WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT CONVENTION — MEET AND NETWORK WITH INSPIRING WOMEN LEADERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

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.

Mila is the CEO & Founder of the international learning platform Lectera.com with 1.5 million users, a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author and venture investor. Besides that, she is the founder of the Women's Empowerment Council, an official member of the Forbes Business Council, and a speaker at big international events.

Dr. Eng Suaad Al Shamsi is a trailblazer as the first Emirati woman to work as an aviation engineer. Currently, she holds the position of senior manager and technical advisor for a major aviation project in the UAE and is also the CEO of L2L consulting company. She has received several accolades, including the Najm Gold award from Emirates group. Along with her work in aviation, she is also an accomplished author of novels and a sought-after motivational speaker at various conferences.

Rosheen is a 31-year-old entrepreneur, finance expert and MD of Neeps Consulting Services, a Dubai-based accounting firm. She is also the founder of Female Founders Initiative Middle East & Africa, Maylarwear, an e-commerce store for decent swimwear, and a UNWomen Business mentor. Rosheen has received multiple awards including Business Finance Leader of the Year 2020 and Top 50 Women in Management Awards 2022.

Masha is an experienced entrepreneur and investor, currently working as an Entrepreneur in Residence at One Way Ventures. She has experience in launching and scaling up companies in online retail, brand and digital marketing, product merchandising, and building motivated and high-performing teams. Masha has previously worked at McKinsey and a private equity fund. In 2013, she founded a successful online marketplace for designer furniture and home accessories.

Giovanna is a XR&Web3 Producer, and Head of Metaverse Fashion Week. She has more than a decade of experience in digital design and the XR industry. She’s traveled and lived all around the world including Asia, North and South America, and Europe. Her global exposure and comprehensive experience have led her to serve as a mentor at MIT during their Hacking Arts 2016-2018, and as a Senior Professor at SENAC University Centre, a renowned public federal University in Brazil. She is part of Institute Francais de La Mode and Luminary at Phygicode. Currently she works as Senior Producer at Decentraland Foundation.

Haifa is the founder of INSTAGLAM, an online platform that connects beauty professionals with clients. Growing up in a multicultural environment, Haifa developed a love for beauty and glamor, influenced by her mother and grandmother. With a background in marketing luxury brands and working with celebrities, Haifa is revolutionizing the beauty industry by providing easy access to beauty services and opportunities for artists to reach their full potential.

Leila is the Board Member and Chief Metaverse Officer at Verse Estate, hyper realistic metaverse headquartered in Dubai. She also founded the AllStarsWomen DAO, initiative to help close the gender gap in the tech space and Web3 industry. Leila partners with individuals, businesses and institutions and helps them be ready for the Metaverse. She works with clients on creating virtual worlds, virtual fashion, NFTs, and metaverse / web 3.0 strategies.

Dr. Asmaa Al Fadala is a Director of Research and Content Development at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a visiting fellow at Cambridge University, and an experienced educational leader with over 20 years of experience in K-12 education, higher education, policy development, and author of books on leadership reform and educational organizations. She is leading several projects and initiatives at WISE, including the Empowering Leaders of Learning, Agile Leaders of Learning Innovation Network and the WISE Innovation Hub Project. Dr Al Fadala holds a Ph.D and M.Phil from Cambridge University in Educational Leadership and Policy, she is also a widely published author in the field of educational leadership and policy and serves as an acting member in several NGOs around the world.

Dr. Işıl Boy-Ergül is the founder of ETZ - Educational Technology Summit in Turkey, Aron Technology and TeacherX, an online teacher training platform. Işıl worked as a lecturer at Yıldız Technical University in Turkey and as a teacher trainer for Pilgrims Teacher Training in the UK. Since 2009, Işıl has been leading ICT training courses throughout Turkey, Europe, and the Middle East. In 2015, she was honored as an Apple Distinguished Educator.

