GIST I Dare - Web Version

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale
June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE
Implemented by CRDF Global
Funded by the U.S. Department of State

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WELCOME MESSAGE WELCOME MESSAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME MESSAGE AGENDA 3 5 8 12 17 20 24 27 28 30 32
Ms. Cathleen Campbell President and Chief Executive Officer CRDF Global Dear Colleagues and Friends, CRDF Global and the GIST Initiative are pleased to be a part of this event which celebrates innovation, recognizes entrepreneurship and supports the development of the next generation of business leaders. Through the I Dare business plan competition, GIST solicited the applications of entrepreneurs from more than 40 nations, detailing their ideas for technology innovation. Over the next few days, GIST I Dare finalists will compete for $100,000 and immersive opportunities to advance their businesses. GIST looks forward to the program and awards ceremony, and the active participation of 10 budding entrepreneur teams from four countries. Together with our partner, MIT-EF of the Pan Arab region, we are offering a platform to enrich the lives of todays young entrepreneurs by helping them gain the skills and resources needed to turn their ideas into actions. CRDF Global and GIST believe that through collaborations in such high level events, we can contribute to creating a global culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. I would like to welcome you to this event and invite you to learn more about CRDF Global and the GIST Initiative on our website: www.crdfglobal.org Sincerely,
GIST I DARE FINALISTS
MIT-EF OF THE PAN ARAB REGION FINALISTS GIST INITIATIVE ADVISORY GROUP BIOS SPEAKERS, MENTORS & JUDGES BIOS ORGANIZERS BIOS UPCOMING EVENTS GIST IN THE NEWS
CRDF GLOBAL INNOVATION PROGRAMS GIST PARTNERS

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WELCOME MESSAGE WELCOME MESSAGE

WEDNESDAY - JUNE 27, 2012
08.30-09.00 09.00-09.30 Registration Welcome Remarks Ovidiu Bujorean, Innovation Program Manager, CRDF Global Hala Fadel, Chair, MIT-EF Pan Arab 09.00-10.00 Team Building
AGENDA AGENDA
This session will provide finalists valuable insights on how to recruit founders, advisory board members, and experts for 10.00-10.15 10.15-11.15 11.15-12.00 12.00-13.00 13.00-15.00 15.00-15.15 15.15-18.45 their new ventures. Scott Gillespie, Commercialization Partner, T2VC Coffee Break Go to Market Strategy This session will provide finalists practical tools to design and implement a go to market strategy. Scott Gillespie, Commercialization Partner, T2VC How to Pitch to Investors This session will provide finalists with tips to identify the right investors for their startup and techniques for pitching to them. James Chan, Principal, Neoteny Labs Networking Lunch One-on-One Mentorship Finalists will meet with their mentor to discuss their venture and improve their pitch. Coffee Break Practice Pitch Group Groups will be composed of 2 teams and one mentor. Finalists will practice their pitch and receive feedback from the group. GIST Transformers Brainstorming Session During this session mentors and finalists will discuss how to build a GIST Transformer community for mutual support and knowledge exchange.
Welcome to the GIST I Dare business plan competition Finalist Event and Award Ceremony. As President Obama said, We believe entrepreneurs can create jobs that fortify relationships between countries, build global markets, and help fulfill the dreams of all who desire the freedom to make of their lives what they will. The GIST I Dare competition highlights the potential of entrepreneurs worldwide to facilitate the creation of high-impact technology startups. GIST I Dare is an important part of the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative which implements a network of programs that identifies, trains, and connects young innovators. GIST provides the mentorship, seed funding, and market exposure needed for young entrepreneurs to succeed. GIST is supported by the U.S. Department of State and I am delighted that we can create technology entrepreneurship role models through activities like the GIST I Dare Finalist event. Congratulations to all of the participants and best wishes on growing your startups into businesses that have strong economic and societal impact.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones Assistant Secretary The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
17:15-18:45
THURSDAY - JUNE 28, 2012

08.30-12.00 12:30-13:30 14.00-17.00 19.00-23:00 Venture Pitching Session Finalists will pitch to a panel of experienced angel investors, serial entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Judges Deliberation Lunch/GIST I Dare Award Ceremony MIT-EF Pan Arab Award Ceremony & Networking Dinner Meydan Imax Theater
all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century. Barack Obama President of the United States of America Together we can build an ecosystem that allows entrepreneurs to get the support they need, the financing they need, the mentoring they need, to launch a brilliant idea into a business. Thats the importance of the GIST mission. Jeff Hoffman Co-Founder and former CEO, Priceline; GIST Advisory Group Member GIST is a great opportunity to increase participation by the academic sector in the transfer of technology into the marketplace through the development of practical knowledge and skills, as well as to heighten understanding of the value of entrepreneurship and innovation for economic growth and sustainability. Dr. Abdelali Haoudi VP of Research, Qatar Foundation Malaysia welcomes the GIST Initiative to support technology development in Muslim-majority countries to advance key innovation areas, especially innovation capacity, entrepreneurship and access to seed capital. Dato Madinah binti Mohamad Secretary General, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia [GIST] was our shortcut towards better connections and visibility. Ziad Sankari Founder of CardioDiagnostics; GIST Tech-I Competition Winner
Do You DARE... to Realize Your Dreams? Apply to the Business Plan Competition!
To promote and spread economic prosperity, the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative is forging links at the individual and institutional level among scientists, entrepreneurs, and the marketplace. Technology entrepreneurship has the power to create the products, companies, and jobs that drive economic growth. The GIST initiative aims to strengthen technology development and national, regional, and global entrepreneurship through partnerships and programs focusing on: NETWORKING: Linking innovative ideas, people, and financial and human resources SKILL DEVELOPMENT: Providing business training, mentorship and resources FINANCING: Connecting innovators and their ideas with seed capital
CONNECT WITH GIST COMMUNITY

Skill Development Programs
Startup Boot Camps: Strengthen business development through training and mentorship for experienced business leaders. Webinars: Link American technology commercialization experts with aspiring entrepreneurs around the world.
Incentive-Based Competitions
GIST Tech-I: Highlight innovative technology ideas to the community via YouTube-based idea pitch competition. GIST-MIT Business Plan Competition: Accelerate high potential startups through mentorship, connections and seed funding.
GIST Social Networking Platform

Access innovative business tools and mentorship. Form partnerships to foster new venture creation. Exchange ideas through popular social networking platforms.
University-Industry Linkage Program

Institutionalize connections between universities and businesses through industry outreach partnerships. Develop innovation leaders primed to meet industry needs through hands on training experiences.
WHY GET INVOLVED ?

