BIOGRAPHY

Khalfan Belhoul is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dubai Future Foundation(DFF). Belhoul brings more than a decade of experience as a driving force in transformingbusinesses and organizations that contribute to Dubai's strategy of economicdiversification.

As CEO, Belhoul leads the DFF strategy across its five strategic business units thatinclude imagining and understanding the future, disseminating future knowledge,building future capacity, designing, accelerating the future, and seeing and experiencingthe future. Under his supervision, Dubai Future Foundation continuously works towardsachieving its vision and goals of placing Dubai as a leading city of the future, and a hub forinnovation and technology.

In his current role, Belhoul’ s focus is to ensure Dubai Future Foundation acts as a catalystin prompting change and promoting innovation. This is implemented by bringing togetherindividuals, organizations, and government entities to turn their visions into realities, andachieve sustainable and effective business operations. Under Belhoul’s supervision, DFFis home to several initiatives that also provide the environment and resources needed topromote disruptive, positive change through prototyping, accelerating and knowledgesharing.

Prior to his role at DFF, Belhoul served as the Vice President of Strategy at Dubai Holding,where he was responsible for formulating Dubai Holding’s strategic direction andenhancing its investments and its role in the diversification of Dubai’s non-oil economy.Earlier in his career, Belhoul played a key role in setting up the Belhoul Investment Office,responsible for launching a sophisticated asset allocation strategy spanning privateequity, alternative investments, real estate and conventional assets.

Belhoul holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management Information Systems,and a Master’s degree in E-Commerce, both from Boston University in the United Statesof America (U.S.A). He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Middlesex UniversityDubai, in recognition of his distinguished efforts in foresight and future design

Khalfan Belhoul currently holds various membershipsacross several entities in the UAE; these include:

• Vice Chairman of Dubai Sports Council
• Board Member of Emirates Development Bank (EDB)
• Board Member of Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFC)
• Board Member at Board of Governors of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University
• Board Member at Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishments
• Member of the Higher Committee of Future Technology and Digital Economy
• Member of the Steering Committee for Metaverse Governance, World Economic Forum
• Board Member of the Seoul International Policy Advisory Group (SIPAG)

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Mohammed is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Positive Zero, an energy transition company that builds, finances and operates clean decentralized energy infrastructure across the GCC.<br> Mohammed has been involved in ventures across multiple sectors in the region and sat on the boards of several companies and institutions, including the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

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BIOGRAPHY

A credentialed and experienced investor with a successful track record, Ekta Tolani is the Chief Investment Officer of KBW Ventures. Shehas deployed over +$1B worldwide into direct deals during her career. Her investment work includes portfolio activity such as clean energy and sustainability, health care, education, technology, and innovation.<br> Over her 15 years of experience, Ekta has driven investment strategy and process for sourcing, selecting, and winning direct Private Equity ($100M+) and Venture Capital ($1M – $5M) style deals across a variety of high-growth sectors.<br> Ekta has cultivated a solid network of both family offices and institutional investors across the Middle East, North America, and Asia. She currently manages a broad network of such active relationships; a global network of LPs, Family Offices, and GPs recording top quartile returns. She brings in a plethora of great opportunities and co-investors with her. <br> She holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is the ambassador for the school’s MBA program and Booth Women. She is a member of the Private Equity Women Investor Network, and an ardent champion for women empowerment.

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Yousef Yousef is the Founder and CEO of LG Sonic, a global leader in green technology innovation focused on improving water quality. Under his leadership, LG Sonic has transformed into a multinational enterprise impacting over 50 million people across 96 countries, reducing chemical dependency in sectors like water utilities and nuclear plants. In addition to his role at LG Sonic, Yousef is an investor in innovative companies such as Hydrovolta, Globe to Cloud, and Licesonic, further extending his commitment to sustainable technologies. Yousef serves as a Board Member of the European Innovation Council (EIC), contributing to a €10.1 billion EU program supporting groundbreaking innovations. Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, he is dedicated to fostering a sustainable future through collaborative efforts. He also chairs the Groene Groeiers Network, uniting over 550 scale-up companies accelerating the transition to a green economy, and serves on advisory boards for organizations like the Economic Board Zuid-Holland and Leiden University. His mission is to drive real change through multi-stakeholder alliances, aiming not just for business success but for a sustainable future.