Irina has brought the luxury management concierge service, Quintessentially, to Russia. She has also founded the Fragment Art Club, Stage Time Dubai, and the VI-Community project. Along with her work in the development of various businesses, Irina also specialises in the creation and organization of unique travel experiences for the communities she manages, as well as in theatrical direction, art establishment, and in the collection of modern art.

Aliona Doletskaya is a journalist, publicist, and creative consultant with vast experience in the industry. She was the first Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Russia and subsequently ‘Andy Warhol’s Interview’ Russia and Germany. Aliona is a bestselling author and a jury member for the Big Book award. Presently, Aliona works as a Creative Consultant, providing guidance and advice in the fields of media, art, and design. She is a member of the WWF Board of Trustees, an envoy and donor for the Vera Foundation which helps hospices, and an Ambassador for the Husky_help Foundation.

Aliona Tkach is a seasoned publisher, brand director for Marie Claire, and media manager with 14 years of experience in the media, advertising, and marketing industry. She began her career in a full-cycle advertising agency working on campaigns for beauty brands. She has successfully implemented digital projects for various glossy brands including Elle, Psychologies, and ElleGirl. Aliona is now overseeing the development of the Marie Claire brand, including content, production, and monetization of the magazine, website, and events.

Oxana is a renowned dealmaker and legal expert known for her expertise in cross-border M&A and corporate law. She is a go-to advisor for complex transactions and has a track record of over 100 completed deals worth $50 billion. She is also an advocate for diversity and gender equality in the legal profession and is a finalist in the inaugural Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards in Europe. Oxana is dedicated to promoting healthy living; she is an accomplished amateur triathlete and marathon runner, and a sought-after speaker on business, leadership and diversity topics.

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.

Marianna has over 15 years of experience in diplomatic and corporate relationship development, with a focus on the UAE and KSA. At the forefront of entrepreneur development in Dubai, backed by a talented and dedicated team of professionals, she is passionate about giving entrepreneurs the boost they need to become successful. Recognized as one of the most influential networkers in the UAE and has received numerous honors including Forbes: "Movers and Shakers: People To Watch in 2022”, World Business Angels Investment Forum: “National Thought Leader 2022”, FIN Women Award: “Progressive Empowerment Leadership”, and more.

Samar is the CEO of She is Arab, a social business promoting women's participation in the workforce in the Arab World. With over 15 years of experience in international development and consulting in MENA, she is a recognized advocate for women's economic empowerment. She was named one of the "Top 10 LinkedIn Voice on Gender Equity in MENA", and also appeared on Arabian Business's "Arab Power List" and "50 Inspiring Female Business Leaders" lists. She has also received the "Vital Voices Grow Fellowship".

Ambreen is Founder & CEO of MeatoDoor, digitising the global meat supply chain. She has been driving value with her passion and dedication in food and beverages, fashion, hospitality and media industries over the past 10 years. A strong believer in tech-led transformation, Ambreen is a thought leader who offers a unique perspective, inspires innovation, and has been empowering women in India & GCC.

Pamela Durant is the Founder of Diapoint – The Place For People Touched By Diabetes. In 2016, she left a successful healthcare management and consulting career of over 20 years where she worked for one of the Big4 and a top Fortune technology company to create a social enterprise driven by her passion for health, wellness, and her personal experience in managing her son’s Type1 Diabetes

Shehzeen is an entrepreneur in the coffee and tech industry. Driven by her love for coffee, she co-founded Sippy Beans - a digital marketplace to bridge the fragmented specialty coffee industry in the UAE. Following the recent sale of Sippy to COFE App, she created their new business unit, COFEMarket for the GCC. Shehzeen continues to follow her mission of scaling coffee businesses globally.

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.

Jordan Shapiro, PhD is a globally celebrated American thought leader. He's full-time faculty in Temple University’s Intellectual Heritage and Gender Women and Sexuality Studies programs. He’s also senior fellow for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, and Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. His Forbes' column (2012-17) on global education, learning through digital play, kids and culture was read by over 5 million people around the world. He is an international speaker and consultant whose fresh perspective combines psychology, philosophy, and economics in unexpected ways. His book, The New Childhood: Raising Kids To Thrive in a Connected World changed the cultural conversation about parenting and screen time.

