2011 Istanbul Tech-I Brochure

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale
The Battle of Ideas
Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

December 3-6, 2011 Istanbul / Turkey

The Battle of Ideas
implemented by CRDF Global

The Battle of Ideas

TABLE
CONTENTS
TABLE OF OF
CONTENTS
WELCOME MESSAGE 5
THE GIST INITIATIVE
AGENDA
MENTORS BIOS
11
JUDGES BIOS
17
US STATE DEPARTMENT BIOS
19
GIST INITIATIVE ADVISORY GROUP BIOS
21
ORGANIZERS BIOS
22
GISTECH-I SEMIFINALIST BIOS
25
GIST PARTNERS
31
join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

The Battle of Ideas

WELCOME
MESSAGE
WELCOME MESSAGE
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
CRDF Global and the GIST Initiative are pleased to be
a part of this years Global Entrepreneurship Summit:
Entrepreneurship, Values and Development- A Global
Agenda. I am confident that our involvement in
the Summit will add value to the proceedings and
demonstrate the importance of global cooperation and
development.
The GIST Tech-I Competition is a multinational venture
that invited applicants to submit proposals and videos
detailing their ideas for technology innovation. Through
this competition, CRDF Global and GIST aim to inspire young entrepreneurs by helping them to
advance their technology ideas. On Monday, December 5, the Tech-I competition finalists will
compete for $60,000 to propel their ideas forward. GIST looks forward to the program and AWARDS
ceremony, and the active participation of 25 budding entrepreneurs from 11 countries.
The Global Entrepreneurship Summit is an extraordinary platform for enriching the lives of todays
young entrepreneurs and helping them gain the skills and resources they need to bring their
developments to fruition. CRDF Global and GIST believe that through collaborations in such highlevel events, we can contribute to creating a global culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.
I also invite you to learn more about CRDF Global and the GIST Initiative on our website:
www.crdfglobal.org.
Sincerely,
WELCOME MESSAGE
MESSAGE
Ms. Cathleen Campbell

President and Chief Executive Officer
CRDF Global

The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

WELCOME
MESSAGE
WELCOME MESSAGE
The Technology Idea (TECH-I) competition highlights the
potential of entrepreneurs across Africa, the Middle East
and Asia, providing mentorship, visibility, and seed funding
to facilitate the creation of market-ready technologies.
TECH-I is a part of the Global Innovation through Science
and Technology (GIST) initiative, a network of programs
that identifies, supports, and scales successful models of
technology commercialization and capacity-building. GIST
is supported by the U.S. Department of States Bureau
of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. I am delighted that we will have
an opportunity to highlight some of TECH-Is most promising entrepreneurs and ideas at the Global
Entrepreneurship Summit. Congratulations to all of the participants and best wishes on turning your
ideas into prosperous businesses.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones

Assistant Secretary
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

THE
GIST
INITIATIVE
THE GIST INITIATIVE
all of us must recognize

that education and innovation
will be the currency of the 21st
century.
As part of President Obamas call for engagement with the Muslim world,
the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative is
forging links at the individual and institutional level between scientists,
technology entrepreneurs, and the marketplace to improve quality of
life and economic prosperity. Innovation in science and technology
is a key driver of economic development around the world and a vital
tool to address shared global challenges. The GIST Initiative aims to
strengthen national, regional, and global entrepreneurship and technology
development through partnerships and programs focusing on:
Barack Obama
President of the United
States of America
Malaysia welcomes the

GIST Initiative to support
technology development in
Muslim-majority countries to
advance key innovation areas,
especially innovation capacity,
entrepreneurship and access to
seed capital.
NETWORKING: Linking innovative ideas, people, and financial and

human resources
SKILL DEVELOPMENT: Providing business training, mentorship and

resources
FINANCING: Connecting innovators and their ideas with seed capital
CONNECT WITH GIST COMMUNITY

GIST Social Networking
Platform
Access innovative business tools
and mentorship
Form partnerships to foster new
venture creation
Exchange ideas through popular
social networking platforms
Incentive-Based Competitions
GISTech-I: Bring technology ideas to
the community via YouTube-based idea
pitch competition.
GIST-MIT Business Plan Competition:
Receive mentorship and seed funding for
early stage ventures via 43 nation joint
business plan competition.
Skill Development Training

Accelerate business development
through innovation and entrepreneurship
training in topics including
communications skills, market
assessment, business plan development.
Learn from successful entrepreneurs
and business leaders.
University-Industry
Linkage Program
Institutionalize connections between
universities and businesses through
industry outreach partnerships.
Develop innovation leaders primed to
meet industry needs through hands on
training experiences.
Dato Madinah binti

Mohamad
Secretary General, Ministry
of Science, Technology and
Innovation, Malaysia
[GIST] is a great opportunity

to increase participation by
the academic sector in the
transfer of technology into
the marketplace through
the development of practical
knowledge and skills, as well as
to heighten understanding of
the value of entrepreneurship
and innovation for the economic
growth and sustainability.
Dr. Abdelali Haoudi
VP of Research, Qatar
Foundation
It is critically important to
develop the role of universities
in the Arab world to become a
major partner in economic and
social development. The Global
Innovation through Science and
Technology Initiative will help in
providing access to knowledge
and technology to developing
countries; where funding is not
the only obstacle to progress.
Dr. Rashid bin Moktar bin
Abdullah
CEO, Moroccan Foundation
for Advances in Science,
Innovation, and Research
(MAScIR)
AGENDA
AGENDA
GIST TECH-I COMPETITION FINALE THE BATTLE OF IDEAS
DECEMBER 5TH, 2011
All sessions will take place at the Istanbul Congress Center unless otherwise noted.
08.00-09.00
09.00-10.00

10.00-12.00

12.00-13.00
13.00-18.00
18.00-19.00
18.00-18.05
18.05-18.10

18.10-18.15
18.15-18.20
18.20-18.25
18.20-18.50

18.45-19.00

DECEMBER 2ND, 2011

Arrival and registration of mentors, judges, participants.
19.30
Mentors, judges, organizers meet for dinner to discuss agenda
DECEMBER 3RD, 2011

09.00-12.00
12.00-13.00
13.00-13.15

13.15-14.00

14.00-14.15

14.15-16.00

16.00-16.45

16.45-17.00

17.00-17.40

17.45-18.30

18.30 -18.45
18.45-20.15

20.15-21.30
Semifinalists attend Entrepreneurship Summit sessions

Lunch
Introduction of GIST Initiative, CRDF Global, mentors, organizers and agenda
Ms. Cathy Campbell, CEO of CRDF Global
Dr. Jaleh Daie, Aurora Equity and CRDF Global Board of Directors
Ms. Natalia Pipia, Senior Program Manager CRDF Global
Mr. Ovidiu Bujorean, Innovation Program Manager CRDF Global
Business Models
Ms. Stephanie Marrus, CEO, Portfolio Strategies and Stanford Technology
Ventures Program Entrepreneur in Residence
Networking break
Get to know the other participants, mentors, organizers
Nuts and bolts of the executive summary and the pitch
Mr. Joseph Hadzima, Senior Lecturer MIT Entrepreneurship Center,
former Chairman MIT Enterprise Forum
Raising funds for your ideas and ventures
Mr. Robert Ackerman, Managing Director and Founder Allegis Capital
Networking break
Get to know the other participants, mentors, organizers
How to build your networking support system and maximize event participation
Mr. Ovidiu Bujorean, Innovation Program Manager, CRDF Global
Role play pitching and feedback and mentorship session overview
Mr. Steven Koltai, Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builder
Break
Mentorship sessions (first group of semifinalists)
Each participant meets for 30 minutes with one mentor. Before and after the
mentorship session, participants work to improve their pitch.
Semifinalists dinner out with GIST Team
DECEMBER 4TH, 2011

