view the past mena tour 2015 agenda

 GEEKS ON A PLANE MENA December 5 ­ 15, 2015 Bahrain — UAE — Jordan — Egypt 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS DETAILED AGENDA Dec 5 (Saturday) — BAHRAIN Dec 6 (Sunday) — BAHRAIN Dec 7 (Monday) — BAHRAIN > ABU DHABI Dec 8 (Tuesday) — DUBAI Dec 9 (Wednesday) — DUBAI > AMMAN Dec 10 (Thursday) — AMMAN Dec 11 (Friday) — DEAD SEA > CAIRO Dec 12 (Saturday) — CAIRO Dec 13 (Sunday) — CAIRO Dec 14 (Monday) — CAIRO IMPORTANT INFO FLIGHT DETAILS CONTACTS, COMMUNICATIONS, & WI­FI COMMON ARABIC PHRASES STAYING SAFE ON THE STREETS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS DEALING WITH PERSISTENT TRADERS CURRENCY CONVERTER CASH, ATMs & CREDIT CARDS TIPPING PASSPORT VISAS United States EMBASSY INFORMATION: WEATHER RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST STAYING HEALTHY SAFETY & SECURITY IN MENA LAST ITEM MEET THE GEEKS MEET 500 STAFF 2 DETAILED AGENDA Dec 5 (Saturday) — BAHRAIN 7:20 AM Arrive in Bahrain (does not apply to all geeks) (All geeks responsible for their own transport to the Four Seasons ­ If you had our travel agent arrange transport for you ­ Please look for someone holding a GOAP once you exit the baggage claim area ­ Contact Info ­ Mr. Hameed ­ 973­3996­1515 TAXI INFO​
: Arabian Taxi +973 1746 1746. Uber is available as well 9:00 AM Arrive at the Four Seasons Bahrain Bay hotel ADDRESS​
: Road 4612, Building 555, Block 346, Bahrain Bay 11:00 AM Meet in lobby + transfer from Four Seasons to the kick­off lunch 12:00 ­ 1:30 PM GOAP KICK­OFF LUNCH w/ TENMOU ANGEL GROUP & FOUNDERS ADDRESS​
: Capital Club Bahrain Levels 51­52, East Tower, Bahrain Financial Harbour, Manama POC​
: Wafa, ​
wafab@capitalclubbahrain.com​
M +973 39797137 WI­FI​
: Open Wi­Fi, no password DRESS CODE​
: Members and their guests are expected to dress in a manner befitting the surroundings and atmosphere of the Club and should inform their guests accordingly. Business attire, national dress or smart casual is the appropriate standard. Smart casual for men does not include ripped jeans, T­shirts, baseball style hats, shorts or training shoes, flip flops. Kindly note that in accordance with the Club’s regulations, Members and their guests must adhere to the dress code policy. We kindly ask all Members and their guest to be courteous when using their mobile phones. INFO​
: Welcome, geeks! Get to know your fellow travel­mates over lunch at the swanky Capital Club Bahrain. Regional angel investment group Tenmou will take a seat at the table, too. Kicking off our Bahrain tech + culture tour, 500's Venture Partner, Hasan Haider, will provide an ecosystem overview of Bahrain. 1:30 ­ 2:30 PM BAHRAIN TECH + CULTURE TOUR ADDRESS​
: Capital Club Bahrain Levels 51­52, East Tower, Bahrain Financial Harbour, Manama INFO​
: Winners of Bahrain's Startup Week will pitch their e­commerce startups. ATTENDEES​
: All these startups need advice and pre­seed/seed funding. ● Beauty Q​
won Bahrain’s Startup Week competition. They created an online beauty salon reservation app that at its initial stage will serve consumers & eventually work to create a CRM for the salons to manage its reservations. 3 Dec 5 (Saturday) — BAHRAIN (continued) 1:30 ­ 2:30 PM BAHRAIN TECH + CULTURE TOUR (continued) ● Pick­A­Dive​
won second place. The team created an online reservation website for diving fanatics to be to reserve for diving classes or hours. This will enable both customers to find the available bookings and diving instructors the opportunity for exposure. ● The Hive​
won 3rd place. The Hive is a community­driven workspace where individuals with common interest such as machines, technology, digital arts can meet, socialize and collaborate. ● Eat​
has two products, one for restaurants, and another for consumers. The consumer app is simple. It allows you to find restaurants around you and confirm your reservation in less than three clicks. No need to call! The restaurants have an iPad installed at the front desk. This app allows restaurants to internally manage reservations and tables, and to notify the consumer app about availabilities. ● The Selfie Station​
is an interactive entertainment experience for events made with love in Bahrain! It generates a fun and cozy atmosphere in your event, and breaks the ice amongst visitors. It makes taking group selfies a lot easier since the camera is away enough to include everyone! The Selfie Station creates social network traffic & lets the visitors market your venue or event. 2:30 ­ 3:00 PM Transfer by bus to Bahrain National Museum 3:00 ­ 4:00 PM BAHRAIN TECH + CULTURE TOUR CON'T ­ NATIONAL MUSEUM ADDRESS​
: Bahrain National Museum, Al Fatih Hwy, Manama, Bahrain INFO​
: Relish in Bahrain's rich history at the country's National Museum. The museum is the crowning achievement of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s ongoing efforts to preserve the nation’s heritage and history ­ local experts will lead the way! 4:00 ­ 4:30 PM Transfer to Manama Souq 4:30 ­ 5:30 PM BAHRAIN TECH + CULTURE TOUR CON'T ­ MANAMA SOUQ ADDRESS​
: Manama Souq, Manama 304, Bahrain INFO​
: Local experts will guide us through the streets behind Bab al­Bahrain, a place to go for bargain treasures, nuts, spices, shisha bottles and a plethora of other Bahraini essentials. Make sure to leave room in your suitcases for souvenirs. You may want to bring local currency cash with you, as there are a lot of traditional and small shops that may not accept cards. There is also an ATM at the souq. 4 Dec 5 (Saturday) — BAHRAIN (continued) 5:30 ­ 6:00 PM Transfer to Four Seasons Bahrain Bay Hotel ADDRESS​
: Road 4612, Building 555, Block 346, Bahrain Bay 6:00 ­ 7:00 PM Break 7:00 ­10:00 PM PREMONEY VIP DINNER, HOSTED BY 500 STARTUPS & THE BAHRAIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD (EDB) ADDRESS​
: Four Season's re Asian Cuisine | Wolfgang Puck, 50th Fl DRESS CODE​
: There's no dress code, however, Bahrain is generally more formal, so you'll blend in wearing business casual. Even Dave, who loves flip­flops and T­shirts, might throw a blazer on over his T­shirt and just might wear closed­toe shoes! INFO​
: Take in Bahrain's breathtaking views from the Four Season's 50th floor and network with PreMoney speakers and other notables at an exclusive dinner on the eve of PreMoney MENA (Appetizers from 7:00­8:00 PM, followed by a family­style dinner). Dec 6 (Sunday) — BAHRAIN 8:00 ­ 9:00 AM Breakfast at PreMoney Conference ADDRESS​
: Four Season's Al Bahrain Ballroom II DRESS CODE​
: There's no dress code, however, Bahrain is generally more formal, so you'll blend in wearing business casual. 9:00 AM ­ 6:45 PM PREMONEY MENA INVESTOR CONF., PRODUCED BY 500 STARTUPS INFO​
: Join us for 500 Startups' first­ever PreMoney MENA investor conference ­­ Designed for investors by investors, the event will bring together 150+ VCs, angels, portfolio managers, corporate strategics & LPs to have real conversations and debates about disruption in venture capital. (Food & beverage served throughout the day.) 6:45 ­ 7:00 PM Change into comfortable clothes 7:00 ­ 8:00 PM Transfer to F1 International Circuit Meet in hotel lobby (sandwiches provided on the bus) 5 Dec 6 (Sunday) — BAHRAIN (continued) 8:00 ­ 9:30 PM F1 INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT VISIT & RACING ADDRESS​
: Gate 255, Gulf of Bahrain Avenue, Umm Jidar 1062, Sakhir, Bahrain INFO​
: Tour the famous Bahrain International Circuit (F1) + fasten your seat belts! We're going go­karting. Half the group will tour the track, while the other half does go­karting and then we'll switch. 9:30 ­ 10:30 PM RACE TRACK BBQ DINNER (+ VEGETARIAN) ADDRESS​
: Gate 255, Gulf of Bahrain Avenue, Umm Jidar 1062, Sakhir, Bahrain 10:30 ­ 11:30 PM Transfer to Hotel Dec 7 (Monday) — BAHRAIN > ABU DHABI 6:00 ­ 7:00 AM Breakfast at Hotel 7:00 AM Transfer to Bahrain Airport 10:00 AM Fly to Abu Dhabi 12:15 PM Arrive in Abu Dhabi 12:15 ­ 2:00 PM Transfer to Flat6Labs Snacks provided on the bus 2:00 ­ 3:30 PM ACCELERATOR VISIT, OPEN DISCUSSION & LUNCH, HOSTED BY FLAT6LABS ADDRESS​
: Park Rotana Complex Twofour54 Building, Office 501, 5th floor. (Right across the building is a big dirt space for parking large bus) POC: ​
Ramzy Ismail: +971 050 474 9705 WI­FI​
: Flat6LabsAD, password: knowyourcustomer INFO​
: Flat6Labs is the leading startup accelerator program in the MENA region and an early­stage investment vehicle. They are currently operating in Cairo, Jeddah, and Abu Dhabi and plan to expand to more locations in the MENA region over the next few years. Flat6Labs has 180+ mentors and coaches in their network, have created 500+ jobs, they have 75+ companies, 50%+ of which receive follow­on funding, and 40+ follow­on investors. 6 Dec 7 (Monday) — ABU DHABI (continued) 2:00 ­ 3:30 PM FLAT6LABS VISIT (continued) INFO​
: While we are at Flat6Labs we will have lunch with 7 of the startups in the accelerator program. Ramez Mohamed (CEO of Flat6Labs) will give us an Ecosystem Overview of the region and then we will all discuss how to tap into global markets/new audiences outside of the region, while being inside of the region (UAE). ATTENDEES​
: ● Cactus Messenger:​
Fully secure offline messenger (no Internet connection needed) and money transmitter complemented by extensive entertainment content. ● DashRoad:​
A Platform as a Service company built around a hardware which gives car owners access to new features like reduced insurance rates, accurate vehicle pricing, and a more enticing driving experience for consumers. ● FeedSpeed:​
A plug and play option for local merchants to publish their catalogue and setup a mobile store with customized periodic promotions window. ● Metaphorio​
: An online collaboration platform designed by video producers for video producers. ● Susurrus: ​
a platform that collects blogs’ and social media data in order to matchmake brands with bloggers, lets brands run blogger campaigns and measures the results ● Whiteboard: ​
an online platform that combines different service providers and vendors into one portal for parents to access it. WhiteBoard is a school focused business, that could provide additional revenue streams to the school and provides access to vendors to additional targeted customers. ● The Wellness Log:​
Online platform for creating & managing health & fitness programs. 3:30 ­ 4:00 PM Transfer to Grand Mosque 4:00 ­ 5:00 PM GRAND MOSQUE FOUNDER TOURS ADDRESS:​
Airport Road ­ ‫ﻇﺒﻲ‬ ‫ﺃﺑﻮ‬ ­ United Arab Emirates DRESS CODE: ​
Dress so you are covered head to toe, including a non­transparent scarf for your head and not even your ankles should be showing. If you don't have anything for this, you can borrow the long dress (abaya) and headscarf (shaya) from one of the service desks free of charge. Kindly return them to the service desks at the end of your tour. NOTE​
: You cannot bring outside food or drinks (including water) into the Mosque. Do not touch the copies of the Holy Quran (books) found inside the prayer halls. Do not take photographs of people praying or of National people without asking 7 Dec 7 (Monday) — ABU DHABI (continued) 4:00 ­ 5:00 PM GRAND MOSQUE FOUNDER TOURS (continued) their permission first. Do not take photos of the mausoleum (small building located on the north side of the Mosque). Do not smoke on the mosque grounds. INFO​
: Visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, considered to be they key for worship in the country and the largest mosque in the UAE, covering more than 30 acres. Two local founders will give us a 30 min tour and then we'll have 30 mins to explore the mosque on our own. 5:00 ­ 5:30 PM Transfer to NYU Abu Dhabi 5:30 ­ 6:30 PM SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS w/ NYU ABU DHABI ADDRESS: ​
Saadiyat Island, A6 Building Conference Center, Lecture Hall (East end of Campus ­ Building next to IDEA Lab), Abu Dhabi, 129188 POC​
: Robyn Brazzil: +971 (0)56 703 3668 WI­FI​
: Guest ID: guest601; password: ciaderew INFO​
: NYUAD is a four year liberal arts university that began in 2009 with four main divisions (Science, Social Science, Engineering and Arts and Humanities). There are currently around 880 students hailing from over 110 countries and no country is represented over about 15% of the population. The Saadiyat Island campus is only 1 1/2 years old and will serve as an anchor institution in the broader vision of creating a cultural center on the island. NYU Abu Dhabi also serves as one of three portal campuses along with NYU­NY and NYU­Shanghai, as well as global campuses around the world to create a global network university. We will be meeting with 5 undergraduate students groups with various backgrounds in the program; breaking into small groups to discuss their projects. Many of the students will have questions around how to commercialize their ideas. ATTENDEES​
: ● Buku Kami Project ​