In his next book, Father Figure: How to be a Feminist Dad, Shapiro offers a norm-shattering perspective on fatherhood, family, and gender essentialism. It teaches dads how to embrace the joys of fathering while guiding toward an image of manliness for the modern world. The New York Times Book Review called it, “utterly mind-blowing.”

Xinyi is the first female non-Arab consultant to join Boston Consultant Group in Saudi Arabia. As the founder of the Saudi Wonder Women project, she is telling the stories of extraordinary Saudi women with a team of award-winning producers and an Oscar-nominated film director. She is also the host of a video podcast featuring ‘Saudi Wonder Women’ — the first English podcast starring pioneer females in Saudi with the goal of providing young women with more mentorship and role models.

Amanda Steinberg is a financial expert, entrepreneur, and author. In 2009, she founded DailyWorth, a financial advice platform for women that served over 1 million subscribers. She also launched Worth Financial Management, a digital investing platform, now part of TD Ameritrade. As women earn and inherit more money, in many cultures across the globe, finance – and investing in particular – is still considered men’s work. Steinberg’s mission is to help women navigate social biases in order to take control of their money and how their investment choices shape our world. In 2016, she was named one of the Oprah SuperSoul 100 and Forbes 21 New American Money Masters. She is the author of Worth It: Your Life, Your Money, Your Terms. DailyWorth was acquired by HerMoney Media in 2017, now HerMoney.com. Today, Steinberg works on national and local political campaigns to shape government policies that make wealth-building more accessible to women and minority populations. A graduate of Columbia University, Steinberg lives in Philadelphia with her husband Jordan Shapiro, and their four teenage children.

Saba began her career at Ernst & Young before venturing into disruptive biotechnology investments. She continues to head the production of her R&D patents for blue-chip companies and governments to fight climate change and increase the health equity of humans. Her passion for innovation is driving change in water treatment, solar, infection prevention and decarbonisation. As a TedX speaker, she encourages founders to disrupt their industries to gain first mover advantage in the field and has begun investing in founders in a range of fields.

Fatemeh is Founder and CEO of Zarela, a startup that brings neuroscience and blockchain technology to the same ground. Her remarkable experience at Iran's Ministry of Health and Iran Health Insurance as a health information management expert, coupled with her background in artificial intelligence and blockchain and health tech, effectively enables her to serve as an advisor to mega hospitals. Fatemeh is an investor of Paarand Lab, Codeyad Academy, and Horos.

Focused on the innovation space, both in terms of supporting founders and as an investor, Lucy is a General Partner at the WBAF Angel Investment Fund. She is also an investor with NextWave Impact Fund, The Founder Institute and a Limited Partner with numerous funds globally. Lucy was named one of #LinkedInTopVoices 2020 for MENA and one of CEO Middle East’s Influential Women in the Arab World 2020. She hosts a video series targeted at entrepreneurs titled “Down to Business.”

Medea Nocentini is a Senior Partner at Global Ventures, an international venture capital firm investing in startups with innovative business models and disruptive technologies, with the potential to transform emerging markets, and scale globally. She is also the Founder of Companies Creating Change (C3), a UAE-based social enterprise helping impact-driven entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa to unlock their growth potential and maximize their positive impact on the community.

Sophie is the Founder and CEO of Nabta Health, a hybrid healthcare platform for women enabling the accelerated detection, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases in women in emerging markets. Sophie founded the 2022 Female Angels movement to bring gender parity to the early-stage investment landscape by identifying and publicly listing 2,022 female angel investors for MENA by the end of 2022.