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As Director of Group Investments at G42, I manage deals for the leading AI and cloud computing company in the MENA region, as well as support our business units across the portfolio in corporate development and M&A. With over 13 years of experience in investment, consulting, entrepreneurship and banking, I have a proven track record of creating value and driving growth for diverse and innovative businesses across the tech sector and financial markets. I am passionate about disruptive technologies and their potential to transform industries and societies. I leverage my analytical skills, strategic planning, and effective leadership to identify, evaluate, and execute opportunities that align with G42’s vision and mission. I also work closely with the C-suite of our portfolio companies, which include multi-billion-dollar enterprises in healthcare, security, energy, and more, to help them develop and deploy AI applications that invent a better everyday.

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Omar Hassan is the Founder and Managing Director of Global Growth Hub (GGH), a boutique investment and market access consultancy established in 2015. GGH empowers technology businesses, investors, and governments to thrive globally. GGH has supported over 150 companies, facilitated $100 million in direct investments, and built a network of over 400 venture funds and 30 corporate partners.

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Kartik Gupta is an investor at Salesforce Ventures, where he focuses on early- to late-stage investments across Europe, Israel, India, and the United States. Kartik has been directly involved with Salesforce’s investments in Snowflake (IPO), Miro, Wiz, Snyk, Darwinbox, Astronomer, Atlan, AppOmni, Elevate Security, Aiven, Razorpay, Yellow.ai, Hashnode, Melio, Wefox, AttackIQ, Bugcrowd, Traction Guest, SurveyMonkey (IPO), Securly (Acq.), Conga (Acq.), ScoutRFP (Acq.), and more.

Before SFVC, Kartik was with Industry Ventures where he looked at primary co-investment and secondary investment opportunities in consumer and enterprise software companies. Originally from Delhi, India, he currently resides in London after a decade in San Francisco. He graduated from UC Berkeley with undergraduate degrees in Economics and Statistics.

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Mina Samaan is a General Partner at MMC Ventures and joined in 2017. He specialises in enterprise software, and has led deals such as Synthesia, Botguard, Red Sift, C TWO and SenseOn. Before joining MMC, Mina worked at Lazard, advising companies on equity capital markets and M&A transactions. He was previously an aerodynamics engineer for Williams Formula 1 team, working on race car design & development as well as control software and testing. At MMC, Mina leads enterprise software investments and has deep expertise in software infrastructure and AI-led businesses.

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His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah is the President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, one of the largest economic development arms in Dubai. In his current role, he oversees the implementation of Dubai Chambers’ strategic initiatives and plans, which aim to improve the ease of doing business in Dubai, support businesses expanding globally, attract foreign companies and investment, and advance the digital economy.

In addition to his current role at Dubai Chambers, His Excellency serves as a member of the board at the Dubai Free Zones Council and Emirati Human Resources Development Council and is a member of the University of Dubai Board of Trustees and a member of the board of Union Coop.

Previously, he served as CEO of the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection for Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, where he was responsible for overseeing consumer protection, business protection, intellectual property protection, and commercial compliance.

His Excellency also held several other leadership positions at the Department of Economic Development, namely Deputy CEO of the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Sector, Deputy CEO of the Dubai Export Development Corporation, Executive Director of Corporate Quality and Excellence, and Deputy Director of the Information Technology Department at Dubai Land Department.

H.E. Lootah earned a bachelor’s degree in computer systems engineering from Arizona State University in the United States and an executive MBA in strategic management from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai.

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Victor Riparbelli is the CEO and Co-founder of Synthesia, the world’s leading AI video communications platform for enterprises. More than 55,000 businesses, including half of the Fortune 100, use it to communicate efficiently and share knowledge at scale using AI avatars. Synthesia is headquartered in London and makes video creation, collaboration and sharing easy for everyone.

Victor has been involved in technology entrepreneurship for the past 10 years and co-founded Synthesia in 2017 together with prof. Matthias Niessner, prof. Lourdes Agapito, and Steffen Tjerrild. Combining technical, academic, and entrepreneurial excellence, Victor and his team are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible using AI, while striving to pioneer the field in an ethical and responsible way.

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Isabelle Bébéar est Directrice des affaires internationales et européennes de Bpifrance depuis 2019. Son équipe développe les relations internationales de Bpifrance pour faire rayonner la banque et servir la croissance des entreprises françaises. Elle s’investit dans le monde pour servir l‘avenir.