09.30-12.00
12.00-13.00
13.00-14.30

14.30-18.30

18.30-19.00
19.00-22.00
8
AGENDA
AGENDA

Lunch
Mentorship sessions (second group of semifinalists)
Each participant meets for 30 minutes with one mentor. Before and after the
mentorship session, participants work to improve their pitch.
Semifinalists pitch in front of the mentors
Each team has 5 minutes to pitch and 3 minutes for Q&A and feedback. 30 minutes
break at half-time. Teams that were mentored on Dec 3rd will pitch first.
Mentors analyze all pitches and announce the 11 finalists
Finalists refine their business pitches. Semifinalists have dinner at their own leisure.
Coffee break
Finalists practice their pitch
Mentors available to provide advice and answer questions
Game time
The 11 finalists pitch in front of the judges. 5 minutes pitch and 5 minutes Q&A.
All semifinalists attend the pitch session.
Lunch
GIST Tech-I Award Event Ceremony
Ms. Cathleen Campbell, President and CEO of CRDF Global, MC for the Award event
Ms. Lorraine Hariton, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs,
US State Department
Presentation of the GIST Movie
How to get involved with GIST Initiative and introduction of GIST Team
Ms. Cathleen Campbell introduces Mr. Joe Hadzima
Panel session
Next wave of technology entrepreneurs and prosperity creators
Moderator:
Mr. Joseph Hadzima, Senior Lecturer MIT Entrepreneurship Center,
former Chairman MIT Enterprise Forum
Speakers:
Mr. Paul Bragiel, Managing Director, I/O Ventures
Two finalists of the GIST Tech-I Competition
Presentation of the awards to the GIST Tech-I Winners.
The top 3 winners of the competition will each speak 1 minute.
GIST Tech-I Mentors:

Mr. Ahmed El Alfi, Founder and Chairman Sawiri Ventures, Egypt

Mr. Shareef M. Batata, Associate Director of SME Programs, Silatech

Mr. Paul Bragiel, Managing Director I/O Ventures

Dr. Jaleh Daie, Managing Director Aurora Equity and CRDF Global Board of Directors

Mr. Mike Ducker, Entrepreneur in Residence, Egyptian Competitiveness Project

Mr. Joseph Hadzima, Senior Lecturer MIT Entrepreneurship Center

Mr. Ayman Ismail, School of Business, American University in Cairo

Mr. Steven Koltai, Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystems builder

Ms. Stephanie Marrus, CEO, Portfolio Strategies and Stanford Technology Ventures Program

Entrepreneur in Residence
GIST Tech-I Judges:


Ms. Elizabeth Clarkson, Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson

Mr. Craig Hanson, Partner Next World Capital

Mr. Chris Schroeder, CEO HealthCentral

The Battle of Ideas

MENTOR
BIOS
MENTORS BIOS
Ahmed El Alfi
Founder & Chairman
Cairo, Egypt
Ahmed is a veteran investor and VC from California with over 25 years of

experience in top executive and management positions. Ahmeds investment
track record over the last 17 years includes the execution of numerous
successful transactions in technology, Internet, healthcare and financial
services at various stages of development. He has executed many rewarding
exits including several IPOs on the NASDAQ. He relocated to Egypt in 2006
as the CEO of EFG-Hermes Private Equity. He subsequently founded Sawari
Ventures, to which he brings a wealth of experience, superb industry insight
and an invaluable international network.
Shareef Batata
Associate Director of SME Programs at SilatechTM
Shareef Batata is Associate Director of SME Programs at SilatechTM based

in Qatar. Shareefs work consists primarily of maximizing MENA region job
creation via access to finance, access to business development services (BDS)
and access to markets.
Apart from his full-time role at Silatech, Shareef is Managing Director of XAP
(Transaction Partners), an M&A boutique under registration. Shareef is also
Delegate to President Obama representing Egypt at the annual Presidential
Summit on Entrepreneurship.
BIORAPHIES
BIOGRAPHIES
Prior to Shareefs joining Silatech in 2011, Shareef was Associate Vice President at EFG Hermes
Private Equity (EHPE). At EHPE, Shareef evaluated 10 MENASA region investment opportunities with
aggregate transaction value of $1.5 billion.
Prior to Shareefs joining EFG Hermes in 2008, Shareef was Associate of Global Investment Banking at
Citigroup Global Markets based in New York. At Citi, Shareef covered the Consumer Products, Retail
and Healthcare sectors.
Prior to Citi, Shareef was Director of Marketing at Conexant Systems, a spin-off of AT&T Bell Labs
based in New Jersey. Shareef successfully negotiated and closed 30 telecom deals across 20 countries
generating $80m in sales per year.
Prior to joining Conexant in 2000, Shareef was Technical Marketing Manager at Philips Semiconductors
in Silicon Valley, Lead Systems Engineer at Intel Corporation in Folsom, California and Product
Development Engineer at 3M Company in Minnesota.
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The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

In his spare time, Shareef is an Endeavor VentureCorps Mentor. Sherif is also a prior board member
of the Middle East Council for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (MCSBE) and founding member of
Nahdet El Mahrousa, Egypts leading philanthropic CSO.
Shareef holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with honors from Columbia Business School
and a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) with honors from Cornell University.
Paul Bragiel
Co-Founder & Managing Partner at I/O Ventures
Paul Bragiel is a co-founder and managing partner at i/o ventures, an early

stage startup accelerator which operates out of a funky workspace+cafe in San
Francisco.
Previous he has founded and served as the CEO of 3 companies including:
Lefora, a product bringing forums into the 21st century, proudly hosting over
100,000+ unique communities. Meetro, the first location based social network.
Paragon Five, a game development studio specializing in console and mobile
content with offices in Chicago and Krakow, Poland.
He often advises governments on entrepreneurship and policy that encourages startup ecosystems.
His interests include projects that involve travel, fashion, entertainment, and technologies that
encourage communication and networking. He has appeared on television in at least five different
countries and is one of the authors of Game Programming Gems 4.
He has a strong background as a liaison for companies looking to establish operations in central &
eastern europe.
Outside of work, he has toured Russia by train (starting in Siberia), bicycled across the United States
(riding over 5,000 km), canoed the entire Mississippi River (paddling over 2,300 miles) and visited 70+
countries including the birth of a nation.
He likes to surround himself with people from various backgrounds especially those with a jack of all
trades streak in them. Besides that, he aspires to drive a taxi and work at a hot dog stand in New York
when retired.
Dr. Jaleh Daie

Aurora Equity and CRDF Global Board of Directors
Dr. Jaleh Daies versatile career spans academia, foundations, business, NGOs
and government. Currently, she is Managing Partner at Aurora Equity, a Palo
Alto-based company investing in startup companies. She is also a member
of the Band of Angels. Prior to this she was head of Science at the David and
Lucile Packard Foundation providing executive and technical direction for
a $120 million annual budget funding a diversified science and technology
portfolio including the coveted Packard Science and Engineering Fellowships.
A noted biologist, Jaleh started her career in academia. At the University of
12

Wisconsin she was professor and senior science advisor for the UW System. At Rutgers University
she was named Henry Rutgers Fellow, achieved rank of full professor in six years, was elected
chairman of her department (first woman in her field), founded and serve as chief executive of a major
interdisciplinary center as well as Director of a university-wide graduate program. While at UW she took
special assignment in Washington DC and served as science liaison to the Presidents National Science
& Technology Council.
She worked on Presidential initiatives and served as special assistant to the Chief Scientist at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce.
Jaleh was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Women in Technology International, delivered the 2007
Distinguished Speaker Series in South Africa, received Teksias Lifetime Achievement Award and an
honorary doctorate from the Dominican University. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science and of the Association for Women in Science. Her other honors include 25
Smartest Who Make a Difference, The Scientists list of Leaders of Science.
A frequent speaker and keynoter, Jaleh has written numerous research scholarly papers in top journals
and many op-eds and commentaries on education, R&D gender, technical workforce, and policy issues.
Jaleh has been an unfailing national presence and tireless advocate for full participation of girls and
women in science and technology and a mentor and role model to many young people as they pursue
science and technology education and careers.
Mike Ducker
Entrepreneur in Residence, Global Entrepreneurship Program, Egypt
Mike Ducker is the Entrepreneur in Residence for the Global Entrepreneurship

