Our 2020 Summit Speakers
Chairwoman,
Youth Policy &
CEO and Chairman of the West African Development Bank (BOAD)
Mohamed G. Kafafy holds a PhD in Engineering Management, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), MBA, Master of Science (MSc) and BSc in Mechanical Engineering with honor. As well as Certifications such as: Certified Quality Director, Certified International Arbitrator, Certified Supply Chain Expert and Certified Management Consultant (CMC). Also, He holds fellowships of the: American Academy of Project Management, International Association of Engineers, American Association of Higher Education, Institute of Business Development, and Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC) as well as recognized Member of Accreditation Council for Business School Programs (ACBSP). In December 2010 Dr. Mohamed Kafafy received the US President’s Award from the President Barack Obama and in 2015 Appreciation Award from WAFUNIF Official United Nations Organization. Distinguished Professor awards from San Juan De La Cruz University and Azteca University. Honorary Doctor of Science awards from Newport University and St-Clements University for Outstanding Achievements to Energy & Sustainable Development.
Dr. Kafafy has international reputation as an expert with over 25 years of experience; he offers both an academic and practical approach to energy & sustainable development, through his operational and managerial experience in different industries and as an educator and consultant of several governmental, non-governmental, academic, and corporations around the world.
New Zealand
Ramiro Cavazos is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Previously, he served as the President & CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for 10 years. He has a strong expertise in economic
development, having served as the Director of Economic Development for the City of San Antonio, Director of Research and Economic Development for the University of Texas Health Science Center, and as the Global Public Affairs Manager for the Levi Strauss Company and Foundation for the Texas, Mexico, and Latin America Region. Ramiro has a Masters of Public Administration from St. Mary’s University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. A native of Weslaco in the Rio Grande Valley, he is a 7th generation Texan. Ramiro and his wife Christa are parents of two boys, 14 and 11 years-old.
President & CEO, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Leader in Commanding Three NASA Space Missions,
Founder of International
Brand, Aracely Quispe
Neira (AQN),
Leader in STEM Programs
Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.
Liberia
Susannah Streeter is a leading broadcaster and financial commentator who has anchored flagship business news programmes on TV and radio and hosted major summits, conferences and events around the world. Renata graduated in International Relations from Unisinos, Brazil, and currently works as a Political Analyst at the British Consulate-General in Rio de Janeiro, where she also serves as Chair of the UK Network's Women's Association.
Susannah is a hugely popular host and moderator, who has worked with governments, banks and other organisations, focusing on international business themes and challenges. Specialist topics include Business, the Environment, Digital Disruption, the Royal Air Force and Women in Business and the Armed Services.
As a senior investment and markets analyst, commentator and former business journalist, Susannah is a knowledgeable and highly-skilled interviewer who has quizzed leading business figures, politicians, entrepreneurs and economists on radio and TV, over 17 years at the BBC, and at live events.
Susannah is a fluent French speaker. While hosting the World Green Economy Summit in Dubai, she interviewed former President Francois Hollande in French and she has moderated major conferences in France as well as bilingual events in her role as UK representative for NATO’s Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers.
Prior to specialising in business news, Susannah was a regular face on BBC Breakfast, reporting live from across the UK. She also reported for the consumer affairs programme Working Lunch and the BBC Budget programme.
Between 1997 and 2007, Susannah served in the RAF Reserve, joining 7644 Squadron, a media operations unit, where she rose to the rank of Squadron Leader.
US Department of Energy (DOE)
Laura Van Wie McGrory has been promoting energy efficiency policies and programs across the globe for more than two decades. She is VP of Strategic Initiatives at the Alliance to Save Energy, where she manages the Alliance’s Active Efficiency programs and coordinates the EE Global Alliance. Laura previously worked with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory supporting U.S. appliance standards rulemakings and LBNL’s international programs. Prior to that, Laura worked with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to produce several climate change mitigation reports. She also has consulted with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Bank and has published numerous reports and articles related to international energy efficiency. Laura has a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master of international environmental policy from Columbia University.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
- Twitter: The Alliance to Save Energy: @ToSaveEnergy
- Hashtags:
- #EEGlobal
- #EEGA
- #energyefficiency
- #BuildBackBetter
VP for Strategic Initiatives, Alliance to Save Energy
Moubarak MOUKAILA has been working in BOAD since 2008. After working closely to the BOAD’s President Personal Assistant for three (03) years and launching the BOAD carbon initiative in July 2008, he worked in the finance engineering department and mobilized resources for large scale projects across the West African Economic and Monetary Union region. In 2014, he joined Regional Collaboration Center (RCC) Lome to help the team in the effort to assist BOAD to mobilize more efficient financing for project in the region. He is now since January 2018 the team lead of RCC Lome where he is working closely with the BOAD to develop tools and instruments for the financing of NDC and sustainable development goals.
Regional Coordinator for Africa, West African Development Bank (BOAD)
Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson was appointed to the Arizona Corporation Commission by Governor Doug Ducey in May of 2019. She is the first Latina to serve in a statewide seat in the state of Arizona.