In Belynda’s illustrious career spanning three decades, she has displayed an exceptional track record of demonstrating self-motivation, creativity, and initiative to achieve corporate and personal goals. From humble beginnings in Canada, she is now the C-Suite Executive of a Multi-Million Dollar Personal Development Company. Being a Certified John Maxwell Trainer, Belynda serves as a mentor for numerous young professionals who are learning to excel in their careers.

She penned her first autobiographical book “Five-Inch Heels - When Women Step into Power and Success”. It went on to become a bestseller in North America. Currently, she produces and hosts a talk show Spotlight with Belynda Lee, where she brings women of substance to the forefront to share their poignant stories. Spotlight has recently won a Stevie Award for The Most Innovation YouTube Channel by and for Women.

Nadine co-founded Sarwa, a one-stop app for investment and personal finance, after years of consultancy and executive roles in growth marketing with a track record of big projects delivered for clients ranging from government entities such as the Office of HH the Crown Prince of Dubai and multi-nationals such as Nestle. Prior to that, Nadine worked for Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai in retail strategy and strategic alliances where she managed city-wide activations and festivals. Nadine comes from a multi-disciplinary background with over 18 years of experience in growth strategies across industries and geographies. Nadine is a regular speaker on global platforms on topics of business ownership, Fintech, and women in the workforce. She was recognized in Top 5 Women Behind Middle East Tech Brands as well as First Women Behind Fintech Brands by Forbes M.E., Young GCC Achiever by Arabian Business, Top 10 Global UBS Female Founders and Most Creative People in the Middle East by Fast Company.

Andrea Abrams is a fashion and retail industry veteran and global executive. Andrea is the founder and Chief Metaverse Officer of Web3 consortium and incubator PHYGICODE, and Chief of Strategy at Web3 fashion platform Faith Tribe. She is a retail technology and blockchain investor, participating in pre-seed rounds of notable startups for physical and digital commerce. She is a frequent keynote speaker and a board advisor to prominent blockchain protocols and investment funds. Andrea is a Mentor at Farfetch Dream Assembly Base Camp, a Keynote Speaker at Davos Blockchain Hub, a Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week Curator and a Brytehall’s Bryte Fashion Forces Top 100 (finishing #1). She is featured in the 2022 Women of The Future book.

Latifa Bin Haider is a co-founder of Mental Health AE, an organization dedicated to increasing awareness about mental health and breaking down the associated stigma. She is also the founder of Baytuki, a regulated platform that empowers women through micro-investments in real estate, enabling them to achieve financial independence. Latifa is also actively involved in startup advising and has received several awards for her entrepreneurial accomplishments, including the YouthTech Award and the National Impact Award.

Darya is the host of the Venturing Women podcast, data industry professional, startup mentor, and speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya's professional experience in the data industry spans 10 years, five continents and such domains as data monetization & acquisition, data product development, strategic partnerships as well as building up a global data marketplace.

Katie is co-founder and COO of DANA Global, and Abu Dhabi based venture builder and investment platform for women-led startups in the desert tech sectors, focusing on agritech, foodtech, circular economy, water solutions, and renewable energy.

Mashal Waqar has been building and scaling communities for a decade. She was previously co-founder and COO of The Tempest, a global media company reaching millions of readers. She also co-founded a business accelerator for female entrepreneurs, and built a femtech startup in the region. Mashal is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneur Achieving Woman of the Year. She has given two TEDx talks.

Vera Futorjanski is the CEO & Founder of Veritas Ventures, a global strategic advisory firm. She is a serial entrepreneur and is currently building a community for female leaders. Previously, she was with the Venture Capital firm 500 Global in charge of the Middle East. Prior to that, Vera was with the Dubai Future Foundation, part of the Prime Ministers’ Office of the United Arab Emirates, working on various innovation projects.

Zhanna is an owner of Damiani jewelry stores across Kazakhstan, partner and an official distributor of Damiani and La Perla. Zhanna is also a founder of a high-jewelry boutique Constella and head of international Alto Lifestyle Networking Club. She has launched her own luxury brand, Zardozi, known for dressing First Ladies and high-profile individuals worldwide.