­ Three NYUAD sophomore students (Poli Sci/Econ, CS, Social Science, Engineering) Non­profit organization in partnership with students in Indonesia focusing on helping victims of human trafficking by providing access to employment, selling organic stationary products, and potentially setting up micro­financing models. They have been working on this project for a little over one year outside of any classwork. They are hoping to discuss some of the intricacies of a social impact business model and how they can operate more efficiently. 8 Dec 7 (Monday) — ABU DHABI (continued) 5:30 ­ 6:30 PM SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS w/ NYU ABU DHABI (continued) ● Road Watch​
­ Three NYUAD juniors (Math, CS and Poli Sci) A mobile application that tracks metrics of drivers on the road. This is part of a government mobile app challenge. They have some questions related to product development. They have been working on this for about 3 months. ● VUL9 Security Solutions​
­ One NYUAD Junior Econ Major. Cyber security start­up in partnership with a student from Morocco. This venture began roughly 6 months ago when the two founders met at our NYUAD hackathon. They are in discussions with an investor now and would like to discuss some basics of term sheets and how to manage the relationship with an early angel investor. ● College Peek ​
­ Three NYUAD Juniors (CS, Econ, Poli Sci). Online college advising platform. They would like to discuss how to pitch for investment and how to develop their revenue/pricing model. They have been working on this outside of the classroom for about 6­9 months. ● Seniors ​
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We have a handful of seniors that are working on their senior capstone projects that might be able to join us and discuss their projects in the wearables and augmented reality space. Their majors are engineering and arts & humanities. 6:30 ­ 8:00 PM STARTUP SPEAKER SERIES EVENT, PRODUCED BY IDEA LAB & FLAT6LABS ADDRESS: ​
Saadiyat Island, A6 Building Conference Center, Lecture Hall (East end of Campus ­ Building next to IDEA Lab), Abu Dhabi, 129188 POC​
: Robyn Brazzil: +971 (0)56 703 3668 WI­FI​
: Guest ID: guest601; password: ciaderew NOTE​
: The crowd for this session is a very eclectic mix of NYUAD undergrads, faculty, staff and then the broader Abu Dhabi startup community which range from lawyers and finance folks and seasoned expat entrepreneurs to young developers and people more interested in traditional SMEs (starting consulting firms, restaurants, etc.) INFO​
: IDEA Lab is an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program that is hosted in our Engineering Design Studio, a 4000 square foot rapid prototyping facility that is open 24/7 to all students on campus. IDEA Lab the program started in Spring 2015 to help foster and support students with entrepreneurial interests by connecting them with the right resources, tools and resources to shape their ideas. IDEA Lab also aims to enable innovation and entrepreneurship in the broader startup ecosystem by building a bridge between academia and the public and private sectors. IDEA lab and Flat6Labs Abu Dhabi are partnering to bring an interactive and educational experience to the startup community in Abu Dhabi and UAE with Startup 9 Dec 7 (Monday) — ABU DHABI (continued) 6:30 ­ 8:00 PM STARTUP SPEAKER SERIES EVENT, PRODUCED BY IDEA LAB & FLAT6LABS (continued) Series sessions. This series provides essential information for existing and rising entrepreneurs in the region by bringing in expert speakers on key topics along the entire entrepreneurship life cycle. For this session, a few geeks will be joining local expert, Shimi Shah, on a panel to discuss scaling your startup, entering new markets, setting up an advisory board and managing your mentor/mentee relationships. Approx. 70 attendees total + Geeks. 8:00 ­ 8:40 PM Transfer to Skylite Viceroy Hotel 8:40 ­ 10:30 PM NETWORKING DINNER, HOSTED BY TWOFOUR54 & FLAT6LABS ADDRESS​
: 9th Floor,Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi, Main building, Yas Marina ­ ‫ﻇﺒﻲ‬ ‫ﺃﺑﻮ‬ POC​
: Skylite Viceroy Hotel #: +971 2 656 0600 INFO​
: Dinner with TwoFour54 guests at the Skylite Viceroy Hotel ATTENDEES​
: Jonathan Labin, Managing Director of Facebook MENA & Pakistan Will Hutson, Founder & CEO of LMTD Agency Issa Aghabi & Dana Horska, Venture Investment team at twofour54 Yannick Theler, Managing Director at UbiSoft MENA Kunal Kapor, Founder of Luxury Closet Ramesh Jagannathan, Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship at NYU Abu Dhabi 10:30 ­ 11:30 PM Transfer to Dubai & Check­in at Vida Downtown Hotel ADDRESS: ​
Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard ­ The Old Town, Downtown Dubai Dec 8 (Tuesday) — DUBAI 9:00 ­ 10:00 AM Breakfast at Vida Downtown Hotel ADDRESS​
: Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard ­ The Old Town, Downtown Dubai, +971 4 428 6888 10:00 ­10:30 AM Transfer to Burj Khalifa 10 Dec 8 (Tuesday) — DUBAI (continued) 10:30 ­ 12:00 PM BURJ KHALIFA VISIT ADDRESS​
: 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd ­ Dubai INFO​
: We'll be ascending the Burj Khalifa, the tallest artificial structrure in the entire world! It reaches over 828 meters (2,716.5 feet) which is more than 160 stories. After that, if time allows, we will either stop at a tea shack before our next stop or drive through the Palm Jumeirah, an artificial archipelago designed in the shape of a palm tree. 12:00 ­ 12:30 PM Transfer to In5 12:30 ­ 2:00 PM LUNCH + FIRESIDE CHAT WITH DAVE MCCLURE, HOSTED BY IN5 ADDRESS​
: Dubai Knowledge Village, Boutique Villa 7 POC​
: Rekha Setpal: +971 4 3913972 WI­FI​
:​
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Network: In5 Password: WelcomeToIn5 INFO​
: In5 is an environment that supports entrepreneurship and cultivates the development of the ICT and digital media startup ecosystem in Dubai. Supporting entrepreneurs from the early stage idea creation, through implementation, right up to the commercial launch of the product or service. In5 offers five key benefits: set­up framework, training, networking, access to funding, and mentorship. 2:00 ­ 2:30 PM Transfer to PropertyFinder 2:30 ­ 4:00 PM TECH COMPANY VISIT + FOUNDER / INVESTOR ROUNDTABLE CHAT, HOSTED BY PROPERTYFINDER ADDRESS: ​
1505 Shatha Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 50954, Dubai POC​
: Georgia Nikita: +971 4 556 0367 or +971 50 849 6586 INFO​
: ​
PropertyFinder​
: Since 2007, PropertyFinder has been providing the tools to help consumers find the properties that fit their needs. They work with brokers to list properties in one convenient site, and make it easier to see all of the information about those properties while browsing from your desktop or on the move. ​
BECO Capital: ​
A Middle East venture capital firm that provides growth capital and hands­on operational support for early stage technology companies in the MENA region with a focus on the GCC. ATTENDEES​
: Dany Farha, Managing Partner at BECO Capital and Michael Lahyani, CEO of Property Finder. 11 Dec 8 (Tuesday) — DUBAI (continued) 4:00 ­ 4:20 PM Transfer to Astrolabs 4:20 ­ 6:20 PM PITCH FEEDBACK SESSION w/ GOOGLE FOR ENTREPRENEURS EXCHANGE PROGRAM, HOSTED BY ASTROLABS ADDRESS: ​
Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Cluster R, Dubai POC​
: Louis Lebbos: +971­50­107­7092 WI­FI​
: Guest Wi­Fi; login through Facebook or by entering your email INFO​
: AstroLabs Dubai is the only Google­partnered Tech Hub in the MENA region, serving as a launchpad for the highest potential tech startups. The space features a Google­supported mobile device development lab, a training facility, meeting rooms, etc. Through a partnership with the DMCC­Government of Dubai, startups at AstroLabs Dubai will be able to easily obtain a free­zone company license with no upfront costs. We will be listening to 14 company pitches & offer feedback with companies from Google for Entrepreneurs Exchange and Astrolabs. ATTENDEES: ● Luxtripper:​
Offers a personalised service that can tailor the holiday to your needs through their search technology or with the help of a travel consultant. ● Seamless Planet: ​
provides a simple and effective solution for individuals who want access to experiences anywhere in the world. Seamless Planet partnered with thousands of global suppliers to offer the most unique activities, things to do and experiences for those who are traveling or just want to find a fun activity in their own hometown. ● Wetravel: ​
the online platform for anyone organizing a group trip. Built to simplify large group trips, our platform provides organizers with pre­departure tools to collect funds and organize logistics. If desired, trip organizers can feature their trip on the Wetravel website to find travelers. ● Tripdelta: ​
makes flight search and trip building simple and affordable. Tell us where you want to go. We do all the rest. You can spend less time planning your trip and more time enjoying. ● Jethunter: ​
Book a private jet ● Seeksherpa: ​
a mobile marketplace connecting travelers and locals over local tours & insights. ● Trakn protect: ​
a leading hardware asset­tracking solution. ● World around me (WAM): ​
a location based Augmented Reality app that shows local information about places in your vicinity in a seamless and highly intuitive way. Just point your phone's camera in any direction and WAM will reveal places of interest like restaurants, bars & pubs, movie theaters, gas stations, banks, pharmacies, grocery stores or subway/metro stations in that direction. Select a category of places you want to look for and see floating virtual labels overlaid on your real­world view through your phone's camera. 12 Dec 8 (Tuesday) — DUBAI (continued) 4:20 ­ 6:20 PM PITCH FEEDBACK SESSION w/ GOOGLE FOR ENTREPRENEURS EXCHANGE PROGRAM, HOSTED BY ASTROLABS (continued) ● Jambo:​
an app to help you connect with like­minded people, home or away, socially or professionally! We promise to make business travel and relocation social. ● Georama​
: the world’s first real­time virtual travel platform. ● OTA.expert:​
Leading technology for hotel revenue management including intelligent algorithms for analyzing your competitors, optimizing your future prices and maximizing the revenue­share of your hotel within the online travel agency market. ● Irhal: ​
To help outbound travelers from the Middle East plan their next vacation. ● Acop.io: ​
Acopio is a new and exciting online community for extending your professional network based on your location. 6:20 ­ 7:00 PM Transfer to Dinner 7:00 ­ 9:00 PM INVESTOR DINNER, HOSTED BY MENA VENTURES, WAMDA CAPITAL & ASTROLABS ADDRESS​
: Abd El Wahab Restaurant, Downtown Burj Kalifa | Souq El Bahar, 3rd level, Dubai INFO: ​
Join us for a multi­course dinner hosted by Mena Ventures, Wamda Capital, and Astrolabs. We'll enjoy food and shisha with their networks of investors and entrepreneurs. 9:00 ­ 11:00 PM EVENING COCKTAILS AT CALABAR, HOSTED BY VC COLLECTIVE ADDRESS: ​
Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard ­ Dubai ­ United Arab Emirates INFO​
: Transfer to Vida Downtown Hotel ­or­ Night on the Town. If you are going out, we will start the night at Calabar for drinks and networking. ATTENDEES​
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Jewell Sparks, CEO Strategic Diversity Group Inc, Founder VC Collective Helmut Scholze, Partner, Roland Berger Dubai, Carlos Domingo, Head of New Business and Innovation & Digital, DU Nick Di Marzo, COO, OSN Mikkel Ginter, CEO, Virgin Mobile Patrick Thiriet, Chief Strategy Officer, Choueiri Group Walid Hanna, Founder, Middle East Venture Partners Michael Truschler, Founder and MD, Citruss tv Idriss Al Rifai, Founder and CEO, Fetchr Kushal Shah, Managing Director, Roland Berger Moataz El­Etreby, Head of Investments, EFG Hermes Tamer Bazzari, CEO, Genero Capital 13 Dec 9 (Wednesday) — DUBAI > AMMAN 8:00 ­ 9:00 AM Breakfast at Vida Downtown Hotel 9:00 ­ 11:00 AM FREE TIME IN DUBAI INFO:​
The Vida Downtown Hotel is a 12 min walk from the Dubai Mall if you would like to visit before we head out. Some notable visits for the mall are the aquarium, the gold souk, and the world’s largest bookstore "Book World by Kinokuniya". NOTE: You only have a two­hour window before you have to board the bus for the airport. Please keep track of the time while you're touring the mall, or other attractions. 11:00 AM Transfer to Dubai Airport (Grab lunch at the airport). 2:00 PM Fly to Jordan (Flight EK 903) 3:30 PM Arrive in Jordan (Flight EK 903) 3:30 ­ 5:30 PM Transfer to InterContinental Hotel ADDRESS​
: Jabal Amman, Amman, Jordan. Phone:+962 6 464 1361 5:30 ­ 7:10 PM Check­in to InterContinental Hotel & rest 7:10 ­ 7:30 PM Transfer to Dinner 7:30 ­ 10:00 PM OFF­THE­RECORD ECOSYSTEM DINNER, HOSTED BY USAID ADDRESS​
: Tannoureen Restaurant, Sahat Al 'Arab, Um Uthaina Str. Amman INFO: ​
Hosted by USAID, the invite­only "off­the­record" dinner is an opportunity to share experiences & discuss pain points in a candid and intimate setting with Jordan's leading investors, founders, and execs. ATTENDEES: ​