Participate in the acceleration program Receive mentoring from top-notch entrepreneurs Get access to free resources TeraGIST Award (1 award): $50,000 GigaGIST Award (1 award): $25,000
IMPORTANT DATES: Submission deadline: January 24, 2012 Semifinalists training: March 2012 Final Pitch: June 2012 APPLY www.gist.crdfglobal.org/gist-programs/business-plan-competition JOIN THE NETWORK www.gist.crdfglobal.org/gistnetwork/join-the-network
facebook.com/GISTinitiative @GISTinitiative tiny.cc/LinkedInGIST
Join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

The GIST initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and implemented by CRDF Global.
MegaGIST Award (1 award): $10,000 Best Female Entrepreneur team (1 award): $15,000 Access international markets

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GISTIIDare Finalists Dare Finalists GIST

CloudStat
Cloud environment for collaboratively building statistical applications & large data analysis. Management Team: Chew Kai Feng, Product Development and Operations, a serial entrepreneur from University of Kebangsaan Malaysia. He recently graduated with bachelors degree in Actuarial Science from National University of Malaysia. Alvin Soh Phak Ming, Finance and Marketing, previously a Valuation Actuarial Analyst in Prudential BSN Takaful Berhad.

Greennovation Technologies
Affordable and sustainable housing material named Jutin, which is composed from jute fiber & resin. Management Team: Md. Saimum Hossain, Managing Director, graduate from the Faculty of Business Studies (FBS), University of Dhaka, additional startup and crisis management training from the USA, Malaysia and India. Badhan Mazumder, Sales and Marketing Director, graduate from the Bangladesh Institute of Management and FBS, University of Dhaka acquired additional entrepreneurship training from CEOs from USA, Malaysia, India and Hong Kong.
CloudStat
Greennovation Technologies
Dwarapala
E-Commerce platform that helps offline retailers set up their personal online store with web design, simple interface, & personalized customer service. Management Team: Piti Irawan, CEO, Ph.D graduate in Computer Science from Cornell University and previously a consultant for Qualcomm and Apple. Diki Irawan, COO, B.Sc graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and previously worked Bechtel Corp. and another Oil and Gas company in Kuala Lumpur. Anita Jacobson, CTO, M.Sc graduate in Civil Engineering from Cornell University, previously founded a startup in Silicon Valley.
GreenSpark
Affordable & sutainable D.light battery producing 200 Watts of energy and methane
Dwarapala
GreenSpark
& fertilizer as byproducts, for people in rural areas. Management Team: Ovick Alam, CEO and Managing Partner, also founder of BridgeWee i s a marketing major from the University of Dhaka. Sadman Safat, CFO and Managing Partner, is a business graduate with finance major form IBA, University of Dhaka and a student of Chartered Financial Analyst (Level II).
E-Aid
Private educational service that provides online face-to-face tutoring for high school and college students from all over the world. Management Team: Rumaisa Mohani, has an MBA and has been teaching business and accounts. Malika Farha Masters degree in Computer Science, and has been
Mmatcher
E-Commerce Platform accessible from all means of telecommunication including Mobile SMS, which bridges the digital divide in developing countries. Management Team: Muhammad Awais, CEO, received his MBA with focus on marketing management and has been working in telecommunication and service industry in Europe and Asia for more than 10 years. Abid Beli, Marketing Director has unmatchable skills and knowledge of the industry for he developed and manages Beliscity, the leading e-commerce platform in Pakistan.
E-Aid
teaching ICT and Maths. Babar Uddin Siddiqui, Masters in IT, IBM Certified Associate Developer and having 10 + years experience in media and education related technologies. Rumman Hasan, a Mechanical Engineering graduate, who has been engaged in tutoring science.
Mmatcher
Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative

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MyDerm
Laboratory engineered artificial human skin used for treatment of chronic diabetic ulcers, burns & skin trauma. Management Team: Dr. Khairul Idzwan Baharin, CEO, has started off as a medical doctor. Prior to joining the company, he founded and managed a few successful companies ranging from ICT to cosmetics and medical aesthetics. Professor Dr. Ruszymah Haji Idrus, CTO, also Head of the Tissue Engineering Center at Hospital UKM. She is currently the President of the Tissue Engineering Society of Malaysia (TESMA) and a Council Member of the TERMIS-AP. Dr. Angela Ng Min Hwei, COO, has patented multiple inventions in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, currently a senior research fellow at the Tissue Engineering Center at Hospital UKM and is a committee member for the planning, design, and execution of MyDerms cGMP Laboratory there.

SecQme
Mobile security tracking service that will automatically trigger for help without any intervention from the user. Management Team: James Khoo Chen Shiang, CEO, with17 years working experience in Multinational companies doing software solution architecture
MyDerm SecQme
and development. James is a certified Enterprise Java Architect, and Prince 2 project manager. Winnie Wong Wai Lin, COO, candidate of a Professional Degree in Computer Management (British Computer Society), U.K and has extensive experience working in the Financial Industry. Nizran Noordin, Cofounder and Business development Director, has launched several ventures.
Womens Digital League

Virtual firm that provides digital support services including content creation, blog posts, data entry, social media management, event planning & more. Management Team: Maria Umar, Founder and President, has a Masters in English Literature, since 2009 she has worked with oDesk and Elance. Asfiya Aziz, COO, has two Masters degrees in Bioethics and Mass Communication, from Karachi, Pakistan. She is currently working with the Oxford University Press, Pakistan as a textbook editor. Amara Javed, Marketing, PR and HR, is currently working at the South Asian Media School (SAFMA) Lahore as Media Training Consultant and HR Manager.
PAK-Energy Solution
PAK-Energy Solution
Portable and affordable natural gas digester for domestic use, generating clean gas for cooking, heating & lighting & fertilizer as a by-product Management Team: Mr. Ali Raza, CEO and founder, Electrical Engineer from University of Engineering & Technology Lahore with experience in biogas product and business development. Ms. Faiza Azeem Usmani, Project Director & CoFounder, student of MS Environmental Sciences from National University of Science & Technology and Founder of Spark. Mr. Matloob Ahmed, Director Research & Development and co-founder, Masters candidate in Biogas from University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, previously worked in Sui Northern Gas Pipe Lines and Environment Protection Department.
Womens Digital League

