab couples embracing creativity, mutual respect, and community-building. Their partnership resonates deeply with young audiences, proving that authenticity, resilience, and passion can turn digital platforms into powerful tools for real-world influence and empowerment.

Michelle Raymond is a leadership strategist, HR futurist, speaker, and author with over 25 years of experience helping organisations future-proof their leadership pipelines, boost retention, and embed inclusive practices that drive sustainable growth. She operates at the intersection of cultural intelligence, innovation, and AI-powered workforce transformation, advising senior leaders across the finance, education, technology, and government sectors.

Michelle is the founder of The People’s Partner and co-founder of Techsoma.me and FindExperts.me, a tech and executive mentoring platform that connects organisations to expert talent with a focus on diversity, innovation, and leadership development. Her award-winning work is known for creating impactful retention frameworks, inclusive leadership tools, and forward-thinking talent development strategies.

A passionate advocate for intrapreneurship, Michelle supports companies in designing internal programs that unlock innovation and empower employees to lead from within. She is also the founder of the Diverse Business and Tech Summit, which connects diverse suppliers with procurement leaders across the globe.

Michelle divides her time between Dubai and London and continues to lead international conversations around inclusive leadership and the future of work. She is the author of David’s Guide to Goliath, a practical guide for securing and scaling corporate opportunities as a small business or entrepreneur.

Nisha Jagtiani serves as Group Director and Board Member at the Landmark Group, with a primary focus on the fashion portfolio of the group with Max, Centrepoint, leadership initiatives across the Group and the expansion of the new businesses portfolio.

Established in 1973 by Micky Jagtiani in Bahrain, the Landmark Group has evolved into one of the largest retail and hospitality organizations in the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Presently, the Group boasts of 21 homegrown brands, franchise and JV brands, operating through a network of over 2500 stores across 15+ countries, complemented by a robust online presence.

In addition to her corporate responsibilities, Nisha is instrumental in guiding the Group's philanthropic initiatives and social impact programs. Notably, Landmark Group's flagship social impact initiative, Beat Diabetes, has emerged as the UAE's largest community health program.

Nisha is an Alumni from King's College London, and Harvard Business School where she attended the Advanced Management Program.

Up until 2023, Zainab led the Middle East and Africa regions at Invesco Asset Management, an organization managing over $1.5 trillion USD. Recognized by Forbes as one of the Middle East's power businesswomen, she is a staunch advocate for diversity and inclusion, serving on the boards of various female empowerment institutions.

Zainab has since transitioned to consultancy, lending her expertise as a subject matter expert. Currently, she serves as an independent consultant and also an advocate for startups and SMEs.

Born in Iraq and raised in the UK, Zainab now calls Dubai home, where she continues to inspire the next generation of female leaders through mentorship.

Marie-Louise Ek leads Hilton’s human resources function and drives the company’s award-winning people and culture strategy across the Middle East & Africa, where Hilton currently employs close to 30,000 Team Members across its over 120 hotels in the region.

A graduate of Lund University in her native Sweden, Marie-Louise has 25 years’ experience in the human capital space, and prior to joining Hilton in September 2022, has worked with several Fortune 500 companies in multiple industries across four continents.

Her career to date includes a range of senior management roles, including a decade with Swedish technology group and HR transformation pioneers Sandvik. In over 15 years spent working in the Middle East and Africa, Marie-Louise has led human resources for global logistics giant Maersk, overseen cultural transformation at Bridgestone, led workforce optimization for emerging markets at Coty Professional Beauty (now Wella Company), and drove the HR strategy for the franchise business arm of PepsiCo.

In addition to a B.S.c in social sciences, Ek is a Certified Executive Coach.

Marisha Lakhiani is one of the most innovative growth marketers in the world today. As Chief Growth Officer at Mindvalley, she’s behind over $150M in revenue, leading high-impact strategies across subscriptions, product launches, performance marketing, content, and community.

Today, Marisha is at the forefront of AI-powered growth, building autonomous marketing agents and lean teams that drive compounding results. Her work focuses on increasing LTV while reducing CAC, blending behavioral psychology, automation, and data to engineer scalable, sustainable growth systems.

She’s spoken on global stages like Ad World, Google YouTube Works, Meta AI Summit, and Global Marketing Day, captivating audiences with tactical insights, real-world experiments, and a clear vision of the future of marketing.

Whether launching 8-figure funnels or redesigning how teams operate, Marisha brings a unique mix of creative precision and systems thinking to everything she touches.

Reham Eldidi is a seasoned corporate communications leader with over 15 years of experience, including more than a decade in the automotive industry. As Head of Corporate Communications at Stellantis Middle East, she plays a key role in shaping the company’s voice and executive presence across 10 Middle East markets. She manages the strategic positioning of 10 iconic automotive brands—Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Opel, PEUGEOT, and Ram.

Reham leads the development and execution of integrated communication strategies, bridging global and local teams to deliver high-impact campaigns that build brand equity and support business growth. Her approach blends strategic planning, creative storytelling, thought leadership, influencer engagement, and emotive brand messaging.

Beyond her corporate role, Reham is a certified coach by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), a program rooted in Core Energy Coaching that focuses on deep inner transformation through coaching techniques, energy awareness, and emotional intelligence. She works with individuals, teams, and organizations to support both personal and professional development.

Tina Ghafurian is a bold and visionary business leader with more than 22 years of experience in the beauty and wellness industry. As COO of Omorfia Group, she oversees three of the region’s most influential brands - Tips & Toes, Bedashing Beauty Lounge, and Juice Beauty - managing over 75 locations across the UAE and KSA.

Known for her courage to take risks and think beyond convention, Tina has built her career on turning opportunities into success stories. She believes deeply in people, empowering her teams, especially women to lead with confidence and create lasting impact. Ambitious yet nurturing, and guided by integrity and honesty, she has become a trusted voice in an industry where innovation and authenticity matter most.

Passionate about sustainability, mentorship, and ethical growth, Tina ensures Omorfia’s success goes hand in hand with community impact. From her creative beginnings in Iran to leading one of the Middle East’s largest beauty groups, her journey is a story of resilience, trailblazing leadership, and a commitment to inspiring the next generation of female leaders.

Tatiana Volodina is a distinguished leader in the global beauty industry, widely recognized for her strategic leadership, brand-building expertise, and ability to reimagine beauty retail at scale. Her career is marked by CEO at Shiseido and Estée Lauder Companies, where she held pivotal positions that sharpened her expertise in brand building, consumer engagement, and international business development. With over two decades of executive experience, she has redefined how consumers connect with beauty brands.

Currently serving as President of the LETOILE Group, Tatiana leads one of the world’s most influential beauty retailers. Under her leadership, the LETOILE brand has expanded internationally, most recently into the GCC and Middle East, bringing a fresh and innovative concept of beauty retailing to the region.