Program, part of the Egyptian Competiveness Project in Egypt, a USAID funded
program . For GEP Egypt Mike is helping to start, grown and facilitate financing
for Egyptian Entrepreneurs. Mike work in Egypt is a continuation of 17 years
of supporting and working for entrepreneurs. Mike has strong expertise on
market development, new product development, investment strategies, and
institutional development to support entrepreneurs and innovation.
Mr. Duckers previous work includes designing a business plan for a Center
of Entrepreneurship Excellence in Pakistan, managing an investment project in Egypt that helped
facilitate $6 million of financing to entrepreneurs, and developed concept papers for innovation centers
in Bosnia. Mr. Ducker has created training courses that showed entrepreneurs how to reach local and
export markets in Armenia and Kosovo. He has presented his research on entrepreneurship and ICT
development to USAID, the UN, and the greater development community. Mr. Ducker was also an ICT
advisor in Kenya for 2 years and in 1998, Mike invested and helped an e-learning start-up in China.
Before his work in development, Mr. Ducker worked in the private sector for 9 years including working
as a marketing director for small entrepreneurial high tech firms in which he was able to land new
sales to fortune 500 companies. Mr. Ducker started his career in accounting/financial management
and was part of a management staff that turned around a distribution company from losing
hundreds of thousands of dollars to profiting $1 million. He has created several training courses on
entrepreneurship and ICT that he has taught internationally and in the US.
He earned his MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and is a former
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The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

Certified Management Accountant. Mr. Ducker reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and finished 7
marathons, including the Safaricom Marathon in Kenya which is ranked by Running World Magazine as
one of the top endurance marathons.
Joseph Hadzima
MIT Sloan School of Management and IPVision
Joe Hadzima works in the areas of entrepreneurship, start-up phase

companies, business plans, venture capital, corporate governance, and
intellectual property strategy. He has been involved in the founding of
more than 100 companies as a founder, investor, director, legal counsel,
or employee and has advised entrepreneurs, high-growth businesses, and
venture capitalists. Joe is a founding judge of the MIT $10K Entrepreneurship
Competition (now the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition) and has
taught the popular IAP course Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans since 1989.
He is a frequent speaker for the MIT Enterprise Forums Satellite Broadcast
Series (SBS), including programs on company evaluation and structuring venture capital deals.
As Managing Director of Main Street Partners LLC, a venture development and technology
commercialization firm, Joe is president of its portfolio company IPVision, Inc., an intellectual property
management, systems and services firm. He was a director of the Global MIT Enterprise Forum for
over 25 years and was its Chairman of the Board for 4 years. He practiced law for 17 years, first at
Ropes & Gray in Boston and then at Sullivan & Worcester as founder and director of the High-Tech/
New Ventures Group. He is a former director of the New England chapter of the National Association
of Corporate Directors and several private and public companies. His Starting Up column appeared
regularly in the Boston Business Journal. Joe is a member of the MIT Venture Mentoring Service and has
advised federal and state government agencies, universities and nonprofits on the creation and support
of entrepreneurial ecosystems to create economic growth.
Joe is the recipient of the MIT Bronze Beaver Award, the highest MIT Alumni/ae award, for his work in
Entrepreneurship. He was the second recipient of the Adolf F. Monosson Prize for Entrepreneurship
Mentoring.
Joe received a B.Sc. from MIT (1973), a S.M. in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management
(1997) and a Juris Doctore cum laude from the Harvard Law School (1979).
Mr. Ayman Ismail

and conducted research for international organizations such as the World Bank and UNCTAD, as well
as multiple US government agencies. Dr. Ismail has a broad multidisciplinary experience in economic
development, business strategy, city planning and technology based on professional practice and
academic research.
Dr. Ismail is a former Research Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the
Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. He received his PhD in International Economic
Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on financial
development and private equity in emerging economies; venture capital and entrepreneurship;
economic development in the Middle East; industrial strategy; international technology diffusion and
knowledge transfer to developing countries; technology policy and innovation; energy and food security;
and political economy of development. He also holds a bachelor degree in engineering and an MBA from
the American University in Cairo, and a master in city planning and geographic information systems
from MIT.
Dr. Ismail is a co-founder and member the Board of Directors of Nahdet El-Mahrousa, a leading NGO
incubating social entrepreneurs and social ventures targeting economic and social development issues
in Egypt. He is also an Endeavor VentureCorps Mentor, advising entrepreneurs and their ventures in
Egypt. Endeavor is a global non-profit supporting high-impact entrepreneurship as the leading force for
sustainable economic development.
Steven R. Koltai
Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builder
Steven R. Koltai designed and, until September, 2011, managed the Global
Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) at the US Department of State. Currently,
Steven continues to work as a consultant in the global entrepreneurship
ecosystem space, as well as an active investor in and advisor to startups and
growth stage companies in the US and abroad in media, e-commerce, and the
event industries.
Steven is an executive with 30 years experience in international finance,
strategic planning and entrepreneurship gained in the banking, entertainment
and Internet industries. Stevens longest single employment was at Warner Bros in Burbank, California,
where over nine years, he served as the Studios first SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development, a
member of and for 3 years, chair of, the Studios three-person operating committee. In 1993, Steven
was the founder and first General Manager of Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros.
Online.
School of Business, American University in Cairo
Dr. Ayman Ismail is the Assistant Professor and Entrepreneurship Chair at

the American University in Cairo Business School. He is also a co-founder
and Managing Partner in Enovio, a management & strategy consulting firm
operating in the US and the Middle East. Prior to that, he was a consultant
in McKinsey & Companys Business Technology Office, based in New York for
several years. Dr. Ismail has advised senior management in leading Fortune
100 companies, fast-growing startups, government agencies, and non-profits
on key organization, operations and technology issues. He has also consulted
14
Steven has had significant entrepreneurial experience in two specific ventures. First, as co-founder of
Coronet, today known as SES-Astra, Europes only private television satellite system. Stevens second
entrepreneurial effort was an online event registration and management company, Event411 based in
Marina del Rey, California. Event411 provided the online event management software for, among other
things, the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, the 2000 Salt Lake Winter Olympics
and hundreds of corporate events including for clients such as Goldman Sachs, Bank of America,
General Motors and UCLA.
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Steven received his BA in Modern European History, magna cum laude, from Tufts University. As
a Fulbright Scholar in Belgium, he received a Licence from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. Steven
earned his Masters degree in International Economics from Tufts Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy. Steven has served as a Founding Board Member of the Los Angeles-based Pacific Council
on International Policy, Founding Chairman of the Entertainment Technology Center at the USC School
of Film and Television, a long-time member of the Council on Foreign Relations (and membership of
several CFR committees including Term Membership selection), a participant in several Aspen Institute
Seminars, and the Salzburg Seminar.
Stephanie Marrus
CEO, Portfolio Strategies and Stanford Technology Ventures Program Entrepreneur in Residence
Stephanie Marrus is a business advisor and international Entrepreneurship

educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She participates in the
Silicon Valley ecosystem that is the worlds leading entrepreneurial cluster
by consulting to, mentoring and taking management roles in high potential,
scalable ventures. She is connected to the venture capital communities in
Silicon Valley, California and Boston. In addition to her business consultancy,
she teaches and mentors entrepreneurs globally, is affiliated with Stanford
Universitys Technology Ventures Program and has been faculty at the
University of California, Berkeley. Her expertise on Entrepreneurship includes emerging markets such
as the Middle East, Russia and Latin America. During a 25 year plus career, she has been a corporate
executive and business consultant for hundreds of companies in science- and technology-based
industries, many with their technological roots at Berkeley, Stanford, MIT and Harvard. Her consulting
clients include venture capitalists, CEOs, US Government associated entities and international
organizations. Through her consultancy Portfolio Strategies, she advises clients on strategy and takes
operational roles.
Ms. Marrus has served as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, VP Corporate Development
and VP Business Development for public and private US companies from startups to more mature
organizations. Her expertise is in building companies, growth strategy and implementation, venture
capital financing, partnering and communications. For international companies, she can establish
US operations and create US market presence. She maintains an extensive network of relationships
in Silicon Valley, throughout the US and internationally.Ms. Marrus mentors startup and early stage
companies. She has provided business counsel to companies that have been funded by grants
through the National Science Foundation and is a grant reviewer for National Collegiate Inventors and
Innovators Alliance. She serves as a mentor to student ventures and judges business plan competitions
at Stanford University, where she coached two teams to a first place win. She judges applications for
StartupChile and Stanford Universitys accelerator. She serves on the Advisory Board of Hub Ventures,
an accelerator for social ventures.

Lecturer in the Executive MBA program at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, taught in
the Bioentrepreneurship program at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, one of Europes largest medical
universities, at Vienna University of Business and Economics and in Innovation Norways program at
UC Berkeley that is sponsored by the University of Oslo and the Norwegian government.She heads the
Life Science Working Group for StartupAmerica Partnership, a White House affiliated effort to foster
entrepreneurship in the United States.
Ms. Marrus holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from
Columbia University and an AB from Cornell University. She is the author of Building the Strategic
Plan, a management text published by John Wiley that has been successfully sold worldwide. An
accomplished writer, she has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Marketwatch and in The
Scientist magazine.
JUDGES
BIOS
JUDGES BIOS
Robert R. Ackerman, Jr.
Allegis Capital
Robert R. Ackerman, Jr. (Bob) is the Founder and Managing Director of Allegis
Capital a Silicon Valley-based seed and early-stage venture capital firm
as well as a former serial entrepreneur. As a venture capitalist, Bob has led
Allegis to recognition as one of the Top 30 venture capital firms in the world
according to Red Herring Magazine. Allegis team of ex-operating executives
has been recognized on a number of lists of the TOP 100 technology investors
in the United States. Prior to founding Allegis in 1996, Bob had more than
15 years of experience as a technology executive including the founding
of InfoGear Technology Corporation, creator of the original integrated web/
telephone - the iPhone where he served as Chairman and built the management team (sold to Cisco
in 2000 for $350M). He also served as the CEO of Unisoft Systems, where he built the start-up into
one of the two leading UNIX systems houses in the world with offices in the US, Europe and Japan.
Bob is a frequent speaker and writer on the subjects of innovation, entrepreneurism and venture capital
and is a member of the faculty at the University of California Berkeleys Haas Graduate School of
Business. His educational background includes a degree in Computer Science and he sits on the Board
of Directors of the San Francisco-based Asian Art Museum.
Elizabeth (Beezer) Clarkson

Draper Fisher Jurvetson
She was named Entrepreneur-in-Residence at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. While in Jeddah, she addressed the business community in a session on
Silicon Valley entrepreneurship sponsored by Princess Sita bint-Abdullah, daughter of King Abdullah,
the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and the US Consulate.
She has been an Endeavor conference presenter and guest lecturer in Argentina and Chile, visiting IAE
Business School in Argentina and Universidad del Desarrollo in Santiago, Chile. She has been Guest
16
Elizabeth (Beezer) Clarkson is a Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson. She

manages the DFJ Global Network, which consists of 16 venture funds around
the world representing some $7B of capital under management and over 400
active portfolio companies. Beezer currently serves on the board of ShareThis
as well as the investment committees of DFJ Vina Capital (Vietnam focused
venture fund) and DFJ JAIC (cross border US-Japan venture fund).
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The Battle of Ideas

Beezer began her investment career 17 years ago in Morgan Stanleys Global Infrastructure Group.
Most recently she was an Investment Manager at Omidyar Network where she focused on investments
financial services and technology sectors in emerging markets. Her investments included for profit
direct investments, fund investments and non-profit grants. Previously at Hewlett Packard (HP),
Beezer led business development negotiations with leading Internet services companies for placement
on desktop and notebooks world-wide.
Beezer has BA in Government from Wesleyan University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Wesleyan University, the Advisory Board of InVenture
and the Investor Advisory Council of Astia.
Craig Hanson
Next World Capital
Craig has extensive experience in venture capital, entrepreneurship and

emerging company management, with a focus on technology. He has been an
investor or senior executive in 18 venture-backed companies. Craig is a General
Partner with Next World Capital (NWC), an international venture capital firm
operating in the U.S. and Europe. NWC invests out of a $200 million fund
allocation and is part of a much larger evergreen capital base, giving the firm
substantial resources to partner with promising entrepreneurs. NWC invests
in emerging and growth-stage companies internationally, and works closely
with entrepreneurs to mentor them on building innovative, global leadership
companies.
Prior to co-founding NWCs venture capital group, Craig was a Vice President with FTV Capital, a
growth-stage venture capital firm with $1 billion under management investing in software and
business services companies worldwide. He was also a Principal at Vista Ventures, an early-stage
technology venture capital firm, and a Vice President at Berenson Minella & Company, where he
worked on large growth capital and buyout investments, as well as completed several acquisitions and
financings. He has also been the CFO of a venture-backed technology company, and began his career
with Credit Suisse First Boston.
Craig also conducts independent research and analysis of program ideas at the confluence of economic
development and foreign policy. He has been exploring economic development programs to foster
entrepreneurship and innovation as an important economic engine and integral part of U.S. foreign
policy. In 2011, Craig was a member of the U.S. State Departments delegation to the Maghreb region
of the Middle East. He is the Chair of the Silicon Valley Leadership Committee of Nuru International,
a social innovation non-profit providing economic development and agriculture programs to fight
extreme poverty in Africa. Craig is a Truman Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project.
In 2011 Craig was named one of the top 40 Under 40 Leaders nationally by the New Leaders Council.
He graduated from Carleton College and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a
Sloan Fellow and President of his class.
18

Christopher M. Schroeder
HealthCentral
Christopher M. Schroeder is a leading entrepreneur and investor in interactive

technologies and social communications. He is Chief Executive Officer and
Board Member of HealthCentral, the highest quality collection of condition
and wellness-specific interactive experiences focused on people finding and
sharing real-life experiences related to their health needs. He is also engaged
in exploring more global trends towards entrepreneurship, with a special focus
on the developing world and the Middle East.
A veteran of online media, Christopher served as CEO and Publisher of
Washington Post. Newsweek Interactive, which hosts washingtonpost.com
and newsweek.msnbc.com, among other leading news sites. During his tenure, the Company more than
quadrupled in revenue and audience. Previously, Christopher was CEO and President of LEGI-SLATE,
INC, a leading online B2B provider of information on federal and state legislation and regulation, which
he sold.
Christopher was a co-founder, and served as Chairman, of the Online Publishers Association (OPA),
a leading research and information organization comprised of the CEOs of top online quality content
publishers (including MSNBC, The NY Times, Dow Jones, ESPN.) He has won numerous awards,
including PharmaVOICE Top 100 Most Inspiring People in Life Sciences, was one of the first interactive
executives named to the American Advertising (AAF) Hall of Achievement (a national annual award
honoring the leading executives in advertising). Christopher was named one of the top business
executives to watch by Business Forward Magazine, Media Magazine and the Washingtonian.
Christopher graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and with honors from Harvard Business
School.
Aside from his investment activity, he has been active in entrepreneurship in the emerging markets,
especially MENA, and has written extensively on this for The Washington Post, Fortune, TechCrunch,
and the Wall Street Journal among others. He is on the board of the American University of Cairos
Business School, among other initiatives in entrepreneurship in the region.
US
STATE
DEP. BIOS
US STATE
DEPARTMENT
BIOS
Lorraine Hariton
Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affair
Lorraine Hariton was sworn in as the State Departments Special

Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs (CBA) on September
14, 2009. Her experience in innovation and entrepreneurship provides a
unique perspective in addressing our global economic growth challenges. She
is responsible for State Department outreach to the business community
and commercial advocacy efforts. She works with the business community
worldwide to ensure that commercial diplomacy efforts support U.S. foreign
policy objectives. During her tenure, CBA has expanded cooperation and
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The Battle of Ideas

coordination with other trade promotion agencies and U.S. diplomatic posts overseas to support U.S.
exporters and business interests in support of the Presidents National Export Initiative.
In her first year with CBA, Ms. Hariton oversaw the launch of the Global Entrepreneurship Program
(GEP), a State Department-led effort to promote and spur entrepreneurship around the world. She has
been instrumental in successful undertakings as the Palestinian Information Technology Initiative
(PITI) and she chairs the U.S. delegation to the U.S.-Russia Innovation Council on High Technologies
(ICHT). Ms. Hariton brings to the State Department more than 25 years of experience in the information
technology sector in Silicon Valley. Throughout her business career Ms. Hariton worked with various
technologies and products including mainframes, thin-client technology, e-commerce financial
infrastructure, internet audio solutions and speech applications. Most recently Ms. Hariton worked on
Smart Grid initiatives including advanced metering and intelligent street lighting.
Ms. Hariton served as President and CEO of Apptera from 2003 to 2005 where she brought their first
product to market and raised $8 million in venture capital. She served as the CEO of Beatnik from
1999 to 2002 where she repositioned the company as a leader in the wireless industry and raised more
than $40 million in venture capital. Ms. Hariton also spent 15 years at IBM serving in a number of
executive capacities. Ms. Hariton is Chairman Emeritus of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and
Executives, served as Treasurer of the State of California Board of Accountancy, served on the board
of the Demand Response Smart Gird Coalition, served on the National Advisory Board of the Stanford
Clayman Institute for Gender Research and the Executive Committee of the National Center for Women
and Information Technology.Ms. Hariton has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in
Mathematical Sciences from Stanford University.
Jeffrey Margolis,
Foreign Affairs Officer
Dr. Jeffrey Margolis is Foreign Affairs Officer at the United States Department
of State. Working in the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation within
the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs,
he forwards U.S. science and technology global engagement programs and
facilitates U.S. cooperation across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central,
South, and Southeast Asia. In this capacity, he serves as one of the State
Department leads on a number of programs including the Global Innovation
through Science and Technology initiative that builds regional partnerships
and programs that promote economic development through technology
commercialization.
Dr. Margolis is the recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science - Science
& Technology Policy Fellowship which aims to bring scientific expertise to U.S. domestic and foreign
policy decisions. He is an infectious disease specialist by training, earning his doctorate from Stanford
University. While at Stanford, he received the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate
Research Fellowship. Prior to joining the State Department, Dr. Margolis worked at Baxter Healthcare,
Pfizer, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on translational medicine applications of bacterial
genetics. Dr. Margolis also has extensive education NGO experience, most recently serving as Vice
President of Development for SEE College Prep, a California-based nonprofit organization that offers
college preparation programs to low income students throughout the state.
20

GIST
INITIATIVE
ADVISORY
GROUP
BIOS
GIST INITIATIVE ADVISORY GROUP BIOS
Jeff Hoffman
Founder, Priceline
Jeff Hoffman is an accomplished entrepreneur and innovator in the fields of

Internet, e-commerce, and entertainment. Having launched his first software
company while still a student at Yale University, Hoffman has founded
and grown a series of successful startup companies in his career, guiding
his companies to both acquisitions and public offerings. For his efforts,
Jeff received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Entrepreneurship from the
National CEO Council in 2010, and was also inducted into the Hall of Fame
for Entrepreneurs by the international association of college entrepreneurs in
2010.
Jeff is currently a founder and partner in ColorJar, a venture accelerator firm that helps entrepreneurs
and small business owners launch and grow new business ventures. In this capacity, Jeff works
as a virtual CEO with startup companies all over the world to help turn great ideas into profitable
businesses.
Jeff previously served as the CEO of Enable Holdings, Inc., one of the worlds leading excess inventory
solutions companies. Enable Holdings, a publicly traded company, operates online sites uBid.com
and RedTag.com, and specializes in the liquidation of excess inventory from major brand name
manufacturers and retailers. The company has sold over $2 billion worth of computers, consumer
electronics, jewelry, apparel, collectibles, and other products since its launch.
Jeffs first startup was a software company in the travel industry named CTI, a company that quickly
became the industry leader in technology for the travel and tourism industry, and was later acquired
by American Express. For his achievements, Jeff was twice named one of the 25 Most Influential
Executives in travel and tourism worldwide. Hoffman was also a founder and CEO of early e-commerce
pioneer Virtual Shopping, Inc., which developed patented, proprietary software and hardware for online
retailing on the Internet, and was later acquired by Europes Wallenberg Group.
Hoffman is perhaps best known as a founder and CEO in the Priceline.com family of companies, where
Jeff led the development and launch of Pricelines consumer company (Priceline YardSale). Hoffman
also served as an executive in Walker Digital, the parent company of Priceline and one of the countrys
most innovative creators of intellectual property and new business models.
After Priceline, Jeff was a founding partner, Chairman, and CEO of Black Sky Entertainment, an
independent production company in the film and music industries. Hoffmans firm successfully
produced such independent films as CABIN FEVER (a horror film made for $1.4 million that has grossed
over $100 million worldwide), and is currently in development on several new film and television
projects. In the music business, Jeff has produced concerts with Elton John, reality programming with
Boyz II Men, had his artists (pop band LMNT) open for Britney Spears, hosted charity events with
members of *NSYNC, produced musical events with Ashanti, Fat Joe, Cash Money Millionaires, and
more.
Jeff dedicates a significant portion of his time to mentoring other entrepreneurs. In this capacity,
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The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

Jeff has served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Georgia Tech and Rollins College, and has judged
business plan competitions at MIT, the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business, Pepperdine
University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jeff also served as a coach and mentor in the
Kaufman Institutes FastTrac Entrepreneurs Boot Camp.
Jeff Hoffman is an accomplished professional and motivational speaker, featuring topics such
as entrepreneurship, innovation, and business leadership, and has spoken at conferences and
symposiums in over 40 different countries. Jeff is a featured business expert seen on Fox News, CNN,
NBC, and more.
ORGANIZERS
ORGANIZERS BIOS BIOS
Cathleen A. Campbell
CRDF Global
Cathleen A. Campbell was appointed CRDF Global President and CEO in April
2006. She oversees 150 staff implementing innovative science and technology
programs in over 30 countries.
Ms. Campbell joined CRDF Global in 2002 as vice president for programs,
overseeing the organizations five program departments, and was appointed
senior vice president in 2003. Campbell brings to CRDF Global three decades
of international science and technology policy and program management
experience. She has worked with and traveled extensively to countries in
Eurasia, the Middle East, East Asia and Latin America.
Prior to joining CRDF Global, Campbell served from 1998 to 2002 as Director of the Office of
International Policy and Programs in the Technology Administration of the Department of Commerce.
There she led technology cooperation with Egypt, Russia and Israel, the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group. From 1995 to 1997,
she was a senior policy analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she
managed interagency initiatives to expand science, technology and innovation cooperation with Russia
and other countries. Campbell was the U.S. State Departments program officer for Soviet/Russia
science and technology affairs from 1989 to 1994. Previously, she served in various research positions
at Presearch, Incorporated; the Library of Congress; and the Rand Corporation.