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MIT-EF of the PanRegion Finalists Finalists MIT-EF of the Pan Arab Arab Region
MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab Business Plan Competition in partnership with ALJ Community Initiatives and a joint initiative with the GIST Initiative
Acadox
Learning & intelligence platform with a blend of academic, professional & social activities management tools. It is the first of a kind tool that is fully Arabized. Management Team: Mustafa Nabulsi Mohammad Alhareeqi Nedal Mourad CEO CTO CPO
eArtVolution
Online gallery & professional community of Arab artists in the MENA offering virtual exhibitions & social networking totally devoted to Art. Management Team: Amira Chebli Relationship & communication Manager Daoud Abdelmonem Felah Managing Director Information Technology Mohamed Amine Chourou Managing Director EU & Americas Slim Ben Bahloul Managing director EEMEA & APAC
Acadox
Brate
Local Search Engine to accurately search the entire universe of businesses based on their products, services, and geographic location. Management Team: Shadi Tabbara Operations Manager Technical Manager Sameeh Harfoush
eArtVolution
Genietag
Advertisement tool that identifies engages and drives customers into any stores by bridging the gap between the real and the online world. Management Team: Mohamed Shahin Co-Founder Adam El Daba Co-Founder
Brate
Genietag
Ibtaker for Technological Innovation
Hands-on educational kits that stimulate the students innovations abilities.. Management Team: Emad Ammouri Eman Afana Ahmad Sabri General Manager Training Coordinator Marketing Manager
Butterfleye
Waterproof heart rate monitor with real-time visual feedback specifically adapted for swimmers that can be mounted on any type of goggles. Management Team: Hind Hobeika Carl Madi Eric Abi Younes Founder, CEO, Lead Engineer Finance and Accounting Sales and Marketing
Butterfleye
Ibtaker for Technological Innovation

Hisham Al Khatib R&D Manager

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Qabila Media Productions

Media content creator that capitalizes on crowd-sourcing and social media to produce content that bridges the gap between entertainment and the intellectual need of our society. Management Team: Mahmoud Elshafie Perihan Abou-Zeid Mostafa Saeed Ahmad Fateh Elbab CEO Communications Director Business Development Director Creative Director
Schaduf
Sell of micro rooftop farms to low income families in Egypt and distribution of their sustainable & healthy crops.. Management Team: Sherif Hosny Co-founder and CEO Co-founder and COO Head Researcher
Qabila Media Productions

Palestine Outsourcing Company
Tarek Hosny
Fatma Mohamed Director of Research & Training
Schaduf
Silgenix
Wenzhe Li
Palestine Outsourcing Company Presto Wireless

Solution that enables wired and wireless data customers to experience dramatically faster Internet speeds & higher reliability than that of available data networks. Management Team: Ala Khalifeh CTO CMO Software Architect Software Architect Shankara Raghuraman Mohamed Sharaf Eldean Mohamed Behery
Online digital content solutions such as content development, localization and Arabisation to meet the growing outsourcing demand in specific industries. Management Team: Souad Abdelhamid CEO Sameera Qadoura Head of localization and content development Amal Zanoun Head of Arabization Deema Anani Business Development Advisor
Integrated circuit design company specializing in on-chip power management offering proprietary solutions that increase the battery lifetime of portable electronic devices. Management Team: Rafik Guindi Loai Salem Rania Elmasry CEO CTO President
Silgenix
Studio Meem
A design studio which addresses the need for
Presto Wireless
Funded by the U.S. Department of State Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative
affordable, hip, modern furniture that speaks to a
Studio Meem
modern regional identity. Management Team: Manar Moursi Mahmoud Alaa Founder and CEO CFO
Marwa Kamaleldin Marketing Director

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GISTINITIATIVE ADVISORY GROUP BIOS INITIATIVE ADVISORY GROUP BIOS GIST

Mr. Rashid M. Al Ballaa - Founder and CEO, National Net Ventures
Rashid Al Ballaa is the founder and CEO of National Net Ventures (N2V), an internet holding company that is Disrupting Digital Arabia and stimulating the growth of a multi-billion $ internet industry in Arabia. N2V enables web ventures in Arabia by investing capital and offering essential infrastructure services, mentorship, and support to help accelerate their growth. Rashid is also a board member of National Technology Group (NTG), MENAs largest ICT conglomerate and key provider of Financial Technology and Services. NTG annual revenue grew to over 700 million through 20+ subsidiaries and JVs in the MENA region. Before N2V, Rashid founded and managed Mubasher Financial Services (MFS), MENAs first STP e-brokerage company and the only provider of DMA to MENA equity markets. Rashid now serves on the board of MFS. Rashid holds a B.Sc. in Computer science with honors degree from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tawasal
Relationship assistant who understands your networks and proactively recommends key interactions to help you build and maintain the relationships that matter. Management Team: Abdul Kader Lamaa Sleiman Itani Tala Nsouli CEO CTO Product Development
Tawasal
H.R.H. Prince Saud Bin Khalid Al-Faisal - Deputy Governor for Investment Affairs - Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority
TeeksForGeeks
Built cloud hosted computer labs to revolutionize computerbased training. Our US/EU/Canada patented ILA technology guides students, providing easier access to better and cheaper training environments. Management Team: Ahmed Kamal Ahmed Soliman General Manager CTO
HRH Prince Saud K Al-Faisal heads the Investment Affairs department, which is responsible for managing the investment environment and competitiveness agenda of Saudi Arabia. The Investment Affairs department has focused on establishing a more liberal investment environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As part of these efforts, HRH Prince Saud K Al-Faisal also chairs the Saudi negotiation team for bilateral investment treaties. In 2010, Saudi Arabia was ranked among the most competitive economies in the world according to the World
TeeksForGeeks
Bank Ease of Doing Business Report and the UNCTAD World Investment Report. HRH Prince Saud K Al-Faisal is the Vice Chairman of the: Swiss Saudi Joint Economic Commission; Saudi Russian Joint Economic Commission; Saudi Uzbek Joint Economic Commission; Saudi Kazak Joint Economic Commission; Saudi Greek Joint Economic Commission; Saudi Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission; and Saudi Senegal Joint Economic Commission. HRH Prince Saud K Al-Faisal is the President of the National Competitiveness Center since 2010. The National Competitiveness Center (NCC) was established by SAGIA in 2006 to act as an independent body to monitor, assess and support the enhancement of competiveness in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The NCC fulfils this role by serving as a think tank, facilitator and communicator of change. HRH Prince Saud K Al-Faisal is a Member of the Board at Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON), Chief Operations and Chief Financial Officer for Investment Affairs at SAGIA and NCC. As Financial Analyst, HRH Prince Saud K Al-Faisal worked with Saudi Aramco during 2001 to 2008. HRH Prince Saud K Al-Faisal was based in the Treasury Department and worked in a number of departments including Internal Auditing, New Business Development and other financial and planning related departments.
Fadi Adib Business Development Manager

