Global Capital Confluence Summit: Curated by Epiphany | Powered by DMCC

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.

Kristina Lasenko Frolova

Managing Partner & CEO,
Gaming Activation

Kristina Frolova-Lasenko is a visionary leader shaping the future of innovation, economic growth, and diplomacy in the Middle East and beyond. Renowned for integrating AI, gamification, and digital transformation into scalable business strategies, she empowers founders to accelerate expansion, drive economic progress, and create high-impact businesses that contribute to GDP and job creation.

With over a decade of leadership experience at Meta and Google, Kristina is a growth hacker and expansion strategist who has helped companies scale rapidly, achieve product-market fit, and secure significant exits. The games she has supported have reached top global charts, demonstrating her expertise in monetization, engagement, and market growth.

Beyond driving business success, Kristina is committed to developing the next generation of visionary leaders. She believes strong leadership fuels innovation and long-term impact, and she equips founders with the skills, mindset, and strategy to lead transformative businesses.

As an award-winning entrepreneur, certified Google mentor, and trusted advisor to governments, corporates, and startups across the GCC, Kristina actively fosters economic impact, innovation-driven job creation, and local ecosystem growth.

She serves as a mentor and jury member for the prestigious App Olympics Competition under the Create Apps in Dubai initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Through her mentorship, she helps founders scale their businesses, optimize monetization, and contribute to the region's digital transformation.

Kristina is also a core mentor of the Gaming LevelUp accelerator, backed by NEOM, supporting game developers in global expansion and profitability. Additionally, she played a key role in launching Meta's first gaming acceleration program in the Middle East, driving the growth of emerging gaming studios.

Her mission extends beyond business—she champions inclusive growth, sustainable development, and equity in leadership. She sees AI and gaming as economic accelerators, unlocking new industries, GDP growth, and large-scale job creation.

By reshaping how businesses, governments, and founders collaborate, Kristina proves that strategic innovation, leadership development, and growth hacking drive both economic progress and global impact.

MARWAN JASSIM AL SARKAL

Founder & Managing Partner,
Chapter 3 and Al Mur Investments 

Marwan Al Sarkal is the founder and managing partner of Chapter 3, a boutique strategic advisory and management consultancy. Leveraging his vast network and investment experience, he partners with government entities, family offices, and global enterprises to execute strategies that deliver exponential growth and sustainable long-term value creation. Before founding Chapter 3, Marwan was the Executive Chairman of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). At Shurooq, he developed an AED 12 billion portfolio of real estate, hospitality, and tourism assets, transforming the emirate's socio-economic trajectory and repositioning it into a vibrant FDI destination.

Marwan is widely recognized as one of the most influential business figures in the GCC and sits on the boards of several innovative companies in the finance, automotive, education, technology, and agriculture sectors. An avid car enthusiast, he is also a passionate supporter of youth empowerment and an advocate of the region's startup ecosystem.

He received his Bachelor of Applied Science in Accounting from Dubai Men's College and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration from the Higher College of Technology. He has also attended Executive and Leadership programs at Harvard Business School and the Singularity University.

James Hursthouse

Owner,
Greenstone Initiatives

James Hursthouse is an experienced interactive digital media and Web3 professional with a focus on how game technology and content can drive broader innovation. His career began in Tokyo, where he contributed to the establishment of early online gaming infrastructure, including the development of free-to-play gaming and games as a service with companies like Nexon, Online Game Services Inc., and BigWorld Technologies.

With the foundation of a degree in philosophy, James has a talent for making complex ideas more accessible, a skill that has helped him build connections across the tech community. Fluent in Japanese, he has frequently bridged cultural and technological divides between East and West. His work on the 'Metaverse Roadmap' in 2007 highlighted his interest in exploring the future of virtual worlds, blockchain, and Web3 technologies—fields he has continued to engage with throughout his career.

In 2010 James co-founded Roadhouse Interactive, where he led a team of 180 people and groundbreaking projects, including a collaboration with the legendary Iron Maiden. This partnership launched a mobile game that uniquely preceded a band tour—making Iron Maiden the first band to tour a game rather than an album.