Natalia Pipia
CRDF Global
Natalia Pipia develops and oversees all Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Programs at CRDF Global. In her current position, Natalia is responsible for
developing program vision and outreach strategies to external partners and
funders for Innovation Programs as well as overseeing a portfolio of programs
that support entrepreneurship ecosystem development in emerging countries.
She develops new opportunities with various organizations and funders who
share CRDF Globals objective of promoting innovation in emerging economies
and advancing the development of new opportunities for technology
entrepreneurs. She carries out programs that support and promote technology
start-ups, build innovation ecosystems in countries where programs are being
implemented, and facilitate U.S. market access.
The objectives of CRDF Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship programs and more specifically,
the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative, one of the programs
Natalia oversees, are to develop and support new entrepreneurs by enhancing their knowledge of
the technology commercialization process, creating mechanisms that allow them to network with
like-minded entrepreneurs, providing them with access to seed capital to develop their business,
and establish a virtual platform to link them with potential investors and funders. GIST also aims
to establish a stronger entrepreneurial culture across the regions of the Middle East, Africa, Central
and Southeast Asia, foster more economically productive research through university industry
partnerships, and create sustainable linkages between regional researchers, entrepreneurs, investors,
and business services providers amongst themselves and with the broader business and investment
community.
Natalia has 10 years of experience working in economic development and executed entrepreneurship
and technology commercialization initiatives in more than 2o countries in partnership with numerous
associations, companies, technology transfer groups, governmental, and non-governmental
organizations in Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, Central and Southeast Asia.
Natalia holds a M.A. in International Relations from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International
Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University and Law degree from Kazan University. Natalia is fluent in
English, Russian, and Georgian. She resides with her family in Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Ovidiu (Ovi) Bujorean

CRDF Global
Dr. Jaleh Daie

Aurora Equity and CRDF Global Board of Directors
Please see Dr. Daies full bio undar mentors section.
22
Ovidiu (Ovi) Bujorean is Program Manager for the GIST Initiative. The
GIST Initiative aims to accelerate technology commercialization and
entrepreneurship in the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa,
Central and Southeast Asia. Between 2011 and 2013, GIST is organizing two
technology idea competitions (GISTech-I) and business plan competitions
open to all entrepreneurs in the region interested in the fields of information
technology, energy, health care and agriculture. The Initiative is also building
the GIST Network, designed as a virtual platform for aspiring entrepreneurs,
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The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

the academic community, and investors to BUILD entrepreneurship skills, to NETWORK with peers
and CONNECT with mentors. In addition, GIST promotes University-Industry linkages in the regions
mentioned above.
Ovidiu is member of the Board of Directors and Regional Chair for Washington DC and Virginia for MIT
Enterprise Forum. He also serves as an Advisor to the MIT Portugal Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Initiative. Previously, he was the Senior Associate at Rudyard Partners, a private equity firm focused
on investing in consumer technology opportunities for the global marketplace. Ovidiu managed a
$600k UNDP e-government Project for the Romanian Presidency. The project was recognized by UNDP
as regional best practice in capacity building and public administration reform. He also worked with
Gemini Consulting, Deutsche Post Consulting, and BCG.
Ovidiu also founded and led LEADERS, an organization who impacted the lives of approximately 10000
young leaders and entrepreneurs in Romania and Southern-Eastern Europe. The partnership he built
between Leaders and Vodafone was recognized by the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum as a
worldwide best practice in developing young leaders. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of The
Capital Network, City of Cambridge, AIESEC at Harvard and as a judge in the competition Startup Chile.
He was invited to speak on the topic of Professional Networking by the MIT Portugal
Entrepreneurship program, the Swiss government, Columbia University and The State Department
TechCamp initiative. He was the winner of Mayor Menino Boston World Partnership Battle of the
Network Stars competition that included 125 top Boston connectors.
He is a graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management MBA program and the inaugural Sloan
Entrepreneurship and Innovation program in Technology. Ovidiu also holds an MPA degree from the
Harvard Kennedy School, an MA in Organizational and Business Psychology and an MA in Governance
and Institutional Development. He holds a BA in trade from Academy of Economic Studies in
Bucharest. He served two terms as the National President of AIESEC in Romania.
Yuritzi Acosta
CRDF Global
Yuritzi has significant international experience working in the fields of

education and advocacy. Her interest in working with entrepreneurs and
leaders across the globe brought her to CRDF Global in April 2011. As a
member of the GIST Initiative she has worked on projects that empower
entrepreneurs to commercialize their innovative ideas through the
coordination of events and facilitation of access to relevant information.
Over the course of her work, she has coordinated a variety of educational and
advocacy programs funded by agencies, such as NeighborWorks USA, USAID
and the Florida Department of Education and now the Department of State.
Having lived in countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, Yuritzi brings a global view and
adaptability to the team. Her interest in the interconnectedness of cultures and people has led her
to complete an MA in International Studies with a focus on development from Florida International
University. Yuritzi is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.
24

GISTECH-I
SEMIFINALIST
GISTECH-I SEMIFINALIST
BIOS BIOS
Abdulhameid Grandoka, Taltol
Abdulhameid studied Software Engineering at the University of Petra. After
a career in Design and Marketing he earned scholarships and awards which
prompted him to launch his own company, Taltol, in March 2011. Taltol is an
online marketplace for digital products. At Taltol you can buy or sell digital
product, such as stock images, graphics and videos.
Adnan Sattar, Biodiesel-21 Century Energy Solution for Pakistan
Adnan is currently doing his MBA at the International Islamic University in
Islamabad. He has attended seminars on Career Development. Adnan is
very interested in management field. Biodiesel-21 Century Energy Solution for
Pakistan is a solution that aims toextract biodiesel from jatropha and pongam to
create a new source of renewable energy.
Ali Raza, Natural Gas Digester
Ali is CEO & founder of PAK-Energy Solution. He is an electrical engineer from
University of Engineering & Technology in Lahore. He has received numerous
national awards. His research work and recommendations on Entrepreneurship
& Envisioning 2050 will be published in white paper of World Entrepreneurship
Forum in France. He is collaborating with Responsible Business Initiative Pakistan
(RBIpk). He has developed a strategic alliance with an online community dealing
with 10 million users on internet. Natural Gas Digester is a solution to introduce
an eco-friendly, innovative, futuristic and automated hybrid biogas technology to
solve the energy crisis.
Anum Shafique, Piezoelectric Solution
Anum is an undergraduate student of the NUST School of Chemical and Material
Engineering, currently enrolled in the 5th Semester of Chemical Engineering. She
is currently serving as an executive member in her universitys environmental
club. Her aim in life is to one day aid towards making Chemical Plants as
environmentally friendly as possible. Piezoelectric Solution is a material that
generates electric current which can be used anywhere.
Anwar Almojarkesh, Movement Charger
Anwar Studied Electrical Engineering at Jordan University of Science and
Technology, currently in his fifth year. He received a diploma in Digital Electronics
from the Institute in Syria recognized from the University of Cambridge in
Britain at the age of 13. Most of his inventions are designed to help people with
special needs. Anwar has participated in numerous regional tech exhibitions and
competitions and won many of them. Movement Charger is a device that can
charge electronics on the move by using kinetic energy.
25

