Overview
Step into the new wave of innovation at Future Makers: The Next Era of Entrepreneurship, a forward-looking forum bringing together founders, investors, and changemakers who are redefining the startup landscape. This event explores how founders are creating opportunities using the latest technologies and how their solutions are shaping the GCC and globally.
The two-day Forum – featuring a blend of keynotes, fireside chats, panels, masterclasses, workshops and company visits – will cover:
- Current Trends – deep dives into various sectors and how AI and digital transformation are reshaping markets.
- Attraction of New Talent – why and how global elite entrepreneurs are relocating to the GCC region.
- Hot Startups & Success Stories – spotlights of emerging companies with high growth potential and inspiring paths of international scaling.
- Funding Landscape – panels addressing where capital is flowing and strategies for attracting investment.
- Global Entrepreneurship & Cross-Pollination – case studies on learning from other ecosystems and building bridges for collaboration.
Who should attend?
This forum is designed for alumni, entrepreneurs, investors, students and corporate leaders looking to navigate economic uncertainties and position their businesses for long-term success. Whether you’re an early-stage founder, a scaling startup, or an investor seeking high-growth opportunities, this event will provide critical insights, strategies, and networking opportunities.
Agenda
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Wednesday, 4 February 2026
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08:45 am - 09:30am Registration & Welcome Coffee 09:30 am - 09:45 am Opening Address
- Mark Mortensen, Associate Dean, INSEAD Middle East Campus
- Ramy Lahoud, Head of Growth, Cosmo Tech on behalf of the UAE NAA
09:45 am - 10:00 am Welcome from the local representative
- Hajar Al Ansari, Hub 71 Academia Lead
10:00 am - 10:45 am The GCC: The Latest Global VC Market
- Philip Bahoshy, CEO and Founder, MAGNiTT
10:45 am - 11:15 am Founder's View: The New Economy Financing
- Marcelo Paiva, Co-Founder, A10 Invest
- Prof. Henrich Greve, Professor of Entrepreneurship INSEAD and Academic Director of The Rudolf and Valeria Maag INSEAD Centre for Entrepreneurship
11:15 am - 12:00 pm Why Global Founders Are Heading East: The UAE’s Rising Magnetism
- Phillip White, Founder, Cloud Cycle Ltd & VP Ventures GCC
- Simon Hill, Founder & CEO, Wazoku
- Vivi Cahyadi, Co-founder & CEO, AltoVita
- Moderator: Charlie Mason, Venture Partner, Antler
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm INSEAD Immersive Learning: The Future of Entrepreneurship Education
- Florian Schloderer, Director, INSEAD Immersive Learning
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Networking Lunch 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm Building the Future: Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI
- Helen Wang, Chief AI & Data Science Officer, Apex group
- Sami Mahroum, Founder & CEO, Spark X
- Victor Abou Rahal, Serial Entrepreneur, CEO Nerovate
- Onur Kirazci, CEO, Stafio.ai
- Moderator: Ramy Lahoud, Head of Growth, Cosmo Tech
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy presentation : a broad based international financial centre 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Hub 71 presentation : a global tech ecosystem for startups located in the heart of Abu Dhabi followed by the company visit
- Shamma Helal, Hub 71 Government Lead
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm Networking Reception at Glo, Rosewood hotel
The beverages offer is provided by the NAA UAE to all registered event participants for the first hour, after which it will be self-pay.
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Thursday, 5 February 2026
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9:00 am - 9:30 am Registration & Welcome Coffee 9:30 am - 09:45 am Welcome Address
- Prof. Henrich Greve, Professor of Entrepreneurship INSEAD and Academic Director of The Rudolf and Valeria Maag INSEAD Centre for Entrepreneurship
09:45 am - 10:30 am The Risk Worth Taking: Transitioning from Corporate to Entrepreneurship
- Rim Benahmed Jourdan, Founder, Skatch
- Matteo Mantovani, CEO, Liively
- Thomas Garcia, Chief Strategy Officer, Eiqus
- Sagnik Nath, Founder, Dalil AI
- Moderator : Nisrine Khoury, Founder & CEO, Bursst
10:30 am - 11:15 am Fundraising in GCC and Beyond
- Julien Firmenich, CEO, Anaïs Ventures SA
- Shwetank Verma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Leo Capital
- Moderator : Alexander Fries, Principal, Pearson Ventures
11:15 am - 12:00pm Designing for Scale: Building Companies That Grow Without Breaking
- Marilyn Zakhour, Founder & CEO, Cosmic Centaurs
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Networking lunch 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm The New Technology Frontier: Entrepreneurship Opportunities
- Prof. Henrich Greve, Professor of Entrepreneurship INSEAD and Academic Director of The Rudolf and Valeria Maag INSEAD Centre for Entrepreneurship
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm Luxury Hospitality: Founder-Led Innovation
- Noelle Homsy, Co-Founder, ENVI Lodges
- Pallavi Dean, Founder & CEO, ROAR
- Kunal Kapoor, Founder & CEO, The Luxury Closet
- Moderator : Mimi Arnautovic Hochi, INSEAD MBA'26J
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm Coffee Break 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm INSEAD Startup Showcase
- AskViolet.AI : Nicholas Patocki-Tomas, MBA'17J
- Auptimate : Olivier Too, GEMBA'17
- Oxon Technologies, Alexandre Mahfoudh, GEMBA'27
- SHIP IQ : Pavan Yerraboina, GEMBA'26 & Elisa Minischetti, GEMBA'26
- Skatch : Rim Benahmed Jourdan, GEMBA'18
- SkillCert : Gabor Patko, MBA'01D
4:15 pm - 4:30 pm Closing Remarks
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Friday, 6 February 2026
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Optional cultural activity: Feel free to pick any of the suggested venues below and book your ticket directly on their website. If time slots are required, we encourage choosing a morning slot (10:00–11:00 AM or 11:00 AM–12:00 PM) so you can visit alongside other IEF participants.
Speakers
Registration
Register for the event on the Eventbrite website
| Early Bird (available until 11 December 2025) | Full Price | |
| Student | N/A | |
| NAA Member | ||
| NAA Non-Member | ||
| Friends of INSEAD | N/A |
Practical Information
How to get to INSEAD Middle East Campus?
Al Khatem Tower, 30th floor
ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Parking
Park at the Galleria Mall West Car Park - Levels P2, P3 or P4.
Take the lift and exit at P4.
The Al Khatem Tower will be directly in front of you on the left.
Campus access
Please carry a valid ID, as it may be required at the main reception to access the lifts.
Accommodation
We suggest booking your room in one of the hotels below, all within a walking distance to the campus :
- Four Seasons Hotel Al Maryah Island (4 min walk to the campus)
- Rosewood Hotel (2 min walk to the campus)
- Le Méridien (22 min walk to the campus)
- Hala Arjaan by Rotana (22 min walk to the campus)
- Beach Rotana (26 min walk to the campus)
Dress Code
The dress code for the INSEAD Entrepreneurship Forum is business casual.
Media, filming and photography
INSEAD will engage professional photographers for this event. We reserve the right to use any film and/or photography from the event in our print and digital marketing collateral. Attendees who do not wish to be filmed or recorded should contact us prior to the event.