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.

Daniela is a successful entrepreneur with 15 branches of her own pole dance – studio chain «Loft1». Daniela Baumann has been inspiring and motivating women for many years with her story from dancer to successful entrepreneur. Daniela`s mission is to encourage women to realize themselves and live their dreams by teaching them how to increase their self-worth, become independent and live the life they have always wanted. She built her own successful business as a single mother of two children without any financial resources or support.

Ekaterina Darma is Editor-at-Large in BURO. - a global media brand and online lifestyle platform with a network of several offices across the world. Brand BURO. was founded over 10 years ago as one of the first millennial online luxury destinations, redefining its role in modern culture. Brand has expanded beyond the form of digital products into successful offline business like beauty salons, restaurants and more. Ekaterina became editor-in-chief at the age of 27. Under her intuitive and intelligent leadership, BURO. media channels have gained an unrivaled authority within fashion, beauty and culture, and a unique progressive positioning: combining professionalism and class of heritage media brands with digital knowledge, consumer insights and a proprietary platform. In a short time, the brand became a leading voice of the audience and a trusted partner of the most sought after luxury brands in the world.

In her current role as the Editor-at-Large Ekaterina is shaping the global editorial policy and working with fast growing markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Croatia, Serbia, Mongolia, Middle East. In recent years, Ekaterina has led several successful projects with partners like Spotify and second largest social network service in Europe – VK. In 2021 MV Agusta Motor – a premium Italian motorcycle manufacturer with 75 years of heritage - launched their own clothing line and Ekaterina became the company’s Head of Fashion and Merchandise department.

Lara has a global and unique experience in both corporate and startup worlds, focused on the Insurtech ecosystem. Over time, Lara has become industry agnostic supporting startups across industries. She co-founded Thought On Paper to help people that have an idea, make it a reality and support entrepreneurship across communities, including one that is dear to her - Women.

Elina is the CEO and Co-founder of Essence, a B2B digital health platform that helps women improve their mental health, balance hormones and boost productivity by planning tasks, meetings, workouts and diet according to their menstrual cycles. She is also the Global Program Director at Women in Tech, an international nonprofit organization. Elina built one of the biggest Women in Tech communities in Europe and led educational and mentoring programs with participants from 93 countries. Elina is a German Chancellor Fellowship Scholar for prospective leaders, and YTILI (Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative) Fellow, the U.S. Department of State's flagship program for emerging entrepreneurs.

Elena Antonova, the head of an architectural and design company BURO ALL DESIGN carrying out a full cycle design and construction of private villas and apartments up to 5,000 m2 - a highly qualified professional with more than 30 years of experience of work in Russia, France, Switzerland and USA in the premium segment of private and public architecture and design, as well as in construction management. BURO ALL DESIGN, under the leadership of Elena Antonova, implements the most complex projects in terms of design and technological equipment with the latest design system.

The author of her own several unique techniques for supporting the full cycle of the working process with customers the main idea of which is to create the most comfortable conditions for the participation of customers in the process of developing and implementing projects. The speaker and participant of many professional round tables. The author and character of many publications in more than 100 publications. BURO ALL DESIGN is one of the leading companies not only in the field of architecture and design, but also interior textiles, floristics and art.

Master of Psychology, psychotherapist. Experience of individual practice 20 years (since 2003). Author of the methodology «From request to result in 10 steps». Creator of online lectures for introspection. Author of the lectures «Psychology of Style». TV and radio expert.

HH AlSayyida 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.

Jouhayna AlMheiri is the youngest female and second Emirati female to successfully complete the Air Traffic Control program in an Area Control Center in the United Arab Emirates. She is also a TEDx Motivational Speaker. Jouhayna believes in empowering those around her. After all, a candle loses nothing by sharing its flame.