Today the LETOILE Group operates over 1,000 stores across 250 cities in Russia, along with outlets in CIS countries, Qatar, and the UAE. LETOILE offers a meticulously curated portfolio of over 500 global brands, including around 100 niche brands, many of them introduced to these markets for the very first time.

Mina Al Sheikhly is an Iraqi content creator, entrepreneur, and lifestyle personality with a deep passion for beauty and design. Her journey began in interior design, where her creative vision helped her build a strong presence in the Middle East. This passion inspired her to launch her beauty brand, By Mina AlSheikhly, a reflection of her signature style and authenticity.

With a community of over 9.25 million followers across social media, Mina shares engaging, relatable, and intimate glimpses of her everyday life, building meaningful connections with her audience. Her unique voice and creative approach have also led to collaborations with global brands, further establishing her as a trusted figure in the beauty and lifestyle space.

Moon Baz is the Director of Global Partnerships for Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Meta. She leads the partnerships team across the video and content ecosystem in the region and works closely with publishers, strategic creators, public figures, subject matter experts, and other key stakeholders to develop and implement effective collaboration strategies that unlock the full potential of Meta's platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads, and Meta AI.

With a deep understanding of each partner type, Moon excels at fostering strong relationships and identifying opportunities for growth, innovation, and engagement. Her expertise enables partners to leverage Meta's platforms, driving business results, expanding their reach, and building their brands.

Moon has over 18 years of experience in media, including roles as acting CEO of SuperMama, freelance consultant for clients like Deezer MENA and Vue International, and senior management consultant with Booz & Co. She holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and a master's degree in Financial Economics from the American University of Beirut. Moon is fluent in English, Arabic, and French, and resides in Dubai.

Lucie Lachaux is a private advisor to senior executives and influential leaders navigating high-performance demands in business and life.

A former CFO by 26, she has led global financial strategy across Europe and the Middle East before founding Changing Minds—a boutique advisory firm helping ambitious leaders build their next chapter with mental clarity, performance strategy, and sharper decision-making.

Known for her ability to cut through internal noise and unlock high-stakes clarity, Lucie blends executive rigor with deep mindset work—offering her clients a rare space to recalibrate how they lead, decide, and live. Her 360° method fuses introspection, strategic planning, and sounding-board style advisory to drive results that align with both legacy and fulfillment.

She has partnered with executives from global firms including Siemens, Radisson, and Palo Alto Networks—guiding them through critical transitions, complex leadership decisions, and deeply personal reinventions.

With a reputation for being direct, intelligent, and intensely committed to her clients’ evolution, Lucie is building a new category of leadership advisory—where performance isn’t just sustainable, it’s self-authored.

With over 10 years of experience in human resources, Sarah leads the people strategy across the MEA region. Sarah is a responsible, and a restorative leader that strives on learning and growth.

Passionate about talent development, cross-functional collaboration, and culture-building, she plays a key role in enabling growth and shaping the employee experience at Kraft Heinz.

She thrives on building high-performing teams and empowering individuals to own their career journeys.

Laure is currently leading the activities of one Business Line from Egis, a global architectural, consulting, engineering and operations firm in Africa. Egis is also the CEO of SEGAP, a leading pan-African airport investment platform, which operates 5 airports across Africa.

Laure holds a degree from the Ecole Centrale Paris, one of the Top 3 engineering school in France – equivalent to a Master's in Science and Project Management.

She has 18 years of experience, including 16 years at Egis and 2 years at Bouygues. She has extensive international experience in business development, team leadership, and management of profit centers. Her countries of professional experience to date cover more than 25 countries across Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe. She is passionate about large-scale multisectoral infrastructure projects, with a desire to promote sustainable development and innovation initiatives. Before joining the Africa region, Laure has significantly contributed to Egis's growth in the Middle East during 3 years, particularly in regards to environment, water, marine & port and nuclear sectors.

Laure was selected as Voice of a New Era of Leaders in 2024 and received four awards in 2023 including the "Eco-Friendly Professional of the Year", "Women in Leadership" and "Women Executive of the Year". Laure is also a speaker in different events / panels related to Sustainable Cities.

Yasmin Al Enazi is a robotics engineer, tech entrepreneur, and regional leader in AI innovation. As Head of Women In AI Middle East Region, Program Director of Maxbyte’s Industry 4.0 Center and Founder of AISTHESIS, she blends deep technical expertise with a mission to create inclusive, impact-driven technologies.

Yasmin was named one of the Top 10 Women Globally Leading the Robotics Industry by the International Federation of Robotics (2024), and featured among the 100 Faces of Women in the UAE by Al Bayan (2018). In 2025, she was recognized by the UAE Union of Women and the UN Women’s 69th Session Report as a leading voice for AI and tech Women empowerment in the GCC.

Femke Baudoin is Boeing’s Communications Director for the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa. In this role, she oversees the company’s regional communications, focusing on building and protecting Boeing’s reputation and brand, and informing and engaging both external and internal stakeholders to support key business priorities.

Femke brings more than 25 years of global communications and public affairs expertise to the business, and a track record of creating impactful corporate content. She has been living and working in the Middle East since 2010.

Before joining Boeing in 2021, Femke served as head of communications for the Middle East, Egypt, and Iran at BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, and led the marketing and communications function for the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), one of the largest trade associations in the region. She also worked for twofour54, the media and entertainment zone established by the government of Abu Dhabi.

She spent six years leading the corporate communications function for Saudi Aramco in Europe, based at its European headquarters in the Netherlands, her home country. She also spent a year at Saudi Aramco’s global headquarters in Saudi Arabia, supporting the establishment of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), the flagship of Aramco’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

Amira Sajwani is a prominent Emirati business executive and entrepreneur at the forefront of the Middle East’s real estate and proptech sectors. She currently serves as Managing Director of Sales & Development at DAMAC Properties, where she leads end-to-end real estate development and builds high-performance sales ecosystems for one of the region’s most recognized property developers. She is also the Founder & CEO of PRYPCO, a cutting-edge proptech platform, and Co-Founder & COO of Amali Properties, a brand redefining ultra-luxury living.

As a judge on Shark Tank Dubai, she evaluates founders on capability, market opportunity, and valuation discipline — reflecting an investment approach honed through her family office background and entrepreneurial track record.

A mother of two daughters, Amira often cites parenthood as a key driver of her commitment to resilience, example-setting, and women’s economic empowerment. She advocates for going “all in” on meaningful opportunities and remains a vocal champion for female participation in leadership and business across the region.