USAID, Wamda, Silicon Badia, DASH Ventures, ZAIN, Endeavor Jordan, Oasis500, iMENA and top Amman­based startup founders. 10:00 ­ 10:15 PM Transfer back to InterContinental 10:30 PM FREE TIME Recommended Options: ● Night Club ​
Cube​
: www.facebook.com/cubeamman ● Shisha & Bar ​
Shaman​
: http://www.shamanlounges.com ● Bar hopping: we’ll offer rec’s for bars. 14 Dec 10 (Thursday) — AMMAN 9:30 AM Meet at the lobby of InterContinental 9:30 ­ 10:00 PM Transfer to Sufra Restaurant (Amman downtown) 10:00 ­ 11:30 PM TRADITIONAL BREAKFAST W/ JORDANIAN FOUNDERS, HOSTED BY ZAFER YOUNIS ADDRESS​
: Sufra Restaurant, Al Rainbow St 26, Amman 11181, Jordan +962 6 461 1469 POC​
: Zafer Younis +962 79 996 0996 INFO​
: Sufra was the first restaurant in Amman to serve a wide variety of traditional Jordanian homemade dishes in an elegant­traditional setting. Sufra Restaurant is a true sanctuary for an authentic Jordanian dining experience. 11:30 ­12:30 PM Walk to Beit Sitti through downtown Amman ADDRESS: ​
Start at Sufra Restaurant, finish at Beit Sitti, Jabali Al Weibdeh Mohammad Ali Al Saadi St #16, Amman 11194 INFO​
: A walk to downtown Amman and then to Beit Sitti with possibly stopping at a coffee/souvenir shop! We'll see the Balad — the oldest part of Amman, dating back to 6500 B.C. The seven jabals, or hills, around the Ballad were occupied during the same time and formed the perimeter of the young city, most notably Citadel atop Citadel Hill. Downtown Amman is made up of a myriad of souq markets and independently owned businesses. The area's long history leaves a large number of historical sites, such as the Amman Citadel, the Umayyad Palace, the Roman Amphitheater, Nymphaeum, Odeon amphitheater and the Hashemite Plaza. IF IT RAINS​
: we’ll stay longer at Sufra restaurant and go to Beit Sitti by bus. 12:30 ­ 3:30 PM COOK & MENTOR SESSION w/ GAZA SKY GEEKS & JORDANIAN STARTUP FOUNDERS, HOSTED BY ZAIN ADDRESS​
: Jabali Al Weibdeh Mohammad Ali Al Saadi St #16, Amman, 11194 INFO​
: Meet & mentor leading Jordanian startups + Gaza Sky Geeks (Gaza's first accelerator) founders at Beit Sitti, a traditional Jordanian home, where you'll learn how to prepare four­course Arabic meal & then enjoy your lunch. ATTENDEES​
: Gaza Sky Geeks & 500 Startups portfolio founders from the region 15 Dec 10 (Thursday) — AMMAN (continued) 3:30 ­ 4:00 PM Transfer to Oasis500 4:00 ­ 5:00 PM ACCELERATOR VISIT & AMA WITH FOUNDERS, HOSTED BY OASIS500 ADDRESS: ​
King Hussein Business Park (KHBP), 8th Circle, King Abdullah the Second Street, Building 7 POC​
: Majd Afaghani +962795725435 INFO​
: Oasis500 is a seed stage investor and business accelerator for startups in the ICT and creative industries. Oasis500 just launched a space ventures fund in collaboration with the European Space Agency and the European Investment Bank. Oasis500 has invested in 117 companies with the founders from several countries regionally and globally. They accelerate the startups three times a year in separate batches for 100 days. 5:00 ­ 5:15 PM Walk to Kharabeesh 5:15 ­ 6:00 PM TECH COMPANY VISIT + FOUNDER ROUNDTABLE CHAT, HOSTED BY KHARABEESH ADDRESS: ​
King Hussein Business Park (KHBP), 8th Circle, King Abdullah the Second Street POC​
: Wael Attili +962 79 5512 892 INFO​
: Kharabeesh is a modern media company with the largest entertainment network of Arabic e­content creators, serving Arab internet users around the world. Kharabeesh is a community for young Arab talents keen on leaving a mark on the digital media scene. Co­founded by Wael Attili, Mohammad Asfour, Wafa Nabulsi, Firas Otaibi, and Shaher Otaibi in 2008, the company has now expanded its team to include over 30+ employees in the region with a talent network that includes partners in UAE, KSA, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and more. Kharabeesh has over 8M subscribers across 7 different online platforms that feature high­impact content & innovative storytelling designed to entertain, inform & enlighten: ● +90 Youtube channels ● 45M+ view/month ● +1 Billion lifetime views ● 2.1M YT Subscribers ● 4.5M Facebook likes ● 1.4M Google+ ● 500K Twitter 16 Dec 10 (Thursday) — AMMAN (continued)
6:00 ­ 6:15 PM Walk to Zain 6:15 ­ 8:30 PM COMMUNITY PITCH EVENT, CO­HOSTED BY ZAIN, 500 STARTUPS & MICROSOFT ADDRESS: ​
ZINC (ZAIN Innovation Campus) / King Hussein Business Park (KHBP) ­ Building 23 (Grow), Amman POC​
: Ahmad Ibrahim +962 796 526 262 INFO​
: Wanna listen in... while 10 of the region's top tech startups pitch their companies to 500 Startups founding partner Dave McClure and compete for a $5,000 USD grand prize, along with $120,000 USD­worth of Microsoft Azure credits? Join 500 Startups and the Gaza Sky Geeks to see the competition go down—PLUS, hear live feedback from the Sith Lord himself (Dave McClure), along with a jury of notable tech influencers, after each & every pitch—all while snacking, mingling & laughing at the onstage antics of Kharabeesh entertainers. ATTENDEES​
: Zain, Endeavor, Wamda, Gaza Sky Geeks, Oasis500, USAID, Amman Tech Tuesdays, Jordanian founders. 8:30 ­ 9:30 PM Transfer to Dead Sea 9:30 ­ 10:00 PM Check in to Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea ADDRESS​
: Swaimeh, Dead Sea Road, Jordan. Tel.: +962 5 356 8888 10:00 PM DEAD SEA WELCOME DRINKS Relax & get to know your fellow geeks at the hotel bar Dec 11 (Friday) — DEAD SEA > CAIRO 8:00 ­ 9:00 AM Breakfast at Kempinski Hotel 9:00 ­ 12:30 PM DEAD SEA FUN (Free Time) Relax in the Dead Sea, go to spa 12:30 ­ 2:30 PM FREESTYLE LUNCH Pair up w/ a buddy & enjoy lunch at one of Kempinski's ​
four restaurants 2:30 ­ 3:30 PM Break — get ready for departure to Cairo 17 3:30 PM Transfer to Amman Airport 6:45 PM Fly to Egypt (Flight RJ 505) 7:15 PM Arrive at Cairo International Airport 7:15 ­ 8:15 PM Gather luggage & head to transportation 8:15 ­ 9:30 PM Transfer & Check­In Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel ADDRESS​
: Semiramis InterContinental Hotel Cairo ­ Corniche El Nil, Cairo, Garden City, PO Box 60, Cairo, Egypt, 11511, Egypt 10:00 PM INVESTOR DAY AFTER PARTY ADDRESS​
: Greek Campus, Youssef El­Gendy, Abdeen, Cairo Governorate, Egypt INFO​
: Investor Day ends @ 10:00pm ­ After party (with live band) at Greek Campus. Dec 12 (Saturday) — CAIRO 7:30 ­ 8:30 AM Breakfast at Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel INFO: ​
Ameer Wuzzuf gives 'Country Overview'. Ameer is the CEO and co­founder at WUZZUF ­ Egypt's #1 Online Recruitment Platform. He successfully raised largest Series A by major global VCs (European and US) for an internet startup based in Egypt to date. WUZZUF serves 250,000+ job seekers per month and 4,000+ of Egypt's top companies with their hiring needs. 8:30 ­ 9 AM Walk to RISEUP SUMMIT 9 AM ­ 8 PM ALL­DAY RISEUP SUMMIT ADDRESS: ​
Youssef El­Gendy, Abdeen, Cairo Governorate, Egypt INFO​
: Attend RiseUp Summit ­­ an event packed with workshops, inspirational stories, highly relevant panel discussions, interviews, pitch events, mentorship, & a Trade Fair for entrepreneurs to show their products and services to potential customers and partners ATTENDEES​
: Dave McClure will be participating in Key Panel on Investment in MENA at 1:00PM ­ 1:30 PM. They will discuss the following topics: How the investment landscape in the MENA­region has evolved tremendously over the past years. How have the roles of VCs and Angel Investors changed? What is the impact of European and US VCs on MENA? Does more capital result in higher valuations? Is there enough potential or caliber for deals? Other Panelists: Ahmed Alfi, Sawari 18 Ventures, Hala Fadel, LEAP, Karim Bechara, A15 / Accelero. Moderator: Chris Schroeder. Dec 12 (Saturday) — CAIRO (continued) Dave will also be participating in a Fireside Chat on Challenges facing the entrepreneurship ecosystem in emerging markets at 5:00PM ­ 05:45 PM. Hasan Haider will be participating in a Panel discussion on VC investment at 3:45PM ­ 04:15 PM. 8:00 PM Dinner & Night on the Town (Free Time) Suggestions: ADDRESS​
: ● Abu El Sid Restaurant​
: Muhammad Mazhar, AZ Zamalek, Giza Governorate, Egypt. ● The Lemon Tree Restaurant​
: Zamalek, Cairo Governorate, Egypt. ● Gu Bar​
: Zamalek : Nile Maxim, Saray El Gezirah St. INFO​
: ● Abou EL Sid​
is the quintessential authentic Egyptian cuisine experience. It is a place locked in time and space, where the famous Egyptian hospitality proves to be living and well. ● The Lemon Tree​
, located on the Imperial Boat in Zamalek, is a Nile­side venue that aims to fuse a laid­back, Mediterranean summer vibe, with an air of sophistication. The menu boasts a decent selection Mediterranean cuisine. Split into clear sections, the menu even offers additional 'first courses', served between appetisers and mains, of linguine and pasta dishes. Plus, a vast drink menu. ● Gu Bar​
is the Chinese­themed bar and club takes over the lower deck of the Nile Maxim, serving up Asian­fusion cuisines and inspired cocktails. The bar in guaranteed to turn into a club every night. 19 20 Dec 13 (Sunday) — CAIRO 7:45 ­ 8:45 AM Breakfast at Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel 8:45 ­ 9:00 AM Transfer to Egyptian Museum 9:00 ­ 11:00 AM EGYPTIAN MUSEUM VISIT & TOUR ADDRESS​
: Tahrir Square, Meret Basha, Qasr an Nile, Cairo Governorate 11516 INFO​
: We will have a guide that will show us all of the key points within the museum. The Egyptian Museum is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms. The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities contains many important pieces of ancient Egyptian history including the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, and many treasures of King Tutankhamen. On the ground floor there is an extensive collection of papyrus and coins used in the Ancient world. Also on the ground floor are artifacts from the New Kingdom, the time period between 1550 and 1069 BC. These artifacts are generally larger than items created in earlier centuries. Those items include statues, tables, and coffins (sarcophagi). On the first floor there are artifacts from the final two dynasties of Egypt, including items from the tombs of the Pharaohs Thutmosis III, Thutmosis IV, Amenophis II, Hatshepsut, and the courtier Maiherpri, as well as many artifacts from the Valley of the Kings, in particular the material from the intact tombs of Tutankhamun and Psusennes I. 11:00 ­ 12:30 PM Transfer from Museum to Mena House Hotel ADDRESS​
: 6 Pyramids Road, Giza, Egypt 2:10 ­ 4:00 PM GREAT PYRAMID VISIT & HIKE INFO​
: Climb (or just marvel at!) the Great Pyramid of Giza! We will have a private Egyptologist tour guide for our tour of the Pyramids. See the Great Pyramid, a royal burial chamber and the Sphinx. Built during a time when Egypt was one of the richest and most powerful civilizations in the world, the pyramids—especially the Great Pyramids of Giza—are some of the most magnificent man­made structures in history. Their massive scale reflects the unique role that the pharaoh, or king, played in ancient Egyptian society. Though pyramids were built from the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the close of the Ptolemaic period in the fourth century A.D., the peak of pyramid building began with the late third dynasty and continued until roughly the sixth (c. 2325 B.C.). More than 4,000 years later, the Egyptian pyramids still retain much of their majesty, providing a glimpse into the country’s rich and glorious past. 21 Dec 13 (Sunday) — CAIRO (continued) 4:00 ­ 5:30 PM Transfer to Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel 5:30 ­ 7:00 PM Free Time — Shower & dress for dinner 7:00 ­ 7:30 PM Transfer to Dinner 7:30 PM INVESTOR NETWORKING DINNER, HOSTED BY 500 STARTUPS & CAIRO ANGELS ADDRESS: ​
Sequoia: 53 Abou El Feda, Zamalek, Giza Governorate 11211, Egypt POC: ​
Menna Abdel Rahman, General Manager @ Cairo Angels, +2 01125661177 DRESS CODE: ​
Business Casual ­ Sequoia is in a more modern part of town. INFO: ​
Dinner with Cairo Angels at Sequoia – Cairo Angels is Egypt's first formal network of business angels, formed in 2012, looking to invest in local startups. Members meet once every quarter to hear pitches from entrepreneurs with early­stage startups, which are pre­screened to ensure the ideas are innovative, the business model is robust and the entrepreneurs work well as a unit. If any of the startups pique the interest of the investors, they collectively make equity investments in the range of LE 250,000 to LE 1 million per company. Cairo Angels has deployed a total of USD 1.5M since it's inception in 14 startups, with binding offers being made every quarter. Sequoia's culinary concept combines a fusion of Mediterranean cuisines, into one dining experience.With its laid back atmosphere, Sequoia is the ultimate dining concept. Its Wood paneled flooring, couches & stuffed chairs, low wooden tables, draped canopies and soft light, have created an ambiance which is irreplaceable. Sequoia’s dream like atmosphere and it’s simplistic elegance make it a place where one can truly enjoy a good afternoon and many endless nights. Dec 14 (Monday) — CAIRO 9:00 ­ 10:00 AM Breakfast at Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel 10:00 ­ 10:30 AM Transfer to Old Cairo INFO​
