Take part in a transformative journey: MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Programme - Cohort 2024/25
2024/25 Judges
DR MOHAMMAD AL-OUN
Food Security and Sustainable
Agriculture Consultant
Dr Mohammad has a varied international track record in the provision of guidance on policy and strategy development, food security, IPPC, SPS, ISPMs, plant health, IPM, One Health, Biosecurity, community development, sustainable agriculture, and gender across both government and non-government organisations, including UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
Dr Mohammad has proven success in the development of high-level policies, strategies and implementation plans, and is skilled in the management of natural and human resources to support the adoption of sustainable systems including organic farming, biodiversity, livestock production and rural livelihoods. He is adept at leading multi-disciplinary teams and building solid relationships with research centres, international NGOs, governmental institutions, local partners and donors to support strategic sustainable development initiatives.
Hadi Saeed Alshakhori
Sunbolah program
Director
Meet Hadi, the ecosystem developer who brings a unique blend of tech expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to the table. With a degree in software development from Canada and a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from France, Hadi is a true innovator who is passionate about supporting founders on their journey to success.
As an advocate for innovation and as a technology consultant, Hadi has been a key player in some of the region’s most prestigious startup events. He has been a judge in the Evaluation Committee at the Expo2020 in Dubai, a speaker and judge in LEAP (Saudi Arabia) and GITEX (Dubai).
Giovanni Angiolini
Trapital
Founder
Giovanni Angiolini is the Founder & CEO of Trapital, a privately owned and boutique holding company with roots in the Netherlands and offices in the UAE.
Trapital stands out for its diverse expertise in business consultancy and matchmaking across industries like sustainable agriculture, smart water management, cold & supply chain, real estate, finance, AI, and security/defence.
With a strong international background, Giovanni specializes in building strategic networks and enhancing visibility for clients and partners. Known for bridging the public and private sectors, he fosters high-impact collaborations that drive innovation and sustainable growth.
Nadine Benchaffai
DesertTech Ventures
Partner
Nadine is a seasoned marketeer having worked in multiple large multinational players (Kraft, Nestle & Yoplait) before attaining her MBA from London Business School. She then went on to co-found Tortilla Mexican Grill in the UK (exited via IPO in 2021) before founding the Abfab family of homegrown brands including Taqado Mexican kitchen, Circle Café, Earth Kitchen, The Breakfast Shop, Sushi Counter and Nutri-Bowl. The group exited to a local unicorn in 2021. She continues to be involved in the hospitality space with a few unique brands under Fab Food Co. but has shifted focus to working with start-ups in the Food and Agri sector.
Nadine is currently Partner at Desertech Ventures based in Abu Dhabi where they accelerate start-ups geared to regenerating arid lands She is also the Co-Chair for the Investment Committee for the London Business School Angel Investors Club in the UAE alongside her investments and advisory for individual start-ups in the food space. On a more personal level, she is also the owner and manager of a large farm in Iraq where she has been keen to promote new technologies for water conservation and regenerative agriculture.
Yasmine Berbir
Fusion Minds
AI & ESG for Impact | Co-Founder & CIO, FusionMinds.AI
Yasmine Barbir brings 20 years of executive experience in FMCG, leading commercial growth, cultural transformation, and people development. With a proven track record in integrating ESG strategies into business
frameworks, she is passionate about driving sustainable growth while safeguarding the planet. Guided by the philosophy of balancing profit, people, and nature, Yasmine seamlessly blends commercial acumen with sustainability leadership to help organizations future-proof their business. Her expertise in advocacy, partnerships, and strategy empowers businesses to achieve impactful transformation.
Known for her empathetic yet bold leadership, Yasmine inspires progress by aligning innovation with purpose for lasting impact. She is keen to leverage technology powered by AI to drive a sustainable future.
Mira El Ghaziri
Healthy Path and Thought for Food
Managing Director at HealthyPath and MENA Ambassador for Thought for Food
Mira is the Managing Director at HealthyPath, a nutrition policy and food sustainability consultancy firm that supports organizations from the public and private sectors to address health and food sustainability challenges effectively. She advises on food innovations in line with health and sustainability agendas, as well as policies and partnerships that guide organizations toward sustainable food systems focusing on sustainable consumption. Mira is also the MENA Ambassador for Thought for Food, the world’s next gen innovation engine for food and agriculture, which supports young leaders to launch the world’s most game-changing social-impact startups and equip them with the mindset, values, approaches and connections they need to be successful changemakers.
Mira has led nutrition strategies for healthier and sustainable innovations, forged impactful partnerships with governmental entities, and orchestrated the development of public health pledges across multinational food companies.
Dr Hector Hernandez
Tulif Future Farms
Founder
Dr. Hector H. Hernandez is a pioneering leader in sustainable agriculture and biotechnology, specializing in developing climate-smart integrated food production systems for arid regions. As CEO of Tulif Holdings and founder of Tulif Future Farms, he focuses on creating innovative agricultural solutions that address critical challenges in water scarcity, soil degradation, and food security in the MENAT region. With a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from MIT and over 12 years of experience in the UAE, Dr. Hernandez brings deep expertise in desert agriculture and sustainable farming solutions.
His notable achievements include founding the halophyte plant breeding program at Masdar Institute and Khalifa University, demonstrating his commitment to advancing desert-adapted agricultural solutions. His experience in mentoring and evaluating agricultural innovation includes serving as a judge for the Climate Innovations Exchange (CLIX) Market competition and as a scientific mentor at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa). At Tulif Holdings, he leads the development of regenerative and resilient food growing solutions that combine innovative approaches to water conservation, input recycling, and waste minimization.
