Md. Sabur Khan
WBAF High Commissioner Bangladesh

Sabur.Khan@wbaforum.org

Mr. Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman of Daffodil Family has involved himself with lot of challenges while his attachment as the President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of the Bangladesh Computer Samity, Member of Prime Minister ICT Task Force, etc. He has great contributions to establish ICT Ministry, IT Incubator, BCS Computer City etc. Bangladesh government has awarded Mr. Khan, 'Commercially Important Person’ status for his role. Mr. Khan is the Chairman, Global Trade Committee and also Director of World IT & Services Alliances -World’s highest IT organization. During the year 2013 Mr. Khan initiated a project to create 2000 new entrepreneurs. He has written & published several books: “Uddokta Unnoyon Nirdeshika” (Bengali), “Art of Living”, “A Journey towards Entrepreneurship” and “Employability 360°”. To develop a self-employed generation, he aims to creating more job opportunities; his initiatives like: business incubator, start up, venture capital, department of Entrepreneurship in the university level, are promoting entrepreneurship. His commitment towards the development in the field of business, entrepreneurship, leadership and human resources development have attached him as Visiting Professor with lot of foreign universities from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Kyrgyzstan, and so on. He has been awarded honorary professorship from Adam University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; and Issyk-Kul State University, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan; and honorary Doctorate degree from two Kyrgyz universities: Ala-Too International University, Bishkek and Naryn State University, Naryn. For his contribution, Mr. Khan has achieved many awards nationally, and internationally. He established ‘Daffodil Foundation’ for the under privileged people.

To contact him:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabur-khan-2b9a364/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabur.khan
Twitter: @mdsabur
Instagram:
Personal website: https://sabur.me/
Corporate website: http://daffodil.family/

Georges Tchokoua
WBAF High Commissioner Cameroon

Georges.Tchokoua@wbaforum.org

Georges Tchokoua is the founder of Africa Rising Invest, a company offering financial advisory and capital raising services to promising entrepreneurs and fast growing companies in Africa. Tchokoua also has experience in providing technical assistance to governments and private companies for the financial structuring extractive and infrastructure projects. Tchokoua has collaborated with some regional institutions (ex. UNECA) as an expert consultant, including for the revision of the Mining Code in Chad. Prior to founding Africa Rising Invest, Tchokoua was Director of a Casablanca, Morocco based investment boutique focusing on Frontier Markets across Africa. From 2013 to 2016, he advised clients on capital intensive projects, including the world’s fourth largest iron ore mining and infrastructure integrated project ($10 billion). Before that, Tchokoua worked as a credit quant with Nomura, London. In 2009-10, as a junior quant trader at Natixis, New York, he helped manage $1.5b index arbitrage books and designed market neutral strategies to identify and profit from statistical arbitrage opportunities in equity markets. He started his career as a junior foreign exchange and money market trader at BMCE Bank in London. Tchokoua earned his Master in financial econometrics from ENSAE ParisTech, a French Ivy League school specializing in Statistics and Economics. He is a Certified Public Private Partnership Professional and a CFA level III Candidate. Tchokoua is also member of the New York CFA Society and founder of the New York Invest in Africa, a rapidly growing network of over 80 members interested in business opportunities in Africa.

To contact him:

Linkedin: Georges Tchokoua
Facebook: Tchokoua Monkam
Twitter:
Instagram:
Personal website: afrikinfrastructure.com
Corporate website: africarisinginvest.com

Etienne Kouadio Doh
WBAF High Commissioner Cote d’Ivoire

Etienne.Kouadio.Doh@wbaforum.org

After enjoying a leading position as Country Director of a Pan-African Telecom Group, Alink Telecom in Niger – Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, from Nov. 2006 to Oct.2013, I am currently playing a leadership role in the ICT sector as a Chief Operating Officer at VITIB S.A, the 1st Technology Park in Western Africa. VITIB S.A is a Government and Private joint venture Company in charge of promoting and managing the ICT & Biotechnology Free Trade Zone of Côte d’Ivoire. My role consists of attracting Investors, analysing Business Plan and supporting Business Incubation and Development. As an International Marketing background, I worked for Unilever as Regional Brand Manager. I am leading the national and international promotion strategy of the Technology Park of Côte d’Ivoire. I have been ranked #5 in the Top 10 Telecom Leaders in Africa, Oct.2011, by the magazine ITnewsafrica. In terms of Social Responsibility, I am the President and the Founder of the NGO “Ivoiro Suisse” which is active in Education, and Women & Youth Empowerment for Social Justice (https://www.facebook.com/ONG-Ivoiro-Suisse-1872040206451776/).