Lea has been an entrepreneur in our community for many years and served as the President/ CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber from 2009 until November of 2018. The Tucson Hispanic Chamber serves the business community in the bilingual, bi-cultural region of the Arizona-Sonora border and was recognized as the Hispanic Chamber of the Year in 2013 by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Lea is proud to have won a four-way primary race for Congress in Arizona Congressional District 2 in 2018. Prior to her leadership at the Chamber, she previously served as the Executive Director for Greater Tucson Leadership (GTL) from 2005 to 2009 and owned and operated a Business Brokerage Firm from 2005 to 2009 and a chain of six gasoline stations / convenience stores with 50 employees from 1998 to 2005 in the Tucson region.
Lea has been appointed to serve on the Arizona Judicial Council which advises the Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Finance Authority, the state’s bonding authority. She chairs the Board of Directors of Carondelet’s St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Hospitals in Tucson and is the former Chair of the Pima Association of Governments’ Economic Vitality Committee. She serves on the Boards of the University of Arizona Foundation and the Pima County Workforce Investment Board and is the President of the National Association of Women Business Owners in Tucson. She also serves on the national Small Business Development Council advisory board for the U.S Small Business Administration.
She received her undergraduate degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona, and her Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. She resides in Tucson and is married with two children.
Mike J. Masoud is an internationally known expert in the anti-corruption field and leads The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) business and initiatives in the Middle East and Africa. He is a senior instructor and researcher for The AACI in the fields of internal control, governance, and corruption prevention methodologies.
Mr. Masoud is the co-founder and managing director of BZ Consulting International, an advisory and training firm specializing in internal control, anti-fraud and corruption, corruption risk management and fraud and corruption examination. He has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of the corruption investigation, auditing, and anti-corruption advisory.
He has extensive experience with an international auditing firm and has consulted worldwide, helping corporations investigate allegations of corruption, and served as a litigation consultant working with attorneys representing shareholders in complex court cases involving serious allegations of corporate fraud, improper financial reporting, and economic crimes.
Advising many public, private, and non-profit organizations in the Middle East and Africa, Mr. Masoud brings financial expertise, a strong understanding of strategy and risk, and detailed regional and international insights into anti-corruption ethics and compliance.
As he is a frequent speaker at anti-corruption related conferences in the Middle East and Africa, his core research and advisory is directly related to internal control, corruption prevention, corporate governance, and mechanisms of decision making.
He graduated from Pittsburg State University, KS-USA in December 2000 with distinction holding MBA and majoring in accounting. He passed the CPA exam in California in May 2001 with distinguished scores. Besides, he is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Anti-Corruption Manager (CACM).
Dr Karl Vella is a lawyer from Malta with over 10 years’ experience in sustainable development, particularly in climate change, energy and environment issues, with substantial experience in government and business interfaces.
He joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in Geneva in January 2018, and is part of the Climate and Energy Team, where he leads the work on climate change policy and engagement, including the organization’s climate strategy towards the UN climate change process.
Karl coordinates the development of WBCSD’s climate policy messages in collaboration with WBCSD’s member companies as well as the various teams across the organization. He is also the lead focal point for WBCSD to We Mean Business, within which WBCSD coordinates the international policy work on behalf of the coalition.
Prior to joining WBCSD, Karl worked for “Eurelectric - the Union of the Electricity Industry” (Brussels), the Government of Malta’s Permanent Representation to the European Union (Brussels), and the Cabinet of the Maltese Minister for Climate Change, where he led the Maltese delegation to the UNFCCC for several years.
He has lived in several cities, including Malta, Rome, Sydney, Vienna, Edinburgh, Brussels and now Geneva.
Dr. Hussein Abaza is currently the Senior Advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Environment. Prior to holding this position he has worked for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from 1982 up to 2009. During his tenure with UNEP he was responsible for formulating and overseeing the implementation of
the UNEP Economics and Trade Programme, led the team which conceptualized and launched the UNEP Green Economy initiative in October 2008, and
functioned as the Special Assistant to the Executive Director of UNEP. Positions while at UNEP also
included Chief of the Economic and Trade Branch, Coordinator of the Committee of International Development Instituitons on the Envrionment (CIDIE), and Coordinator of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). Founded the Centre for Sustainable Development Solutions (CSDS) in 2011 with the main objectives of promoting green economy and sustainable development, with particular focus on Egypt and the Middle East. The Centre aims at achieving its objectives through technical support, research, training,
community based activities, and public awareness campaigns. As an Advisor to the then Minister of Planning, Follow-up and Administrative Reform and Head of the Sustainable Development Team launched in 2018 a process for revising and updating the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy for Egypt.
Prior to joining UNEP, functioned as Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Physical and Urban Planning project in Saudi Arabia, Managing Director of the Center of Planning and Architecture in Cairo, Egypt, and Director of the Islamic Investment company, Central and Northern Region, Saudi Arabia. Apart from functioning as the Senior Advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Environment, he is currently a Fellow of the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and a member of the Environment Council of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
During the course of his professional career he provided technical assistance and supported country projects in
Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Projects aimed at strengthening national capacities to conduct integrated
assessment as a tool to integrate environment and social considerations in macroeconomic and secotral policies,
develop a package of policy measures, including economic instruments for implementing mutually supportive
environmental, social, and economic policies. He also participated and delivered keynote statements and attended a series of national, regional and international workshops and events on sustainable development and "Green
Economy". Meetings and workshops were convened in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Florence, Hamburg, Islamabad, Marrakech, Rabat, Qatar, and Tunisia.