Andrea Gontkovicova is PMI’s Vice President Corporate Affairs South & Southeast Asia (SSEA), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) & Middle East & Africa (MEA) Region. In this capacity Andrea oversees external engagement and regulatory developments in PMI’s biggest geographical region. Prior to current appointment, Andrea served as Chairperson of the Board and Managing Director of Philip Morris Czech Republic, with responsibility for Company’s business in Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Andrea started her professional career in 1997 at Philip Morris Slovakia and since then held positions of increased responsibility in Corporate Affairs, Commercial Development and Smoke-Free Products Divisions in countries in Central Europe and PMI’s Operations Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. In recognition of all Andrea’s contributions and success, she is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards from governments in the jurisdictions where she has worked.

Joelle Mardinian is a beauty entrepreneur and one of the Arab world’s most influential TV figures. As the Founder and CEO of Joelle Group, she has built a multi-brand empire spanning salons, aesthetic clinics, beauty products, and wellness.

Joelle’s career in media, including 14 years hosting the TV show Joelle on MBC1 and the groundbreaking reality series Joelle Unfiltered, has allowed her to connect deeply with women across the region. Her podcast Min Alb Joelle continues this mission, addressing social taboos and inspiring honest conversations around self-worth and leadership.

With over 33 million followers across social media, Joelle is a trusted voice in beauty and lifestyle. She has served as brand ambassador for Dyson, Braun, and Max Factor, among others, and has received multiple awards, including Forbes’ Top 500 Most Influential Arabs and L’Officiel Middle East’s Arab Woman of the Year award.

Rona Rahim is the Founder & CEO of RONA, a boutique real estate agency redefining Dubai’s luxury market with over AED 1 billion in annual transactions. Well connected with leading developers and top brokerages, she leverages deep relationships to unlock access, information, and favorable outcomes for clients.

One of the first female professionals at Emaar and later a broker at Hamptons International, Rona rose to become a top performer before launching her own firm. Over two decades, she has helped shape Dubai’s prime property landscape, guiding buyers, sellers, and developers across off-plan icons and trophy resales.

Beyond brokerage, Rona serves as an ambassador for real-estate start-ups, mentoring founders and empowering young entrepreneurs to succeed. Her approach blends rigorous market analysis with a human-centered philosophy: every investment should grow wealth while improving daily life. Clients value her discretion, negotiation clarity, and the calm, confident execution that turns vision into lasting value.

Alex Zagrebelny, the Founder and CEO of R · Evolution Group, is the driving force behind one of the most innovative companies in the luxury real estate market. Operating in the UAE, Latvia, Spain, and Germany, the group owes its success to Alex’s ingenuity, leadership, and strategic vision. He was recently acknowledged by Arabian Business as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the UAE.

With almost 30 years of extensive expertise in real estate development, Alex brings a pioneering perspective to R · Evolution Group. His meticulous attention to detail is paired with a visionary approach, incorporating the latest advancements in architecture, construction, sales, marketing, and company philosophy.

R · Evolution’s portfolio includes more than 20 completed luxury properties, many of which have received prestigious local and international awards. Recent recognitions include World’s Best Property 2024 for Eywa Tree of Life (Dubai), Best High Rise 2025–2026 (Dubai) for Eywa Way of Water, and European Best Office Development 2024 for 22Palms(Barcelona). These projects are WELL Platinum certified, reflecting Alex’s conviction that real estate is not just a shelter but also a medicine.

Lynn Al Khatib, Executive Coach and Vice President of Communications at Chalhoub Group, brings almost 20 years of experience in corporate and brand communications. She also hosts The Podcast by Chalhoub Group, where she interviews internal and external icons in the industry such as Stella McCartney, Tory Burch, Marissa Peer among others.

In 2024, Lynn expanded her work by becoming an executive coach, partnering with leaders and C-suite executives to support their thought leadership, personal branding, and communication strategies.That same year, Lynn led The Skincare Edition, the first skincare summit of its kind in the Middle East, held at Hia Hub 4.0 in Riyadh.

Before joining Chalhoub Group, Lynn held key roles at Nestlé, where she led Middle East Corporate Communication and later worked as Global Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Communication Manager at Nestlé S.A. in Switzerland.

Lynn is a strong advocate for Women in Leadership and is committed to giving back to the communication industry. She serves on the strategy boards of MEPRA and Global Women in PR (GWPR) and contributes to the PRCA Mental Wellbeing Chapter in the UAE.

Outside of work, Lynn finds joy in connecting with others and mentoring, while balancing her career with her role as a mother of two.

Mahira Pathan brings deep expertise in AI Vector Search, Spatial, and Graph as an Oracle Black Belt, guiding enterprises across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in their AI journeys. She holds a Master of Engineering in Computer Science from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s degree from the American University of Sharjah.

Beyond her technical role, Mahira is a committed advocate for women in STEM. As former President of the Association of Women Engineers at AUS, she led mentorship programs and hands-on workshops to inspire young women to pursue careers in technology. She continues this work today through initiatives such as Technovation for high-school girls.

Mahira is equally passionate about advancing conversations on the ethical use of AI and its applications in healthcare. She has delivered technical sessions at events such as the Google Developers Festival and frequently collaborates with universities to mentor and support first-generation students as they navigate their career paths.

Kubra is an experienced professional within the Oracle EMEA CTO office, specialized in AI and Data Science technologies.

Her career topics include AI, Big Data, Analytics, Data Science, NLP and Cloud technologies in well-known global companies, and she has contributed to diverse industries in consulting, pre-sales, sales, and business development roles over the last 15+ years.

With a strong academic background in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (BSc & MSc) - and a minor degree in Business Administration, she is a lifelong learner who is currently studying Philosophy degree to further broaden her perspective.

Her Excellency Ohood Al Roumi is the UAE Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, leading national efforts to advance government development, future readiness, and digital transformation across the federal government.

She chairs the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation. H.E. Al Roumi serves as Vice Chair of the World Governments Summit Organization and board member of several key national entities, including the Emirates Competitiveness Council and Dubai Future Foundation.

She previously served as the UAE’s first Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing, Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Secretary-General of the “Preparation for the Next 50” Committee, where she spearheaded the UAE Centennial 2071 vision.

Globally recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and named among Fortune’s “World’s Greatest Leaders,” she continues to shape the future of governance and public sector excellence.

H.E. holds an Executive MBA from the University of Sharjah and a Bachelor’s in Economics from UAE University.

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach-Jauncey, crowned Miss Universe 2015, is one of the Philippines’ most celebrated queens and a global advocate for humanitarian causes. Her victory became historic after an onstage mix-up made her crowning moment one of the most unforgettable in pageant history.