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Patricia M. Dinneen - Managing Director, Siguler Guff & Company
Patricia M. Dinneen has focused on Emerging Markets for most of her 36-year career. She is currently a Managing Director at Siguler Guff & Company, a global multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $10.0 billion in assets under management. Dr. Dinneen joined the Firm in 2004 to build the BRIC private equity investment business, focusing on Brazil, Russia, India, China and select Frontier Markets. She has primary responsibility for overseeing the due diligence, selection and monitoring of funds and coinvestments for the Firms $2 billion BRIC strategy. Prior to joining Siguler Guff in 2004, Dr. Dinneen was at Cambridge Associates where she led research, client advisory work and due diligence in Emerging Markets private equity, including performance benchmarking. Prior to Cambridge, she spent ten years at British Telecommunications (BT), where she was involved in establishing over ten joint ventures in the Emerging Markets of Asia and Europe. Before BT, Dr. Dinneen worked at Hughes Communications, leading business projects to extend digital data and TV satellite communications in developed and Emerging Markets. She has also held positions at The RAND Corporation and the White House. Dr. Dinneen holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mr. Ali smail Sabanc - Chairman and Director, Pegasus Airlines
Mr. Ali smail Sabanc is the Chairman and Director of Pegasus Airlines, and has been serving in this capacity since 2004. He has been a Director of Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG and Air Berlin Plc since May 2009. He serves as a Member of the Board of Esas Holding AS. He also serves as a Board Member of various holding companies. He serves as a Director of AFM Uluslararasi Film Produksiyon A.S. Mr. Sabanc was born in 1969 in Adana, Turkey. After finishing his studies in Politics and Economy (1987-1991) at Tufts University in the USA, he worked as a financial expert at Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated until 1993. Between 1993 and 1995 he completed his MBA in International Finance at Columbia Business School. On his return to Turkey he worked as a specialist at the Akbank T.A.S. Bahekapi Branch until 1996 then became Assistant Manager at the Akbank T.A.S. Beyoglu Branch until 1997. That same year he became Head of the Project Department at H.. Sabanci Holding Corporation and in 2001 he was promoted to be Head of the Strategic and Business Development Group. Mr.Sabanc joined Esas Holding Corporation in March 2004 as a member of the Board of Directors and continued his business life as Chairman of Board of Directors at Pegasus when it was bought by Esas.He is a member of the Board of Directors of Esass partner companies Izair Corporation and Air Berlin as well as being a member of TYD, TSIAD, ISO and TAIK. Mr. Sabanci speaks fluent English and German and is a married father of two children.
Mr. Jeff Hoffman - Founder, Priceline

Mr. Jeff Hoffman is an accomplished entrepreneur and innovator in the fields of Internet, e-commerce, and entertainment. Having launched his first software company while still a student at Yale University, Mr. Hoffman has founded and grown a series of successful startup companies in his career, guiding his companies to both acquisitions and public offerings. For his efforts, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Entrepreneurship from the National CEO Council in 2010, and was also inducted into the Hall of Fame for Entrepreneurs by the International Association of College Entrepreneurs in 2010. He is currently a founder and partner in ColorJar, a venture accelerator firm that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners launch and grow new business ventures. In this capacity, he works as a virtual CEO with startup companies all over the world to help turn great ideas into profitable businesses. Mr. Hoffman is perhaps best known as a founder and CEO in the Priceline.com family of companies, where he led the development and launch of Pricelines consumer company (Priceline YardSale). Hoffman also served as an executive in Walker Digital, the parent company of Priceline and one of the countrys most innovative creators of intellectual property and new business models. He is also a featured motivational speaker at conferences across the globe.
Dr. Roger Wyse - Managing Director and General Partner, Burrill & Company
Dr. Roger Wyse is a Managing Director and General Partner at Burrill & Company a leading Life Sciences company with $1 billion in venture capital under management, with businesses in merchant banking, private equity and media. Dr. Wyse joined Burrill in 1998 and has led the development of Burrill & Companys agriculture, nutraceuticals, health & wellness, and industrial biotechnology related activities in venture capital investing. In this endeavor he pioneered the Virtual Corporate Venture model and has attracted over 40 corporate investors into the various Burrill funds. This model has now been extended to several countries including Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, and Chile. Dr. Wyse chairs or serves on the boards of 11 private companies. He is Co-Chairman of the $162M Malaysian Life Capital Fund and is a member of the International Advisory Panel for Biotechnology (BioIAP) for the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He was founder and Chairman of the Alliance for Animal Genome Research. He serves on the Board of Industrial Section of BIO. Dr. Wyse is a sought after speaker on biotechnology applications and policy in food, agricultural and bio-cleantech and the use of venture capital as a component of an open innovation strategy for emerging economies. He has over 30 years of experience as an internationally recognized scientist and as a Dean at two major research universities; Rutgers and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Immediately prior to joining Burrill & Company, Dr. Wyse served for 5 years as Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From 1986 - 1992 he served as Dean of Research at, Rutgers University. In research, Dr. Wyse earned international recognition for his basic studies in plant biochemistry. He published over 150 scientific papers. In recognition of his research accomplishments he received the prestigious Arthur Flemming Award in 1982 as the Outstanding Young Scientist in the US Federal Service. He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Crop Science Society of America and The American Society of Agronomy. He also served as a consultant to numerous Fortune 500 companies.

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SPEAKERS, MENTORS &BIOS SPEAKERS, MENTORS & JUDGES JUDGES BIOS

James Chan - Co-founder and Principal, Neoteny Labs
Neoteny Labs manages an early-stage venture fund that invests between US$50K to US$500K in consumer Internet startups in Asia and the US. James works closely with General Partner Joichi Ito on the fund and its portfolio companies and runs investment and fund operations out of Singapore. Since May 2010, Neoteny Labs has made 24 investments in the United States and Asia Pacific. James is also Director of Business Development & Operations at New Context (Singapore), the largest worldwide lean software development consultancy, helping businesses large and small to develop great software along lean principles with methods that deliver excellence, reliability and predictability. Prior to Neoteny Labs, James honed his craft at Walden International, Infocomm Investments and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, with a broad range of experiences in industry and policy development, investment promotion, business development, operations and venture capital, in the fields of Technology, Media and Telecommunications. In his spare time, James enjoys photography and pens his thoughts on venture capital, entrepreneurship, technology and social engineering on his blog at www.motochan.com.