: Flat6Labs founders meet at our hotel at 9:30 AM, and we ALL bus to Old Cairo. 10:30 ­ 12:30 PM OLD CAIRO FOUNDER TOURS ADDRESS​
: Kom Ghorab, Misr Al Qadimah, Cairo Governorate, Egypt DRESS CODE​
: Appropriate dress covering the body including shoulders and legs is required for entering both Coptic and Islamic monuments. 22 Dec 14 (Monday) — CAIRO (continued) 10:30 ­ 12:30 PM OLD CAIRO FOUNDER TOURS (continued) INFO​
: Walk the local's path through Old Cairo with Flat6Labs founders. Old Cairo is so named because it is the oldest part of Cairo, and in fact, predates what is now Cairo. Some Egyptologists believe that there was a settlement here as far back as the 6th century BC. Later, the Romans built a fortress here which we call Babylon. Some of these Roman walls still exist. Later, it became a Christian stronghold, with as many as 20 churches built within an area of one square mile. There are only five remaining, but these are certainly a must see when visiting Cairo, along with the earliest Mosque ever built in Egypt. In addition, after the fall of Jerusalem in about 70 AD, the area also saw an influx of that religion into the area, where the oldest synagogue is also located. ATTENDEES: Simplex CEO – Ahmed Shaaban​
. Simplex​
​
is offering simple industrial solutions. Simplex’s first product is a customizable CNC (computer numerical control – an automated cutting and engraving machine). This means a computer converts the design produced by Computer Aided Design software (CAD), into numbers. The numbers can be considered to be the coordinates of a graph and they control the movement of the cutter. In this way the computer controls the cutting and shaping of the material that is being shaped and developed. Instabug CEO – Omar Gabr​
. Instabug is a tool that runs in the background of an app, allowing users to send their feedback or bugs instantly, by just shaking their devices. And while running in the background, we gather all details needed by the developer to trace those bugs later. All what the developers need to do is to drag our files into the app and add a single line of code. Integreight – CEO Amr Saleh​
. Integreight develops novel products for the electronic hobbyist and education market. Our first product, ‘Smart breadboard’ allows hobbyists and engineering students to design circuits using simple schematic software eliminating the tedious and time­consuming process of wiring electronic circuits. The user simply places the electronic components on our smart breadboard that is automatically pre­wired according to the schematic – saving over 80% of the time and effort previously required to develop electronic circuit prototypes. Nafham.com – CEO Mostafa Farahat​
. Nafham is a free online K­12 educational video platform linked to the mandated public curriculum. Nafham provides 5 to 20 minutes crowd sourced videos which are revised by professionals. Videos are explaining concepts usually taken in class using different approaches, making it easier for students to understand them. Taskty – CEO Ahmed Galal​
. Taskty is an online marketplace for simple services where you can find individuals and services agencies to finish your daily, short term tasks for your home and for your business. Services will range from 23 Dec 14 (Monday) — CAIRO (continued) 10:30 ­ 12:30 PM OLD CAIRO FOUNDER TOURS (continued) translation, copywriting, graphic design to event photographing, house maintenance and private nursing. Reform Studio – CEO Mariam Hazem.​
Reform is an international award winning product design studio. Our goal is to design responsible products; products that benefit the environment, have a positive impact on the society and satisfy a user need. Our work ranges from public design, furniture design, sustainable design and usability. Currently our work is mainly in the furniture and textile design fields. Tagaddod – CEO Nour El Assal​
. Tagaddod is a renewable energy and waste management start­up, started in February 2013 and operating in Cairo –Egypt. Currently focusing on clean fuels, Tagaddod is working on Bio­diesel production from Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO). El Wafeyat – CEO Yousef Samaa​
. El Wafeyat brings important traditions and customs surrounding death into the digital realm. It also provides an appropriate way to honor departed family members & friends in the form of memorial pages. Our online platform provides arabic reading users the chance to read and create obituaries & memorial pages to get the news across promptly. LocName – CEO Mourad EL Ashry​
. LocName​
​
is an abbreviation of “Location Name’’ a web & mobile application that gives a short, unique name for your address, which you can then share easily in just 2 seconds! Coterique.com – CEO Dana Khater​
. ​
Coterique is an e­commerce platform selling ​
high end international designer products by collaborating with offline boutiques that already stock them. Since fashion is at the core of our company, we will provide a stylist service for users hesitant about a product or simply looking for advice from a professional with regards to what suits them best. We will also feature a bi­monthly online magazine with an informative section on fashion trends and an editorial section where users would be able to purchase products directly from a photoshoot. 12:30 ­ 1:00 PM Transfer to Flat6Labs 1:00 ­ 2:30 PM "HALF BAKED DOT COM" w/ DAVE McCLURE & GOAP, HOSTED BY FLAT6LABS ADDRESS: ​
1 Dr. Mohamed Sobhy St., 2nd Floor, Flat 6, Giza WI­FI: ​
Network: Flat6Labs, password: acceleration INFO: ​
Lunch with Flat6Labs team members & other community members. Flat6Labs is a regional startup accelerator program that fosters and invests in bright and passionate entrepreneurs with cutting­edge ideas. Flat6Labs provides seed funding, strategic mentorship, a creative workspace, a multitude of perks, entrepreneurship­focused business training, and they directly support their startups through an expansive network of partner entities, mentors and investors. 24 Dec 14 (Monday) — CAIRO (continued) 1:00 ­ 2:30 PM "HALF BAKED DOT COM" (continued) ATTENDEES: ​
Hani Sonbaty – Flat6Labs Co­Founder, Wael Amin – Flat6Labs Partner, Ramez Mohamed –CEO, Dina El Shenoufy –CIO, Alexandre Hawath – Business Analyst, Abdelrahman Amr –Communications Officer, Amira Bibawy – Office Manager, Omar Badr – Communications Manager 2:30 ­ 3:00 PM Transfer to Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel 3:00 ­ 6:30 PM FREE TIME Suggestion: Khan el Khalili market ADDRESS​
: Off Al Mashhad Al Husseini to Sekat Al Badstan, Cairo Governorate INFO​
: Wanna do some last­minute shopping? Visit Cairo biggest 24­hour open air market: Khan el Khalili. If you are acquainted with souks and bargaining, this may be just one more commercial area. But if you want to feel the pulse of deals and feel the real Cairo you must not skip this famous street, and its tents and shops of any kind. (You may want to use some of this time to pack for your travel home) 6:30 ­ 7:00 PM Transfer to Nile Cruise & Dinner 7:00 ­ 10:00 PM NILE RIVER DINNER CRUISE & GOODBYE PARTY, HOSTED BY 500 STARTUPS ADDRESS​
: ​
​
Corniche El Nil, El Rawda Island, Garden city, Hotel Grand Nile Tower. (From reception area take the elevator to the underground floor (FC) for the pier) INFO: ​
This is our last hurrah! Cruise (and dine!) down the Nile River on the ‘Marquise’ Grand Nile Tower yacht. Join us while we luxuriously cruise the Nile with unique dining and entertainment. We will have a private section of the cruise ship to dine and dance, while enjoying live music. 10:00 ­ 10:30 PM Transfer to Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel 10:30 ­ 11:00 PM Gather Luggage INFO: ​
Change clothes & gather belongings for airport. Note: If your flight isn't until later, we have the hotel rooms the night of Dec. 14th. Check out in the morning of Dec. 15th. 11:00 PM ­ 12:00 AM Transfer to Cairo International Airport 12:00 AM (Dec. 15) Arrive at airport 25 2:40 AM (Dec. 15) Fly into the Sunset (Home) IMPORTANT INFO FLIGHT DETAILS Important Notes: ● You are responsible for managing your own flights. ● Remember: If you miss your flight, there is NO guarantee that you’ll be able to simply re­book. You may have to purchase another ticket, and NOT be refunded for the cost of the flight you missed. ● If you do miss a flight, you will need to deal directly with the airlines. ● Pro­Tip: If you had special seat requests, please re­confirm them upon check­in. Airlines don’t always pay attention when an aisle seat is requested, for example. ● Our shuttle will leave ON­TIME to each event, especially to airports…no exceptions. The shuttle will leave whether you are there or not, as we cannot hold back the rest of the group and risk missing flights/meetings. So plan on getting wake­up calls and setting multiple alarms if need be! NOTE >>​
​
Transportation from the airport upon arrival will not be provided to the group due to varying arrival flight times. NOTE >>​
​
Transportation to the airport to head home will be provided. The bus will pick us up at the hotel at 10:45 p.m. Dec. 15 and it will arrive at the airport by midnight. CONTACTS, COMMUNICATIONS, & WI­FI Important Notes: Since international roaming is quite expensive, ​
the easiest way to contact the 500 Startups crew during GOAP is ​
via SMS.​
We will be using GroupMe to provide everyone with schedule updates and general announcements, as well as to enable you to communicate with each other. We have all your mobile numbers, and will be adding you to the GOAP GroupMe. If matters need to be discussed on the phone, shoot us a text and we will call you if/when possible. 26 Kathryn Tompkins Cristina Manno 500 Startups 500 Startups Bahrain organizer UAE organizer Mobile: +1 303­882­3521 (​
SMS only) Mobile: +1 540­710­3601 ​
(SMS only) kathryn@500.co cristina@500.co Ksenia Lukanova Bailey Maloney 500 Startups 500 Startups Jordan organizer Egypt organizer Mobile: +1 510­712­0354 ​
(SMS Only) Mobile: +1 985­807­5692 ksenia@500.co bailey@500.co Tara Gupta Tara Graham Travel consultant, Mundi Travel 500 Startups Mobile: 011 91 8860 430 830 Director, BD & Events Taragupta01@gmail.com Mobile: +1 510­847­2711 Skype Handle: taragupta01 tara@500.co Recommended Communication Methods: ● GroupMe:​
As noted above, we created a GroupMe account to provide you with updates and announcements, and also enable you to communicate with each other. You can use GroupMe either via the app or simply via SMS. While abroad, we recommend you only use the app when you are connected to WiFi, as you will otherwise be subject to international charges by your carrier. We have your mobile numbers and will add you to the group. ● Facebook​
: When possible, we will also inform you via the Facebook group of any schedule changes, important information, and if there are any (albeit unlikely) security or emergency issues ­ but GroupMe will be our primary channel. ● Photo Sharing:​
We’ll be sharing photos through the ​
Photo Circle app​
. Download the app to your phone and add yourself to our GOAP group using the pin #: 643097​
. If you have issues with this, ask Cristina (​
cristina@500.co​
) for help. 27 ● Email​
: Note that we may have limited access to email at times, so common denominator here is that you may get a faster response via GroupMe ● Wi­Fi:​
​
As it naturally goes, wireless is often spotty while traveling...so adjust your expectations accordingly! That said, we do our best to try and secure wifi at all our hotels, events and find out options for the in­between time. We recommend bringing a portable wi­fi device if you have one, but be sure that your mobile plan either provides international coverage to the countries we are traveling, or that it can be unlocked by your network provider so that you can use a SimCard to connect to the local network as we travel. Your network provider should be able to answer any questions you have regarding your coverage. ● Phones​
: Unless you have an international data plan, we don’t recommend making or receiving calls while abroad as international rates & roaming can be a KILLER ­ we have seen many geeks come home to $2,000+ bills, so be advised! As stated above, we simply use SMS. Some helpful hints from our experience: ■ Call your carrier​