Over the years, Pia has used her platform to champion causes close to her heart. She has been a strong advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness, women’s empowerment, and mental health, serving as a long-time ambassador for LoveYourself and UNAIDS. During the COVID19 pandemic, she organized a fundraiser to provide protective equipment for frontliners in Metro Manila.

Her humanitarian leadership was recognized when she was awarded the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) 2024 Award for Humanitarian Service and Social Work, making her one of the few women to receive this distinction. In 2025, she was also named Ambassador of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), representing and supporting millions of Overseas Filipino Workers around the world.

Beyond advocacy, Pia has established herself as a fashion icon, regularly gracing the front rows of international fashion weeks and making impactful style statements that merge elegance with Filipino identity. She has also ventured into entrepreneurship, with projects in beauty and lifestyle, and continues to explore future creative pursuits including fashion, fragrance, and writing.

Ambareen Musa, CEO of GCC at Revolut, brings almost two decades of experience in financial services and fintech and is widely recognized as a pioneer in the Middle East’s digital finance space.

Ambareen is best known as the founder of Souqalmal.com, one of the region’s first and most trusted financial comparison platforms, which helped revolutionize how consumers make financial decisions.

Her passion for financial literacy and consumer empowerment has been a consistent theme throughout her career and now plays a central role in shaping Revolut’s strategy for the UAE market.

20 years of FMCG FP&A experience at L’Oréal group across multiple regions: Canada, KSA, France and United Arab Emirates. Strong background as Head of Finance, passionate about driving growth strategies as a business partner to multimillion euro globally recognized brands.

Recently pivoted as Sustainable Business Solutions Lead for SAPMENA zone focusing on the accelerated transformation of 12 markets to embed sustainability in business processes that drive value creation.

Fatima-Azahra Jamal is an accomplished business leader with over a decade of experience driving revenue growth through strategic leadership, customer relationship excellence, and business transformation. As Territory Director at LinkedIn, she oversees multi-market partnerships across the Middle East and North Africa, helping organizations leverage LinkedIn to attract, develop, and retain top talent, equipping their workforces to thrive in an AI-driven economy.

Alongside her role at LinkedIn, Fatima-Azahra is the Founder & CEO of FatiTech, the first sales-focused platform founded by a woman in the Middle East and built to scale Globally. Through FatiTech, she is pioneering the F.A.T.I.™ Blueprint, a proprietary sales methodology and certification system aiming to transform how sales is practiced, scaled, and recognized as a global profession.

As a thought leader and changemaker, she is deeply committed to empowering the next generation of sales professionals and advancing women in leadership. Her work bridges corporate excellence with entrepreneurial innovation, shaping the future of work and positioning the region as a hub for world-class sales talent.

Leila Sanii is the Managing Director of The Grooming Company, part of the Omorfia Group, and a leading voice for women's empowerment in the UAE’s beauty and wellness industry. With more than 35 years of experience in the region, she has shaped the company into a workplace where women are empowered to lead, grow, and thrive.

Under her leadership, The Grooming Company has doubled in size, expanded across regional and international markets, and earned over 20 industry awards. But Leila’s most enduring impact is the corporate culture she has built where women have access to clear career pathways, mentorship, and leadership roles across every level of the organization.

As both a mother and successful executive, Leila leads by example, showing that women can pursue ambitious careers while nurturing strong personal lives. Her commitment to inclusive leadership continues to open doors for the next generation of women in business, proving that when women advance, companies and communities rise with them.

Mahdis is the Co-Founder and CEO of the global career and HR plattform the female factor, active in over 75 countries. Before starting the female factor, Mahdis served as one of the youngest and only female general managers of an international airline in Austria and Germany and led cross-border projects and teams in the Middle East, Europe and the US. She co-founded her first business at age 23 and also served in leadership roles at non-profit organisations such as the World Affairs Council, AustrianStartups and Female Founders.

Mahdis is a passionate diversity advocate and her TEDxtalk around female leadership in business has been watched over 40.000 times.

Lidiia Muslim is the visionary founder and owner of LITT, a Dubai-based multibrand boutique that seamlessly blends iconic European and American fashion houses with a new wave of emerging designers.

More than a boutique, LITT is a destination where a meticulously crafted selection allows every woman to shape a complete, individual style. It reflects global trends while offering a contemporary, refined shopping experience.

The team behind LITT includes professionals with expertise from Ferragamo, Valentino, Jacquemus, TSUM, and DLT. Guided by Lidiia’s leadership, the boutique is shaping Dubai’s fashion landscape - where international aesthetics meet local culture and truly personalized service.

Born in Siberia and now living between Kazakhstan, Dubai, and Paris, Lidiia brings a unique richness of cultural perspectives into her work. Beyond fashion, she is devoted to philanthropy: in 2025, she established her own foundation to advance charitable initiatives.

Her philosophy is clear and powerful: to unite brands, cultures, and people - creating projects where fashion becomes a universal language.

Yasmina Azar is the Director of Client Relations and the Training Academy at Omorfia Group, where she has shaped client engagement and talent development across the region’s beauty and wellness industry.

With master’s degrees in biology and environmental biochemistry, Yasmina began her career in the medical and pharmaceutical fields before reinventing herself in the UAE. She joined Omorfia in 2016 as a Customer Service Executive and rose through managerial roles to director level, leading the establishment of the group’s contact center, client relations function, and finally the Omorfia Learning & Development Academy.

Guided by empathy and integrity, Yasmina is committed to mentoring her teams and creating opportunities for growth, ensuring that every member of her team is empowered to achieve their full potential.

Joleen is the co-founder of Squirrel Ai Learning, and CEO of SAI US. With a Ph.D. in Intelligent Science and Systems, Joleen is dedicated to advancing intelligent education systems worldwide. As a visiting Professor at The Research Institute for Innovation and Technology in Education (UNIR iTED), she actively contributes to academic and industry innovations. Joleen was awarded 2025 China’s Power Business Women by Forbes, AI Revolution in Education Outstanding Woman Award in 2024. She was also recognized as one of the BETT Asia EdTech Top 10 List Honor in 2024.

Joleen is the founder and director of the AI+Adaptive Education International Conference (AIAED) and holds several prestigious positions, including secretary of the IEEE International K-12 Education Standards Working Group, vice-Dean of the Intelligent Education Committee at China Automation Congress, deputy head of the Technology and Standards Working Group, and executive director of the AI and Robotics Education Committee of the China Education Development Strategy Society.

As a sought-after speaker, Joleen has presented at global platforms such as the 2025 Summer Davos, World Summit AI, IJCAI, ACM KDD, ACM UMAP, Slush, TechCrunch, UBS Investor Conference, SFT, Global Smart Education Summit, BETT, and others. Her insights have been featured in Bloomberg, Fortune, Forbes, and the Financial Times.