During his long and extensive professional life he worked as a consultant/advisor for a number of international organizations, including the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the European Union (EU), Plan Blue, the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM), the Arab Forum for
Environment and Development (AFED), the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), and the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ), SWEEP-Net, SWITCH-Med programme, and the League of Arab States.
He prepared and contributed to a series of publications on environmental and integrated assessment, the interface
between trade and environment, valuation of environmental and natural resources, the use of economic instruments for environmental management, and the Green Economy for the Arab Region, and manuals on sustainable development, integrated policy making, environmental assessment, green economy, environmental economics, and trade and environment.
Egyptian Minister of Environment
Founder, Kitchen Connections (USA)
Global Policy Lead Climate Change and Resilience, CARE International
Chief engineer (Energy Consultant)
Date of Birth : March 11 ,1969
Ministry of Electricity - Iraq
Pos. Now : Director of Quality, Information and Development.
Maintenance , operation and planning engineer in power plants for 20 years and still in Ministry of Electricity – Iraq .
Planning and Procurement Engineer for World Bank projects in Iraq .
Planning and Procurement Engineer for Japanese International Cooperation Agency JICA projects in Iraq.
Interested in spreading the culture of renewable energy throughout the Arab region and manages many sites on the social networks in this regard and writing various articles and attend conferences and exhibitions regarding energy and renewable energy solutions. Giving lectures and participating in research in the field of renewable energy. have training certificates in the management of energy projects from Japan, Denmark Germany, Italy, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt (renewable energy) and the World Bank , UNDP.
Eng. Mohammed Alkaff
Eng. Mohammed is a Tech savvy IT Engineer, with a big passion to make the earth a better place to live.
After more than 16 years of experience in cutting edge technologies like AI, and Intelligent Networks, as part of his social responsibility he is always dedicating most of his time to bring the best technology practices and solutions to the region.
Eng. AlKaff began his career as an Intelligence Network Engineer, his portfolio included being theManaging Partner of Netaq for E-Solutions, Co-Founder of Wershaty, Technology and businessconsultant with Great Mindz, Co-Founder of UI Ventures and SasTech Green Energy UAE. Currently serves as the BMI Technology Group CEO, and MCPM MENA CO-Founder.
He is a serial Entrepreneur and Co-founded a couple of startups. He also loves to do voluntary mentorship and consultancy for several startups..
<strong>Conor Colwell</strong> is Co-founder of Liquidstar - Conor initially worked in film, shooting the first High Definition feature documentary in an active war zone, and developing commercial projects for the likes of Coca-Cola and BMW Designworks. Next he moved to Hong Kong to work for one of the world's leading independent macro investment research firms, focusing on long term implications of automation and alternative energy. Co-founding Chain of Things in 2016, as one of the first companies focused on blockchain & IoT, he is now focused on leveraging distributed technologies for positive environmental, humanitarian, and industrial applications. Most recently, Conor worked on Blockpass, a Chain of Things JV, focused on self-sovereign ZKP identity for regulated industries and the Internet of Everything.
Co-founder,
Liquidstar
Xiaoning is the founder of Viva la Vida, Forbes 30 under 30 China, Sherpa of G20 Young Entrepreneur Alliance China, Vice President of APEC Voices of the Future China, Education and outreach consultant of World Federation of United Nations Association, and Global Shaper of World Economic Forum.
Viva la Vida is a global community with influence in 50+ countries where people share their authentic stories through art, explore the purpose of life, and form genuine connections with others. It aims at building the largest art and humanity database and has partnered with organizations including UN, Facebook, ByteDance, China Unicom, Vanke, G20 YEA, etc.
As one of the 30 people who got admitted to Minerva Schools of KGI, described as the university "harder to get into than Harvard", Xiaoning has traveled and lived in more than 30 countries in the past five years. She has a registered patent when she's a high school student, and was awarded as "Goldman Sachs scholar" during her sophomore year. She was invited two years in a row to attend the APEC Voices of the Future program and G20 YEA Summit, representing millions of Chinese youth. Xiaoning double majored in natural sciences and business. Vicki Chandler, the science advisor to President Obama, is her academic advisor.
Founder and CEO of Viva la Vida
Mohammed Bakhreiba is an IT Engineer, has honor degree from University of Phoenix in Master of Information Systems.
Bakhreiba is a serial social and cultural entrepreneur, innovationist who promotes innovation for effective dialogue and bridging the gap between diverse communities. He started Call of Culture as an innovative culture dialogue project in Napoli - Italy, Sept 2011 in Jun 2013 the project turned as a sustained social enterprise with an office in Washington DC and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Call of Culture has 3 different divisions Content creation, Events and business incubation programs (Alhalimon – The dreamers).
Bakhreiba is a youth representative to the United Nations, a former member of the Youth Steering Committee at the Department of global communicaiton at the UN, member of Sustained Development Goals and Strategy Policy Development committee at the United Nation that developed the 2030 Global Agenda and a member of the International Peace Day organizing committee at the UN and the International Peace Cities program. Bakhreiba is also a member of Give1Project - Future Leadership that is hosted by the White House and State Department of the United States of America. Former Editor in Chief for Arabica Coffee Magazine and Call of Culture Magazine. Bakhreiba is the Founder for Week of Coffee annual event developed in partnership with the diplomatic mission of Italy in Saudi and Fragrance (Niche perfume event, in partnership with French Cultural Service and Collaboration). Bakhreiba was named on @SaudiArabia an official social media account for the new faces of Saudi Arabia.