before you leave the U.S. and ask them to enable international text messaging. They have several plans (we use the one with 500 SMS messages, which has always been sufficient) and these are prorated...i.e. as long as you disable the feature when you return (you need to call customer service to do this), you will only be charged for the time period of your use. ■ Also ask the carrier to disable your voicemail...believe it or not, if someone calls you while you are abroad and they leave a voicemail, you are charged for that at international rates + roaming. Note that simply turning off your voicemail via your device is not always sufficient ­ to be sure, call customer service and have them do this. We often have to explain the reasoning to the rep, so they do it correctly. ■ When you are about to leave the U.S., turn off ‘cellular data’ and ‘data roaming’ 28 ○ You should call your phone provider regardless before you leave because they all have different rules/tips etc. ○ Connecting your device to WiFi: Note that if you connect to wifi via your phone, be sure to turn cellular data & data roaming OFF, then connect to the wireless network, then turn cellular data ON once you’re connected. Otherwise, you WILL incur data roaming charges (on iPhone: settings > general > cellular) COMMON ARABIC PHRASES ● Listen​
​
HERE STAYING SAFE ON THE STREETS ● There may be good reasons these days to avoid looking like you’re from America. To avoid being a target for pickpockets, walk confidently at all times, even if you’re totally lost and terrified, pretend you’re not. Scope out some place safe (bus terminal, gas station, porch of private home with kids) where you can check a map, ask a question or just get your bearings. TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS ● DO NOT TAKE PICTURES OF ANY WOMEN WITHOUT ASKING. If a woman is wearing a headscarf or is Bedouin (recognizable by facial tattoos), better to not take her picture at all. ● Make sure you keep any expensive cameras in cases and preferably out of view in a bag or rucksack, or at least carried towards your body rather than in view of wandering hands on the street. You may actually be surprised that street crime is much lower in the Middle East than the towns and cities back home (punishment and discipline is far stricter in all levels of society) but it always pays to look after your valuables carefully. 29 DEALING WITH PERSISTENT TRADERS ● To deal with persistent souvenir hawkers, it’s better not to tease them, harass them back or get angry. They’re just trying to make a living to feed themselves and their family. Don’t offer a lengthy explanation in your native language of why you don’t want the thing, simply say “No, thank you”, preferably in Arabic (“La, shokran”), firmly but strongly and walk away briskly. CURRENCY CONVERTER ● Bahrain: 1 US Dollar = 0.38 Bahraini Dinar ● UAE: 1 US Dollar = 3.67 United Arab Emirates Dirham ● Jordan: 1 US Dollar = 0.71 Jordanian Dinar ● Egypt: 1 US Dollar equals = 7.83 Egyptian Pound CASH, ATMs & CREDIT CARDS ● Notify your credit card company about your travel ● Paying in the local currency is generally better. If you don’t, not only will you get charged a mediocre rate to convert to your home currency, you’re charged a percentage for the privilege. While 3­3.5% may not seem like a lot, it adds up. ● ATMs will accept most major credit cards. ATMs are readily available. ● Major credit cards are widely accepted. The tourism authorities suggest that if shops insist on adding a credit card surcharge (which they should not do), you should contact the relevant credit company in MENA. Most hotels and car­hire companies will insist on a credit card and may demand full payment upfront without one. 30 TIPPING 500 will handle tipping for anything we do as a group ­­ guides/some meals etc., but when you’re not with the group… ● Bahrain ○ Restaurants​
: Service is almost always included in the bill; add 5–10 percent for the waiter. ○ Hotels​
: One dinar ($1.50) per bag for the porter, same per night for the housekeeper—or a bit more, as they tend to be impoverished Palestinians. Tip the concierge—in advance—only if you expect something very special to be done, like access to rare tickets. ○ Taxis​
: 10–15 percent for taxis ○ Dollars Accepted?​
Yes, and euros, too. ● United Arab Emirates ○ Restaurants​
: Services is almost always included in the bill. 15­20% is fine if it’s not included. ○ Hotels​
: Tip the concierge $30 to $35 every time you have a major request, like a special restaurant reservation. Tip porters $2 per bag, doormen $2 to $3 to hail cabs, and maids $3 a day. ○ Taxis​
: Round up to the nearest 10 dirhams ○ Bathroom Attendants​
: Unlike elsewhere in the region, don't tip bathroom attendants in the United Arab Emirates unless there is a coin dish in the restroom ○ Dollars Accepted?​
Yes ● Jordan ○ Restaurants​
: Service is almost always included in the bill; add 5–10 percent for the waiter. ○ Hotels​
: One dinar ($1.50) per bag for the porter, same per night for the housekeeper—or a bit more, as they tend to be impoverished Palestinians. Tip the concierge—in advance—only if you expect something very special to be done, like access to rare tickets. 31 ○ Taxis​
: 10–15 percent for taxis ○ Dollars Accepted?​
Yes, and euros, too. ● Cairo ○ Restaurants​
: The tip is included in the bill; add 5–10 percent above that. ○ Hotels​
: One to two dollars a day for the housekeeper (pay throughout your stay to ensure great cleaning); $1 per bag for the porter; concierges are powerful and very helpful, so $10–$20 at the beginning of your stay will go far. ○ Taxis​
: 10–15 percent ○ Dollars Accepted?​
Everything is accepted, and often preferable to local currency. PASSPORT ● Make 2 photocopies of your passport​
­ one to take with you (keep in separate place from your passport) AND one to leave with a spouse, relative or friend. We also recommend saving a scanned copy of your passport in your email. In the case your passport is lost or stolen while traveling, having the photocopies will expedite getting a replacement passport. Keep your passport in your hotel safe…do NOT carry it around with you, as the risk of losing it is simply not worth it. ● Some of the places we are visiting MENA might have tight security and will require that you show a photo ID to be let into the building. We strongly recommend NOT carrying your passport around, and instead using a driver’s license or other form of a photo ID. VISAS ● Unless our travel agent Tara Gupta contacted you, you don’t need to do anything special for your visas. ○ Bahrain ­ You will pay $67 on arrival ○ UAE ­ You will get a visa on arrival ­ no charge ○ Jordan/Egypt ­ Included in your package rate. You will receive upon arrival. 32 United States EMBASSY INFORMATION: Embassy of the United States: Bahrain Building No. 979, Road 3119, Block 331, Zinj District Manama ­ Kingdom of Bahrain Working Hours ­ (+973) 1724­2700 After Hours ­ (+973) 1727­5126 Embassy of the United States: UAE Airport Road at Rabdan (29th) Street ­ Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59­02, Street No. 4 ­ ‫ﻇﺒﻲ‬ ‫ﺃﺑﻮ‬ ­ Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates +971 2 414 2200 Emergency After­Hours Phone: +971 0 2 414­2200 Email: abudhabiacs@state.gov Embassy of the United States: Jordan Abdoun, Al­Ulmawyeen St. Amman, Jordan +962­6­590­6000 Emergency After­Hours Telephone: +962­6­590­6500 Email: ​
Amman­ACS@state.gov Embassy of the United States: Cairo 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairo Governorate, Egypt +20 2 27973300 WEATHER Below are the average temperatures we can expect for this time of year: ● Bahrain​
: ○ High: 75 degrees fahrenheit 33 ○ Low: 65 degrees fahrenheit ● UAE​
: ○ High: 75 degrees fahrenheit ○ Low: 55 degrees fahrenheit ● Jordan​
: ○ High: 65 degrees fahrenheit ○ Low: 45 degrees fahrenheit ● Cairo​
: ○ High: 65 degrees fahrenheit ○ Low: 50 degrees fahrenheit RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST *NOTE: Unless you are flying Business Class, all flights have a luggage allowance of 1 checked suitcase and 1 carry­on. The weight restriction of your checked bag is 44 lbs and the weight restriction of your carry­on is 17 lbs on all flights. So our advice: Pack as lightly as possible, especially if you plan to purchase anything. ● 4­5 casual outfits for city tours/exploring ● 3 business­casual outfits for meetings/events ● 3 nicer outfits for cocktail receptions / parties (MENA is generally more formal than the US) ● Clothes for both warm and cold weather ­ You will want short­sleeves in UAE, for example, but Jordan/Cairo will be cold. A heavy jacket may be necessary. ● Women: Scarf to cover your head (required at mosque visits) ● Men and Women: Clothes to keep your legs and shoulders covered at mosques and generally, modest clothing recommended for women in Cairo ● Comfortable walking shoes ● Closed toed shoes ● Nice dress shoes ● Light rain coat/umbrella ● Toothbrush/Toiletries/Deodorant (always a good reminder for geeks) ● Earplugs (in case your roommate snores!) 34 ● Travel alarm clock ● Camera and charger ● MANY Business cards ● Voltage converter​
and multi­plug adapter (Outlet type: C, E, F ­­ a global adapter should work as well) ● Laptop + power cord ● Ethernet Adaptor (for those with Mac Airs or other laptops that don’t have an ethernet plug) ● Basic meds: aspirin, tylenol, pepto bismol, etc. ● Antibiotic (like Cipro) ­ highly recommended if you get food poisoning (which isn’t uncommon in Cairo) ● Money belt ● Money! Credit cards are ok but bring some cash also since you’ll need to pay for a “visa” to enter each country ● Passport & copy of passport (in a separate bag) (+ Visas/Green card, if applicable) STAYING HEALTHY ● Avoid tap water and any food that has been washed in it…AT ALL TIMES. To be clear, this means, no ice, no salads, and no uncooked fruit or vegetables, drink ONLY bottled water, boiled water, or carbonated drinks in clean cans or bottles. ● When purchasing water bottles, make sure the top cap and the plastic is completely sealed and new looking. A frequent scam is for folks to refill these bottles with tap water and sell them as new ones. ● Many travelers go vegetarian when traveling to MENA since refrigeration and preservations methods are quite different than what we have in the United States and insiders know that a sketchy piece of meat will do you loads of harm…so eat meat at your own risk and ONLY in fine restaurants. ● Don’t eat dairy products, unless you know it has been pasteurized. ● If you really want some street food, we don’t blame you, but here is a good tip: Ask the local organizers where to go! ● Bring a prescription antibiotic with you, such as Cipro (see packing list above) ­ we strongly suggest this, as food poisoning + travel DO NOT mix well! 35 SAFETY & SECURITY IN MENA ● As anywhere, leaving your bag or personal items unattended or out of your direct line of sight is not recommended. Like all major cities in the world – Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Cairo have their fair share of pickpockets and scam artists. Be alert in crowded areas and try to avoid being alone. Geeks unite! ● Crossing the streets can be an extreme sport. Watch out for taxi drivers, rickshaw drivers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and cows. Be alert and aware of your surroundings. ● MENA is notorious for scams and in­your­face hassles. You can use your common sense to try to avoid them but there is no way to avoid them altogether, so the single most important piece of advice is to try to remain calm, no matter what. Take a deep breath and move on, this is the key to enjoying your overall experience. ● Our team has registered with the US Embassies in each city so that 1. they know we are there with a group 2. we’ll receive alerts via text if there is any danger. We recommend that each of you do the same so you can be in the loop. You can register through the State Department web site Smart Traveler Enrollment Program​
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HERE​
. ● Security information for Cairo:​
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HERE LAST ITEM ENJOY!​
Have a good time, keep an open mind, make business connections, make friends, try new things, embrace the cultures, learn about tech in MENA, and have fun! This is ‘Geeks on a Plane’, after all! 36 MEET THE GEEKS Adam Boalt CEO, LiveAnswer Inc Twitter: ​
@boalt LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/adamboalt Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) ●
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Adam Boalt is currently the Founder and CEO of LiveAnswer. Adam Boalt successfully exited his prior company, RushMyPassport.com, before traveling with GOAP to India in 2013. Adam was the 1st prize winner in the government innovation contest by President Obama’s former CIO, Vivek Kundra and recently placed #3 startup in the country at Tech.co Celebrate for LiveAnswer. Adam is a public speaker in various topics including Government 2.0, Open Data, Collective Intelligence, Crowdsourcing, Social Media, Emerging Technologies, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at venues including the World Bank, J.D. Power and several universities including University of Miami, Florida International University and John Hopkins. Adam is half Cuban, avid fisherman and drone enthusiast. Ahmed Elkalla Partner, Endure Capital Twitter: ​