Passionate about guiding investors, homeowners, and international buyers through Dubai’s dynamic real estate market, ensuring clarity and confidence at every step. Recognized as one of the UAE’s top brokers, including multiple years as Emaar’s Top Seller, with a deep expertise in anticipating market trends, structuring high-value opportunities, and advising clients throughout their property journey.

Leading a diverse, multilingual team at Aeon & Trisl, the emphasis is on building trust, simplifying complexities, and delivering long-term value. Whether managing luxury portfolios or helping clients find their first home, the approach is insight-driven, client- centric, and focused on sustainable success.

Thrives on understanding diverse needs, fostering trust-based relationships, and transforming challenges into opportunities through active listening and strategic problem- solving. A dedication to continuous learning and innovation keeps ahead of industry trends.

Maintains balance through fitness, mindfulness, quality time with family, travel, and creative hobbies. Looking ahead, the goal is to contribute to the company’s growth, embrace new challenges, and cultivate a culture of excellence and innovation for the future.

Racquel Agravante is a Senior Operations Manager of Bedashing Beauty Lounge, part of the Omorfia Group, and a long-standing leader in the UAE’s beauty industry. She began her journey with Bedashing in 2008 as a technician and steadily rose through supervisory and management roles to become Operations Manager, reflecting both her resilience and the company’s culture of empowerment.

With nearly two decades of experience in the beauty industry, progressing from a hands-on technician to Operations Manager, Racquel brings a unique blend of technical expertise, people leadership, and operational excellence.

What makes Racquel different from others is her ability to lead with empathy while maintaining high performance standards. Having started at the service level herself, she leads with authenticity, credibility, and a deep respect for her teams, qualities that earn trust and inspire loyalty. She does not only manage operations; she nurtures people, turning everyday challenges into opportunities for growth.

Racquel defines success not by titles but by the growth of others, mentoring her team to rise with her. Her journey embodies both the UAE’s progressive vision for women in leadership and Omorfia’s mission to create pathways where women can achieve their fullest potential.

Rima Hadid, an accomplished international legal consultant with over two decades of experience, currently serves as the General Counsel at the Emirates Investment Authority (EIA), the UAE's federal sovereign wealth fund. Her career is distinguished by significant contributions to sovereign wealth funds and a steadfast commitment to mentoring emerging legal professionals

Ms. Hadid's expertise and leadership have garnered both local and international recognition, solidifying her reputation as a prominent figure in the legal profession. She has been a consistent presence on the Legal 500 GC Powerlist for the Middle East since 2015, a distinction achieved by only a select few in the region, furthermore, she was recognised by the Financial News London as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Middle East Finance.

Most recently, she has been recognized by Chambers & Partners in their first ever Global Market Leaders Legal Rankings for General Counsels and CLOs. Her expertise and thought leadership have made her a sought-after judge for prestigious legal and professional awards, including the Thomson Reuters ALB Middle East Law Awards and LexisNexis Middle East Awards.

Dr. Leila Hoteit is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group, based in the Middle East. She leads BCG’s global Education, Employment, and Welfare practice and brings nearly two decades of experience advising governments on human capital strategy, national education reform, and social development.

A member of BCG’s Public Sector and Social Impact leadership teams, Leila works at the intersection of policy, workforce transformation, and inclusive economic growth. Her expertise spans education systems, labor market alignment, cultural development, and governance reform across the GCC and Europe.

Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, she has also been recognized by Forbes Middle East as one of the region’s most powerful businesswomen. Leila holds a PhD in signal processing and an MBA from INSEAD, and she is committed to helping societies unlock the full potential of their people through long-term, systemic change.

His Holiness Paramguru Maharaj is a globally revered spiritual master and a scholar of both ancient wisdom and modern science. He is recognized as the only living Guru to have studied under the sacred lineage of 13 ancient Indian universities, which were part of the 51 great centers of learning that once flourished across Bharatvarsha. He has trained more than 100,000 students and supported the development of over 5,000 yoga teachers and counselors around the world.

With expertise across more than 50 disciplines including yogic sciences, Ayurveda, spiritual psychology, material sciences, and consciousness studies, Paramguru has inherited and refined over 30,000 Ayurvedic formulations under the guidance of his 147-year-old Guru. By the age of 37, he had delivered lectures at more than 50 universities and authored over 30 books, including the bestsellers You Are Born to Win and The Yogic Science of Divine Pregnancy.

As the founder of the Sevarth Foundation, Paramguru has led social campaigns across 50,000 villages in West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. These efforts have addressed the challenges faced by widows and worked to dismantle social stigmas. His work has restored dignity to thousands of women and continues to strengthen rural communities through education, youth development, and family values. In parallel, he has led a 3,000-member scientific research team in Europe, advancing studies that connect traditional Vedic knowledge with modern science in areas such as medicine, psychology, and technology.

Paramguru also established the Ultra Billionaire Club, where he mentors more than 250 global leaders, each with a personal net worth exceeding five billion US dollars. His teachings focus on integrating personal success with wisdom, health, and service. As a living expression of Sanātana Dharma, Paramguru continues to inspire individuals and institutions through his commitment to love, learning, and humanitarian service.

Maria Galabova is the founder of Keto Kartel, purveyor of artisan breads, luxury cakes, desserts, bespoke creations, and premium chocolates crafted with the finest ingredients by European artisans in Dubai. Born from her personal journey toward health, Keto Kartel embodies her commitment to clean, sugar-free, gluten-free, and lactose-free ingredients, offering guilt-free and nourishing options.

With advanced degrees in Politics, Sociology, and Law from Bulgaria and France, Maria began at Bulgaria’s Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism and later served four years as a diplomat in Belgium before moving to the UAE. After years in Abu Dhabi focused on family, she relocated to Dubai in 2019 and underwent a personal transformation through the keto lifestyle in 2021. Deciding to make sugar-free and gluten-free wholesome food accessible, she leveraged a family medical background to advance health through lifestyle, not just medicine.

In 2024, Keto Kartel launched to offer elevated, sugar-free treats that don’t compromise taste. Maria’s mission aligns with UAE Vision 2030 to promote clean eating and reduce lifestyle diseases, with expansion plans across the GCC and into Europe. Her long-term vision is to redefine healthy living—joyful, inclusive, and uncompromising in quality—for all ages to celebrate guilt-free.

Amnah Ajmal is the former Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard. In this role, she led the P&L across multiple business verticals including merchants, governments, fintech’s, Crypto, BNPL and digital players across 80 markets. In addition, she also headed the strategy, pricing, analytics and M&A function.