A ce titre, Isabelle supervise les relations avec les institutions européennes et internationales et les partenariats avec les fonds souverains et les investisseurs de long terme. Elle accompagne les gouvernements étrangers dans le développement de leurs écosystèmes entrepreneuriaux. Elle a la responsabilité d'EuroQuity, la plateforme digitale de mise en relation des entreprises innovantes avec les opportunités d'affaires et les investisseurs internationaux. Elle gère également Averroès Africa, un fonds de fonds dédié à l'investissement dans les entreprises africaines.

Isabelle est par ailleurs administrateur de Proparco (groupe Agence Française de Développement) et membre de son comité d'audit et des risques. Elle est également vice-présidente du conseil d'administration de HDBI, la Banque hellénique de développement pour les investissements et membre du conseil d'administration d’Attijariwafa Bank Europe. Elle est administratrice du Forum international des fonds souverains (IFSWF) et co-préside le forum international des banques de développement, The Montreal Group.

Isabelle est Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite depuis 2014.

Bpifrance

Bpifrance est la banque publique de développement et le fonds souverain français, en charge du financement des entreprises, de l’amorçage jusqu’à la cotation en bourse. Avec un total bilan de 80 milliards d’euros et 50,3 milliards sous gestion, Bpifrance a injecté 63 milliards d’euros dans l’économie française en 2023. Son résultat net s’est élevé à 1,1 milliard d’euros. Elle est détenue à parité par l’Etat et la Caisse des Dépôts.

Pour plus d’informations : www.bpifrance.fr

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Stephanie Nour is partner at Nuwa Capital where she leads on Network, LP engagement and operations. She works closely with Nuwa’s investors and portfolio companies. Prior to Nuwa, she was Wamda’s Director of Communications and Outreach, working on outreach and partnerships with multiple stakeholders in the MENA startup ecosystem. At Wamda, she focused on building the brand and community since joining in 2012, and led on programs such as the MIT Media Lab workshop Dubai, the American University of Beirut’s Reboot Beirut Hackathon, and the Crown Prince Court’s Minds on a Mission Design Thinking workshop among other programs and deal sourcing activities. She has a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Creative Writing from the American University of Beirut.

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Walid is the co-founder and co-CEO of MEVP. Walid’s deep involvement in the VC & Technology ecosystem in the MENA region dates to the mid2000s. Since 2006, Walid has been intimately involved in this transformational entrepreneurial story by participating in the setup, scale up and exit of several VC Funds and Technology companies and serves as a board member and advisor to many successful internet and technology companies regionally and globally.
Prior to MEVP, Walid has previously worked in Public Policy (UAE Prime Ministry Office), Strategy Consulting (Booz Allen Hamilton) and Industrial & Software engineering in France. Walid holds a Masters in Industrial Engineering from the “Institut National des Science Appliquées” INSA de Lyon (France) and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (USA).

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- Dr. Antonio Avitabile is the Managing Director at Sony Venture Capital (EMEA). He is running the CVC activities of Sony in EMEA and is running the corporate development division of Sony Semiconductor. Prior to joining Sony he was working for Philips Semiconductor in Holland as an IC design engineer. He has 25 years of experience in deal-making and deep tech ecosystems. He serves as a board member in a number ofcompanies. He has an MBA from London Business School and a doctorate degree from Politecnico di Torino. He speaks English, Italian and Spanish. 

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Gregor is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Blue Future Partners, a Germany-based Fund of Funds backing Emerging Managers focusing on tech investments globally. Prior to starting BFP in 2015, Gregor spent 5 years at an EU Family Office investing in VC and Real Estate. He also gained operational experience as Co-Founder and CEO of Open Publishing, one of Germany’s leading digital publishing software companies.

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Racha Ghamlouch is the co-founder of the Digital Digest, MENA region’s digital economy news and market intelligence aggregator. Racha has 15 years of experience in developing and advising the digital economy in MENA from market expansion to fostering local innovation. She led content, initiatives and programs at ArabNet for 7 years and moved on to build community engagement at BECO capital, after which she switched to focus on the Digital Digest, a digital economy news aggregator and consulting companies on the MENA region’s digital economy.    

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David is an operator turned angel LP and the founder of eu.vc - Europe’s Venture Community. He backs European early stage funds and their breakout companies. Besides leading an angel syndicate, David hosts The European VC Podcast, is a Venture Partner with Isomer Capital and a Global Shaper for the World Economic Forum. When not house-hopping for family, the dog (follow @pawtastic.timo on instagram) and his windsurf-infused love for sunny shores, David applies his OCD-like traits to make LP deals happen.