Social Media Handle: @mohdbakh (on Tiwtter, IG, and Snapchat).
Quratulain Tejani is a Karachi-based freelance journalist, blogger, content producer, and media entrepreneur and has been working with young community journalists to uncover stories of resilience, peace, and co-existence from the communities of Karachi. She is the Strategy & Communications Director at The School of Writing where she co-founded and is currently the Managing Editor of The Big Picture Pk, a citizen journalism portal carrying hyper-local stories on people, culture, and society. She has written on the environment, gender, youth inclusion, and freedom of expression and also contributes to Global Voices.
She is also serving as a Youth Representative to UNDGC and has previously served as a member of the Youth Sub-committee for the 68th UN Civil Society Conference and moderated conversations on various themes. She co-founded the International Youth Conference, a global platform hosting dialogues and working on youth inclusion in policies and in brainstorming innovative solutions for sustainable development.
Quratulain is currently enrolled in NYU’s MA in Journalism program and aspires to become a full-time environmental journalist for renowned media outlets.
Olumide IDOWU is an energetic, and strategic leader who balances a practical view of competing for development interests with a passion for environmental protection and conservation. His knowledge of environmental issues is broad and multi-faceted. What makes him stand out among his peers is his ability to effectively engage and interest a great cross-section of individuals in environmental issues by building solid relationships, writing articles, contributing to working groups, and leveraging social media platforms.
A resolute self-driven professional with nine years’ progressive experience in project management, business development, sales & marketing, campaign specialist, social media strategy, environmental sustainability, climate change, digital marketing & facilitation. He enjoys working at the intersection of corporate sectors, media, development, technology, and entertainment. Experience in working and managing teams with diverse multicultural/national backgrounds. Given his dedication to development, he has been instrumental in the development of other businesses, sectors, companies, social change initiatives, serving as a volunteer, mentor, and strategist.
He is the co-founder of the International Climate Change Development Initiative (ICCDI Africa), Youth Focal Point Nigeria UNDP Small Grant Program, Youth Lead Author Global Environmental Outlook (GEO6) & Communication Director for African Youth Initiative on Climate Change.
Rosleny Ubiñasis the Youth Representative of the Baha’is of the United States to the United Nations. In her work, she strives to build unity and higher levels of consensus for the betterment of society in the discourse areas of gender equity, race unity and meaningful youth participation through a spiritual and moral lens. Rosleny was part of the planning committees for various conferences: 62nd, 63rd and 64th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations 67th United Nations DPI/NGO Conference and 68th Civil Society Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is serving her second term as Chair of the UN Department of Global Communications Youth Representatives Steering Committee.
Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Rosleny spends her free time animating the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program with youth from the area learning together to grow their moral and spiritual qualities through conducting service projects that uplift, engage, and improve their communities.
is the Executive Director of the International Youth Leadership Institute (IYLI). She is an advocate for improving access to opportunities that enhance the lives of youth, people of African descent, and indigenous people worldwide.
A proud IYLI alumna, Jadayah became an IYLI fellow in 2010 and traveled on the 2011 Summer Fellowship Program to Tanzania. She subsequently served in various roles, including being an IYLI volunteer, an IYLI board member, and an IYLI group leader (Brazil SFP 2013).
She has served on several international and local boards, including her work as a Co-Chair of the UN DGC/CSO Youth Representative Steering Committee, and on the New York City Young Women’s Advisory Council which addresses policy issues that directly affect young women of color in New York City, and which has received $20 million in funding to implement policy recommendations.
Jadayah started her undergraduate education at age 16 as a Dean's Scholar at New York University, where she majored in anthropology and double-minored in Social Entrepreneurship and Mandarin Chinese. Jadayah is a born-and-raised Brooklynite, and recipient of several fellowships including StartingBloc, and has been recognized as one of 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in the NYC Non-Profit Sector by New York Nonprofit Media. She loves world travel, meaningful conversations, and dissecting rap lyrics.
Dr. Bassem Nassouhy is the General Manager of Scientific Business Solutions Group of Environmental Consulting and Sustainability Consultancies in the GCC and the Arab Republic of Egypt based in the United Arab Emirates, he is also a Chief Advisor Alternative Fuel & Alternative Raw Material as well as his advisory roles including Environmental Consultant for FNRC (Fujairah Government – UAE), SREE Advisory board member at Sharjah University and others.
SBS offer high quality tailored waste and sustainability solutions and waste to resources services with sister companies all over the GCC. SBS has the ability to create out of the box solutions and new initiatives in various fields including sustainability, waste management, alternative fuel, alternative raw material, H&S, and environment with proven track records including tens of recognized projects particularly for multinational companies located in GCC and Egypt.