Amnah became the youngest wealth and retail bank CEO for Standard Chartered Malaysia where she led the transition of the Malaysia retail bank franchise into a digital bank. Prior to that, she was in a global role based out of Singapore. Before joining Standard Chartered, Amnah held several leadership roles at Citi in UAE, Egypt, UK and Poland. Under her leadership Citi’s Poland business won multiple awards for the most innovative credit co brands and digital lending products.

She was recognized by Forbes Middle East as one of the 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen in 2024 and 2025. She has also received numerous global accolades, including being named to IBM and Fintech Magazine’s Global Top 100 Women in Fintech for 2021.

Emine Yilmaz Bütün is a growth and transformation strategist recognized for shaping integrative, future-oriented strategies across complex systems. Her multidisciplinary expertise—spanning innovation, technology, finance, political science, public policy, organizational transformation, and investment—enables her to align strategy with sustainability, guiding institutions toward resilience and long-term value creation.

With extensive experience in Fortune 100 companies, she has led large-scale digital transformations, M&A integrations, and organizational restructuring, while managing pension fund investment portfolios exceeding USD 300 million.

As Founder & CEO of AcceleratEMEA, Emine advises corporates and academic institutions on digital transformation, innovation governance, and strategic foresight. She also serves as an Advisor to the University of Sharjah for its Multidisciplinary Digital Transformation Master’s Program and lectures as an Adjunct Professor.

A frequent keynote speaker and moderator, she has addressed international platforms including TEDx, UNDP & MBRF Knowledge Summit, Arab Health, ICEAR South Korea, and the Springer MRCN Global Conference. She is currently building ITT Nexus – Innovation Think Tank, an initiative designed to bridge the innovation gap in the Global South through cross-sector collaboration and sustainable ecosystem development.

Maria is the Head of Institutional Sales and Business Development (EMEA) at OKX, one of the world’s leading digital asset exchanges. She is responsible for expanding OKX’s institutional footprint across Europe and the Middle East.

Prior to joining OKX, Maria led global business development at several fintech and crypto firms. She served as Chief Business Development Officer at EXMO, and was a Board Member at CryptoUK, where she drove key public policy and regulatory initiatives in the UK digital asset space. She also held leadership roles at leading public energy companies, focusing on growth and international expansion.

With over a decade of experience in institutional sales and digital assets market, Maria is deeply engaged in bridging traditional finance with digital asset markets. She holds a master's degree in Media Business from KTH in Stockholm and is fluent in four languages.

Aby Sam Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Inc. Arabia, a dynamic media platform that aims to inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in the region’s business landscape: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the economies of the Middle East.

Prior to his role at Inc. Arabia, Aby was the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East, a business publication catering to the Middle East’s entrepreneurs and business-minded readership. Having joined Entrepreneur Middle East in November 2014, he worked at the brand until September 2024.

Before working in the media sector, Aby was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.

Tamara Pupic holds the position of Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East magazine, a division of Dubai-based BNC Publishing officially licensed by the US-based publication Entrepreneur.

She is a seasoned journalist and legal expert with a deep passion for exploring the intersection between law, technology, and finance. With a master’s degree in international law and economics (M.I.L.E.) from the World Trade Institute in Bern (Switzerland) and more than a decades’ long experience in business journalism in the UAE, Tamara Pupic focuses on incisive analysis and engaging storytelling around complex regulatory issues, business growth, and emerging technologies. She is the host of the SandDunes by Entrepreneur Middle East platform that aims to demystify the virtual assets landscape, explore evolving regulations, spotlight successful businesses, and highlight opportunities and risks shaping the future of finance in the UAE and beyond.

H.E. Lujaina Mohsin Haider Darwish is a leading Omani businesswoman and a prominent voice in advancing Oman’s private sector. As Chairperson of the ITICS Cluster at Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC, one of Oman’s most diversified and respected business groups, she oversees key sectors including infrastructure, technology, industry, and consumer solutions. Under her leadership, MHD has continued to evolve with a strong focus on innovation, sustainability, and national development in alignment with Oman Vision 2040.

Beyond her corporate role, H.E. Lujaina has made significant contributions to public service and diplomacy. She previously served as a Member of the Majlis Al Shura and Majlis Al Dawla, where she actively advocated for women’s empowerment, youth development, and socio-economic progress.

An avid supporter of sports and cultural initiatives, she also serves as the Honorary Consul of South Africa in Muscat. Her dedication to strengthening international ties and engaging with the community highlights her conviction that collaboration is key to achieving progress.

Through her visionary leadership, Madam Lujaina continues to inspire a new generation of Omani women to lead with purpose and integrity across business, politics, and society.

Marina Zhukova is an international expert in wealth management and capital strategy with over 15 years of experience in private banking, investments, and global finance.

She began her career in one of Russia’s largest financial groups, managing portfolios for high-net-worth clients and building complex investment structures. Today she leads business development at AM Wealth Limited, a licensed brokerage and wealth-management firm based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

Marina advises international families, entrepreneurs, and women with capital from $250 000 to $100 million, helping them structure their assets through the UAE, invest in global markets, and build long-term financial independence.

Her signature philosophy — “Your Capital — Your Freedom” — reflects her belief that financial confidence gives women real freedom of choice, stability, and legacy for future generations.

Maria Vasileva is a seasoned financial services executive with over 19 years of experience across Europe, the UK, and the Middle East. She is currently the CEO and a Board Member of AM Wealth Limited (ADGM, UAE), where she leads the strategic development and operational governance of a licensed investment firm.

Previously, Maria spent more than nine years at Luxemburg Asset Management (US$10Bn AUM), serving as Deputy CEO and Chief Risk Officer. She was responsible for enterprise risk management, compliance, middle office, and digital innovation, including heading the company’s AI Lab. Earlier in her career, she held senior positions at UniCredit Group and worked as a consultant with top global firms such as KPMG, AT Kearney, and Deloitte UK.

Maria combines deep expertise in global investments and risk management with a visionary approach to business transformation. She is recognized as a leader who adapts best practices of private banking to the Middle Eastern context while driving innovation and maintaining a strong client-centric focus.

Vuyiswa M’Cwabeni is an entrepreneur and investor with a passion for innovation, wellness, and purposeful growth.

After an accomplished corporate career at SAP, where she served as Global Chief Product Strategist and Senior Vice President. She founded FintechX GmBh, driving product innovation in AI and no-code development, and later became CEO of bloon GmbH.

She is now Co-Founder of Magalie & Me, a Korean-inspired, German-made skincare line built on a slow-aging philosophy. Vuyiswa also invests in ventures supporting founders in the technology / SaaS / consumer innovation space.

She holds degrees from Richard Ivey, WHU, and Stanford University.

Dr. Milena Al Mansuri is the founder and owner of Milena Aesthetic, a renowned network of clinics that embodies her vision for cutting-edge, patient-centered aesthetic medicine.