@aelkalla LinkedIn: ​
https://eg.linkedin.com/in/ahmedelkalla Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan) Ahmed Elkalla is a seasoned Executive mastering both the Business & Technology sides of the business. Ahmed helped scale several businesses from a small startup to multimillion dollar operations in addition to serving on the strategic / board level of publicly listed companies. Ahmed helped customers in different business sectors to use ICT in bringing business value to healthcare, education, fresh food and manufacturing sectors. 37 Ari Korhonen Owner & CEO, Lagoon Capital Oy Twitter: ​
@arikorhonen LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/arikorhonen Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Ari is an angel investor and venture capitalist. He is the the founder of Lagoon Capital investment company. Ari has been a successful technology entrepreneur 20 years and a business angel for 10 years. He developed his company Komartek into an international success story. Komartek was bought in 2004 by WM­data (presently CGI). His position in WM­data was Vice President. Within the last 10 years, Ari has made angel investments in 26 companies in which all investment rounds he has participated total up to 83. These include MariaDB, DealDash, Surveypal, Miradore, In4mo, Thirdpresence and 360 Cities. From the above mentioned investments, he has had three successful exits from Severa, Paytrail and The Switch. Ari is also an investor in venture capital funds which include Seedcamp, 500 Startups, True Global Ventures and Spintop Ventures. In Spintop he is also Senior advisor and Investment committee member. He is also a member of Seedcamp Investment committee. Ari is an Investment council member in Finnish Industry Investments. Artem Fedyaev Founder, Rooms Inc / Grabr Inc Twitter: ​
@artemsmind LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/artemfedyaev Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan) Frequent Traveler, World Adventurer, Entrepreneur and Dreamer. Originally from Moscow Russia, with east coast education and living in San Francisco. Started 2 companies in the past 3 years, one that helps people organize their internet activity, and one that connects travelers and shopper all around the world. 38 Brian J Luck Director / Asiya Investments LinkedIn: ​
https://ae.linkedin.com/in/brianjluck UAE Brian Joined Asiya Investments in 2011 and is currently Director, Investment Advisory based in their Dubai offices. He has spent the last 15 years working for GCC firms and has been based in the region for the majority of that time. Prior to Asiya Investments Brian was a partner at The Capital Partnership. He joined the business when it had seven staff and was part of the management team that tripled AUM over the seven years between 2004 and 2010. He left after the business was sold to NCB and joined Asiya Investments initially via his own firm Optimus Consultancy. Previously Brian was Head of Asset Management at NBK where he doubled the size of the department and launched 14 investment funds between 2001 and 2003. He launched NBK’s KD Money market Fund which is now the largest investment fund in Kuwait and launched the Shariah compliant Ijara Income funds which are now a $3bn program. He originally came to the Middle East in 1998 to set up KPC’ successful institutional investment program. Chok Ooi CEO, AgilityIO LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/chokooi Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Chok is CEO of AgilityIO and mentor at 500 Startups. At AgilityIO, Chok helped over 80 startups in the Bay Area and NYC design and develop their apps and technologies. Some of the startups went on to raise over $100 million in funding. Chok also worked at Loopt, Selerity, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America. 39 Christophe Fraise Angel Investor Twitter: ​
@chrisfraise LinkedIn:​
www.linkedin.com/in/christophe­fraise­22a018b8 Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Christophe Fraise is an investor and advisor based in San Francisco. He comes from a finance background having started his career after college at a NYC hedge fund. He spent his later years in product marketing and product development in the Bay Area. He has a BA in Economics from Johns Hopkins University and and an MBA from the Stanford GSB. He is a French citizen and was raised in Madagascar and the US. Com Mirza CEO, Mirza Holdings Twitter: ​
@TheLemonadeBoy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/commirza Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan) Com Mirza started with a small lemonade stand at the age of 7, and today he runs 27 companies across 7 countries. 80% of his companies are technology related, and 20% are into real estate, hotels, agriculture, optical, franchise businesses, media production, transportation and events. Com has amassed a personal net worth in the mid 9 figures. He owns homes in 5 countries, a few hotels, and many real estate projects around the world. Dustin Craun CEO and Founder, Ummah Wide Twitter: ​
@dustincraun LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/dustincraun 40 Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Dustin Craun is the CEO and Founder of Ummah Wide, a digital media and film production startup telling stories that transcend the borders of global communities. He is a social innovator, writer, digital strategist, community organizer, and educator. His writings on race, philosophy, and Islamic studies have been published in academic journals and popular publications. As a consultant he has worked with different non­profits, universities, social enterprise's and startups based in the United States and throughout the world. Over these years I have gained a wide range of skill sets including: content strategy from ideation to social media and website publishing, project development and management, content and copy writing and editing, organizational development and branding, curriculum development, training large and small groups in vision, organization strategy, diversity training, strategic communications, marketing, story based media strategy, website design, large scale event planning, non­profit development strategy, grant writing and board of directors experience. Hanan Abdel Meguid CEO, Kamelizer Twitter: ​
@hmeguid LinkedIn:​
www.linkedin.com/in/hmeguid Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Hanan Abdel­Meguid has 25+ years of experience in the IT field. She has served as Chief Executive Officer of Orascom Telecom Ventures S.A.E. (also known as OT Ventures), the Chief Executive Officer of LINKdotNET’s software development spin­off firm, LINK Development. She joined LINKdotNET in 1996 and served as its Chief Solution Officer, where she contributed immensely to its success and growth. She was involved in the establishment of various communities and projects. She serves as a Director of Joyent, Inc. She is an active in the Middle East startup ecosystem. Hirokazu Mashita Founder & Director, M&S Partners PTE.LTD Twitter: ​
@hiromashi1969 LinkedIn: ​
https://sg.linkedin.com/in/hiro­mashita­b810339b/en Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) 41 Mr. Hiro Mashita is Founder and Director of m&s partners Pte. Ltd., incorporated in Singapore, providing advisory services for finance, IPO, M&A, operations, marketing, business development, and global business expansion. He gives advices to newly­set up and growing­stage companies in Japan, China, Singapore, US, and other Asian countries. He invests in venture companies of any stage under his investment vehicle. Mashita was previously with Hikari Tsushin Inc., a leading IT/Mobile giant, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (First Section) for 14 years. He played different roles as Head of Startups, Business Development, Venture Capital, Internet Businesses, Corporate Planning, Distribution Channel of big corporations in Japan, including overseas operations in NY. During that period, he also served as CEO for bestcreate corp., smartphone media and the biggest Real Affiliate retail­shop network in Japan. He was also the CEO of e­machi town Co., Ltd., IT Media and mobile advertising agency business, which was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange(Mothers Section). By being CEO of Hikari Private Equity, he closed almost hundreds of venture capital deals in Japan/Asia and in the US over 10 years. After IT bubble collapsed, he was appointed as CFO in 2000, and restructured Hikari Tsushin Group. Before joining Hikari Tsushin in 1999, Mr. Mashita worked as a VP at the Investment Banking Department of Nomura Securities NYC with responsibility for Securitization and Private Equity. He served on the board of directors of several Hikari Tsushin and Hikari Private Equity portfolio companies, including Euglena, Fishing Vision, Beauty Holdings, and SBI­HIKARI P.E. in Japan, as well as Yicha Online, and 56.com in China. He received an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a BA from Keio University in Japan. He holds a CMA(Securities Analyst in Japan). In 2008, 2009 and 2010, he was invited to Harvard Business School Asia Conference as a panel guest speaker. Irzan Raditya CEO, YesBoss Twitter: ​
@irzanraditya LinkedIn:​
www.linkedin.com/in/irzanraditya Bahrain & UAE Enhanced with a strong technical background and his set of diverse skills in entrepreneurship, Irzan Raditya is a man of concept and cutting­edge ideas. Upon his graduation from University of Applied Sciences for Engineering and Economics in Berlin (HTW Berlin) in 2012, Irzan had worked with some notable startup players in Europe startup scene, such as Zalando and Takeaway.com. Irzan believes in “a tap for a help”, meaning that technology exists to ease people with daily life, therefore everything he does with apps must be valuable to the people who use them. Align with “a tap for a help” concept, he launched YesBoss, the first virtual 42 personal assistant service in Indonesia, in June 2015 and has successfully raised seed funding from 500 Startups, IMJ Investment Partners, and Convergence Ventures. Jonathan Romley CEO, Clear Twitter: ​
@romley LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanromley Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan) Jonathan Romley is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Clear, a San Francisco­based technology company that is building the future of cross border e­commerce. Jonathan is also a co­founder and board member of Worksmart, a provider of e­commerce logistics, warehouse operations, workforce management and facilities services in Europe. Previously, Jonathan served as CEO of Avarla, directing e­commerce strategy and operations for large Retail and FMCG enterprises in Eastern Europe, CEO of ArtistForce, a pioneering developer of B2B marketplaces for the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, and Executive Vice President of Viewdle, a Palo Alto and Kyiv, Ukraine­based computer vision company acquired by Google. Kamran Elahian Co­Founder & Chairman, Global Catalyst Partners Twitter: ​
@KamranElahian LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/kamranelahian Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) As an entrepreneur, Mr. Elahian co­founded ten companies, three of them failed (e.g. Momenta), six of them produced a total market cap of over $8B (e.g. Cirrus Logic). As a VC, Mr. Elahian co­founded Global Catalyst Partners with investments in the U.S., Japan, China, India and Israel. Underlying Mr. Elahian’s global vision is the conviction that modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be instrumental in dissolving barriers between the nations. This vision is reflected in Schools­Online, a nonprofit he co­founded in 1996 to connect 43 the world, one school at a time (6400 schools in 36 countries were provided with computers and access to the Internet) and merged with Relief International in 2003; Global Catalyst Foundation, co­founded in 2000 to improve lives through the effective application of ICT, and UN­GAID, a United Nations global forum that promotes ICT in developing countries where Mr. Elahian served as Co­Chairman (2009­2011). Inspired by the indomitable, peace­loving Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Elahian has developed his own brand of philanthropy; one that makes the most of modern technological innovations, such as mobile communications and the Internet, to bridge the social and political differences among people which he has coined as iGANDHI. Marcus Ogawa Managing Partner, Quest Venture Partners Twitter: ​