Marilyn Zakhour is the CEO & Founder of Cosmic Centaurs, a flexible work consultancy company, helping executives and managers implement new ways of working to improve collaboration, agility, performance, and happiness. She is also the host of two podcasts: Who Run The World, and Centaur Stage. Who Run The World is an award-winning podcast where 2 best friends explore what it's like being an Arab woman in the world today. Marilyn has spent 10 years in the startup world, building and running digital native companies.

Elena Zhigalina is a Brand professional with over 10 years of experience in the industry. She has worked with some of the world's largest brands, helping them to build their brand identity. Elena is known for her ability to understand a brand's unique personality and translate it into effective marketing strategies. She has a talent for creating compelling brand stories that resonate with audiences

Ayumi Moore Aoki is a social entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Women in Tech® movement and Social Brain. She is a global leader committed to using technology to drive positive and sustainable change. Ayumi is also a member of the supervisory board of Autofill, a company that is revolutionizing object inspections with an initial focus on the automotive and rail industries.

Ayumi knows firsthand the power of code. In 2008, she was struggling to achieve a healthy life balance, so she quit her high-powered job and taught herself how to code with CD-Roms. Her new digital skills reshaped both her personal and professional life. She created her first company, and in 2018 founded Women in Tech®, a global movement on a mission to empower 5 million women and girls in STEM by 2030. The movement has over 250 volunteers and 200,000 members in six continents.

Ayumi, a mother of four, lives in France but grew up in South Africa under Apartheid with Brazilian and Japanese parents. Her upbringing inspired her beliefs around equality and fueled her drive to break gender, race, and professional norms that are rooted in oppressive and discriminatory stereotypes. Her expertise in women empowerment and advocacy for equality has led her to speak at global industry-leading events.

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.

Stephanie Bretonniere is a Tech & Impact Catalyst, CEO & Founder of POWR3 & WEIMPACT.WORLD. She is a member of Women in Tech, 100 Davos Women, World Economic Forum Expert Network, and sits on the Advisory Board of several Web3.0 startups, Outlier Ventures & Farfetch Innovation Program, but also at both the Metaverse Fashion Council, and the French Circular Fashion Federation. She has recently been awarded as one of the Top 100 Women of the Future.

Captain Aisha Al Mansoori is the UAE’s first female Emirati Captain in a commercial airline. The 33-year-old Captain joined Etihad's Cadet Pilot programme in October 2007 and was one of only two UAE National females in her batch. In 2010, Aisha Al Mansoori successfully graduated from the programme and took her first flight on an Airbus A320 to Amman, Jordan. Since then, Al Mansoori climbed the ranks, completing the requisite flying hours to become a Senior First Officer. She was then the first female UAE national to fly the superjumbo passenger aircraft the Airbus A380. Al Mansoori completed Etihad’s rigorous programme of checks and the mandatory number of flying hours required to be considered for the rank of Captain.

Leanne, known as the "Metaverse mama," is the CEO and co-founder of the Institute of Digital Fashion, the global leader in fashion metaverse activations, and a global innovator and commentator on metaverse, digital fashion innovation, inclusivity in tech, and web3 sustainability. She is a C-suite executive, female founder, and academic who works on strategic creative and business development innovation for IRL x URL digital fashion creations and metaverse-centric showcases. Leanne is a keynote speaker and commentator who delivers insights and statistics on metaverse futures. She has spent over 15 years creating strategic concepts for future-facing living and fusing the established IRL with progressive URL, with prestigious contracts with Nike's Global entertainment team.

Leanne has received multiple awards and accolades, including vogue business web3 innovators of 2023. She was also named a vogue leader of change and a vogue sustainability leader for 2022. Leanne is an Honorary Patron at OUTSET and the ICA, committee/advisory board member for 50m, AUCart, Soho House, Young Women's Trust, and Her Stories, and being named within the Futures 100 Innovators list, metaverse mama is as a global disruptor and change-maker creating the future.