The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

Azharul Hoque, Antenna Serves
Azharul started his carrier as director of Syscon Electronics in 1978 where is st, he
is also director of Electromedia. He holds the post of president of Anusandhitsu
Chakro Science Club, joint secretary of lion Dragon association. He obtained his
HSC from Notre Dame College in Dhaka & Physics degree from Jahangir Nagor
University in Dhaka. Antenna Serves is a multifunctional antenna that helps users
save money, energy and time.
Bassam Swaked, RoboBlind
Bassam is a student pursuing his B.S in Electrical Engineering at the American
University of Sharjah. He has worked with some of his professors as a Research
Assistant. Bassam has participated in several professional activities such as the
6th IEEE Student Open Day common design project competition and the 1st Middle
East Conference on Biomedical Engineering. RoboBlind is a technology solution
that enables blind people to move around by scanning the surroundings of a
subject and alerting them about surrounding objects
Fahad Islam Tiwana, Artificial Brain Controlled Upper Limb Prosthesis
Fahad is currently a final year student of Engineering at the National University of
Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Pakistan. He many successful startups to his
name. In recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit, he has received national awards.
He likes to share his thoughts and knowledge on his blog Realitypod.com which is
read by half a million people. Artificial Brain Controlled Upper Limb Prosthesis is a
device that aims to provide a cost effective & viable solution to people with limb
dismemberment.
Farhan Masood, Bloodline
Farhan is a Futurologist by background, CEO of SoloTech Corp, and the founder of
Go Green Pakistan. He has a keen interest in technology research and development,
engineering entrepreneurship, social media activism, industrial and human
psychology and graphic design. With 27 international and national Awards and
Recognitions in his fields he is also behind 7 inventions in technology sector. He
has served high profile positions in the capacity adviser to different ministers.
Bloodline combines the efforts of all the blood societies in Pakistan to end the
shortage of blood donors in Pakistan.
Gopakumar Suryanarayanan, Refilling Batteries
Gopakumar is a Research Engineer working with Gulf Organization for Research
and Development (GO R&D) in Qatar conducting research in cutting edge fuel cell
technology and other renewable sources of power. He is also part of the editorial
team at the International Journal for Sustainable Built Environment. He has worked
with big corporations such as Navistar Trucks and Mahindra & Mahindra on projects
related to sustainability in automobiles. He has set up a number of startups. He
has obtained his Masters in Advanced Mechanical Engineering from the University
of Sheffield (2011), UK. Refilling Batteries is a system solution that proposes
discharged battery to be refilled at a battery refilling station as an alternative to the
existing time consuming recharging process.
26

Heba Hosny, 7alaWa7da
Heba is a senior quality assurance engineer. As a graduate fromcomputer science
department, she started her career as a testing and quality engineer at IBM Cairo.
With the experience gained in IBM, she then moved to the startup eSpace. Now
she is working at startup Vimov, a company that recently developed the first
ranked weather apple app store product in Europe. With 10 years of experience
in voluntary work, she formed the startup 7alawa7da, a website that collects
donations for critical charity cases, featuring one case at a time. The idea has been
among the winners at multiple startup competitions.
James Khoo Chen Shiang, SecQme
Founder and CEO of SECQME, James has extenssive working experience in number
multinational companies, such as Sun Microsytems, Experian Group and Theta
Service Partner. James is certified as Enterprise Java Architect, and Prince 2 Project
Manager. SecQme is a technology application that enables individual security in
urban centres by leveraging existing social and mobile technologies. James thought
about secQ.me mobile app after his sister had a car accident in a remote location,
which left her unconscious for several days during which her family could not find
her. SecQ.me has been recognized in a number of international competitions.
Karim Mohammad, Silver Nanoparticles of Milk
Karim is a senior Biology student at Lebanese American University in Beirut,
Lebanon. His fields of interest include nanotechnology, optics, and microbiology.
His research goals include finding pragmatic solutions to medical and agricultural
problems facing the MENA region and world. His accomplishments include
modifying activities of antibiotics using silver nanoparticles to kill multi-drug
resistant E. coli isolated from patients with urinary tract infections. Silver
Nanoparticles of Milk is a Nanotechnology solution that can reduce viable bacterial
count in fresh milk and protect the milks enzymes and proteins without causing
damage to the digestive system.
Maha Yusuf, Piezoelectric Solution
Maha obtained her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the
National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad. Her commitment
to raise the standards of life in her home country has encouraged her to found
Piezoelectric Solution, a material that generates electric current which can be used
anywhere.
Mahmoud Shattel, Taquetna
Mahmoud is a graduate of 2010 and holds B.S.c of Electrical Engineering from
Hashemite University. He practiced leadership in many milestones, in university he
was elected for the executive committee of IEEE and lead many teams. And he is
skilled in Product design and development with extensive experience in R&D and
Systems Design. He has been awarded a number of awards for Taqetna. Taqetna
is a new windpower clean technology solution that helps create another avenue for
renewable energy.
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The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

Mees Alotaibi, Silver Nanoparticles of Milk
Mees is student at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. Along with her
degree in biology and psychology, her passion and commitment to become a leader
in human health has led her to food safety research based in nanotechnology
techniques. Silver Nanoparticles of Milk is a Nanotechnology solution that can
reduce viable bacterial count in fresh milk and protect the milks enzymes and
proteins without causing damage to the digestive system.
Mohamed Amir Khalil, Cognitive Channel Use
Mohamed received the B.Sc.Degree in Electrical Engineering from Alexandria
University in Egypt. He then became a research assistant at the Wireless Intelligent
Networks Center (WINC), Nile University. He is currently cofounding a new solar
technology start-up. Cognitive Channel Use is a technology that allows additional
network of users to use the same communication channel without affecting the
use of the first set of users.
Mohamed El-Sayed, Gahezbetak
Mohamed is a student at the faculty of Computers and Information at Cairo
University. He is on the third level in the Information Systems Department,
Mohamed was an active member in Student Union joining the fundraising team
before being the Vice President of Non-profit Organization called 180 degree.
Mohamed works as a web developer and currently learning mobile development.
Gahezbetak is a tailored website that helps customers renovate their homes and
get tailored feedback on new home improvement technology solutions.
Muhammad Hammad, Alli Sootak

Muhammad is co-founder of AlliSootak and software developer at Masary-APSD.
As a programmer he has experience with JAVA technology; Enterprise and Mobile
Applications. He also has a strong background in DBMS; Oracle, MySQL, and Postgre
SQL. He recently started the development of BlackBerry and Android applications.
He obtained a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Cairo University. Alli Sootak is an
interactive platform that allows customers to post and review information on lost
and found objects. It also functions as an outlet for only positive societal news
Najwa Sahmarani, CardioDiagnostics
Najwa pursued a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering at the Lebanese American
University.She worked at Intelligile Innovation Center, which exposed her to the
most important concepts and best practices in the world of business. Najwa fostered
her passion for entrepreneurship by attending multiple seminars and workshops
organized by Cisco Entrepreneur Institute. Cardio Diagnostics is a health device that
monitors patients heart rate 24/7. Any detected abnormality is automatically sent
to a dedicated monitoring centre.
Pavitra Bhalla, SimTravel
Pavitra is a student currently pursuing Computer Science and Engineering from Birla
Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Dubai Campus. One of the benchmarks
in his research efforts was building of UAEs first fully autonomous unmanned aerial
vehicle. SimTravel is a new device that aims to significantly reduce modern age
problems such as low credit in smart card and long ticketing queues.
Mohamed Ahmed Hammad, G2G

Mohamed has a B.Sc Computer Engineering from Cairo University. His passion for
teaching and passing on information and strong believe that information has no
intrinsic value and only when shared with others does it flourish led him to found
G2G. G2G is an online community that allows professionals to share and sell their
knowledge and life experiences.
Pranav Bhardwaj, SimTravel

