Sylvia Parienté
Morocco, Israel
Morocco, Israel
Sylvia Parienté is a Moroccan Israeli – French professional with over 25 years of
experience in international expansion management in Africa. With a strong
background in various sectors, including infrastructure projects, agriculture,
sanitation, waste management, and water treatment, Sylvia has developed
extensive field experience and a robust network of qualified contacts.
The last 10 years, Sylvia’s passion lies in addressing environmental challenges and
promoting sustainable practices. She has been actively involved in the
decarbonization movement and the Net Zero Emission project, focusing on energy
transition and innovative solutions. Her visionary leadership has led to the
creation of the African Blue Project (ABC), which aims to quantify and certify
carbon sequestration in nature across multiple African countries.
As the CEO of Exochems Environment Africa, Sylvia has played a pivotal role in
establishing the company as an innovative start-up capable of tackling Morocco’s
environmental issues. Under her guidance, Exochems has transitioned into an
SME with a strong identity and expanded its operations to sub-Saharan countries.
Sylvia’s expertise extends to waste treatment and recovery strategies based on
circular economy principles. She advises companies and local authorities on
implementing sustainable waste management systems, emphasizing the creation
of exemplary units that benefit both the environment and society. By developing
projects that transform waste into valuable secondary raw materials, compost,
agricultural soil improvers, and solid or liquid fuels, Sylvia aims to promote a
circular approach to the economy.
With her international sales experience at L’EXPRESS International Magazine,
Sylvia has developed a vast network of local and international administrations.
She leverages this network to foster partnerships and collaborations that drive
environmental sustainability.
Sylvia Parienté achievements and commitment to sustainability make her a
respected leader in the field. Her passion, expertise, and dedication continue to
contribute to the advancement of environmentally conscious practices in both the
public and private sectors.
Danielle Abraham
Israel
Israel
Danielle has spent her career in Israel dedicated to connecting Israeli expertise to needs in developing countries. At present she is the Executive Director of Volcani International Partnerships, an NGO dedicated to promoting Israeli agricultural innovation and expertise for the benefit of Israel and the world. Prior to this position, Danielle was the Co-Chair of the annual ID2 Conference and co-founder of Impact Investing Israel, working to develop the impact investment sector in Israel. Danielle started her career in Israel as a senior policy advisor in MASHAV, Israel’s agency for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this role she represented Israel, as a guest speaker, at the UN, OECD and German Development Bank. Danielle made Aliyah from London, where she worked for the Strategy and International Directorate of the UK Home Office. Danielle holds a B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Oxford and lives in Tel Aviv with her family.
Dr. Adnan Mjalli
Palestine, USA
Palestine, USA
Dr. Adnan Mjalli is an internationally recognized entrepreneur in the business of drug discovery and development of new medicines in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
The work of Dr. Mjalli goes far beyond drug discovery and development. He is the founder of more than 20 other companies in many areas, including education, energy, agriculture, bioremediation, construction, development, real estate, commerce, and finance. These companies focus on science, education, tourism, entertainment, technology, and the advancement of human capital in developing countries.
Dr. Mjalli attended university in Jordan and postgraduate studies in London, England before obtaining his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry in 1989 from the University of Exeter, UK. His postdoctoral work was completed at the University of Rochester with Professor Richard S. Schlessinger. Since then, Dr. Mjalli has held various positions of increasing leadership responsibilities in research and senior executive management at a number of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Merck & Co., Inc.
During the early stages of his leadership responsibilities, he was successful in raising close to $1 billion dollars in equity and forged major strategic partnerships with several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including Merck & Co., Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Boehringer Ingelheim, Kanabo Pharmaceuticals of Japan, Cephalon (acquired by Teva), and Forest Labs (acquired by Actavis)
Dr. Mjalli has raised, structured, negotiated, and concluded several multibillion-dollar deals with major global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
So far, Dr. Mjalli has authored hundreds of scientific articles, four book chapters, and has been named an inventor on over 700 patents and patent applications.
Lisa Moon
USA
USA
Lisa is President & Chief Executive Officer of GFN. Previously, Lisa served as Vice President of Global Agriculture and Food at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where she spearheaded a project that has become one of the leading global contributors to discussions around hunger and food security. There she conducted studies and policy dialogues on the role of agriculture in emerging economies, the nexus between agriculture and health, the pressures water scarcity and climate change will place on the global food system and the importance of trade and food price volatility to social stability. She holds a Master of Arts degree in security policy studies from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies, political science, and Spanish from Bradley University.
Shirley Shahar
Israel
Israel
The Co-founder, DANA GLOBAL Shirley’s career has included significant experience in marketing and business development with corporate enterprise, food and agricultural innovation and startups in different sectors.
Alongside her career, Shirley has been a mentor in different programs that promote diversity, women empowerment and innovation.
Today, she is leading DANA, an Abu Dhabi based venture builder and investment platform, that supports women led startups from the MENA region in sectors of desertech, including sectors of agrifood, sustainability, water solutions, renewable energy, and circular economy. She leads the company strategic planning regarding dealflow, business development, and ecosystem partnerships.
Shirley strives to implement impact and the values of diversity, sustainability and gender equality throughout DANA’s operations.
Shirley’s vast experience in agritech and foodtech is invaluable in directing startups and regional ecosystem toward practical solutions that serve tangible marketplace needs.
Shirley is a mother of four, including twins.
Dr. Bachir Ismael Ouedraogo
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Dr Bachir Ismael Ouedraogo is currently Senior Advisor Sahel and Power Africa at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Prior to this position he was the Minister of Energy and Mine of Burkina Faso for about 4 years.