Subsequent leadership roles with DigiBC - The Creative Technology Association of British Columbia as both Executive Director and long-term board member, PlayChannel (Sweepstakes Casino), Cooper's New Reality Garage (AR/VR, acquired by Truly Social Games), Departure Lounge (Virtual Production, acquired by AMPD Ventures), and LlamaZOO Interactive (Industrial Metaverse, in the process of being acquired by a leading big-four consulting firm) further showcase James’ ability to lead and innovate across a broad spectrum of digital media.

Currently, through his consultancy, Greenstone Initiatives, James advises a curated portfolio of companies on digital content strategies and blockchain technologies while also working on select internal initiatives. Most recently, he helped develop the Games and Digital Media division at Aethir, which achieved the world’s most successful node sale for a DePIN project. This role exposed him to a wide range of traditional and Web3 gaming projects, deepening his understanding of the transformative potential of Web3.

AHMAD AL-MAHMOOD

Strategic Planning Advisor & Government Assessor,
Sharjah Government, UAE

Ahmad Al-Mahmood is one of the outstanding advisors, excellence assessor, and a trainer with a managerial experience in strategic planning, policy designing, corporate governance, and training organization leaders. He succeeded in determining and positioning himself among top instructors by developing his level in career growth, coaching, mentoring people, and contribution in major government strategic projects & assessment.

In 22 years of experience, he lad several government projects and worked on crating highly government policies directed form top government leaders. This gave him the vision in join the government excellence assessment teams in several government and private sectors awards. Because of Ahmed training skills the government sectors gave him direct orders to train UAE national since 2008. He trained UAE nationals from normal level to managerial levels from government and private sectors during his career which shaped his experience towards leading government excellence.

Excellence: Besides his work since 2009 he was appointed as government and private sector assessor to measure the government services based on EFQM and Government Excellence Model GEM 2.0 for different government sectors in Sharjah Awards, Dubai Awards , and was appointed as head of jury in Sharjah Economy Department awards.

Strategy Planning: Ahmed worked on creating and developing strategy plans for Ajman & Sharjah Tourism, Sharjah Economy Department, Sharjah Government Parliament Council and other 55 strategic projects in his career.

CLAUDIA PINTO

Philanthropy & Sustainability Advisor, Angel Investor, and Founder,
Empowering Women Middle East

Philanthropy & Sustainability Advisor | Angel Investor | Founder of Empowering Women Middle East

Claudia Pinto is a distinguished Philanthropy and Sustainability Advisor to His Highness Sheikh Marwan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the founder of Empowering Women Middle East. As an angel investor and advocate for sustainability, Claudia bridges philanthropy with social entrepreneurship, empowering women and youth while driving innovative solutions for sustainable development.

At the 4th Annual Private Wealth Middle East Forum, Claudia will share her expertise on aligning wealth management with sustainability, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and leveraging wealth for long-term impact. Her insights aim to inspire actionable strategies and meaningful dialogue among industry leaders.

RASHED ALAWAR

Games Programmer Virtual Technology Center,
Dubai Police

1st Lieutenant in Dubai Police in the fields of game development and esports, serving as a games programmer at the Virtual Technology Center, Dubai Police. With a deep passion for innovation and technology, helping create unique platforms that engage communities and train professionals. Instrumental in organizing and managing large-scale esports events, including the prestigious Dubai Esports Festival, where I oversaw multiple tournaments and interactive activities. These initiatives have not only showcased Dubai Police’s commitment to community engagement but have also positioned the force as a forward-thinking organization embracing the cultural relevance of gaming. An advocate for the growth of the gaming industry in Dubai, I serve as a working group member of the Dubai Program for Games 2033, where we contributes to the strategic vision of establishing Dubai as a global gaming hub. The expertise spans game design, tournament organization, and leveraging gaming technology for societal impact.