Mikayel Vardanyan has more than a decade of experience founding, leading, growing and scaling IT companies with a successful track record of 2 exits. He is a seasoned executive focused on crafting positive organizational cultures and navigating complex problems within high growth tech start-ups and scaleups. Mikayel is also an angel investor and startup advisor. As the Co-founder & Chief Product Officer at Picsart, a leading creative platform for social media storytelling with over 150 million monthly active users, Mikayel oversees globally dispersed product development activities (including design, support, and monetization).

Prior to Picsart, Vardanyan co-founded and served as General Manager of Monitis (now part of TeamViewer). He also co-founded and served as a board member of Sourcio, a software consulting company, later acquired by HelpSystems. Vardanyan earned his Ph.D. at the age of 25. He holds two Master's degrees: M.S. in Computer Science from American University in Armeria and M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Yerevan State University. Mikayel is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School Senior Executive Program.

Born in California, and spending much of her childhood in Beirut, Loujain Adada made a successful media career in Lebanon. She also spent some time in between Beirut and London, to pursue a part time Masters in interface design for people with Alzheimer at Oxford Brookes. She is a member of world fellowship organisation in the UK, a charity foundation organised by the UK Royal family. Loujain recently decided to move to UAE along with her two daughters to Pursue her media career and took part in the high-profile Netflix series Dubai Bling. She plays a vital role in influencing her followers on social media about fashion lifestyle and beauty trends.

Loujain is a philanthropist and lives her life following the sage advice to "train your mind to see the good in everything" and wholeheartedly supported her late husband (HE. Dr Walid Juffali, a Saudi industrialist businessman and philanthropist) in his charitable ventures and initiatives towards progressing brain research and technological improvements in healthcare. It is her intention to ensure her husband's legacy and philanthropic interests endure.

Sabinije von Gaffke is a versatile, multifaceted, passionate and awarded communications catalyst, entrepreneur, leader who is tirelessly championing humanity, women, tech and sustainability across sectors, industries, arenas and summits. As a global moderator and speaker with a grit, mission and purpose to bridge dialogue and silos, leverage knowledge, convey know-how across industries, and facilitate global conversations that matter, Sabinije is sought after on stages around the world.

As an entrepreneur in the web3 space she is driving the mission of scaling sustainability, not least as Head of Sustainability at Nibiru Studios and PlanetIX.com - the largest NFT, P2E and trading gaming platform with sustainability at its core, by partnering, investing and donating to sustainability ventures, initiatives and projects around the world. Sabinije is a maestro, conduit and facilitator that educates, empowers, elevates and enlightens companies, industries, communities and humanity to create impact, ignite purpose and spark inspired action and unification.

Seda Kasparova is a well-known voice, speech, and public speaking coach. She is an international speaker, TEDx speaker, and corporate trainer. Seda is the author of the largest educational project in public speaking, voice and speech "Your Voice Can». More than 20,000 students from all over the world have completed training in the project. In 2021, she participated in the Woman Who Matters Award with her project "Your Voice Can" and won in the "Best Educational Projects Created for Women" category. In 2022, Seda became a three-time winner of the Top Women Award. She has 11 years of experience working in radio and television. Seda is a participant in the Meet for Charity project and an ambassador for the "Butterfly Children" foundation. Seda is a amateur swimmer, participated in open water swimming contests. She has the status of an intercontinental swimmer and has conquered the Bosphorus. Seda is married, a mother of a beautiful daughter, and has 530K followers on Instagram.

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.

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.

Melda is CEO & founder of D14.AI, the true AI company solving businesses’ most complex optimization challenges. Melda is a leading computer scientist, entrepreneur and UN mentor, ranked in the Top 20 Women in Tech MENA 2022 & 2021 by Forbes. D14 helps companies grow via efficiency-enhancing optimization-as-a-service solutions that remove the complexity of automation, scheduling and team management.

