Amr Talaat has been appointed the Minister of Communications and Information

Technology since June 2018, to the Cabinet of the Prime Minister Dr. MostafaMadbouly.

Talaat possesses over 30 years of solid experience in communications and information technology areas, with a wide experience in developing and implementing strategies across a vast spectrum of activities in Egypt.

Talaat joined IBM-Egypt in August 1988 and held various managerial positions. On May 23 rd , 2010, Amr Talaat held the position of the Country General Manager of IBM, and also served as IBM Egypt Territory Manager since 2005.

He held various managerial positions within IBM Egypt including Business Partner Organization (BPO) Manager as well as Systems and Technology Group Manager.

During his tenure, his scope transcended financial goals to strategic and operational elements such as building human capital, fortifying customer loyalty, corporate social responsibility and employees’ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

He also sought to establish relationships with key officials and executives of various sectors, both at the national and international levels, to attract major investments, and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) deals.

In addition, Talaat was an adjunct professor at Cairo University; teaching marketing and & sales strategies and tactics, organizational behavior and strategic management. He was, also, an honorary member at the ICT Board at Cairo University and member of the ICT Board of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) and the Chairman of ICT Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).

Talaat graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, completing his undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering at Cairo University.

He earned his PhD or doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from the University of Paris - Paris School of Business (PSB) and Masters of Science in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), in addition to an MBA from Paris ESLSCA Business School, France.

Dave Parker – Author, Entrepreneur, & Investor

Dave is a five-time founder and has been part of >15 transactions, as founder, operator, board member, and advisor. His primary time is spent helping founders scale their companies from growth and exit through his work at NextPath Advisors. His “20%” time (that can sometimes be 80% time) is as a community builder, and speaker he works with accelerators and startup programs worldwide.

The author of “Trajectory: Startup – Ideation to Product/Market Fit“.  The book helps early-stage founders understand what they can test and know about their startup idea before they take the leap and leave their day job. The book also includes research on 2,564 funded companies and the 14 revenue models that made them successful. A free excerpt here. Many of Dave’s talks are available on his YouTube Channel. A partial list of programs can be found here.

CO-FOUNDER OF Q&A RETAIL
CO-FOUNDER OF SUMS SUPPLY MANAGMENT
CO-FOUNDER WWW.DRESSCODEME.COM

BRAND MANAGER, GANT, AEROPOSTALE, AND BCBG

A customer experience professional. I have been engaged by my employer during my career journey on making a radical change in the organization from customer service/care/support into customer centric, from customer satisfaction into customer happiness, from CX in to Quality of Experience and high level of differential promoter score, using latest techniques, best practices, and digitization, from classical support into Omni channel.

Waleed A. Alballaa is a General Partner at Sukna Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Waleed has a proven track record in the tech industry and is a founding member in a number of associations in his field including the Saudi VC/PE association (SAVCPEA), the Saudi Business Analysis Association Group Association (BAAG), and Riyadh Angel Investors (RAI).

Ever since he got into the VC space in 2015, Waleed has built up deep expertise in sourcing and structuring technology deals based on his long track record of working closely with founders and helping them grow and expand their businesses. Sukna Ventures is his third VC vehicle and before that he had laid the foundations of Elm’s CVC arm and had also cofounded Riyadh-based VC fund STV.

Waleed comes from a strong operator background. A software engineer by profession, his experience includes working across different verticals in the technology ecosystem in the US where he spent eight years developing and testing products for leading industry players including Microsoft, Cadence Design, and Skyworks Solutions. His business experience includes successful launches of a number of eGov mega-programs in Saudi including Saher and Hafiz.

Waleed holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the King Saud University in Saudi Arabia and a master’s in Computer Science from Oregon Health and Science University in the US.

