Reshaping Business in Jordan

Rania Albassoumi

Program Coordinator at Startupbootcamp & Founder of Wellpreneur

With a background in Psychology and a strong focus on project management, Rania specializes in leveraging human-centred design principles to effectively manage and coordinate cross-sectoral projects and accelerators. Moreover, she excels at crafting engaging training curricula and fostering strong connections with ecosystem players.

Mutaz Majdoub

Co-Founder & CEO at GGEZ1

Mutaz is a serial entrepreneur and fintech expert with over 20 years of experience. He is a highly skilled and experienced leader with a proven track record of success. Mutaz is the founder and CEO of NUMNY, a payment and financial solutions company that specializes in electronic voucher distribution in the Middle East. He is also the co-founder and CTO of Accomplish Financial, a complete service provider of electronic payment solutions for financial institutions based in London.

Currently, Mutaz is co-founding and launching a web3 startup called GGEZ1; the startup is building a secure, scalable, and user-friendly asset-backed blockchain ecosystem to empower web3 economy in the Middle East and Africa.

Mutaz holds a post-graduate degree in Marketing from McGill University in Montreal and a post-graduate degree in Applied Information Technology from the Information Technology Institute in Ottawa.

He has a deep understanding of the fintech industry and a passion for using technology to solve real-world problems. Mutaz is also a strong advocate for financial inclusion and believes that everyone should have access to affordable and reliable financial services.

DR. BELAL MAHMOUD ALWADI

CEO of the Jordanian Association of Entrepreneurship, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at Al-Zaytoonah University

Dr. Belal Mahmoud AlWadi, An Assistant Professor at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, founder and Vice-president of the Jordanian Association for Entrepreneurship. Previously worked as a senior consultant for the global “LEVENBERT” consulting group in Singapore, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and he also worked as a lecturer in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University and a collaborating trainer for entrepreneurs at “WA'ED”., center for entrepreneurship at Aramco in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in addition to his work as a consultant for the American program “Professional Leader” with Tamkeen Foundation in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in addition to being the former deputy dean of Admission and Registration at Amman Arab University in the Kingdom of Jordan Al Hashemite, and previously worked as a senior consultant and spokesperson for the American Islamic Congress in the regional office in Cairo.

He has more than 18 years of experience in entrepreneurship and innovation. He worked in more than eight different countries, trained more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, supervised more than 350 entrepreneurial projects in the Middle East, and established dozens of entrepreneurship centers, business incubators, and business accelerators in those countries. He has received 14 international awards and honors specialized in entrepreneurship and innovation, in addition to being a permanent guest on many Arab and foreign channels and newspapers as well. He has dozens of published books and scientific research specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation. He is also a keynote speaker at most international conferences and summits in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Ahmad Al Saif

Founder & CEO at Alefredo EdTech

Ahmad and his team have successfully implemented the Alefredo Educational mission in the EdTech industry in Jordan and the MENA region. They have created a digital platform catering to students of all grades, providing educational materials, interactive mock exams, and a marketplace for academic books, including digital formats. The company has been valued at 7 digits.
Their achievements have been recognized through various national and international awards in innovation and entrepreneurship. They have received accolades from organizations such as UNDP, the Embassy of Switzerland in Jordan, and Plan International. Additionally, Ahmad and his team have been honored with the 30under30 Unicorn Award and the Social Enterprise Award in 2021.
Ahmad himself holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Jordan (2011) and an MSc in Business Administration/Marketing from the same university (2019). He has amassed 10 years of experience in the private sector, working with Izzat Marji Group and Total Jordan in the fields of renewable energy and commercial departments.
Prior to his current venture, Ahmad was the founder of Jo Drive, a carpooling application (2015 - 2018). He also has seven years of experience in the ecosystem and startup business in Jordan and the MENA region.

Razan Khatib

Digital Strategist & Co-founder of Spring Technologies

Razan Khatib is a seasoned digital strategist with a unique blend of business and technology expertise. She has over 25 years of experience in launching digital products and experiences serving clients in Jordan, the Arab Gulf, and North America. Razan co-founded Spring Technologies in 2007 and has been leading its efforts ever since.

Career History

As the Head of Strategy & Products at Spring Technologies, Razan helps large and medium-sized companies and organizations launch their engaging digital presence on the web and mobile, including Royal Hashemite Court, DCP International, Al-Nisr Al-Arabi Insurance, and Delta Insurance.

Razan co-led a team of 15 designers, engineers, and content specialists for the inception, launch, and operation of Wamda, reaching over 200k entrepreneurs in the MENA region.