For 10 years before March 2016, Dr. Bassem used to lead various positions within LH, e.g Geocycle, a member of the international LafargeHolcim Group, including the senior manager of Business Development, Quality, HSE, and Operations. He worked as an expert within the company responsible for reuse waste generates of various industries as an alternative fuel and raw material for Lafarge Emirates Cement factory, he used to be the head of quality, environmental, occupational safety and health departments at the company's various locations in the United Arab Emirates.
Prior to that, he served as manager of the Occupational Safety, Health, Environment and Fire Protection Department of Lafarge Emirates Cement (Lafarge-Holcim group) in the United Arab Emirates for 4 years.
Prior to joining the Lafarge Group, Dr. Bassem served as manager of Environment, Operation, Quality, Occupational Safety and Health departments at several major international companies including Orascom Construction, EDF électricité du France, Korea Smile Company, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency.
Dr. Bassem received various scientific degrees, including a PhD in the management of environmental, occupational safety and health systems, as well as an MBA and a diploma in in industrial pollution control and environmental management from Japan.
He has also received several credits as a consultant and international trainer accredited in several areas of management, environment, health, and safety from major institutes and universities in Japan, France, Egypt and the United States of America as well as international credits from the US Department of Labor and the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Dr. Bassem has provided consulting services for many well-known private companies and government authorities, and has published several publications and presentations at international conferences.
Eng. Maha Mostafa who works in the Electricity & Energy Sector in Egypt Since January 1986 and currently Undersecretary of State for Research, Planning & International Cooperation in Ministry of Electricity & Renewable Energy.
Eng. Maha works with the International Financing Banks /Organizations and International agencies and the development partners to support the Ministry of Electricity &Renewable energy and its affiliated companies &Authorities in funding its strategic projects and the Restructuring of the Electricity sector through Loans or grants to finance different projects financing schemes and the preparation of MOUs, Agreements of financing these projects.
Eng. Maha leads the International cooperation department at the Ministry in the negotiation process with the International; development partners (bilateral & trilateral cooperation in order to provide the required financing for the Electricity sector projects and she has participated in reviewing the Energy Sector Strategy up to 2035 and representing the Ministry in several conferences on Electricity &Renewable Energy and also she leads the African Affairs department to support the cooperation and technical assistance with All African countries.
Eng. Maha has appointed since May, 2018 as the Executive chairwomen for the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) and she appointed since November, 2018 as the Egyptian Manager for the High level German –Egyptian Joint committee for Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Climate protection (JCEE) and she has been worked as the procurement officer about 20 years in the Electricity sector and also, Since 2013 she is the Head of the equal opportunities unit at the Ministry of Electricity &Renewable Energy as the focal point with the Women National Council.
Eng. Maha background is Electrical Power Engineer, Cairo University and she has obtained MBA Master Degree from Victoria University in Switzerland.
Michelle Aguwa is a Senior Vice President at Med, Inc, a leading global medical logistics firm, where she is responsible for Global Partnerships. MedLoSo’s offerings include medical supplies and consulting services to nations, local municipalities, hospitals and an array of medical organizations to drive productivity, profitability and growth. By creating unparalleled global access to safe healthcare, MedLoSo’s goal is to improve health outcomes by directing medical supplies to areas of need and offering proactive healthcare thought leadership.
Prior to MedLoSo, Michelle built her career focused on women’s physical and mental health, which included increasing access to quality affordable care and rewriting generational patterns to empower autonomy.
Michelle is an alum of Michigan State University.
Mohammad Asim is a Dubai Real EstateSpecialist who is the top performer of sale and re-sale transactions at Metropolitan Premium
Properties. He has been in Dubai since 2010
that gave him an opportunity to gain vast
experience and knowledge of the local market
that is so rare to find at these times.
Bekhruz Nurnazarov is a Dubai Real Estate Expert and Sales Manager at Metropolitan Premium Properties where he manages a team of property consultants. He is known for his statistics-driven approach to the real estate industry and the provision of comprehensive investment appraisal, risk management, and capital budgeting. He is the graduate of Masters of Science in Economics, who came to Dubai, UAE as a tourist back in 2013; falling in love and seeing a huge potential in the local property market, he joined and has been doing real estate activities ever since.
José L. Pérez is co-founder, President and CEO of Hispanics In Energy, a national non-profit organization since 2012 designed to drive Hispanic inclusion in America’s all the above energy industry. He has convened energy policy forums in Washington D.C., Illinois, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Minnesota, Ohio, Washington D.C., Arizona and California. It is headquartered in Sacramento, CA.
In collaboration with the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Hispanics In Energy received approval for a Resolution to encourage state utility commissions to connect utility executives with executives of Hispanic Serving Institutions in their state to increase Latino energy STEM graduates.
Pérez is also owner and publisher of the Latino Journal (Founded in 1996), a non-partisan media company which provides an independent analysis of public policy and government from a Latino perspective. The Latino Journal celebrated its 24 years in business in 2020 with its popular Latino Leaders Reception. Through the publication, Jose built strong national relationships with elected and appointed public officials at the federal, state and local levels.
He has created and led several non-profits such as the National Utilities Diversity Council (NUDC), the California Utilities Diversity Council (CUDC), and Energy Utilities Diversity Council. He is a leader in the Hispanic chamber circles including former vice-chair of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, president of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and board member of the Latin Business Association of Los Angeles.