ARSHIYA FARAGHAT

Host & Founder,
Pixel Perfect

Arshiya “xArshyy” Faraghat was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates. She majored in Dentistry but her passion for gaming led her to pursue a career in Esports for the past 5 years.

She began her gaming career as a Twitch streamer and later became a broadcast talent and a live stage host and MC. Some examples of her hosting work include The Dubai Esports and Games Festival at the World Trade Centre, Blast Premier, Comic Con and The Dubai Police Esports Tournament.

Arshy is also a strong advocate for education in Esports. She works as an industry expert and teacher for Esports to deliver Esports BTEC educational curriculum and seminars to students. Furthermore, she was featured in numerous publications as well as in the Khaleej Times as the first generation of working gamers in the UAE.

After having worked 2 years as a Content and Community Manager at a tournament organizer company, Arshy has now co-founded her own company called Pixel Perfect, in which she aims to contribute to the growth of gaming and esports in the region.

Muhammad Chbib

Founder & CEO,
Venture Builder & Business Advisor

Ozgur Ozalp

Consultant & Advisor, Ex-Epic, Ex-Riot, Game Publishing Strategy, Marketing, BD in Emerging Markets (Türkiye, MENA, India)

Özgür Özalp is a trailblazing executive and entrepreneur with over two decades of transformative leadership in the gaming, entertainment, and publishing industries. Renowned for his strategic acumen, cross-cultural expertise, and ability to drive exponential growth, Özgür has left an indelible mark on global markets—from Turkey and the MENA region to Europe and beyond. Currently based in Dubai, UAE, he combines a deep understanding of emerging markets with a passion for innovation to shape the future of interactive entertainment.

Career Journey & Leadership Excellence

As the Founder of Silver Star Consultancy FZ LLC (2024–Present), Özgür leverages his vast experience to guide startups and established firms in scaling operations, optimizing revenue streams, and navigating dynamic market landscapes. Prior to this, his tenure as CEO of PublishMe Global FZ LLC (2021–2024) and PublishMe Global Istanbul (2019–2021) solidified his reputation as a growth architect. Under his leadership, the company became Turkey’s first international gaming marketing agency, secured investment from India’s Nazara Group, and expanded into MENA with a Dubai office. Key achievements include:
- Partnering with Supercell to boost Brawl Stars's user retention and engagement by 5x, making it Turkey’s #1 mobile game by playtime in 2021.
- Orchestrating the Istanbul Youth Festival during COVID-19, a digital event that engaged millions and strengthened community ties.

Earlier, as Director of Publishing for Emerging Markets at Epic Games (2018–2019), Özgür spearheaded Fortnite’s meteoric rise in MENA and Turkey. By localizing campaigns, optimizing PC Café strategies, and collaborating with AWS to enhance infrastructure, he propelled MENA to become the #2 global region for ARPPU (Average Revenue Per Paying User).

At Riot Games Istanbul (2012–2016), Özgür was instrumental in launching the company’s first Western office in Turkey. He built a thriving esports ecosystem, establishing professional leagues that positioned Turkey among the world’s top competitive gaming nations. His efforts drove League of Legends to over 1 million monthly active users in Turkey, cementing its dominance.

Pioneering Sales & Market Expansion

Özgür’s career began in sales and marketing, where he honed his ability to transform brands. As Sales & Marketing Director at Nortec Eurasia (Nintendo’s Turkish distributor, 2005–2012), he revolutionized retail strategies, making the Nintendo Wii the country’s best-selling console—a historic first against PlayStation. His earlier role at Avaturk (2003–2005) saw him pioneer Turkey’s first licensed online game servers, boosting titles like Star Wars Galaxies to record-breaking sales.

Education, Skills & Global Mindset

A graduate of Istanbul Bilgi University (BA, Media and Communication Systems) with studies in Geology Engineering at Istanbul Technical University, Özgür blends analytical rigor with creative vision. Fluent in Turkish and English, he thrives in multicultural environments, holding a UAE Golden Visa and a track record of bridging markets across Europe, MENA, and Asia.