His expertise in both technical innovation and practical implementation enables him to provide valuable guidance to emerging entrepreneurs in regenerative agriculture.
Kevin Holliday
C3
Managing Director
Kevin is the Managing Director of C3 – Companies Creating Change, a UAE-based social enterprise enabling impact-driven entrepreneurs to become active agents of positive impact by providing access to transformative innovation and acceleration programs across the Middle East and Africa.
Kevin has over 20 years of strategy, finance, and investment experience across the globe, with broad exposure to different sectors and business models within complex and dynamic environments. He has previously held senior positions at AW Rostamani Group, OSN, Global Integrated Security, Networkers International Plc, and Euromoney Institutional Investor Plc. His strengths lie in strategic development and execution, impact investing, and social entrepreneurship.
Dr Christoph Mandl
EIT Food
Head of Corporate Venturing
Christoph heads the Corporate Venturing activities at EIT Food.
Previously, he has led the EIT Food Accelerator Network on a European level. He supported two university spin-offs specialized in urban/vertical farming & Greentech as a co-founder and worked as a consultant specialized in commercial due diligence projects for private equity firms.
He holds a PHD in Entrepreneurship from University of Hohenheim.
Mohsen Mesgaran
As an agroecologist and modeler, Dr. Mohsen Mesgaran works at the interface of agriculture, ecology, and technology, employing quantitative approaches that utilize a variety of modeling techniques, including statistical/mathematical models, physiological (crop growth) models, and machine learning (AI).
Dr Vinay Nangia
ICARDA; International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Research Leader – Soil, Water, and Agronomy
Dr. Vinay Nangia is Research Program Director – Soil, Water, and Agronomy at ICARDA. Dr. Nangia has a Ph.D. degree in Water Resources Management and two master’s degrees – first in Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering and the second in Geographic Information Science – all from the University of Minnesota, USA.
His leadership and team building skills have helped solve complex challenges to water resource management posed by climate change. He is recipient of several scientific awards and honours. He serves on FAO WASAG, UNCCD IWG on Drought, UNFCCC focal point and other high-level expert bodies.
Isabella Pirolo
Dubai Future Foundation’s (DFF)
Senior Projects Manager
Isabella Pirolo is Senior Projects Manager at the Dubai Future Foundation’s (DFF) Future Foresight and Imagination team, focusing on future-oriented research and leading work on the future of food.
She joined DFF in 2023, where she contributes to curating the Dubai Future Forum and is a member of the UAE Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. From 2020 to 2022, Isabella served as a diplomat at the European Union (EU) Delegation to Singapore, leading initiatives in digitalization, sustainability, and innovation.
She previously held policy roles for the EU in Brussels and worked on space research in the private sector from 2012 to 2014. Isabella studied law and specialized in diplomacy and international affairs.
David Ramos
Regional Head of Sustainability MENAT
David Ramos is the Acting Head of Sustainability for HSBC Bank Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. He has 18 years of working experience as a sustainability practitioner, having worked in consultancy companies linked to sectors as chemical, manufacturing and working closely with the public administration and governmental bodies.
He has also worked in a complex supply chain environment in a fashion leading multinational in Spain, where he initiated their sustainability programme. He has now worked in the Finance sector in Middle East for seven years.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Sciences by the University of Cordoba (Spain) and a Master’s Degree in International Environmental Sciences by the LUND University (Sweden).
Simon Sharp
Partner and Venture Capitalist
Simon is a Partner and Venture Capitalist at Global Ventures and a Chartered Accountant with the ICAEW, a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments.
Simon has over five years of investment experience across venture capital and corporate finance and has worked in the investment team at Committed Capital, a venture capital fund based in London which focused on early-stage technology investments.
Dr Orn Supaphol
Saudi Desert Control, Riyadh, KSA
Chief Technical Officer
Dr. Orn Supaphol, Chief Technical Officer at Saudi Desert Control, is a leading expert in soil science and sustainable agriculture.
With a background in agriculture and life sciences from Kasetsart and Newcastle University, she specializes in soil microorganisms and bioremediation. Her work focuses on transforming arid lands in the UAE and Saudi Arabia using Liquid Natural Clay (LNC) technology, improving soil health, water conservation, and agricultural productivity. She collaborates with top universities to develop innovative farming solutions for desert climates.
Recognized globally, she was named one of the Global 200 Women Power Leaders 2024 and has received accolades for her contributions to afforestation and climate resilience.
Eman Wahby
Climate Champions Team
MENA Engagement Lead
Eman Wahby brings a wealth of experience of more than 20 years in international development, public policy, multi-stakeholder partnerships, stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, localizing climate finance, green growth, and angel investing.
During 13 years of experience at the World Bank Group, she led multi stakeholder partnerships with governments, youth groups, private sector, civil society, Local Governments, bilateral donors and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). She streamlined youth and civil society engagement in projects worth more than $5 billion. She led three rounds of multi-stakeholder consultations for the preparation of World Bank’s Environment and Social Framework (ESF). At the policy level, she worked for two years with the World Bank Group’s Senior VP on SDGs global agenda in addition to mobilizing resources from donors and the private sector in East Asia and GCC for the SDG Partnership Fund.
Eman is also a seasoned angel investor and adviser with a focus on climate tech and circular startups such as biofuels, biofertilizers, plastic recycling, and renewable energy and water desalination.
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