To contact him:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kouadiodoh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/etienne.kouadiodoh
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kouadiodoh
Instagram:
Personal website:
Corporate website: www.vitib.ci

Prof Nikhil Agarwal
WBAF High Co-Commissioner India

Nikhil.Agarwal@wbaforum.org

Dr Nikhil Agarwal is India’s foremost Innovation and Policy expert. He is currently convener of Denver based policy think-tank IndiaGlobal. In 2017, he was nominated as Fellow of IC2 Institute, University of Texas at Austin. He is former CEO of AP Innovation Society, Govt of Andhra Pradesh in India between 2015-2017. He was involved in developing large scale innovation projects such as 300 acres’ cyber security industrial park, rural innovation labs, incubation centres, startup ecosystem, setup INR 1 billion startup fund to name a few. He is also the founder of Entrepreneur Café – a global movement spread in 110 cities and six continents, connecting over 45,000 entrepreneurs. Dr Agarwal has founded businesses and advised firms on strategic matters in last 20 years of his career. His interviews and work has been extensively covered in international media including Harvard Business Review Blog, Forbes, CNN Money, BBC Radio, The New York Times to name a few. Professor Agarwal has served on many international think tanks and hold leadership positions in global organizations. Between 2006 -13 he served as high-level-advisor to United Nations Global Alliance on ICT & Development (UNGAID). He is International Advisory Board Member at World-Entrepreneurship-Forum (WEF) and Open Mind Foundation. He was the first Asian to be elected as Co-Chair of prestigious Internet Society Advisory Council (ISOC-AC) for 2008-10. He is recipient of ‘Excellence in Promoting Innovation in Governance” by Govt of Rajasthan, India. Professor Nikhil Agarwal is alumnus of University of Cambridge and University of Edinburgh in United Kingdom.

To contact him:

Linkedin: https://in.linkedin.com/in/nikhil-agarwal-9b86143
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikhilagarwal7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nikhilagarwal7?lang=en
Instagram:
Personal website:
Corporate website: www.entrepreneurcafe.org/ www.indiaglobal.org / www.cgpworldwide.com

Wangeci Gathinji
WBAF High Commissioner Kenya

Wangeci.Gathinji @wbaforum.org

She is a telecommunication expert with 17 years’ experience, in the industry, which covers Finance, Commercial and Governance. Giving her opportunities to work on interesting projects and dynamic partnerships. Some of her key roles are: As Head of Wholesale at Safaricom she oversees all international voice, data, & VAS business which has extensive well entrenched services within the East Africa region As a Safaricom Pension Trustee making a contribution to a growing U$ 100m fund and she is in charge of the investment committee As a Chair of the Finance & Agreement committee for Teams Limited a fairly successful private & public partnership framework which was one of the initial Kenya projects bringing the government and private sector together to deliver one of the first undersea cables to the East Africa region She is passionate about networking and learning from diverse cultures. She is proudly Kenyan and her life goal is to make a significant contribution to the transformation and progress of Kenya.

To contact her:

Linkedin: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/wangeci-kanjama-1a872317
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Personal website:
Corporate website: www.safaricom.co.ke

Hauwa Yabani
WBAF High Commissioner Nigeria

Hauwa.Yabani@wbaforum.org

Hauwa is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Abuja Technology Village FZ Co. - the Master Developer of a Science and Technology Park and Special Economic Zone development in Nigeria’s Capital City - with a programs portfolio comprising master plan management, large-scale infrastructure and real estate development, innovation management and human capital mobilisation and development. Hauwa has provided technical advisory/support services to senior Government officials in the areas of Policy Formulation; Programmes Design and Implementation Management as well as Entrepreneurship Development under the United Nations Development Programme. Hauwa is a director/member of the Boards of several organisations including the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation where she currently serves as the Treasurer. Previous Board engagements include the Abuja Enterprise Agency. She is a Fellow of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative, conferred after a Yale administered seminar on values-based leadership. She is a Trustee of initiatives on Outsourcing Development, Free Zones Management and an Angel Network (in formation). She founded a non-governmental Initiative for Revival and Sustainable Development that currently focuses on youth empowerment. Hauwa is an alumnus of the Universities of Reading, Warwick and the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom with degrees in Accounting and Finance; and Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems.

To contact her:

Linkedin: Hauwa Yabani
Facebook:
Twitter: @HauwaYabani / @IRSDNigeria
Instagram: hyabani
Personal website:
Corporate website: www.abujatechnologyvillage.com/www.enspire.org.ng/www.atvfoundation.org.ng

