SPEAKERS
BELAL JASSOMA
DIRECTOR, ECOSYSTEMS
DMCC
Belal Jassoma is Director of Ecosystems at DMCC, the world’s leading business district and authority on international commodities trade and enterprise.
Belal joined DMCC in 2011 and has been instrumental in scaling up DMCC’s ecosystems and commercial offering, including new products, services and member engagement programmes. In his current capacity as Director for Ecosystems, Belal is responsible for developing key strategic relationships, partnerships and product functions as well as overseeing ecosystem development across several of DMCC’s industry verticals such as crypto, gaming, AI, energy and financial services.
Belal holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the American University of Sharjah and brings over 18 years of experience in real estate, investment, and government administration.
EVGENY GARANIN
SENIOR MANAGER OF SUSTAINABILITY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DMCC
Evgeny Garanin is DMCC’s leading sustainability expert, playing a key role in the development and implementation of the organization’s ESG strategy. As the Secretary of the SDG Steering Committee, he oversees company-wide performance metrics and leads engagement with external stakeholders.
Evgeny conducted the analysis of DMCC’s environmental footprint and spearheaded a digital transformation that significantly reduced FTEs while improving energy and water consumption across DMCC’s community. He developed the company’s 2050 net-zero strategy and established the Sustainability Hub, an ecosystem focused on empowering the private sector with practical tools to enhance their ESG performance through partnerships, a world-class expert network, and advisory services.
Previously, Evgeny held several public sector roles focused on policy development and public affairs across various commodity industries. Notably, he served as an advisor to the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations, where he played a key role in the adoption of the resolution on the Kimberley Process and conflict diamonds. His work in these roles underscored his commitment to advancing sustainable practices and ethical standards in global trade.
OMAR ALKHAWAJA
VICE CHAIRMAN
MEVCA
Omar Alkhawaja is the Founder & Managing Director of AMK Investment Office along with several other roles. AMK Investment Office is a family office that is invested across many asset classes including venture capital (they are LPs in over 22 funds and over 20 directs). Omar is also the Managing Partner of OMAKASE Investment Club, Strategic Advisor and Board Member of Al Arabia Cinema, as well as an Executive Advisor + LP of Global Ventures. He is also Vice Chairman of the MEVCA Association.
MARIKA BRIVIO
DIRECTOR
MEVCA
Marika Brivio joined Global Ventures as a Senior Associate in September 2023, after completing a six-week graduate program. She holds an MBA specializing in Entrepreneurship from Hult International Business School. Before Global Ventures, Marika worked in real estate, aviation, and finance. Her last role was Director of Administrative Operations at an international financial advisory in DIFC. While volunteering with the Hult Prize, an accelerator for startups, Marika became more enthusiastic about Venture Capital. On a personal level, Marika is fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish and is strongly dedicated to sports, health, and social impact.
YANA EL DIRANI
HEAD OF MENA
ENDEAVOR CATALYST
Yana El Dirani is the Head of MENA at Endeavor Catalyst, where she leads efforts across five key markets in the region: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. Endeavor Catalyst is an emerging markets rules-based co-investment of Endeavor with $500M AuM. With 18 years of experience in the investment space, Yana's previous roles include leading a $200M single-family office, Vivium Holding, based in the UAE as well as being a partner at a venture platform in the region.
ROMAIN ASSUNCAO
PARTNER
ANTLER IN MENAP
Romain Assuncao is a Partner at Antler in MENAP. He has also served as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he notably helped governments in MENAP foster startup and tech ecosystems. Prior to that, he focused on go-to-market functions within Amazon, Rocket Internet, Jumia, and L'Oreal.
MEDEA NOCENTINI
SENIOR PARTNER AT GLOBAL VENTURES AND FOUNDER OF COMPANIES CREATING CHANGE (C3)
Medea Nocentini is Senior Partner at Global Ventures. She is also Founder of Companies Creating Change (C3), a UAE-based social enterprise helping impact-driven entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa unlock their growth potential and maximize their positive impact on the community.. Before joining Global Ventures, Medea served as Chief Strategy Officer at the AW Rostamani Group, an international and diversified family group, as well as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development at OSN, a leading Pay TV platform in the MENA region. Earlier in her career, she spent several years at Booz Allen Hamilton developing strategies for TMT, consumer, and public sector’s clients across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School (New York, USA), an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy) and an Engineering Diploma from Ecole Centrale Paris (France).
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
JESSICA ROBINSON
PARTNER
SOLVE STRATEGIES
Jessica Robinson is a global expert in sustainable finance and ESG, advising clients including financial institutions, investors, governments and regulators on a broad range of issues relating to ESG and sustainability strategy. She has deep expertise in sustainable finance and responsible investment, as well as carbon, climate and gender finance. Now based in the Middle East, Jessica has lived and worked extensively across the region, as well as Asia and North America.
GEORGES HAJJ
SENIOR DIRECTOR
SUSTAINABLE FINANCE, GROUP ESG, EMIRATES NBD
Georges Hajj is currently the Senior Director for Sustainable Finance at Emirates NBD, supporting the development of the Group’s sustainable strategy which encompasses the issuance of first sustainable finance framework, the first globally Sustainable Linked-Loan Financing Framework, the implementation of Sustainable KPIs, marketing the issuance of the Bank’s multiple sustainability issuances in the form of Bonds, sukuks and loans, and setting the Governance structure of the ESG team.
Georges has more than 20 years of experience in Banking & Sustainable Finance across the EMENA region, covering sustainable finance issues, strategy setting and execution, setting up BoD meetings and presentations, and managing investor relations, the Bank’s strategic clients and correspondent banks. Prior to this role, Georges was an external advisor, leading the acquisition of 17 companies across Africa for a multinational engineering, procurement, and construction company (EPC).
Earlier in his career, he held multiple positions in a banking conglomerate, mainly as the Head of CEO office leading shareholder engagement, ESG & quarterly reporting process and stakeholder management in addition to key strategic projects such as Bank’s M&A transactions and Banking sector related initiatives. Georges holds an Executive MBA in Sustainability and Governance from Copenhagen Business School.