Scott Gillespie - Commercialization Partner, Technology to VC (T2VC)
Scott is currently the Founder and Managing Partner of the Jigsaw Group, an early stage investment and advisory group; as well as the Commercialization Partner for T2VC, a team that manages a technology venture fund and architects innovation ecosystems in emerging markets (see www.t2vc.com). With T2VC, Scott developed and delivered the Bedaya program to early stage ventures, in Palestine, including: global mentors and EiRs, group trainings in sales, business models, partnering, funding, tailored training and support programs, personalized venture roadmaps, new market initiatives with Jordan, Iraq, Canada and the UAE. This activity has led to follow-on projects for T2VC in the region. Scott shares his insights and experiences at conferences, seminars, networking events, angel groups, universities and non-profits. Scott is a co-founder and convener of Power of Angel Investing in Australia. He lectures on innovation & entrepreneurship, strategic marketing and management, risk management and environment management; for the business and engineering faculties. Scott is also active with the nonprofit YAG, Yacht Aid Global, which sources education and medical supplies and transports them to regions struck by disaster using mega yachts (see www.yachtaidglobal.org). Scotts entrepreneurial career began in 1996, as the founder of the Jigsaw Group where over 15 years he has invested, co-founded, organized funding, guided, and turned around ventures in: electric vehicles, new media, software, net tools, composite building materials, VOIP, community portals,
Rony El-Nashar - Founder & Managing Partner, SeedStartup

Rony El-Nashar is the founder & Managing Partner of SeedStartup, an international startup accelerator and seed-stage venture capital fund that invests in web and mobile startups. Through funding and world-class mentorship, SeedStartup helps entrepreneurs from all around the globe build and scale high impact startups. SeedStartup has been written about or mentioned in Techcrunch, CNBC Business, The National, Wamda, The Next Web, New York Times, and has been ranked among the Middle Easts top 10 startup accelerators. Prior to launching SeedStartup, Mr. El-Nashar was heading the direct investments function at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. At Khalifa Fund, he was a member of each of the funding committees and provided funding for over 300 early-stage startups across a variety of industries for a total portfolio value of over USD $117m. Before Khalifa Fund Mr. El-Nashar had launched a U.S. based internet startup which was acquired in 2007, after 5 years of growth. Prior to that, he was with Citrix Systems and later Shomiti Systems, a VC funded tech startup based in Silicon Valley. During his tenure with Shomiti, the company was acquired by NASDAQ listed Finisar Corporation. Mr. El-Nashar holds an MBA from London Business School in addition to a Masters degree in Computer Engineering from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelors in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida.
broadcast tools, business tools, F&B, new media and publishing. While investing and growing early stage ventures Scott and the Jigsaw Group have assisted transformation of operations for corporations and governments, including the Australian Institute of Commercialization (training and new services), Sabre (RHQ and sales process), ADI (commercialization of defense), Telstra (wireless), and Standards Australia (new products/services). Scott led the ExpatriateCONNECT initiative which became a virtual network of more than 2500 mentors that has supported more than 400 export -motivated Australian ventures. Scott has a bachelors degree in business (finance), an MBA (marketing), is a Certified Licensing Professional, a Certified Financial Planner (academic pending practical), and life learner.
Mr. Yousef Hamza - Associate, Envestors MENA

Mr. Hamza is currently with Envestors, one of the only Business Angel Networks in the Middle East and part of a larger UK network. He has screened over 1,500 SMEs and has advised dozens of high-impact companies as a result. He is a member of several mentor networks and company boards, and a frequently requested speaker on entrepreneurship. He has also built strategic relationships with investors, organizing several fundraising events for entrepreneurs. Yousef holds an LLB (Honours) from the University of Cardiff and started his career practicing law in the UAE.
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Eswar Mani Investment Manager, Masdar Capital
Eswar Mani has been a part of the finance industry for over ten years with a specialization in M&A, corporate finance, equity-linked structuring and private equity with deal experience in Europe, Middle East and Asia. Eswar is currently an Investment Manager in Masdar Capital tasked with analyzing investment opportunities globally in a wide variety of industries related to clean technologies, in addition to raising funds from Japanese investors. Eswar was instrumental in raising capital for DB Masdar Clean Tech Fund from Development Bank of Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation and INPEX. Before joining Masdar Capital, Eswar consulted for the World Health Organization in reviewing commercial business sustainability of social entrepreneurs within the household water treatment systems supply chain in Sub-Saharan Africa. The resulting best practices of his teams report highlighted the importance of strategic relationships with local experts and trusted organizations, a deep market understanding, customer education and smart inventory practices. Eswar has also spoken at various industry events on emerging fund structures in clean technology and renewable energy power generation. Previously, Eswar was a Senior Associate in the equity-linked origination team at Credit Suisse, where he managed firms daily equity-linked pricing and structuring needs for European, Middle Eastern, Russian and Japanese issuers. Key transaction experience include the origination, structuring and execution of the 2bn Mandatory Convertible Offering for Bayer AG, 825m Weather Investments Collateralized Going Public Exchangeable into Orascom, National Bank of Abu Dhabi Private Placement Convertible Bond and 250m Credit Suisse Exchangeable Bond into Q-Cells. Eswar holds an M.B.A. from M.I.T. Sloan School of Management, where he was a Henry J. Ford Scholar and has a B.Sc. dual degree in Philosophy and Economics from the London School of Economics and. At MIT, Eswar was a teaching assistant for the Lab for Sustainability (S-Lab) course and an organizer of the MIT Energy Conference. Eswar has spent over 20 years in Japan and has native fluency in Japanese.

Dr. Christiane Schloderer, Co-Founder, MindTalk
Christiane has ten years of experience in multinational corporations, in Europe and in the Middle East. She enjoys working in and with culturally very diverse teams. She was member of a Middle East leadership team, worked in corporate finance and as turnaround manager brings projects back to profitability, improves processes and develops teamwork and communication. Christiane mentors, coaches and advises small businesses and start-up companies during the formation and growth phase. She has a diploma in business administration and a doctoral degree in creativity, innovation and change management. Christiane is also a co-founder of MindTalk (www.mindtalk.ae), an Emirati led initiative to provide virtual events and conferencing solutions for Emirati and later MENA women. Christiane has a degree in business administration at European Business School in Germany and a doctoral degree from the University of Armed Forces Munich in Germany.
Novel Tjahtadi - Managing Partner, Gulfware

Novel considers himself a global citizen thanks to his 15+ years of multi-disciplinary management experiences in Oil & Gas and IT. He has lived and worked in 7 countries in the Middle East, France, Asia and Australia. He completed his engineering and IT degrees in the UK, Indonesia and recently an MBA degree with Honors from Spain. A certified project manager, Novel is experienced in technology system development and corporate strategy execution. He is currently the Managing Partner of Gulfware (www.gulfware.com), based in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). It is an IT venture which offers home-grown solutions including G*Trust, a hardware-based SMS Encryption
Christos Mastoras - Director of Business Development, Yahoo! Middle East