Dr Amal Daraghmeh Masri
WBAF High Commissioner Palestine

Amal.Daraghmeh.Masri @wbaforum.org

Mrs Amal Daraghmeh Masri Dr - Decorated by French Republic with Chevalier Legioned de Merite d'Ordre National. First Prize Winner of " Best Woman Entrepreneur in the MENA ". Listed as One of Ten Global Women Entrepreneur & Leaders" by the International Council of the Small Enterprises -USA. Amal is CEO of Ougarit Group, Editor in Chief, CEO,and Founder at Middle East Business News.Mrs Masri holds many positions in local business organizations working for the advancement of women in Palestine and across the Arab world:these include being board member of Islamic Reporting Initiative IRI,and founding member,former President of Business Women Forum of Palestine. She is the Head of Local Economic Council of Al Bireh Municipality. Regionally and internationally.She is founder and former board member of Middle East Business Women's Network,member of the Arab International Women’s Forum – London and sits on the steering committee of the Fostering Women Entrepreneurs in the ME initiative. She is member of the advisory board and shareholder of Mixberry Media – USA and a member of the Palestinian-American Chamber of Commerce. She is President of Palestine Accueil (part of FIAFE Paris). Amal is a member observer in the Private Sector,Development and Trade Sector Working Group (PSDT SWG) – LACS. Mrs Masri organizes and heads economic events that tackle economic issues such as unemployment. She was voted as being one of the 'Top Ten Influential Arab Women working in Public Relations in the Arab world' and Model Arab Woman',regularly appears on TV and radio, in Palestine and overseas: In 2010, she developed and organized the first PR Conference in Palestine, which was celebrated as being the third of its kind in the region. she has spoken at many international conferences:New Arab Women's Forum in Beirut and the Middle East Business Women Forum in Dubai. Union for the Mediterranean Conference Spain and many others. Amal is married to Khaled Masri, her business partner. She has two daughters and one son. Amal was educated in France.

To contact her:

Linkedin: Amal Daraghmeh Masri
Facebook: Amal Daraghmeh Masri
Twitter: Amal Daraghmeh Masri
Instagram:
Personal website: www.ougarit.net
Corporate website: www.MiddleEast-Business.com

Callum Laing
WBAF High Commissioner Singapore

Callum.Laing@wbaforum.org

Callum Laing has been an entrepreneur for 20 years across multiple countries and sectors. During that time, he has started, built and ultimately bought and sold half a dozen different businesses. He is the author of two best selling business books, and is one of the pioneers behind the ‘Agglomerate’ methodology to help small businesses access the capital markets. A Partner at The Unity Group Private Equity, Laing is also co-founder of The Marketing Group PLC. As part of his commitment to the entrepreneurial community, he has interviewed and promoted more than 500 entrepreneurs and leaders throughout Asia over the past few years. Regularly featured in the media, Laing is an accomplished speaker on entrepreneurship and small business especially ‘Assets, Alliances & Acquisitions’. Both his books echo his philosophy that we are moving from an era of competition into an era of collaboration. He is a keen sportsman and lives in Singapore with his wife and two young daughters.

To contact him:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/callumlaing
Facebook:
Twitter: @LaingCallum
Instagram: @LaingCallum
Personal website: CallumLaing.com
Corporate website: Unity-Group.com

Nena Dokuzov
WBAF High Commissioner Slovenia

Nena.Dokuzov@wbaforum.org
Nena Dokuzov is an expert in management of EU funds, including financial instruments and other repayable forms of funds. As a head of Department for system and control in the Government office for regional development and local self-government she was activelly involved in creation of management and implementation system of EU funds for the programming period 2007 – 2013. As Head of Department for EU Operational programmes at the Ministry of economic development and technology she was responsible for management EU structural and cohesion fund for Slovenia. As a Head of Department for social enterpreneurship, coopeeratives and economic democracy she created systemic solutions for social economy in Slovenia, including the measures for establishment of the ecosystem for social economy – startup community, supporting environment and financial mechanisms. As member of expert groups on the EU level (Coordination committee for funds, GECES – Expert Group of European Commission for social entrepreneurship) her contribution to policy making process was significant. She is a member of management board of National Association for Social Economy and participating in a variety of projects, including the creation of financial supporting environment for impact investment in Slovenia.

To contacther:

Linkedin: Nena Dokuzov
Facebook: Nena Dokuzov
Twitter: @nenadokuzov
Instagram:
Personal website:
Corporate website: www.k-sevt.si

Miguel Martin
WBAF High Commissioner Spain

Miguel.Martin@wbaforum.org

Miguel Martin is a qualified lawyer, International eMBA & BA investor with 15 years living & working experience across Europe, LATAM, CEE & MENA focusing on international business development & investment for MNCs like Carrefour and Mecalux, startups in Spain & Poland and his own projects. He is the founder & co-investor at Immerxing Hub, an innovative tech & talent accelerator offering one-stop specialised space with VR/360/AR academy, demolab, coworking and investment program to boost the immersive talent & startups ecosystem across industries and locations with already two hubs in Spain and now expanding to UK, Mexico & Morocco. In collaboration with WBAF, Miguel Martin is leading the setting-up of the first cross-border & vertical Business Angels Network specialised on immersive techs, projects & startups investment opportunities and being an active speaker & investor in major VR/360/AR tech events such as Asia VR/AR Fair, World VR/AR, Telefonica VR Hackaton, SpainVRStartups. Additionally to immersive techs, Miguel’s expertise, networking and investment interest focus on EdTech, PropTech & TravelTech being a proactive member of Spanish startup & BA community and a regular participant in tech/startups events as investor, mentor and/or jury in Telefonica AOF & Bolt Accelerators, MWC/4YFN Investor Network, South Summit and Business Angels industry events.

To contacthim:

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/allianzing
Facebook:
Twitter: @allianzing_mm / @immerxing /@intercuba_com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allianzing/
Personal website:
Corporate website: www.immerxing.com