He has a bachelor’s degree in government from California State University, Sacramento and a certificate on corporate governance from the Graduate School of Business at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. He resides in Eagan, MN but a long-time resident of California and born and raised in Texas.
José L. Pérez is co-founder, President and CEO of Hispanics In Energy, a national non-profit organization since 2012 designed to drive Hispanic inclusion in America’s all the above energy industry. He has convened energy policy forums in Washington D.C., Illinois, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Minnesota, Ohio, Washington D.C., Arizona and California. It is headquartered in Sacramento, CA.
In collaboration with the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Hispanics In Energy received approval for a Resolution to encourage state utility commissions to connect utility executives with executives of Hispanic Serving Institutions in their state to increase Latino energy STEM graduates.
Pérez is also owner and publisher of the Latino Journal (Founded in 1996), a non-partisan media company which provides an independent analysis of public policy and government from a Latino perspective. The Latino Journal celebrated its 24 years in business in 2020 with its popular Latino Leaders Reception. Through the publication, Jose built strong national relationships with elected and appointed public officials at the federal, state and local levels.
He has created and led several non-profits such as the National Utilities Diversity Council (NUDC), the California Utilities Diversity Council (CUDC), and Energy Utilities Diversity Council. He is a leader in the Hispanic chamber circles including former vice-chair of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, president of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and board member of the Latin Business Association of Los Angeles.
He has a bachelor’s degree in government from California State University, Sacramento and a certificate on corporate governance from the Graduate School of Business at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. He resides in Eagan, MN but a long-time resident of California and born and raised in Texas.
Dr. Jihad Alsawair
1- Has a PhD in Environmental Science and Health from the University of Nevada-Reno, USA.
2- Worked for 11 years at the Royal Scientific Society as a senior environmental researcher.
3- Worked as a technical consultant for 2 years with the European Union to establish Ben Hayyan Aqaba International Laboratories and Aqaba Air Quality Monitoring Network.
4- Worked for 8 years in Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, among which he was the Director of Environment and Director of Ben Hayyan Laboratories.
5- Currently, he is the Technical Advisor for the Minister and the Director of Green Economy Unit at the Ministry of Environment of Jordan.
Technical Advisor for the
Minister and Director,
Green Economy Unit at the
Ministry of Environment of Jordan.
Tayde Aburto CEO of the United States Business Association of E-Commerce. Tayde holds a Bachelor's in Economics and a Master's Degree in Marketing. Tayde has demonstrated passion for promoting businesses through education, technology, and the use of the Internet as a business tool to help build more prosperous communities. Tayde is committed to helping businesses grow and compete more effectively in domestic and global markets.
CEO, the United States Business Association of
Dr. Maged Mahmoud is the Acting Executive Director, Technical Director, and Lead Renewable Energy Expert of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE). He has multidisciplinary technical expertise and a solid record of accomplishments in the fields of sustainable energy transition in the Egyptian, Arab and African arenas. Dr. Mahmoud played a key role in helping RCREEE’s 17 Arab MENA countries in the formulation of renewable energy strategies and respective implementation mechanisms for increased reliance on private sector. Dr. Mahmoud contributed to shaping concrete regional initiatives endorsed by the League of Arab States. He is continuously assisting countries to develop and execute national sustainable energy action plans, to introduce business models and instruments supporting both utility- and small-scale markets, and to assess the e socio-economic benefits of sustainable energy.
Dr. Mahmoud had served for 20 years at the Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA). Among his key achievements, he contributed significantly to setting the Egyptian RE 2022 strategy targeting 20% RE share, and in the design of the “best-fit” policies and measures for implementation. He deeply contributed to planning and contracting several hundreds megawatts of wind energy projects amounting to more than 700 million USD. Further, he participated in developing the quality infrastructure for testing solar thermal and energy efficiency systems in Egypt. Dr. Mahmoud holds the “Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research Award for Development and Innovations in Renewable Energy” since 2001. He has managed and contributed to over 40 research projects and studies in the sustainable energy fields in collaboration with national and international organizations (WB, IRENA, ESCWA, UNDP, UNEP, etc.). He is also a certified trainer and author/co-author of over 50 specialized publications and research articles.
Christoph Frei is Partner at Emerald, leading the development of the Global Energy Transformation Alliance (GETalliance). Christoph is also a Professor and advisor to the President of the Swiss Federal Technical Institute in Lausanne (EPFL) and a member of the board of the Energy Web Foundation (EWF). Prior to joining Emerald Christoph was CEO and Secretary General of the World Energy Council (WEC) for ten years and before that Senior Director and member of the Executive Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in charge of Energy for nine years.
At ease with strategic issues in the energy transformation context and recognised for his facilitation skills, Christoph regularly stimulates board and strategy meetings for leading energy and technology companies around the world and has a track record as facilitator of dialogue on behalf of governments and at international high-level events. In 2012, Christoph became a member of the high-level advisory group to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sustainable Energy for all.
Christoph received his PhD es sc. from EPFL. He holds a diploma in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in energy economics & management, a master’s degree in econometrics and a master’s degree in applied ethics. His publications cover fields including energy scenarios, innovation, energy & climate policy, global energy governance, energy-water nexus, energy access and the future of utilities. His PhD thesis was awarded with the ABB Energy Research Award 2001.