Christos Mastoras is the Director of Business Development at Yahoo! Maktoob, where he leads strategic partnerships, M&A and corporate ventures for the company across the MENA region. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Christos was an Engagement Manager in the Communications, Media & Technology practice of Booz & Company in Dubai. There he led Corporate and New Business Development projects with telecom operators, media companies, broadband providers, ICT authorities, investment firms and governments advising Board and C-level clients across MENA. Previously, he held operating and managerial roles in high-tech ventures in the US and Europe, as the Commercial Director of Upstream (mobile content & applications start-up) and govWorks.com (New Yorkbased internet start-up with $60M in funding from KKR and Mayfield). He is very passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation, and active in developing the digital media ecosystem in the region and is the cofounder of Mobile Mondays Dubai. Christos holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and a B.S. in International Relations from the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University.
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solution and Textello.com, an Audience Response System via SMS and Twitter. Novel speaks English, French and Indonesian. An avid fan of racket sports, music and traveling, he enjoys networking and coaching young entrepreneurs. He is part of The Mentors Inc., an accelerator program for startups. You can reach him through Linkedin http://ae.linkedin.com/in/noveltj and Twitter @noveltj
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ORGANIZERS BIOS ORGANIZERS BIOS

Natalia Pipia - Senior Program Manager, Innovation Programs The Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative
Natalia Pipia develops and oversees all Innovation Programs at CRDF Global. In her current position, Natalia is responsible for developing outreach strategies to external partners and funders for Innovation Programs. She develops new opportunities with various organizations and funders who share CRDF Globals objective of promoting innovation in emerging economies and advancing the development of new opportunities for technology entrepreneurs. She carries out programs that promote strategic partnerships between technology entrepreneurs and businesses, build innovation ecosystems in countries where programs are being implemented, and facilitate U.S. market access. Natalia has 10 years of experience working in economic development and executed various initiatives in coordination with numerous associations, companies, technology transfer groups, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations in Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, Central and Southeast Asia. Natalia holds a M.A. in International Relations from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University. She resides with her family in Washington, DC metropolitan area. Email: npipia@crdfglobal.org

Amanda Gant - Associate Program Manager, Global Innovation through Science & Technology (GIST) Initiative
Amanda Gant joined CRDF Global in March 2012 where she is excited to be a part of supporting the international entrepreneurial community. She holds a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and will receive her MPP in International Policy and Development from Georgetown University this May. Her thesis examines the effects of mobile banking on microfinance institutional performance outcomes. Amanda stays active in her local community by organizing Glover Park Day, the community day that brings her neighborhood together to showcase local area businesses and non-profits. She shares experiences through travel and cultural exchange by creating and as leading service and ecotourism trips to Nicaragua since 2008. Amanda is fluent in Spanish. Email: agant@crdfglobal.org
Yuritzi Acosta Program Assistant, Global Innovation through Science & Technology (GIST) Initiative
Yuritzi has significant international experience working in the fields of education and advocacy. Her interest in working with entrepreneurs and leaders across the globe brought her to CRDF Global in April 2011. As a member of the GIST Initiative she has worked on projects that empower entrepreneurs to commercialize their innovative ideas through the coordination of events and facilitation of access to relevant information.
Ovidiu (Ovi) Bujorean - GIST Program Manager, The Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative
Ovidiu (Ovi) Bujorean is Program Manager for the GIST Initiative. Ovidiu is member of the Board of Directors and Regional Chair for Washington DC and Virginia for MIT Enterprise Forum. He also serves as an Advisor to the MIT Portugal Entrepreneurship and Innovation Initiative. Previously, he was the Senior Associate at Rudyard Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in consumer technology opportunities for the global marketplace. Ovidiu managed a $600k UNDP e-government Project for the Romanian Presidency. The project was recognized by UNDP as regional best practice in capacity building and public administration reform. He also worked with Gemini Consulting, Deutsche Post Consulting, and BCG. Ovidiu also founded and led LEADERS, an organization who impacted the lives of approximately 10000 young leaders and entrepreneurs in Romania and Southern-Eastern Europe. The partnership he built between Leaders and Vodafone was recognized by the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum as a worldwide best practice in developing young leaders. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of The Capital Network, City of Cambridge, AIESEC at Harvard and as a judge in the competition Startup Chile. He was invited to speak on the topic of Professional Networking by the MIT Portugal Entrepreneurship program, the Swiss government, Columbia University and The State Department TechCamp initiative. He was the winner of Mayor Menino Boston World Partnership Battle of the Network Stars competition that included 125 top Boston connectors. He is a graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management MBA program and the inaugural Sloan Entrepreneurship and Innovation program in Technology. Ovidiu also holds an MPA degree from the Harvard Kennedy School, an MA in Organizational and Business Psychology and an MA in Governance and Institutional Development. He holds a BA in trade from Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. He served two terms as the National President of AIESEC in Romania. Email: obujorean@crdfglobal.org
Over the course of her work, she has coordinated a variety of educational and advocacy programs funded by agencies, such as NeighborWorks USA, USAID and the Florida Department of Education and now the Department of State. Having lived in countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, Yuritzi brings a global view and adaptability to the team. Her interest in the interconnectedness of cultures and people has led her to complete an MA in International Studies with a focus on development from Florida International University. Yuritzi is also fluent in English, French and Spanish. Email: yacosta@crdfglobal.org

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Hala Fadel Chair, MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region
Hala Fadel is a driven individual who believes in social change in the Arab region through empowering the youth. She considers empowering the youth can be done through promoting entrepreneurship and organizing constructive events in the region. Hala has founded numerous NGOs that cater to the advancement and development of the youth, including the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan-Arab Region, which helped start over 120 businesses in the Arab region and sits on the Advisory Board MIT Enterprise Forum Global, an avid promoter of entrepreneurship globally.
UPCOMING EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS GIST Tech-I Competition Launch GIST Startup Boot Camp Senegal GIST Startup Boot Camp Algeria GIST Startup Boot Camp Tunisia DATE July, 2012 July 10-11, 2012 July 14-15, 2012 July 18-19, 2012 August, 2012 September, 2012 October, 2012 October 2, 2012 November 12-18, 2012 LOCATION www.gistinititive.org Dakar, Senegal Algiers, Algeria Tunis, Tunisia Online www.facebook.com/ GISTinitiative San Francisco, New York, Boston & Washington Online UAE
Hala is also Founder and Chair of the first carfree event in the Middle East; 12 km in the city of Tripoli - Lebanon were free of cars for24 hours. The goal of this event, which gathered more than 20,000 people was to raise awareness about the environment and to highlight Tripoli - Lebanon as a key player in such causes. Hala is portfolio manager at Comgest, and president of the Beirut office that services the Middle East. She previously worked at Merrill Lynch and ranked number 1 and number 3 over 50 European analysts. E-mail: halaf@alum.mit.edu. Twitter: @halafrangie
Webinar: Technology Transfer and Incubation Global Entrepreneurship Flag Competition GIST Transformers Entrepreneurship Journey to the US GIST Tech Connect, Pakistan
Joelle Yazbeck- Executive Director, MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region vJoelle Yazbeck has a passion for entrepreneurship and supporting young talents in the Arab world. Joelle has joined
the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region (MITEF) since its inception in 2007. She has contributed to the development of the MITEF Arab Business Plan Competition that has nowadays become the largest Business Plan Competition in the Arab region receiving more than 4,500 applications yearly from 20 countries. Joelle currently oversees the day-to-day operations of the MITEF and assists to its strategic direction. The MITEF has grown its activities beyond the Business Plan Competition catering for ideas, startups, and SMEs to become one of the key players in the Arab entrepreneurship ecosystem. In 2009, Joelle joined the American University of Beirut and was involved in setting up the Entrepreneurship Initiative at the Olayan School of Business, which later became the Darwazah Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. In 2006, Joelle was the Program Coordinator of the Lebanese organization, Bader Young Entrepreneurs Program, which was created to promote entrepreneurship as an alternative for the migrating youth amid the political instability in 2005. Joelle holds a BA in Economics from Notre Dame University (NDU, Lebanon).
GIST Tech-I Finalists event
GIST PARTNERS - PAN ARAB REGION - PAN ARAB REGION GIST PARTNERS
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GISTIN THE NEWS GIST IN THE NEWS