She is a certified DHA-licensed dermatologist and a leading expert in aesthetic dermatology with over a decade of clinical experience. A member of the Emirates Dermatology Society, she is recognized for her commitment to innovation, education, and excellence in patient care across the Middle East.

Originally from Ukraine, Dr. Al Mansuri is one of the first Russian-speaking doctors to receive a DHA license in the UAE, establishing herself as a trusted professional within both the local and international medical communities. Her multicultural background and linguistic versatility have played a key role in building strong patient relationships and expanding access to high-quality aesthetic care.

With a focus on preventive aesthetic medicine, advanced injectables, and device-based procedures, Dr. Al Mansuri has developed her own signature treatment protocols, setting new standards in personalized, results-driven care. As the official Endolift trainer for the Middle East, she plays a key role in shaping the next generation of aesthetic practitioners.

Wissam Younane is a prominent media executive and entrepreneur based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He serves as the CEO of BNC Media Group, the company behind Entrepreneur Middle East, a leading business media platform in the MENA region. Under his leadership, BNC Media Group has become a key player in the regional media landscape, producing content that supports and celebrates entrepreneurship and innovation. Younane is known for organizing high-profile events that bring together influential figures from the business world. For instance, he played a central role in hosting the "Legends of Entrepreneurship Awards" in February 2025, which honored notable entrepreneurs and featured former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a keynote speaker.

Mariam Al-Ayash is an award-winning media leader, creative director and strategist, guiding businesses and leaders to turn purpose, storytelling, and heritage into engines for strategy, growth, and influence.

As Founder of Makaani, a global media platform bridging culture and commerce, she demonstrates how storytelling rooted in heritage can become a strategic asset, driving brand growth, leadership relevance, and long-term trust. Her mission is to prove that heritage and modernity are not opposites, but the foundation for the future of leadership and work.

With a background in business psychology, brand strategy and content marketing, Mariam bridges analytical thinking with creative vision, helping organizations and founders build brands that are both meaningful and profitable.

Her work focuses on future-ready leadership: how companies grow faster and more authentically when they understand who they are at their core and lead from that place.

Máire (Mo) Morris is the Founder and CEO of Morris Global Consulting (MGC) and a global fashion and retail industry advisor known for her strategic expertise in scaling brands from concept to international expansion. Recognised as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices for Retail in the MENA region, she has been featured in Khaleej Times Luxe, Arabian Business, Raemona Magazine’s 40 Over 40 list, and Marie Claire Arabia for her leadership and innovation.

Mo began her career in Fashion design and product development before transitioning into business strategy and market expansion. Today, she advises an international portfolio of clients,ranging from emerging designers to established luxury brands and global stockists including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Galeries Lafayette, on design, manufacturing, growth, operations, and market positioning.

A trusted mentor and partner to organisations such as Premier vision, UN Women, Enterprise Ireland, In5, and the Dubai Design and Fashion Council, she is committed to driving responsible, scalable growth across the fashion sector. Through MGC, she redefines consultancy by combining creative intelligence with commercial acumen, helping brands build sustainable businesses with global impact and enduring market relevance.

Julia Berridge is Fragrances Director at The Estée Lauder Companies Middle East, Founder of The Luxury Collective, a Luxury Beauty Leader, and Women’s Advocate. With over 18 years of experience building global luxury brands, Julia has led the success of icons like Tom Ford, Jo Malone London and Kilian Paris in the Middle East. Julia has established herself as a prominent voice in the evolution of modern luxury.

Passionate about women’s leadership and authentic connection, Julia is head of the Women’s Leadership Network and launched The Luxury Collective to create a trusted ecosystem for female executives, entrepreneurs, and changemakers redefining what it means to lead in luxury.

Julia’s work reflects her belief that true influence stems from purpose, presence, and community. She is a frequent speaker on women’s empowerment, leadership authenticity, and the future of luxury.

Katy is the CEO of the award-winning British Chamber of Commerce Dubai and in 2024 led its transition from the long-established British Business Group Dubai and Northern Emirates. Katy is passionate about supporting British companies to develop and expand in the UAE and leverages her significant experience in international trade to connect, promote and curate for success.Drawing on her insights and stakeholder relationships within global financial institutions, government entities, MNCs, SMEs and across multiple sectors, Katy plays a key role in the UK-UAE bilateral trade corridor.

Recently named one of the top 30 Inc. Arabia’s Women of Influence 2025 for MENA, Katy is a dedicated advocate for impactful community benefiting initiatives such as the GCC Menopause Summit and holds a number of advisory roles supporting registered charities.

A graduate of the London School of Economics, Maria Mikhaylova has over 12 years of international experience in corporate finance, risk management, and M&A. She began her career in financial modeling and valuation of large-scale industrial projects, later focusing on cross-border transactions with enterprise values from $300 million to $1.5 billion across multiple sectors.

Her expertise in global asset management shaped her distinctive approach — combining deep fundamental analysis with rigorous risk control and strategic asset allocation.

At AM Wealth, Maria leads the investment research team, developing resilient, high-conviction portfolios for international entrepreneurs and family offices, ensuring that capital not only grows but compounds sustainably through market cycles.

Genia Xasis is CEO & Partner of Berkana VC, a Riyadh-based investment group creating a new paradigm of global capital. Having a PhD in bioscience and three decades of experience as a leader in the U.S., GCC, and U.K., Genia synthesizes operational rigor with cultural nuance to develop a trust-facilitated platform where women deploy capital with precision, purpose, and strategic effect.

As one of a mere few female LPs across several VC funds with male general partners, Genia waited for no invitation—she built Berkana to embody a bold premise: when women design capital flows, they shape the future. Her investment approach is one of cultural transformation preceding market trends, one reminiscent of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 disciplines.

Her guiding principle is: wealth is a skill, not a privilege. Through Berkana, she offers a blueprint for how capital can build legacies—reframing finance as a tool for long-term impact, ethical evolution, and multigenerational influence.

Jenya Makeeva is the co-founder and emotional architect behind NAHATÉ Dubai, one of the most glamorous and talked-about restaurant-club concepts in the Middle East. With a background in hospitality creativity and high-profile event production, she shapes the soul of NAHATÉ: its atmosphere, storytelling, social energy, and sense of community.

Her philosophy is rooted in the belief that luxury should feel personal rather than distant. Jenya established NAHATÉ’s signature ethos, "More Than Home," that blends intimate dining with high‑energy late‑night experiences. Under her leadership, every night at NAHATÉ begins like an intimate dinner among friends and transforms into an experience that feels like a shared secret.

Jenya has driven collaborations with global icons such as Baccarat and Jacob and Co., and has crafted a lifestyle experience where glamour meets belonging. Her work continues to set new standards in hospitality by blending creativity with emotional resonance.