Pranav is an ElectronicsEngineer student at Birla Institute of Technology and
Science, Pilani, Dubai Campus. He is motivated by the belief that the sky is the limit
and that innovation is his path to success. SimTravel is a new device that aims to
significantly reduce modern age problems such as low credit in smart card and long
ticketing queues.
Mohamed Amgad Mohamed, Net3lem

Mohamed has graduated from Faculty of Computers and Information Cairo
University with a major in IT and a minor in IS. He has extensive experience in
software engineering field and web-based applications. Net3lem is an online
platform that helps college graduates find job opportunities, prepare for job
interviews and learn about specific job requirements
Rizwan Yousaf, Saltech

Rizwan is in his final year of study in Aeronautical Engineering at College of
Aeronautical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology in Pakistan.
His passion of working as an entrepreneur by exploiting the engineering knowledge
has earned him many recognitions at the national level. Saltech is a clean technology
that aims to generate electricity and ensure the provision of clean drinking water for
the masses.
Momal Mushtaq, Saltech

Momal is a final year student in Business Administration. She is an aspiring social
media entrepreneur having a taste for writing. She has been published in different
national and international magazines and papers. In addition, she has received
recognitions for her blogs. Her interest in Social Networks has led her to create her
own of 300 young talents from Pakistan, India, Nigeria and Philippines. Saltech is a
clean technology that aims to generate electricity and ensure the provision of clean
drinking water for the masses.
28

Rofaida Awad Abdelaal, WithLoveFromMe

A Computer Science 2009 graduate worked as a Software Developer in Bibliotheca
Alexandrina and then joined eSpace technologies, where she is currently working as a
Mobile and Web developer and which is known to be a Startup Catalyst in the region.
WithLoveFromMe is a website that helps users subscribe, collaborate, share and
send flowers. It has an Arabic interface and it can be adapted for other regions and
cultures.
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The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

Saif Shoqerat, Movement Charger
Saif studied Radiology in Jordan at the University of Science and Technology. He
is now earning his MBA at the German University in Amman. He is the Executive
Director at Sanabel Al-Khair Company. He also has extensive experience in the
field of business. His idea, Movement Charger, has wan a regional business plan
competition. Movement Charger is a device that can charge electronics on the move
by using kinetic energy.
Sarbast Majeed Rashid, House Energy Saving Application
Sarbast is an Information Technology Senior at the American University of IraqSulaimani. Sarbast has participated in the past few years in leadership workshops
and exchange programs internationally and successfully completed an IT Project
Management internship at AT&T. He has also been recognized at international
competitions. He is also a frequent technology writer for local newspapers and
websites. The House Energy Saving Application is helps control home appliances
operations and allows for remote switch on and off of devices.
Sinecan Bilgic, GreenHouse
Sinecan joined the Industrial Engineering Department at Bilkent University as an
undergraduate with a full scholarship. She has represented a non-governmental
organization and joined activities of other community groups. Since 2009, she has
been working as a teaching assistant in Bilkent University Physics Department.
GreenHouse is a system that facilitates tomato cultivation by using underground
pipelines
Syed Muhammad Bilal Khalid, Artificial Brain Controlled Upper Limb Prosthesis
Syed is currently pursuing a degree in Engineering from the National University of
Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Pakistan. In addition to a decorated academic
career, he is also involved with many startup ventures. In 2011, he won a number
of national awards for his idea. Artificial Brain Controlled Upper Limb Prosthesis is
a device that aims to provide a cost effective & viable solution to people with limb
dismemberment.
Zarak Babar, Biodiesel-21 Century Energy Solution for Pakistan
Zarak was mentored by his father, an agriculture engineer, and inspired by nature
to pursue a degree in Environmental Engineering. Through his life experience and
studies he realized that not only Pakistan but the world needs an energy source
which is not only green but also cheap and renewable. Biodiesel-21 Century Energy
Solution for Pakistan is a solution that aims toextract biodiesel from jatropha and
pongam to create a new source of renewable energy.
Ziad Sankari, Cardio Diagnostics
Ziad Completed a BE in Computer Engineering with high distinction, he received
a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Ohio State University, USA. There, he
received a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, another M.S. in Biomedical
Engineering, and a minor in Entrepreneurship from the Fisher College of Business.
Ziad has three years of industry experience in Lebanon and the US through which
he gained valuable knowledge relevant to CardioDiagnostics. Cardio Diagnostics is a
health device that monitors patients heart rate 24/7.
30

GIST
PARTNERS
GIST PARTNERS
Building local entrepreneurial

ecosystems together
GIST Initiative is supported by U.S. Department of State, The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
REGIONAL
JORDAN
TURKEY
INDONESIA
MALAYSIA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PAKISTAN
EGYPT
TUNISIA
ALGERIA
31

The Battle of Ideas

The Battle of Ideas

NOTES
NOTES

NOTES
NOTES
Do You DARE...
to Realize Your Dreams?
Apply to the Business Plan Competition!
DARE to change
the World!
DARE to be
Challenged!
DARE to Win!
Get a chance to become a high-impact, high-potential start up
WHY GET INVOLVED ?
IMPORTANT DATES:
Submission deadline: January 24, 2012
Semifinalists training: March 2012
Final Pitch: June 2012
Participate in the acceleration program

Receive mentoring from top-notch entrepreneurs
Get access to free resources
Win up to $100,000
Access international markets
APPLY
www.gist.crdfglobal.org/gist-programs/business
-plan-competition
JOIN THE NETWORK
www.gist.crdfglobal.org/gistnetwork/join-thenetwork
FOLLOW US ON...
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HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE GIST INITIATIVE?

APPLY FOR THE COMPETITION
www.gist.crdfglobal.org/gist-programs/business-plan-competition
JOIN THE GIST NETWORK
www.gist.crdfglobal.org/gistnetwork/join-the-network
FOLLOW US TO RECEIVE NEWS ON NEW EVENTS:
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Arlington, VA 22209
www.crdf.org; www.gistinitiative.org

2011 Istanbul Tech-I Brochure

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GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

The Battle of Ideas

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

implemented by CRDF Global

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

US STATE DEPARTMENT BIOS

GIST INITIATIVE ADVISORY GROUP BIOS

GISTECH-I SEMIFINALIST BIOS

implemented by CRDF Global

join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

Ms. Cathleen Campbell

implemented by CRDF Global

join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

all of us must recognize

Malaysia welcomes the

NETWORKING: Linking innovative ideas, people, and financial and

SKILL DEVELOPMENT: Providing business training, mentorship and

FINANCING: Connecting innovators and their ideas with seed capital

CONNECT WITH GIST COMMUNITY

implemented by CRDF Global

join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

Skill Development Training

join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

Dato Madinah binti

[GIST] is a great opportunity

DECEMBER 5TH, 2011

DECEMBER 2ND, 2011

DECEMBER 3RD, 2011

Semifinalists attend Entrepreneurship Summit sessions

DECEMBER 4TH, 2011

Semifinalists attend Entrepreneurship Summit sessions

GIST Tech-I Mentors:

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

Ahmed is a veteran investor and VC from California with over 25 years of

Shareef Batata is Associate Director of SME Programs at SilatechTM based

join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

Paul Bragiel is a co-founder and managing partner at i/o ventures, an early

Dr. Jaleh Daie

implemented by CRDF Global

join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

Mike Ducker is the Entrepreneur in Residence for the Global Entrepreneurship

join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

GIST Tech-I Competition Finale

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

Joe Hadzima works in the areas of entrepreneurship, start-up phase

Mr. Ayman Ismail

Entrepreneurship, Values and Development: A Global Agenda

School of Business, American University in Cairo