Nada Helmy is has more than 8 years of experience in

entrepreneurship. She graduated from the American

University in Cairo (AUC) with a major in Integrated

Marketing Communications and a minor in Business

Administration. She was the Incubation & Acceleration

Program Manager at EdVentures, an edtech VC. Prior to

this, Nada worked at the Technology Innovation &

Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), a joint venture between the

Egyptian Ministry of IT & Communications and The United

Nations. Nada has also worked as a Project Manager at

Vflock Co. where she supported the launch of Athar

Accelerator and was a co-founder of an educational startup

called Journey of Entrepreneurship (JOE) which has

succeeded in growing internationally. Nada is also the host

of a podcast that explores the personal side of

entrepreneurship and likes to create content on social media

about entrepreneurship and business. She has first-hand

experience in building and scaling businesses and has

served as a mentor and trainer for startups in diverse

industries. She currently works at HALA Ventures, a Saudi-

Based VC as the Value Creation Manager, creating projects

and initiatives that bring value to the company, portfolio

startups and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

EdVentures appointed Maged as the General Manager, a

position he has thrived in ever since. Under his astute

leadership, EdVentures has flourished, making substantial

investments in 14 pioneering startups, with a total value

surpassing an impressive 100 million USD. Maged's

profound impact on the company has been characterized by

his exceptional ability to deliver results and foster

exponential growth.

A seasoned investment expert, Maged Harby's

distinguished career trajectory exemplifies his remarkable

proficiency in navigating the complex landscape of tech

startups. With his visionary leadership, unwavering

dedication, and unparalleled knowledge in Education

Technology, Maged continues to shape the industry's future.

His proven track record of success and unwavering

commitment to driving innovation make him an esteemed

figure among business professionals, economists, and

policy makers alike.

Shaimaa ElBanna is the Director of Education at British

Council Egypt. In her role, she oversees the education

portfolio, encompassing higher education, transnational

education (TNE), science, international partnerships,

student recruitment and schools.

Shaimaa's career journey began as a dedicated researcher,

where she gained first-hand experience in development

initiatives and empowering marginalized segments of

society, with a particular focus on women and youth. With

over 20 years of experience in international portfolio

management, she has successfully led large-scale and

complex multimillion-dollar contracts and programs.

Prior to her current position, Shaimaa held several notable

roles. As the head of training at ADEW, she effectively

managed an EU-funded project on female empowerment.

She also played a key role in establishing the Women

Entrepreneurship and Leadership program at AUC in

partnership with Wharton University. Furthermore, Shaimaa

excelled as the Internship Program Manager, overseeing a

12-million-dollar USAID-funded project with Illinoi University.

Throughout her career, Shaimaa has contributed her

expertise as a technical consultant for esteemed

organizations such as UNDP, Save the Children, the Arab

League, and USAID. Her diverse background has equipped

her with a comprehensive understanding of the development

landscape.

Shaimaa's academic accomplishments further reflect her

dedication to excellence. She holds a BA in Political

Sciences from Cairo University, where she was honored with

an honorary degree. Additionally, she pursued a diploma in

Public Administration with a specific focus on transparency.

Shaimaa's commitment to academic growth led her to earn

a Master's degree with distinction in "Gender &

Development" from Cairo University and Sussex University.

Her thesis, titled "The Lived Experience of Women in STEM

Careers: An Analysis of the Egyptian Context," stands as a

testament to her expertise in the field.

Moustapha Zaalouk is a Chief Business Officer at TAC UNIVERSE and giftopiia, two innovative scale-ups that offer online solutions for businesses, e-commerce and social gifting. He is also a certified marketing expert, with credentials from HubSpot, Google, and LinkedIn, and a passion for digital marketing and branding.

With over 10 years of experience in the industry, Moustapha has worked his way up from a Social Media Specialist to a former CEO at The App Concept, a leading digital agency in Egypt. He has successfully launched and managed multiple campaigns for high-end brands and start-ups, driving conversions, growth, and performance. He has also helped solopreneurs, CEOs, and executives grow their personal and professional brands, using cutting-edge strategies and innovative solutions. Moustapha's mission is to connect with the general public and help them achieve their goals, while inspiring them with his home-grown talent and expertise.