Christoph’s mother tongue is (Swiss-) German, he speaks French, English fluently as well as some Italian and Spanish.
is an international expert with 10 years of experience in climate-related finance, policy and governance. Andrea is an environmental lawyer with two master degrees in Sustainable Development and Environmental Law. She currently manages the Climate Action Program at Fundacion Avina, a Latin American Foundation that promotes sustainability through collaborative processes, helping State and Non- state actors implement their climate change commitments and access climate finance to support their climate priorities and needs.
Climate Finance Expert, AVINA
David Newman< lived in Europe and the Middle East until 2016 when he returned to the UK.
He was the Executive Director of Greenpeace Italy 1994-1997 after many years as a volunteer; from 1999 until 2014 he led the Italian composting and biogas association CIC and he led the Italian Bioplastics Association from 2011 to 2015.
From 2012 to 2016 he was President of the International Solid Waste Association in Vienna and initiated the 2015 Global Waste Management Outlook report written by ISWA and UNEP. During this time (2012-13) he was personal advisor to the Italian Minister of Environment, Andrea Orlando.
David founded and leads the Bio Based and Biodegradable Industries Association UK since 2015 whichworks to promote the bioeconomy in the UK.
He is President of the World Biogas Association since November 2016, co-author of the report Global Food Waste Management, an Implementation Guide for Cities, published in May 2018 by the WBA with C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. He also worked on the 2019 report published by WBA “The Global Potential of Biogas”.
He is a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Group at DEFRA and a chartered member of the CIWM. His book “Everything is Connected, understanding a complicated world “ has been published in September 2020.
Neil Hirst is the Senior Policy Fellow for Energy and Mitigation at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London. After being a government official in the UK, he was the Director for Technology and then the Direct for Global Dialogue at the International Energy Agency. Most recently he has been working with China’s Energy Research Institute on China’s role in international energy governance.
Mr Hirst has been the Energy Counsellor at the British Embassy in Washington and the Chairman of the G8 Nuclear Safety Working Group. He has worked on energy finance on secondment to Goldman Sachs in New York, and undertaken consultancy for the World Bank.
He is the author of The Energy Conundrum; Climate Change, Global Technology, and the Tough Decisions we Have to Take.
Mr Hirst holds a first class degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Oxford and an MBA from Cornell.
Kilder Fuentes is a Peruvian immigrant of humble origins who is a known activist and advocate for immigrants’ rights in the United States for the past 25 years.
Kilder is a business consultant with bachelor's, master's degrees and specializations obtained in well-known colleges and universities in the United States; he has specialized in microfinance, extreme poverty, international marketing, international trade, electoral strategy, and political marketing. Fuentes has solid business, professional and academic experience in the private and public sectors of the United States.
Kilder has worked as a consultant in projects funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United States Development Agency (USAID), Canadian Cooperation Agency (CIDA) and the Ministry of North American SMEs (US SBA) and Walt Disney World (Florida, USA).
Fuentes has professional experience in the Department of Education of the city of New York, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations system (UN-DESA); as well as academic researcher and adjunct professor at the City University of New York (City University of New York, USA) and Long Island University (New York, USA) among others.
In July 2006, for the first time, Fuentes achieved a proclamation of the WHITE HOUSE signed by President George W. Bush in favor of the Peruvian community in the US; and since then he has been President of Peruvian American National Council, an institution that organizes the “CELEBRATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF PERU IN WASHINGTON, DC” for 14 years, which includes events at the White House, the US Department of State, the United States Senate and Congress, the US Capitol, Arlington, National Cemetery and the Organization of American States among others prestigious venues in Washington, DC. In 2008 and 2012, Kilder Fuentes actively participated in the Barack Obama campaign as an active member of Latinos for Obama; and in 2016 he was involved with Latinos for Hillary Clinton where he supported the campaign of Hillary Clinton as a candidate for the White House for the Democratic Party.
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION Master of Science, Instructional and Educational Technology Touro College & University, New York, NY. 2015
Master of Arts/ECM, Electoral Management and Business Strategy Fordham University, Bronx, New York. 2011
Master of Arts, Political Science and International Relations Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York. 2005
Master of Business Administration, Management and International Business Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York. 2000
Bachelor of Science, International Finance and International Marketing City University of New York, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, New York. 1994
Chief Executive Officer,
Rhode Island Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce
Dennise Mejia was born in Bogota Colombia and migrated to the United States at the age of five. Dennise is a self-made serial entrepreneur and owner of various companies. In 2003, Dennise became the Founding CEO of California Physician Network LLC. A Medical Billing and a worker’s compensation litigation service to Medical providers and in 2010, she also became CEOof Donaly Express Inc. A local trucking freight service company that caters to Southern California. Currently VP Alpha Prime Consult and VP of ICBWA.
In 2012, during her personal health journey, she became an executive distributor and health and wellness coach with the Yoli Better Body System—a wellness program for all ages.