Its Not a Small World
Next door in Turkey, Istanbul hosted MITs Global Startup Workshop, a multi-day event that brought together participants from over 40 countries. Students from MIT and Stanfords BASES organization brought perspective, and the U.S. State Departments Global Innovation in Science and Technology (GIST) program coordinated by CRDF Global sponsored international mentors to work with 30 of the top Turkish technology entrepreneurs. A consequence of President Obamas Cairo speech, GIST helps organize startup boot camps around the world to empower economic development through innovation and entrepreneurship. In Istanbul, the program was bookended by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jonathan Margolis and Managing Director of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center, Bill Aulet. While success requires intellectual and technical talent, hunger, mentorship, and capital, the locations where this is becoming possible are ever expanding. By shining a light on local deficiencies, whether capital or human capital, energy or mentorship, we can level the playing field. Read more at tiny.cc/FORBESonGIST the basis for political stability and economic growth. Read more at tiny.cc/GISTinX
GIST IN THE NEWS GIST IN THE NEWS

Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Ideas for Indonesia and Beyond
Startup Boot Camp Indonesia is a program run by the GIST (Global Innovation through Science and Technology) Initiative. GIST was established in 2010, with funding from the U.S. Department of State, to spur economic advancement through science- and technology-based innovation in countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. The idea behind GIST is that economically empowered people (aka entrepreneurs) provide
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Young entrepreneurs from NUST have made the nation proud.

Pakistans Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani extended his congratulations to entrepreneurs from Pakistans National University of Science and Technology. He commended the Sahara and Saltech teams for making it to the victory stand at an international business plan competition, titled Global Innovation through Science & Technology (GIST) -- Battle of Ideas World Cup 2011. Read more at tiny.cc/NUST
Heart Attack Monitor Wins US Startup Contest for Middle East

Most Middle East entrepreneurs can only dream of a startup oasis such as Californias Silicon Valley that is filled with angel investors and venture capitalists. But a few entrepreneurs have begun receiving funding from a more unlikely source - the U.S. government. One of those entrepreneurs, Ziad Sankari, was just 17 when he lost his father to a heart attack. Today, the Lebanese engineer is building a startup based on a medical device that can monitor cardiac patients outside the hospital around the clock. His startup idea won a first place prize of $20,000 in the final rounds of the U.S.-sponsored GIST Tech-I Competition held in Istanbul last December. That funding from the U.S. State Department may help Sankari and his colleague, Najwa Sahmarani, develop a business plan for their Cardio Diagnostics startup. The competition also provided business mentoring by flying in experts from MIT and Silicon Valley. GISTech was our shortcut towards better connections and visibility and provided us, indeed, with some cash and unmatchable opportunities to visit Silicon Valley and possibly find a collaborator there, Sankari said. Read more at tiny.cc/msnGIST
Meet the Coolest Next-Generation Science Entrepreneurs in MENA

At the second Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Istanbul recently, we at Wamda were tremendously inspired by the contestants in the Global Innovation through Science & Technology (GIST) Competition, who came from all over the Middle East and North Africa to showcase their carefully-honed scientific ideas that could transform our societies. Read more at tiny.cc/WAMDA
Indonesian Minister: We need four million entrepreneurs

They hosted a recent conference and business plan competition to inspire, educate and cajole young people into taking the plunge. Theres a real craving for this kind of knowledge here, according to Ovidiu Bujorean, program manager for Global Innovation through Science and Technology, the US-based agency that ran the event. Energy, drive, optimism the people Ive seen here are the ones who can take the Indonesian economy into the new global economy of knowledge, ideas and prosperity. [Disclosure: I spoke, judged and put together a panel discussion at this event, implemented by CRDF Global and funded by the US State Department.] Read more at tiny.cc/GISTinFORBES
Steven Koltai founder of the Global Entrepreneurship Program attends GIST Tech-I
GIST Tech-I is a multinational competition hosted by CRDF Global and the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST), which invited entrepreneurs in 43 Muslim countries to submit proposals outlining their ideas for technology innovation. Of the 25 semi-finalists, Najwa Shmarani and Ziad Sankari of Lebanon won the Grand Prize $20,000 for their start-up concept, Cardio Diagnostics, a device which provides continuous monitoring for patients with heart problems. Read more at tiny.cc/GISTech-I
Road Trip! Founders Of YouTube, LinkedIn and Others Tackle Brain Drain in Malaysia
Malaysia has a very young population, 65% of which is under 35, as well as the need to create jobs quickly. Hwang says entrepreneurship can create alternatives to other activities. In many cases the government is responding to demand by the people, she says, like in Indonesia, where a grassroots movement began. The government recognized entrepreneurship to be a good cause to engage young talent and create alternatives to other activities.She observes that the U.S. government has been promoting entrepreneurship in Muslim-dominated countries with this goal. The GIST initiative is a partner of StartupMalaysia.org Read more at tiny.cc/BRAINDRAIN
Implemented by CRDF Global Funded by the U.S. Department of State Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative Implemented by CRDF Global Funded by the U.S. Department of State Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative
BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs
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Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs

CRDF Global is a private, nongovernmental organization committed to promoting peace and prosperity through science and technology. Its innovation and entrepreneurshipfocused programs develop technology commercialization capabilities and sustaining networks abroad. Domestically, CRDF Global helps to create more viable investment, partnership and collaborative opportunities for American businesses and scientists who gain access to top international research and expertise.
CRDF Globals Impact
CRDF GLOBALS IMPACT CRDF GLOBALS IMPACT

Transforming Technology Transfer in Russia
CRDF Global has trained more than 300 technology transfer managers and assisted eight leading research universities with establishing technology transfer offices, which significantly contributed to the establishment of the local innovation ecosystem. The Programs include professional skills development seminars, workshops, academia and industry international conferences, and site visits to the United States for technology transfer professionals. Similar activities have strengthened the technology commercialization capabilities of more than 20 research universities of the Russian Federation.
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Increasing Opportunities for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs

In the search for entrepreneurs with innovative technology ideas that can address a problem affecting their country or region, the Global Innovation through Science and GIST Tech-I Technology (GIST) Initiative has implemented the GISTech-I Competition, attracting close to 200 teams from the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South East Asia. Among them was CardioDiagnostics, a Lebanese startup founded by Ziad Sankari. Ziad lost his father at the age of 17 to a heart attack, which inspired him to create a medical device that monitors cardiac patients outside the hospital around the clock. This idea earned him a top prize of the competition awarded at the Second Global Entrepreneurship Summit on December 3-5, 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey. CardioDiagnostics has been given a strong start for a global success with $20,000 in seed funding, hands-on training with serial entrepreneurs and business mentors, global media exposure by MSNBC and Wired Magazine, an upcoming trip to Silicon Valley and participation in the MIT Global Startup Workshop.
Core Program Beliefs

Innovation. We believe strongly in the power of technology and innovation as drivers for sustainable growth. Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs transform innovation into enterprises that generate value and create jobs. Our programs are designed with the individual in mind, as the nucleus and sole purpose of our mission.
Strategic partnerships. We partner with like-minded local and regional organizations and corporations to leverage our resources and capabilities to build capacity for greater impact and avoid redundancy.
Accessing U.S. Markets

Since 2005, CRDF Global has implemented more than 20 U.S. travel programs for close to 90 participants representing dozens of universities, research institutes and technology companies from Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and collaborated with such prominent U.S. organizations as MIT, Babson College, Garage Technology Ventures, Plug & Play Incubator, CleanTech Open and others. Based on the scalable and highly customizable format of the Innovation U.S. travel programs and existing cache of experience, best practices and partners, CRDF Global is able to design and implement results-oriented and cost-effective programs that perfectly fit the objectives and needs of a diverse range of partner organizations in emerging markets.
Innovation Ecosystem Development

CRDF Global believes in the bottom-up approach in building the local ecosystems and supports local entrepreneurship initiatives by identifying leaders, existing programs and the gaps in the system. Assisting with the formation of new technology commercialization offices and incubators Strategic planning Management training and educational outreach Comprehensive programs designed to enhance entrepreneurship culture Assisting with investment capital infrastructure development
Startup Support
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of all economies and the source of growth and dynamism. CRDF Global offers a comprehensive suite of programs designed to nurture these early-stage companies. Identifying promising business opportunities, funders, partners and resources Designing and executing acceleration programs Comprehensive skill development training Access to sources of funding
Building Institutional Capacity

Since 2005, CRDF Global has partnered with the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF), one of the most successful IT-focused technology business incubators and consulting companies in the Caucasus region, to implement its Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP). With co-funding from the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, EIF implemented more than 15 STEP activities including the Business Partnership Grant (BPG) program, Innovation Forums, cluster seminars, business trainings for scientific community, legal and accounting seminars and matchmaking events. Through its partnership with CRDF Global, EIF strengthened communication channels between science and private sectors, gained broader access to the U.S. business network and scaled up its outreach and programs to non-IT sectorsbecoming one of the focal entrepreneurshipsupport organizations in Armenia and in the region.
Technology Acceleration
CRDF Global promotes business growth by supporting students, researchers and technology developers who believe that their product or service is viable commercially. Programs guide them through the process of commercialization by honing their skills and helping them to grow and realize their market potential. Identifying intellectual property with commercial potential in universities and corporations Hands-on training in technology transfer and intellectual property rights Online technology commercialization courses Technology valuation and market assessment
Ziad Sankari, CardioDiagnostics
Providing Access to Capital

The ecoFridge, a revolutionary refrigeration system used to transport perishable products, was developed by a team of Ukrainian scientists with a U.S. business partner who participated in a CRDF Global research and development grant competition. CRDF Global provided training and mentorship to the team to prepare them to effectively pitch the ecoFridge at a venture forum in Los Angeles, CA. As a result, the team obtained $2.2 million of follow-on capital investment to develop their business, and EcoFridge is now being adopted by companies around the world who appreciate its environmental benefits and cost efficiency.
1530 Wilson Blvd, 3rd Fl | Arlington, VA 22209 | www.crdfglobal.org

Implemented by CRDF Global Funded by the U.S. Department of State Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative
1530 Wilson Blvd, 3rd Fl | Arlington, VA 22209 | www.crdfglobal.org

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GIST PARTNERS PARTNERS GIST

Building local entrepreneurial ecosystems together REGIONAL JORDAN
NOTES NOTES
TURKEY
INDONESIA
SENEGAL
MALAYSIA
BANGLADESH
PAKISTAN
EGYPT
TUNISIA
ALGERIA
The GIST Initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by CRDF Global

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NOTES NOTES
NOTES NOTES

HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE GIST INITIATIVE

JOIN THE GIST NETWORK
http://tiny.cc/JoinGIST
FOLLOW US TO RECEIVE NEWS ON NEW EVENTS

facebook.com/GISTinitiative @GISTinitiative tiny.cc/LinkedInGIST
GIST CRDF Global 1530 Wilson Blvd. 3rd FL Arlington, VA 22209 www.crdf.org; www.gistinitiative.org

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GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE

Implemented by CRDF Global

Funded by the U.S. Department of State

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE

WELCOME MESSAGE WELCOME MESSAGE

GIST I DARE FINALISTS

CRDF GLOBAL INNOVATION PROGRAMS GIST PARTNERS

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE

WELCOME MESSAGE WELCOME MESSAGE

THURSDAY - JUNE 28, 2012

CONNECT WITH GIST COMMUNITY

GIST Social Networking Platform

University-Industry Linkage Program

WHY GET INVOLVED ?

Join the GIST network today! www.gistinitiative.org

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE

GISTIIDare Finalists Dare Finalists GIST

GISTIIDare Finalists Dare Finalists GIST

Funded by the U.S. Department of State

Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative

Implemented by CRDF Global

Funded by the U.S. Department of State

Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE

GISTIIDare Finalists Dare Finalists GIST

GISTIIDare Finalists Dare Finalists GIST

Womens Digital League

Womens Digital League

Implemented by CRDF Global

Funded by the U.S. Department of State

Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative

Implemented by CRDF Global

Funded by the U.S. Department of State

Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE

Ibtaker for Technological Innovation

Hisham Al Khatib R&D Manager

Implemented by CRDF Global

Funded by the U.S. Department of State

Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative

Funded by the U.S. Department of State

Join the GIST network today! facebook.com/GISTInitiative

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

GIST I Dare Business Plan Competition Finale

June 27-28, 2012 Dubai / UAE

Qabila Media Productions

Qabila Media Productions