Sam Florentsev is the driving force responsible for ensuring that the creative ambition of the NAHATÉ brand is matched by seamless execution. With extensive experience in food and beverage operations and hospitality scaling, Sam brings structure, precision, and long-term vision to one of Dubai’s most dynamic lifestyle concepts.

Sam oversees all facets of service operations, culinary partnerships, and performance-driven business growth. His disciplined approach has allowed NAHATÉ to function not only as a high-impact venue but as a scalable lifestyle model with potential for regional and global expansion.

Sam was instrumental in structuring NAHATÉ’s unique hybrid format, where fine dining transitions effortlessly into a private club atmosphere. He has also led key collaborations with brands such as Baccarat for the Chef’s Table experience and Jacob and Co. for a signature lounge and cigar concept. As co-founder and operational strategist, he plays a pivotal role in making the concept both iconic, sustainable and scalable.

Marisa Peer is a world-renowned therapist, best-selling author, and global speaker, celebrated for pioneering her powerful technique - Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). With over 30 years of experience, she has helped people from all walks of life—including CEOs, Olympic athletes, and A-list celebrities—to overcome limiting beliefs and unlock their full potential.

Driven by a mission to make deep transformation accessible, Marisa founded the RTT School in 2015 and has trained over 18,000 therapists, coaches, and students worldwide. She has captivated audiences at major global events, including Global Citizen Forum and Kayan and Alula Wellness Festivals, and has delivered powerful TEDx talks.

With six bestselling books and over 2.6 million social media followers, Marisa continues to change lives worldwide.

Larissa Murmann is the Founder and Digital CHRO of InfinAIte Frequency, a pioneering advisory firm helping organizations and leaders activate their next level of transformation by blending Artificial Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, and Subconscious Intelligence.

Through her groundbreaking model — the Fractional Digital CHRO-as-a-Service, powered by her own AI clone — Larissa is redefining how small and medium-sized companies access world-class HR and leadership expertise 24/7. Her work sits at the intersection of technology, culture, and leadership, guiding executives to build AI-first, human-centric organizations that are future-fit and frequency-aligned.

Larissa also serves as the Digital Chief HR Officer for Unilever International, Unilever’s fasted growing, global “white space” business present in over 40 countries. Over her 16 year tenure at Unilever in 8 countries, she led large-scale people and culture transformations, pioneering the company’s first AI Hub and digital learning academy.

A lifelong learner, Larissa has pursued executive programs at MIT and the National University of Singapore as a Chief AI Officer. Her passion lies in empowering women and leaders to embrace technology as a pathway to personal transformation— to unlock their InfinAIte Frequency and create their future identity.

Priyanka Sanghi has been working with new-age businesses since 2007. After completing her master’s in finance from the University of Warwick, she began her career by building the content platform for MyWay IPTV and helping BenefitPlus develop an online Employee Reward & Recognition Program. These early experiences shaped her entrepreneurial mindset and taught her the value of innovation, technology, and adaptability.

Founding Hair Drama Co. was a pivotal moment for Priyanka. She identified a clear gap in the market between low-quality street accessories and exclusive high-end products, and set out to create a niche brand that offers premium, hand-crafted, and customizable hair accessories. Today, Hair Drama Co. is a leading hair accessory label, available across major e-commerce platforms and celebrated for its ethical sourcing, creative design ethos, and customer-first philosophy. Her brand speaks to a diverse audience, from young children to adults across geographies, while staying true to its core values of sustainability, innovation, and self-expression.

Priyanka’s goal is to make a lasting impact on the fashion ecosystem by building a brand that doesn’t just sell accessories but celebrates individuality and creativity. As she continues this journey, her focus remains on design excellence, quality consistency, strategic expansion, and collaborations that add meaningful value.

Nisreen Shocair is an award-winning executive and board director with over 25 years of experience leading transformation, M&A, and digital reinvention across technology, retail, media, and telecommunications. A dynamic operator and investor, she has built, scaled, and turned around multi billion-dollar businesses across six global markets. From the U.S. to the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.

As the former CEO Middle East for YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP, Virgin Megastore and MBC - Live Streaming, Nisreen has driven strategic pivots that bridged innovation and profitability. Overseeing hundreds of brands across all continents and leading the region’s first digital-content networks. Her earlier leadership roles span Hearst Media, Sony, Bertelsmann, Viacom, and MBC, giving her a uniquely hybrid perspective at the intersection of content, commerce, and technology.

Today, Nisreen is the Founder & CEO of The Shocase Network, an advisory that invests in and accelerates brands fulfilling accelerated demand across wellness, hospitality, sports, luxury yacht/jet and entertainment products amongst a certain consumer looking for professional, mental and physical fulfillment. She currently serves on the Boards of MAGRABI Retail Group and IKEA KSA, advising on transformation, digital expansion, and sustainability.

Pilar is a commercial strategy expert with 20+ years of experience in global sales, partnerships and business development in the Tech sector across six continents (profit and non-profit). A passionate believer in innovation through technology, Pilar has been part of the global leadership teams of companies such as Cisco and Wolters Kluwer. Amongst her accomplishments, Pilar also led delegations to the UN, standardised digital health solutions at the national level, and helped raise $350M in funds.

Currently, Pilar is the founder of i-Expand, a commercial strategy firm focused on assisting Health Tech and Deeptech companies grow and monetise. The company also works with investors (Commercial Due Diligence) and Accelerators (Go to Market Academy x i-Expand©). To date, more than 500+ companies have been through the program.

Pilar is fluent in 9 languages, holds 2 First-class degrees, and is PMO-certified by Stanford. She serves in various roles including board member of Women TechEU (EU), DHACA (UK), DIT (Germany), and Malta GUD. Additionally, she is a Scientific Committee Advisory Member at ZIMAM (UAE), an Expert in residence at Sheraa (UAE), and an IVMS mentor at Imperial College (UK). Pilar is also an angel investor and a guest lecturer.

With over twenty years of experience in PR and marketing, Oksana Shturman builds communication strategies for premium brands and entrepreneurs.
Her portfolio includes hundreds of media publications and more than 500 implemented projects — from major summits and international forums to collaborations with leading public figures and opinion leaders.

Her proprietary Brand Booster system integrates strategy, PR and implementation into a unified framework for brand growth, helping business owners bring their projects to market and build strong personal positioning.
Oksana develops educational programs, designs PR structures for companies, and advises businesses seeking to transform personal branding into a systematic growth tool.

Currently based between Moscow and Dubai, Oksana works with Russian-speaking entrepreneurs around the world, speaks at international business forums and entrepreneurial clubs, and curates premium content breakfasts with celebrities — a format that connects brands, opinion leaders, and engaged audiences.