• Dennise is a dedicated civic leader in her local community and was appointed as a State Delegate for the Democratic State Committee where she serves as part of the Electoral College. She is a past founder of the Chicano Latino Immigrant Democratic Club of Los Angeles County. She is a current member of Kiwanis International and Past Vice President of the National Latina Business Women Association – Los Angeles. Co- Founder and Vice President of ICBWA International Cannabis Business WomenAssociation and Board Member with the multiple Chambers of commerce Such the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Panorama City and Granada Hills chambers of Commerce. Nominated in 2019 By LA Style Magazine Entrepreneur of the year.Recognition by Mayor Eric Garcetti, Senator Jimmy Gomez, Senator Susan Rubio, Assemblywomen Blanca Rubio, Congresswomen Nannette Barragan. Currently active Advisory Board of NLBWA-CA, Advisory Board of Nosotros.org, Advisory Board Latino Coalition of Los Angeles and Advisory Board AME Alliance of Multicultural Entrepreneur’s.
She prides herself on developing meaningful working relationships to help build her communities. She has passion to Mentor and Empower Leadership in her communities and any opportunity with Millennials. She is a life learner and believes in always seeking personal growth at every stage of life.
Dennise is a mother of two beautiful children and currently resides in San Fernando Valley.
A Community leader Mentor,
Business Consultant and
Entrepreneur
Kofi Adu Domfeh is a multiple award-winning Development Journalist, Media Trainer, Climate Reality Leader and Global Goodwill Ambassador.
He is currently a Regional Bureau Editor at Media General Ghana, leading a team to provide compelling editorial and news content for TV, Radio and Online.
He is also the Ghana Bureau Chief of Africa Climate Reports, a leading African online newspaper focused on climate change, environment and sustainable development.
His reporting assignments span news, feature and documentary projects in Cameroon, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, UAE, Uganda, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
He is a two-time recipient of the African Climate Change and Environment Reporting (ACCER) Award.
Domfeh founded the Climate Livelihoods and Agriculture Platform (CLAP Gh) as a unique collaborative platform for all interest groups to gather, share knowledge and take action on climate, landscape and agriculture.
Chief of Staff,
Ms. Aneta Nikolova is an Environmental Affairs Officer and Engineer of the Environment and Development Policy Section, Environment and Development Division, UN ESCAP. Ms. Aneta Slaveykova Nikolova has a rich professional experience in sustainable development policy analysis, advocacy, capacity development and technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Ms. Nikolova has broad educational background with degrees in Scientific Information Management, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (Engineer) and European Politics and Administration.
Ms. Nikolova led an Asia-Pacific regional capacity development on green growth (2005 to 2014), including LCGG e-learning course, championed an integrated approach to SDGs and for integration of the SDGs into national planning (2015-today) all available on the SDG Help Desk and e-Learning platform at https://sdghelpdesk.unescap.org. Currently, Ms Nikolova is leading the review and implementation of NDCs in the region, and capacity support for GHG emissions inventories and Paris Agreement reporting, including addressing greener post-COVID-19 recovery.
Ms. Aneta Nikolova is an Environmental Affairs Officer and Engineer of the Environment and Development Policy Section, Environment and Development Division, UN ESCAP. Ms. Aneta Slaveykova Nikolova has a rich professional experience in sustainable development policy analysis, advocacy, capacity development and technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Ms. Nikolova has broad educational background with degrees in Scientific Information Management, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (Engineer) and European Politics and Administration.
Ms. Nikolova led an Asia-Pacific regional capacity development on green growth (2005 to 2014), including LCGG e-learning course, championed an integrated approach to SDGs and for integration of the SDGs into national planning (2015-today) all available on the SDG Help Desk and e-Learning platform at https://sdghelpdesk.unescap.org. Currently, Ms Nikolova is leading the review and implementation of NDCs in the region, and capacity support for GHG emissions inventories and Paris Agreement reporting, including addressing greener post-COVID-19 recovery.
Aneta Nikolova
Environmental Affairs Officer and Engineer of the Environment and Development Policy Section, Environment and Development Division, UN ESCAP
Said El Massadyani Moroccan, 30 years old, holder of a bachelor's degree in private law and also a master's degree in administrative litigation. temporary professor of administrative law.
Associative activist founder of the association (AFID) and arbitrator within the court of appeal in Tetouan / Morocco. international arbitrator in several arbitration centers. legal advisor within the study and research center (CERCIGOD).
As Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development, Allen Gutierrez is dedicated to enhancing the nationwide network of offices, business executives, and mentors that support current and aspiring business owners as they start, grow, and compete in today’s global market. This nationwide network includes the following Resource Partners: Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE.
Most recently, Gutierrez served as the national executive director of The Latino Coalition. Under his leadership, the coalition grew to include 1.2 million Hispanic business owners and over 90 coalition partners, transforming TLC into one of the nation’s largest and most effective Latino advocacy groups.
Gutierrez previously served in the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2001 to 2006.
Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Gutierrez immigrated to California in 1974. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Southern California.
Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development,
English
Afrikaans
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bengali
Bosnian
Bulgarian
Catalan
Cebuano
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Esperanto
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
French
Frisian
Galician
Georgian
German
Greek
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hindi
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Igbo
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Javanese
Kannada
Kazakh
Khmer
Korean
Kurdish (Kurmanji)
Kyrgyz
Lao
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Malayalam
Maltese
Maori
Marathi
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi
Romanian
Russian
Samoan
Scottish Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhala
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish
Sudanese
Swahili
Swedish
Tajik
Tamil
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Xhosa
Yiddish
Yoruba
Zulu