@marcusogawa LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/mogawa Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Marcus Ogawa is a Managing Partner and founder of Quest Venture Partners since its inception in late 2007. Marcus is responsible for finding new investment opportunities, evaluating and closing seed / A rounds and working closely with the management teams of Quest Venture Partners portfolio companies. Marcus’ expertise are in new digital media, Mobile, and Video investments. Prior to joining Quest Venture Partners, Marcus has worked with a number of startups and established companies ranging from Internet, distributed computing, real estate, and news media. Marcus is an active member of the angel investment community. He holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University. Marcus was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan and is a bilingual, dual national of Japan and the United States. Marcus enjoys philosophizing, conceptualizing, theorizing and implementing technological ideas, traveling, strategy tabletop gaming, fishing, reading and spending time with his wife. Mike Prasad Founder & Managing Director, VentureLab Twitter: ​
@mikeprasad LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/mprasad Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) 44 Mike leads thesis and global programs at ventureLab, a cross­market hands­on VC focused on investing and building early­stage startups and ecosystems. Prior to ventureLab, he gained diverse experience as a technology entrepreneur, investor, and strategist with expertise in marketing, branding, UI/UX, product development, cross­market finance, and platform creation. Mike focuses on applying new technologies and initiatives, from macro­level strategy to hands­on execution. Mike has played key roles in multiple startup ecosystems globally. He has worked with and advised startups from Y Combinator, Idea Labs, 500 Startups, Yetizen, Raptor Group and others. As the strategist on the founding team of Kogi BBQ, Mike’s work prompted a worldwide twittering food truck phenomenon which led to the creation of a new billion dollar market. As one of the youngest CTO’s of a publicly traded company, he also paved the way for wireless technologies in the Las Vegas gaming industry. Mike has worked on strategy and implementation for companies large and small, from local businesses to Fortune 500’s, including Microsoft, Amadeus, Nolet’s Gin, Fatburger, Burger King, Fedex, Outrigger Hotels, Wynn Hotels, Tasting Panel Magazine, NVIDIA, Toynami, and others. As a creative director, his teams have won numerous awards and recognition, including 2 ADDY’s. Mike Reiner Biz Dev Venture Capital, Amazon AWS | Co­Founder, CCC Startups Twitter: ​
@MikeReiner LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/mikereiner Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan) Mike covers venture capital business development for Amazon­AWS in EMEA and is General Partner at CCC Startups. Previously he was the founding managing director of the Startup Wise Guys Accelerator – a mentor driven international B2B startup program providing seed stage investments. An ex­IBMer with a passion for bright ideas and business model innovation, Mike worked in M&A and managed large transformation programs and innovation projects. He has worked with many startups and incubators and is a mentor at various startup networks in Europe. 45 Mohammed Al Khater Executive Director of Investment, Qatar Development Bank Twitter: ​
@MoAlKhater LinkedIn: ​
https://qa.linkedin.com/in/mohammedalkhater Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan) Mike covers venture capital business development for Amazon­AWS in EMEA and is General Partner at CCC Startups. Previously he was the founding managing director of the Startup Wise Guys Accelerator – a mentor driven international B2B startup program providing seed stage investments. An ex­IBMer with a passion for bright ideas and business model innovation, Mike worked in M&A and managed large transformation programs and innovation projects. He has worked with many startups and incubators and is a mentor at various startup networks in Europe. Perihan AbouZeid CEO, MoviePigs, Inc. Twitter: ​
@PerihanA LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/pabouzeid UAE & Cairo Perihan is a serial entrepreneur, with an extensive experience in web technologies and digital communication. She is the founder and CEO of MoviePigs, a platform for streaming and crowdfunding international films. Previously she co­founded Qabila Media Productions, a digital content creator that operated across the Arab region, and worked with Google Ireland Ltd. as a Business Strategist, where she consulted large tech companies on their digital advertising strate gies. In 2012, she was awarded as the Best Female Entrepreneur from the MIT Enterprise Forum – Pan Arab Region. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, where she received the Legatum Fellowship for entrepreneurs, and the Dean’s Leadership fellowship. 46 Rami Al Karmi Chairman, Arcoten Holdings Twitter: ​
@alkarmi LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/ramialkarmi Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Egypt) Rami is Mentor at 500 Startups, Chairman at Arcoten Holdings, InnovateX and Octonius, and Vice Chairman at Pixel & Theory. Proud Geek. Investor. Jedi Executive Coach. Keynote Speaker on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Lean Startup Ecosystems. He Advised ZAIN Jordan’s CEO Office on Corporate Entrepreneurship Responsibility (CER), and headed ZAIN Innovation Campus – ZINC, and at Qatar Development Bank’s Qatar Business Incubation Center, Entrepreneurship Center at King Abdullah University for Science and Technology KAUST. Rami completed an Electrical Engineering degree, Venture Capital Executive Program at HAAS UC Berkeley, and two Executive Programs at Harvard Kennedy School. Stephanie Geerlings General Manager, Cloud City Twitter: ​
@geerlinger LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniegeerlings Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Stephanie, Cloud City Prime Minister, believes design is both an art and a science. Cool under pressure, she’ll guide you through uncharted territory with roadmaps and deadlines while talking and listening to users and helping team members where needed. She excels at bringing design direction and order to both large­scale projects and chaotic environments. For over 10 years, Stephanie has brought quality digital products to life through great design. Her specialties include product design, Lean UX, agile, customer development, and usability. Stephanie lives in a hacker­house in San Francisco where they develop hardware, software, and experiences to improve humanity and incite creative human flourishing. 47 Steven Haley Former Head of Partnerships, Eureeca Twitter: ​
@stevenmhaley LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/stevenmhaley Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Steven Haley has been leading diverse mission­driven teams for 15 years. With Mercy Corps, Steve led country programs in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Libya and Egypt. His contributions have been incredibly diverse, from helping start a social entrepreneurship and media workspace in Beirut to opening a humanitarian corridor in Misrata during the siege of that city. While in Iraq, Steve lead a team of over 120 relief and development professionals delivering $20 million of assistance per year. Steve partnered with Mercy Corps in 2011 to found MC Egypt LLC, a for­profit social business investment company seeking to catalyze improvements to the existing entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt. Steve holds a master’s degree in theoretical mathematics from the University of Padova, Italy. Tara Demren Communications & Strategy Manager, LiveAnswer Inc LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/tarademren Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) ●
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Tara Demren is the Strategy Manager @ LiveAnswer, which recently won #3 startup in the country at Tech.co Celebrate conference. Tara is one of the top Honors students at Florida International University. Tara has a passion for startups and is an ambassador of students to the Miami Startup community. Currently, Tara is co­creating MiamiStartup.com as a way to unify Miami startups and tech. Tara was born in France, raised in South Florida and is of Turkish descent. 48 Vitaly Golomb Founding Partner, CCC Startups Twitter: ​
@vitalyg LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/vitalyg Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Vitaly M. Golomb is a Silicon Valley­based entrepreneur, investor, author, and speaker. He has spent his career in technology startups, international venture capital, and the graphic communications industry. He is the Chief Product Officer of SenStay, Founding Partner of CCC Startups, Executive Producer of the Startup AddVenture conference series, and Author of Accelerated Startup – The New Business School. He was previously the CEO of Keen Systems (Acquired by Aleyant) a ecommerce platform for the printing industry and the CEO of Sputnik Integrated, an international, award­winning design and marketing firm. Vitaly is passionate about improving society by nurturing entrepreneurship around the world. He is contributing writer for TechCrunch (http://techcrunch.com/contributor/vitaly­m­golom/) and other publications and has been a consistently top­ranked mentor at a number of startup accelerator programs in US and Europe. He has spoken at TEDx and travels to over 20 countries every year as a keynote speaker on entrepreneurship, innovation, and design. He consults and teaches workshops to the next generation of entrepreneurs, as well as enterprises and governments fostering innovation. His new book, Accelerated Startup – The New Business School (www.golomb.net/book), is the Pocket MBA for the 21st century. Traditional business schools are not prepared to provide the evolving skills and mentorship required to build tomorrow’s billion dollar companies. Many are choosing to apply to accelerators instead of MBAs and learn by doing at a rapid pace. The book provides all of the latest tools and techniques used by the world’s top accelerator programs to manufacture successful startups. Since 2013, Vitaly has served as the executive producer of the Startup AddVenture conference and tour that brings some of the world’s top startup experts to tomorrow’s high­potential startup hubs. Building on the success of Startup AddVenture, Vitaly co­founded CCC Startups, a global network supporting exceptional entrepreneurs in Europe, Middle East, and beyond. CCC is focused on high quality events and investments that help up­and­coming startup ecosystems grow by connecting local talent with global markets. 49 MEET 500 STAFF Bailey Maloney Partnerships, BD & Events, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@MaloneyBailey LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/baileymaloney Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) GOAP Organizer — Egypt Primary responsibilities include overseeing the day­to­day management of 500's Annual Partnership Program. Collaborating with all partners annually in negotiating the terms of their contracts to ensure they are in the best interest of both parties and oversees the on­going relationships. Bailey works closely with 500 accelerator teams to arrange partner sessions to encourage partners to share relevant content to help early­stage startups grow. In addition, she contributes to event planning including annual conferences, Demos Days, GOAP and other 500 business development projects. Prior to 500, Bailey was a part of the New Orleans startup scene and a former television broadcast journalist. Cristina Manno Operations, BD & Events, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@Cristina_Manno LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/cristina­manno­a0ba7049 Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) GOAP Organizer — UAE Cristina helps coordinate events for 500 Startups including Annual Conferences, Demo Days, Retreats, and Geeks On a Plane. Prior to 500, Cristina was the office manager at Peek, which helps tourists find the best things to do around the world. She's originally from the East Coast where she planned events for the government in DC. 50 Dave McClure Founding Partner, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@davemcclure LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/davemcclure Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Dave McClure is a venture capitalist & founding partner at 500 Startups, an internet startup seed fund and incubator program in Mountain View, CA. He likes to hang out with entrepreneurs, and occasionally invest in startups foolish enough to let him. He has been an investor