Sophia Swire is an impact venture capitalist and an award-winning social entrepreneur with a passion to enable women and girls in MENA and Asia. She launched the global fashion for pashmina shawls, helping to fund 250 village schools for girls on the Afghan-Pakistan border and moving the needle on Nepal’s GDP. She built one of the first sustainable fashion brands, which was the best selling accessories line in Harrods for over a decade. She established the first digital literacy training project for women in Afghanistan through her non profit Future Brilliance and trained Afghan jewelry artisans to design and manufacture for international markets. Since August 2021, she has evacuated, fed and educated more than 1000 vulnerable Afghan women and children, including the iconic National Geographic cover “Green eyed Afghan girl” and her family. Citing better profits, faster exits and more impact, Swire has invested exclusively in female-led, tech-for-good companies since 2014. She made a pledge on the main stage at COP26 to raise and deploy over $100M USD in female-led technology enabled companies that promote human flourishing and sustainability and she’s currently planning GEDI MENA - a pan-Arab female founders VC fund. Her work has been recognised with three awards, most recently at the UN.

Natallia is the founder and CEO of SOULA, a mobile app startup that aims to empower expecting parents throughout their journey to parenthood. With over 15 years of experience in motherhood support, she recognized the importance of providing emotional care to new parents. Through partnerships with UNFPA and USAID, she has fueled a series of education projects in Belarus, Lithuania, Milan, and Miami. In response to limited access to hospitals due to Covid, she established an educational platform for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, which has attracted over 250,000 women in just two years.
Natallia, a mother of two, has faced personal challenges such as infertility and postpartum depression, but she used mindfulness and yoga to overcome them. With SOULA, she aims to offer emotional and informational support to all pregnant individuals and new parents.

The Italian-born presenter Pietro Polidori is a globally respected and appreciated presenter, boasting an impressive track record of hundreds of gigs across 16 countries and five languages. He has had the honor of sharing the stage with stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Tyson, Andrea Bocelli, and more. His confident and entertaining presence, combined with a refreshing energy and his language skills, guarantee to turn every event into a memorable highlight. All in all, Pietro Polidori is a presenter and entertainer with heart and soul.

Ida Beerhalter co-heads IOME, a private investment partnership of women principals from the Gulf region with its head office in Riyadh, KSA. Additionally, Mrs. Beerhalter also serves as Ambassador, Member of the Board, Trustee, Committee Member, Advisor, and Expert to various for-profit and not-for-profit organizations around the globe -- amongst others: United Nations’ University for Peace (UPEACE), Costa Rica, Orcan Energy, Germany, Auma Obama Foundation Sauti Kuu, Kenya & Germany, USA, Green Sands Equity, USA, Abrahamic Business Circle, Dubai, UAE, First Light Trust, UK, Aescuvest, Europe- specialized in a wide range of issues including, social business, entrepreneurship, investments with positive impact, renewable energy, education, leadership, economic development, mental health, gender inclusiveness, women & minority empowerment, investments in emerging and growth markets, and wealth management, financial literacy, family governance, and succession planning. As Investor she also manages her own investment portfolio. Mrs. Beerhalter was awarded with the TIAW World of Difference Award in 2015.

MA in Philosophy, owner, publisher, and World Arabia’s Editor-in-Chief, is also a columnist, writing articles for ‘Eurasian Union: Issues of International Relations’. Lara is one of those few individuals to whom His Holiness Dalai Lama 14th has given an interview. She is also a Nominee for ‘The Woman Who Matters’ Award in the Blogs & Media category.

Murad Osmann is a founder of #FollowMeTo international project with over 3.5 million followers on Instagram, top 3 travel influencer in the world according to Forbes USA.
His collaborations with various brands over the years are the perfect example of how he combines tradition and innovation. He is currently based in Dubai where he owns a production agency and continues working on the #FollowMeTo series.

Nataly Osmann is a co-founder of #FollowMeTo international travel project. She is a model for the modern generation: Nataly opened her well-being space Ashram in Moscow, advocates for the sustainability, follows fashion, and supports charity organizations. She aims to change for the better, as well as shares her maternal journey all while maintaining a busy work schedule with multiple international brands and projects worldwide.