Founder & CEO of ArabNet

Omar Christidis is an entrepreneur and ecosystem builder, who saw the transformative impact of technology and innovation at a very nascent stage and drove forward a vision to help build the digital industry in MENA. As one of the earliest leaders in the MENA tech industry, Omar has built deep expertise on digital disruption across sectors and currently holds multiple positions. He is the Founder & CEO of ArabNet, which produces leading events, insights and innovation programs focused on the technology and innovation industry in the MENA region. He is a Partner and Board Member at Lebanon Seed Fund, a $20 million early-stage fund aimed at supporting 100 Lebanese startups, having already invested in 33 startups to date. Driven by Omar’s vision, Arabnet was launched in 2009, and has been integral in building the startup ecosystems across the MENA region, as well as supporting governments and corporations digitize. To date Arabnet has organized over 30 tech conferences, featuring more than 2,000 global experts, supported over 650 startups, and has issued over a dozen original research reports.

Senior Investment Associate at VentureSouq (Dubai)

Lola Fernandez Flores is a Senior Investment Associate at VentureSouq (Dubai), where she works under the Conscious Collective thesis, investing in early stage startups globally building Climate Tech companies. Prior to that, Lola was a Summer Analyst at Plug and Play ADGM, ING Bank and KPMG. Lola holds a B.A. from NYU Abu Dhabi and is an Terra.do Fellow.

Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer, Pure Harvest Smart Farms

Sky Kurtz is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pure Harvest Smart Farms and is a pioneer in the Agritech sector. Pure Harvest develops world-leading controlled-environment agriculture technologies to deliver the best quality fresh produce. The Company’s hybrid growing solutions provide precise climate and environmental controls, enabling increased productivity and reduced waste (including water, energy, time, & transport) in the harshest

climates on earth, with projects spanning the MEASA region. Prior to founding Pure Harvest, Kurtz Cofounded Vence – a wearable technology solution for animal protein farming that semi-automates rotational grazing, reinventing livestock management. Mr. Kurtz also served as a Senior Executive with Francisco Partners, a $24 billion tech investment firm based in California and an affiliate of Sequoia Capital, a world-leading venture investment firm.

Yannick Du Pont is the Founder and Director of SPARK and has been working in the field of higher education & economic development in post-conflict countries since 1994. With an MA in International Relations and Sociology from the University of Amsterdam, Mr. Du Pont worked for the Netherlands Minister of Development Cooperation from 1996 to 1997. After working with the Dutch IKV and the Development think-tank of the Dutch Labor Party, the Evert Vermeer Foundation, Mr. Du Pont was engaged as researcher for the Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael” to evaluate the performance of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2000/2001). SPARK has programs to support  growth oriented SMEs and facilitate youth job creation in 17 fragile States in primarily East and West Africa, North Africa & Somalia and the Middle East. In addition to his work at Spark, Yannick Du Pont also serves on the Board of the Max van der Stoel Foundation (Amsterdam), Advisory Board of the Centre of Theory of Change (New York), the Steering Board of the Knowledge Platform on Security and Rule of Law (The Hague) and the AIDCOIN Foundation (The Hague).

President of Sustainability Academy, Türkiye

Murat Sungur Bursa graduated from METU Mechanical Engineering. He is the
founding director of KOSGEB, Small and Medium Sized Industrial Development and
Support Administration, in the Ministry of Industry. He was also the General Director
of the EIA and Planning Head Office then worked as an Undersecretary in the Ministry
of Environment. During his career Bursa, held senior positions in the Ministry of
Industry and Technology, the State Planning Organization, and the Ministry of
Environment. After retiring from public service, he worked as the implementation
director of foreign-funded disaster rehabilitation projects at the Prime Ministry after
the Marmara Earthquake.