He successfully implemented about 200MW solar projects in Burkina including solar pumping and irrigation for about 100 villages to support farmers in
agriculture. He doubled electricity access to the population when he was in office using extensive
solar energy for rural area. He is a PhD in Economics of Renewable Energy and Climate Change of
the University of Manchester where he also conducted several researches on the financial impact
of renewable energy for developing countries. He also has a Master in Public Finance from the
University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Dr Bachir previous professional experience includes
the position of Coordinator of the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship Support Facility.
That facility aimed at supporting entrepreneurs in the Ecowas region to develop their business in
the renewable energy sector and support them to have bankable project that will meet the
requirements of the investors. He is the founder and CEO of OPEN Education which developed
innovative eLearning solution for developing countries. He has also been elected twice as an MP
for the parliament of Burkina Faso where he took the position of Parliamentarian Secretary.
Ravit Dinmez Yehezkel
Israel
Israel
Ravit Dinmez Yehezkel, LL.M, EMBA possesses extensive legal knowledge in the public, private and NPO sectors in Israel.
In her previous position Dinmez-Yehezkel was employed by the ministry of Environmental Affairs where she dealt with government relations, regulations, strategy, and crisis management.
As Leket Israel’s Vice President of Legal and Government Relations, she formulates overall policies and strategies to lead the organization in the field of food rescue and food insecurity, in collaboration with government decision makers.
Dinmez Yehezkel represents Leket Israel at government ministries and meets regularly with officials, at Knesset committees, local governments, and other relevant organizations. Additionally, she forms and promotes collaborations related to food rescue and food insecurity and promotes parliamentary tools, such as legislation, queries, etc.
Dr. Susan E Saxton
USA
USA
Dr. Saxton has over 25 years of educational and business expertise, with a focus on transformational leadership and corporate strategy. In her role as Chief Executive at Learning Models LC, Dr. Saxton is focused on increasing scale and quality for public and private entities; designing, building, and operating new schools and universities; and consulting to ministries and governmental institutions in the MENA region with initial activity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Prior to her current role, Dr. Saxton was the Founding President of the American University of Bahrain (AUBH), where she built a first-of-its-kind campus and faculty corps to deliver a unique style of education in the emerging GCC market. She previously held senior roles for Laureate Education, serving as Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Academic Officer, and Senior Vice President for Global Products and Services; and as SVP Innovation & Emerging Strategies and CEO of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. In these positions Dr. Saxton was instrumental in the acquisition and expansion of campus locations, requiring extensive due diligence and regulatory negotiations, as well as the restructuring and transformation of institutions within Laureate Education’s larger corporate strategy.
Through her international entrepreneurial roles in both developed and emerging economies, she is seen as a unique combination of strategist, visionary, turnaround specialist, and innovator.
Dr. Saxton has two Ph.D.s, in Organization and Management, and Human Services/Psychology; a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Business from the University of Liverpool; a Master of Science in Business Administration (M.S.B.A.) in Finance from Boston University; and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Wellesley College.
Dr. Saxton’s other notable positions include:
Chief Strategy & Development Officer, International Baccalaureate Organization
Dean of Students and Vice President Strategy & Product Development , Kaplan University
Founding Dean, School of Business & Technology, Capella University
Dr. Hosni Ghedira
Tunisia
Tunisia
Dr. Hosni Ghedira is presently the Director of Research Engagement at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world’s first graduate-level research-based AI university. He received his MSc degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Sherbrooke (Canada) and his PhD in Water Sciences from the University of Quebec (Canada) in 1997 and 2001, respectively. Before joining MBZUAI, Dr. Ghedira served as a Director of the Research Centre for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment at Masdar Institute from 2010 to 2020. Before moving to the UAE, he spent six years at the City University of New York as Assistant Professor and Research Associate Professor. He was the founding Director (in 2003) of the Environmental Remote Sensing and Image Processing Laboratory at the NOAA Cooperative Remote Sensing Science & Technology Center (NOAA-CREST) in New York.
Dr. Ghedira has 20 years of rich and progressively responsible experience in diverse sectors of Energy, Environment, Water, Innovation and Climate with a total of 10 years at managerial level in national and regional institutions. Dr. Ghedira is an active member in several regional and international working groups in the field of clean energy, space technologies, water security and environmental monitoring. Dr. Ghedira has participated in several studies with international organizations (UN-ESCWA, World Bank, IRENA, AfDB) on clean energy, water security and water-energy nexus. Dr. Ghedira was nominated in January 2019 by Solar Quarter Magazine in the list of Most Influential Solar Business Leaders in The MENA PV Market. He was nominated in January 2018 as a member of Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists (MBRAS).
Dr. Shamal Abdulkhaliq Mohammed
Kurdistan (Iraq), UAE
Kurdistan (Iraq), UAE
Dr Shamal Mohammed is an accomplished AgriTech executive with extensive experience in leading innovation research and development and digital transformation in the agricultural industry. Shamal holds a PhD in remote sensing and machine learning applications in agriculture and is presently the AgriTech Director at Silal in the UAE.
He is responsible for the AgriTech innovation program, leading R&D activities and building strategic partnerships nationally and internationally to develop an innovative ecosystem for AgriTech innovation. Before his current role, Shamal held leadership positions at the AGRI-EPI Centre, Agrii, and AHDB, in the UK, where he led various projects and teams focused on digital agriculture, soil health, crop nutrition, and precision farming. Shamal has a track record of developing and implementing digital solutions that improve food production systems, increase environmental sustainability, and enhance farmers’ livelihoods.
He is a member of the National Committee for Local Production and Technology in the UAE Government and an Advisory Board member of the Water Research Centre at New York University in Abu Dhabi.