In 2017, Razan established and led the consulting practice of Spring Technologies aimed at assisting founders and business leaders with their digital strategy, product strategy and management practices, user experience strategy, and roadmap planning.

Razan conducted several workshops for women-led small businesses sponsored by EBRD and Amam Ventures. She also led digital consulting engagements with OECD, ActionAid, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan.

Razan was shortlisted for the Bank Al-Etihad Businesswoman of the Year award in 2019.

Recently, Razan has ventured into podcasting by launching two Arabic podcasts. The Detour Podcast is focused on celebrating individuals with inspiring stories of change in life and careers, while 7aki Business (Business Talk), which she’s co-hosting, is focused on sharing business advice with small and medium-sized businesses in Arab communities.

Education, Certifications and Board Memberships

MSc Information Systems Specialization | Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences | Giza, Egypt

BSc Banking and Finance with a minor in Computer Science | Yarmouk University | Irbid, Jordan

Get on Board Training | Jordan Institute for Directors

Ala Hamdan

Filmmaker and Co-founder of At Films

Ala Hamdan is a film director and a visual storyteller. She studied filmmaking and screenwriting for short diplomas at NYFA. Ala is the co-founder of At Films, a media production and training company. She conducted projects with the UN, UNDP, Sadeem, LG, Adidas, Roya TV, and others. Her projects focus on social justice, uplifting causes, and valuable educational content. She also presented a TV program titled (Cinerama) on Roya channel. Her book (Muslims of the World) was an Amazon best-seller in its category 2018.

Mary Nazzal

Chairperson Landmark & Co-Founder at Nafsuna

Mary is a justice activist, qualified barrister, and advocate for conscious leadership. Recognized as one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Arab Women, she was featured on the cover of Forbes in the story "Hospitality Meets Humanity." Mary holds degrees in political science, law, investment, innovative finance, and leadership. She is the founder and chairperson of Landmark Hotel, a 5-star Jordanian brand, and co-founder of Nafsuna, a conscious living company. As host of Raw Politik, a political talk show, Mary tackles global issues and the bias of mainstream media.Mary serves on the boards of the European Legal Support Center, the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center, the Royal Film Commission, and the 2048 Foundation. She advises the British Palestine Media Center and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.A mother of three, Mary is passionate about decolonization, self-development, and liberation. She is a founding member of Impact Jordan, focused on building decolonized impact economies for the region.Her work is driven by a commitment to lasting, positive change and fostering a more just and conscious world.

Dr. Ashraf Bany Mohammed

ISSF Board Member & Associate Professor of Technology Economics, Management and Policy

Dr. Ashraf Bany Mohammed is a seasoned business consultant, executive and academician with 20+ years of senior management experience in venture building, investment, startups, innovation management, technology economics and policy with a proven track record in building organizations institutional capacity and fostering partnerships of more than (250) startups, businesses, governments institutions, and non-profit organizations in Jordan and MENA.

Dr. Bany Mohammed is proudly serving on the board of the Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund (ISSF) which is Jordan largest fund of funds of $98 Million and is currently the Senior Policy Advisor for Munib and Anglia Masri Foundation and the Executive Director of the Al-Quds Academy for Scientific Research.

Before that Dr. Bany Mohammed served as Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Jordan for more than 6 years. He was part of Jordan Economic Modernization Vision (EMV 2023-2033) and served as a board for different organizations including: Jordan Scientific Research and Innovation Fund, Al-Albayt University Center of Excellence for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Al-Ahliyya Amman University Center of Innovation and Excellence (CIE), Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II technical college and AlHussein Volunteering Award Management Committee.

Dr. Bany Mohammed is an Associate Professor of Technology Economics and Policy at the University of Jordan Business School. He earned his Ph.D. in Technology Economics, Management, and Policy from Seoul National University, along with a Master’s in Computer Information Systems and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Yarmouk University.

Walid Faza

Partner @ Novo Capital

Walid is a Partner and Chief Operating Officer of MSA Novo, one of the most active global emerging market investment firms, with holdings across MENA, Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. MSA Novo is the Emerging Markets fund of MSA Capital, a leading China based Venture Capital fund with over $2b AUM that has invested in China’s sector leaders like Meituan (last mile delivery) the Beijing Genomic Institute (gene sequencing), Didi (ride sharing), Tuijia (lodging), and YiduCloud (healthcare big data). MSA are also invested in most major private US tech companies via direct investments (eg. Uber, Palantir, Airbnb, etc) or indirect interests (eg. Stripe, SpaceX, Affirm, Wish, PostMates, Epic Games, Instacart, Lyft, NuBank, etc) through investments in the leading American venture capital funds.
Previously, Walid was a partner at Wamda Capital and managed the investments of MENA Venture Investments (MVI) investing in high growth and capital-efficient technology businesses which include some of the region’s most prominent exits such as Souq/Amazon, Yemeksepeti/Delivery Hero and Careem/Uber.
With over 14 years of experience in the region's Venture Capital industry, Walid is an advisor, to many startups and has extensive managerial and leadership roles that has helped start-ups, entrepreneurs and executives plan, build and scale businesses that are aligned with their vision to grow and excel in their markets.