in over 250 companies including Mint.com, Twilio, Wildfire Interactive, SendGrid, TaskRabbit, SlideShare, Mashery, CreditKarma, KISSmetrics, and MakerBot, among others. Dave has been geeking out in Silicon Valley for over twenty years, and has worked with companies such as PayPal, Founders Fund, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twilio, Mint.com, Simply Hired, O’Reilly Media, Intel, & Microsoft. Years ago he used to do real work like coding or marketing or running conferences, but these days he mostly does useless stuff like sending lots of email, blogging, and hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Dave also likes to play ultimate frisbee when his knees don’t hurt. Diana Moldavsky Partner, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@dimoldavsky LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/dianamoldavsky Bahrain & UAE Early stage investor, passionate about consumer internet and mobile space, connecting Eastern Europe/Russia & CIS and Israel to Silicon Valley. Previously accomplished Internet, mobile, digital and gaming global executive with extended experience in the US and internationally in emerging markets, focused on growth, launching new business, driving major deals from idea to launch, responsible for multiple launches that make it to #1 spot across mobile platforms globally within hours. Proven leader with expertise running all aspects of business and revenue growth, such as in business development, new 51 business, strategic partnerships, international expansion, sales, advertising, publishing, marketing, PR. Areas of expertise & specialties: •Growth • Strategic Partnerships • Revenue •International Expansion• Global Distribution • Platform Partnerships • Monetization • Mobile Advertising Sales / Monetization • Advertising Sales • Mobile ads • Building teams & Team Leadership •Strategy • Marketing • PR •Emerging Markets • BRIC • Mobile business Edith Yeung Partner, Mobile Collective, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@edithyeung LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/edithyeung Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Edith Yeung​
is a Partner at ​
500 Mobile Collective Fund​
, focusing on investing in mobile apps and consumer internet startups. Prior, Edith was the VP of marketing & business development for Dolphin Browser. Dolphin Browser is a Sequoia­backed mobile browser with over ​
150 million installs worldwide. She also founded ​
RightVentures​
– seed stage investment firm focusing on mobile and consumer internet companies. Some of her investments include Fleksy, Mighty Text, Pack, Bounce.io etc. She is also an advisor to Strikingly. You can also find some of her work on ​
CNBC​
, ​
CBS​
, ​
NPR​
, ​
Techcrunch​
, Next Web​
, ​
Mashable​
, ​
Read Write Web​
, ​
Fora​
, etc. She frequently speaks on mobile, women and international entrepreneurship. And she loves dogs. Erhan Erdogan Partner, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@erhanerdogan LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/eerdogan Bahrain 52 Erhan Erdogan brings more than 10 years experience in Turkish local internet market and expanding global internet giants in Turkey. He started his career writing about Silicon Valley culture and vertical industry analysis for Webrazzi (local Techcrunch) as the first writer. After that, he had many challenging years working on expanding global centaurs and unicorns into Turkish market (such as he worked 4.5 years for Russian search engine Yandex, as the first employee). He is experienced in bringing right products to market, highly inter­linked with local startup ecosystem and passionate about helping founders succeed. Hasan Haider Venture Partner, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@Hasmanh LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/hasanhaider Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Hasan Haider is a Venture Partner at 500 Startups, he heads up the firms practice in the MENA region, with the Arabic speaking market being a core area of focus. Hasan is also the CEO and founder of Tenmou, the first business angel’s organization in Bahrain and one of the first in the MENA region, and a founding member of the MENA Angel Investors Network (MAIN), an association of all the active angel investment groups in the region. Hasan’s work in developing angel investment in emerging markets through Tenmou has been picked up as a case study by the World Bank and is taught to Entrepreneurship Policy makers at Babson College. He is also an active support of startups in the MENA region, having invested in close to 40 of them, and looks to continue to actively invest in seed stage startups across the region. Kathryn Tompkins Operations Manager, BD & Events, 500 Startups LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn­richert­tompkins Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) GOAP Organizer — Bahrain Kathryn Tompkins is a part of the Operations, Business Development & Events team at 500. She has been a part of the team for two years, mainly focusing on conferences, GOAP, Demo Days and team retreats. She helps to manage vendors, venues, negotiate contracts, event 53 registration and build out departmental calendars & back­end systems. Previously Kathryn was a story producer for HGTV’s hit show “My First Place”. Ksenia Lukanova Marketing, BD & Events, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@ksenialukanova LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/ksenialukanova Three Stops (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan) GOAP Organizer — Jordan Ksenia does events marketing on the BD and Events team at 500 Startups. Her responsibilities include event marketing strategy, graphic design, email marketing, analytics, project management and other fun things. Before 500, Ksenia did college and was really good at it. She went on Semester at Sea, where she traveled to 17 countries in one semester. Ksenia likes traveling and learning new things. Neil Dugal Corporate Counsel, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@neildugal LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/neil­dugal­5b7ba568 Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Neil Dugal is a corporate counsel at 500 Startups, where he oversees all U.S. and international deals and carries out an investment thesis of investing in promising and diverse companies around the globe. Prior to 500 Startups, Neil was a venture capital and start­up attorney at Fenwick & West, where he represented clients such as a16z, Index Ventures, Accel Partners, Google Ventures, King Digital Entertainment, Jet.com, Tile and many others. Prior to that, Neil was an M&A and private equity attorney at Kirkland & Ellis in New York and San Francisco, where he represented clients such as Brystol­Myers Squibb, Burger King, 3G Capital and Bain Capital. 54 Pankaj Jain Partner, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@pjain LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/pankajjain Bahrain & UAE 20 years in hedge funds, startups, and venture capital across New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, London and India. Specialties: Really Big Data (real­time & static); Early­stage technology investing globally, managing startup accelerator programs, financial market data and portfolio management; open source developer; entrepreneurial community development. 10/2012: Venture Partner at 500 Startups, focusing on India and NYC 10/2010 ­ 02/2014: Founder & Country Coordinator, Startup Weekend in India. Delhi, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Startup Weekend Delhi EDU, Ahmedabad 01/2012 ­ 09/2012: Accelerating startups across India at TLabs 12/2004 ­ 12/2011: Technology startups including network security, online marketplaces, and social media analytics. 10/1992 ­ 11/2004: Financial Services (mostly in hedge fund technology and operations). 12/2008 ­ 04/2010: Co­Founder of HeadStart Network Foundation and Lead Organizer of Startup Saturday Delhi Tammy Camp Distribution Partner, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@TammyCamp LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/tammycamp Bahrain An entrepreneur since the age of 21, Tammy has taken part in numerous successful business endeavors, facilitating over $1Billion+ in sales. Tammy has collaborated with organizations such as Lloyds TSB, Hotwire.com, Holiday Autos and eBay to scale their businesses on an 55 international level. Tammy also managed media buys resulting in a capital performance track record of 60% return on investment, outperforming the world’s top hedge funds 3 to 1. Tammy also serves as an advisor to numerous startups in the security, consumer Internet and executive research fields. Tammy has been featured in Forbes, USA Today, NPR and the International Business Times. She has also served as a United States delegate for the 2013 YEA G20 Summit in Moscow, Russia and participant for the US Department of State’s “New Beginning: Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation” program, which hosted the top entrepreneurs from over 28 countries. Tammy is a graduate of the GSP11 program at Singularity University at NASA Ames and holds a world record in kiteboarding. Specialties: Investing, International Markets, Marketing, Business Strategy. Tara Graham Director, BD & Events, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@LilMissWordy LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/lilmisswordy Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) GOAP Organizer Tara leads content & direction for the Business Development & Events team. She develops the themes, agendas and overall content strategy for all 500 Startups conferences and events, including GOAP. In addition, she manages all aspects of business development, including operational, marketing and content deadlines; customer support; sales metrics and goals; event budgets + annual P&L reports; and (most importantly) making sure the 500 BD TEAM KICKS ASS. Before joining 500, Tara taught online research and media production classes to undergraduate students in the International and Area Studies Academic Program at the University of California, Berkeley. Tara also worked as the Director and Executive Producer of Digital Media Projects at the Blum Center for Developing Economies, where she co­founded and led The #GlobalPOV Project. Additionally, she was the Director of Media at the UCB Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Before that, Tara was a 2010 Carnegie­Knight News21 Fellow and 2008­09 Annenberg Graduate Fellow at the University of Southern California. During that time, she worked as a web reporter and photographer for KCET’s "SoCal Connected," as an online editor for the London­based New Statesman magazine, and as the co­editor­in­chief of USC Annenberg's award­winning digital news website. 56 Yiying Lu Creative Director, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@YiyingLu LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/yiyinglu Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) In the last 9 years, Yiying has worked directly with major global advertising agencies, such as JTW, McCann Erickson, BBDO, TBWA, Saatchi & Saatchi and so on, as a creative consultant; whilst teaching Typography and Magazine design, at University of Technology Sydney Australia. She has also been running her design studio since 2007, with global clients such as Disney, Twitter, Conan O'Brien, PepsiCo, Microsoft, Expedia, Scholastic, South by SouthWest, Sony Digital, Shorty Awards, etc. Yiying has recently moved to San Francisco & joined 500 Startups family as a creative director. Zafer Younis Venture Partner, 500 Startups Twitter: ​
@zaferyounis LinkedIn: ​
www.linkedin.com/in/zaferyounis Full Trip (Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Egypt) Zafer Younis is a marketing specialist who is paving new ways for companies to connect with their consumers in the digital space. He is the co­founder of The Online Project where his team develops and executes social media strategies for Fortune 500 companies and high profile organizations operating in the Middle East and North Africa. At the age of 23, Zafer co­founded his first company Modern Media, LTD, a Jordanian media house that owns and operates two popular radio stations. In 2014 Modern Media was acquired by D&C Electronics, one of the region's leading media conglomerates. Zafer is actively involved in several charity & nonprofit organizations. In 2009, he joined the board of New Think Theater, a TED­like forum for the Middle East; he advises the board of the Jordan River Foundation, a sustainable charity org. headed by Queen Rania that provides economic opportunities for women & children. He is an advisor to many startups as he serves on the Mentorship Network of Oasis500, the Middle East’s premier seed investment program. 57