Sally Abu Ali

CEO at AMAN Human Capital

Sally Abu Ali is the Founder and CEO of AMAN Human Capital, with more than 18 years of experience in Human Resource Management and Organization Development in various national, regional, and international organizations. Her expertise emphasizes employee engagement and retention plans, training, developing policies and procedures, HR startup operations, performance management, and reward management systems.

Sally's experience includes organization restructuring, designing and implementing organizational structures, manpower planning, designing, developing, and implementing training strategies and development plans. She has managed the implementation of HRMS, created and updated job descriptions, revised HR policies and procedures, and supervised the implementation of reward and recognition programs.

Rami Z. Khayyat

Founder at KCH (Khayyat Consulting House)

Rami Khayyat is a highly accomplished banking and investment professional and business consultant with over 30 years of distinguished experience spanning Islamic and conventional banking, consulting, and investment. Holding a Master's degree in Banking, Rami has played a major role in establishing and scaling business units within major banks across Jordan and the Gulf region.

As the former Deputy CEO and Chief of Corporate Banking at Safwa Islamic Bank (formerly Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank), Rami played a pivotal role in establishing and growing the bank's corporate department and portfolio from inception to over USD 1.6 billion within 14 years with one of the lowest non-performing ratios in the Jordanian banks. His visionary leadership in corporate banking earned multiple awards, including recognition for the best corporate banking performance and best corporate banking brand in the Levant by The Islamic Banker magazine and Global Brand Magazine.

Rami's career encompasses senior leadership roles at prestigious financial institutions across the region, such as the Arab National Bank in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank in the UAE. He has driven transformative initiatives in debt restructuring, corporate strategy development, and digital transformation, and has been at the forefront of introducing pioneering business products and services to corporate banking.

In 2024, Rami founded KCH (Khayyat Consulting House), a premier consultancy firm offering tailored banking, investment, and business solutions across diverse sectors, tailored to meet the unique needs of the Jordanian, Levant, and GCC markets. Leveraging his extensive regional network and profound expertise, KCH specializes in enhancing financial stability, securing competitive financing, and optimizing banking and investment opportunities and strategies.

Rami was honored with the Certificate of Excellence in Business Leadership from the BIZZ AWARDS, a prestigious global recognition from the World Confederation of Businesses (WORLDCOB), acknowledging his outstanding leadership and profound contributions to the financial sector.

Additionally, Rami has served as a part-time lecturer at the Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences and other banking institutions in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He is also an active contributor to the field of economics, publishing articles in local and international magazines and websites.

A respected member of the Federation of Arab Businessmen and the Jordanian Businessmen Association, Rami is actively involved in some governmental committees and has held numerous board positions, including chairmanships in investment, financial, industrial, and real estate companies. He has also participated in and delivered workshops at several international banking and investment conferences, focusing on credit management, corporate banking, and strategies.

Rudradeb Mitra

CEO & Founder at Omdena

Rudradeb is the Founder and CEO of Omdena, The world's biggest grassroots-driven AI development platform that has built customized AI solutions for over 300 organizations in 80+ countries. Their clients include governments, large NGOs, SMEs as well as fast-growing startups. It has also local chapters in over 90 countries where the focus is to up-skill local talents and make them ready for the new AI economy.

Amani Qaddoumi

Director of Business Development at Dar Abu Abdullah

Amani Qaddoumi is a strategic creative director and business development leader with almost two decades of experience in building brands and driving sustainable growth. As Director of Business Development at Dar Abu Abdullah, she combines design thinking, innovation, and strategic planning to create impactful programs that empower local communities, support women’s economic participation, and foster entrepreneurship. Through her work, Amani bridges creativity and business to fuel inclusive development and contribute to Jordan’s evolving economy.

Areej Al-Yousef

Senior Programme Management – Technical Cooperation Assistance, UN-ESCWA

Areej Al-Yousef is a program leader with over 18 years of experience in international development, specializing in youth empowerment, social innovation, and entrepreneurship ecosystem development. She has led major initiatives with UN and international organizations, promoting innovation, advancing national policies, and fostering public-private partnerships to support policy development, entrepreneurship, and capacity-building efforts across the Arab region.