Abdul Matheen Yousuf
CEO, "Project You"
Abdul Matheen Yousuf is an Educator, Entrepreneur, and Global Youth Ambassador for Education. He is the CEO of Project You. He serves as the Co-Chair of the UNESCO SDG4 Youth & Student Network on Future Skills and Dignified Work.
Abdul Matheen's talk, "The Art of Momentum: Building a Legacy of Social Impact," chronicled the journey of a modest yet promising idea presented at Dubai Expo City that evolved into the influential social enterprise, "Project You." His narrative showcased how this initiative has garnered both national and international acclaim.
Abdul Matheen partners with governments, institutions, and NGOs to design and scale impactful educational programs. His expertise lies in developing future-focused and industry-led learning programs and organizations from the ground up and creating strategies to bring them to scale, ensuring they reach diverse communities worldwide.
Ahmad Al Sumaiti & Abdallah Alobaidlee
Founders of My Deleel & Franchise Owners of TropicFeel
Ahmad and Abdallah, two visionary social entrepreneurs, first crossed paths during their university studies. Despite their stark personality differences, they shared one common fear back then: a fear of public speaking.
In their TEDxCDA talk, "Our Entrepreneurial Journey: From Public Speaking Phobia to Emirati Cultural Advocacy," these two ambitious young Emirati gentlemen guide the audience through their remarkable transformation. They recount how they overcame their initial public speaking challenges to launch their first social enterprise, which offers cultural talks to tourists, and later, embarked on a second venture that seamlessly blends business with sustainability.
Ahmad and Abdallah demonstrate that investing in culture and society pays off and that perseverance is key to success.
Ali Alqassim
Director, Community Development Authority
Ali Alqassim is the Director of Financial Benefits and Empowerment at the Community Development Authority, Dubai. Ali enjoys over 13 years of experience in financial management, strategic planning, and community development in the public sector.
In his TEDxCDA talk, "When Caring Pays Off: The Win-Win of Socially Conscious Enterprises," Ali challenges the traditional view of corporate social responsibility by demonstrating that integrating the "social" aspect into business transactions not only benefits society but also yields significant advantages for the enterprise. His insights reveal how socially conscious practices can drive profitability, foster a motivated and loyal workforce, enhance brand reputation, and build a lasting legacy.
Ali is a graduate of the Dubai Economic Leadership Program offered by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development. He holds two master's degrees, one in "Strategic and Security Studies" and the second in "Quality Management".
Emine Yilmaz Butun
Transformation & Innovation Leader, AcceleratEMEA
Emine Yilmaz Butun is a global expert in digital transformation, business innovation, and AI adoption strategies. With nearly two decades of experience in corporate finance, M&A, and large-scale technology adoption and transformations across energy, healthcare, and financial sectors, she has led transformations and automation initiatives for Fortune 100 companies.
Emine's TEDxCDA talk, "Innovation and Entrepreneurship in an AI-Driven World & Economy," introduced her innovative concept of a "Think Tank" that features an entrepreneurial lab. She set the stage by providing a compelling context about the transformative roles of innovation and artificial intelligence.
As Founder of AcceleratُُُEMEA, Emine helps enterprises and startups adopt AI, scale, and build innovation strategies. She mentors tech startups globally and lectures on business management, sharing her expertise with the next generation of leaders.
Gurveen Ranger
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Sage Clinics
Dr. Gurveen Ranger is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Sage Clinics, Dubai with over 12 years of experience across mental health settings in the UK and UAE. She specializes in supporting adults from diverse backgrounds through a wide range of emotional and mental health challenges.
In her TEDx talk, "The CEO of You," Dr. Ranger masterfully employed analogies to compare managing our bodies to running a successful enterprise—emphasizing that proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise are essential investments in our personal growth and overall well-being.
Beyond therapy, Dr. Ranger is on a mission to make psychology more accessible, breaking down barriers and tackling the stigma around mental health. She has created resources and delivered impactful training to help people integrate psychological principles into everyday life, empowering individuals and communities to thrive. Dr. Ranger is committed to fostering resilience, self-awareness, and lasting positive change.
Hala Al Ablam
Head of Family Programs, Community Development Authority
Dr. Hala Al Ablam is the Head of the Family Programs Section at the Community Development Authority, Dubai. She specializes in the areas of educational psychology and well-being. Dr. Al Ablam worked in many government entities and hospitals.
In her TEDxCDA talk, "Between My Two Voices: 'Yaqeen' & 'Aneen': Mastering My Inner Dialogue," Dr. Al Ablam presents a compelling exploration of the inner tug-of-war that defines our human nature—the drive to achieve and stay motivated versus the pull toward procrastination and discouragement. Her authentic narrative invites us to understand and master this internal dialogue for a more empowered life.
Dr. Hala Al Ablam facilitates numerous parenting, psychological, and educational counseling workshops and has published several articles on these topics.
Kelly Hall
Expert in Social Policy, University of Birmingham
Dr. Kelly Hall is an Associate Professor of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, UK. She is also the Director of Global Engagement for the School of Social Policy and Society.
Dr. Hall's TEDx talk "When Doing Good Meets Doing Business: A New Frontier in Social Care from England" shares very interesting findings from her research on the engagement of social enterprises in social care in England and how the lessons learned from such work can be reconceptualized and recontextualized to Dubai and abroad.
Dr. Hall has particular expertise in the areas of social care, social enterprise, the third sector, international retirement migration, aging, and participatory research.
Her research on social care in England has centered on care markets, social enterprises, micro-enterprises, and social innovation.
Omair Al Remeithi
Head of Services & Activities for Senior Citizens, Community Development Authority
Omair Al Remeithi is the Head of the Services & Activities for Senior Citizens Section at the Community Development Authority, Dubai. He is very devoted to serving and supporting senior citizens.
In his TEDx talk, "The Fastest Way to Kill an Entrepreneurship Idea," Omair takes the audience on an in-depth self-reflective journey, drawing on his own experiences with failure to uncover critical lessons for success. He explores the common pitfalls that can derail entrepreneurial ventures and emphasizes the importance of learning from setbacks rather than fearing them. Omair challenges conventional notions of success by showing how embracing failure and adapting quickly can lead to innovation and growth.
Omair holds several academic qualifications across various fields, the latest being a Master of Law degree.
Rashed Al Marzouqi
Executive Social Inclusion, Community Development Authority
Rashed Saeed Al Marzouqi is an Executive–Social Inclusion at the Community Development Authority (CDA), Dubai.
Rashed captivated the audience with his personal journey, "Wheels of Change: Making a Greater Impact Than My Own Footsteps." His TEDx talk recounted how he transformed his disability into a driving force for community impact and empowerment for vulnerable groups. In doing so, Rashed turned his once-desperate wish to walk into reality by launching several initiatives that continue to serve and uplift the community.
Rashed was selected as Arab Children's Health Ambassador in 2006 and received several awards, including the Dubai Government Performance Award for Unknown Soldier. In fulfilling his duties at CDA, he seeks to initiate and implement initiatives and projects that support and enable people of determination.
Samar AL Shorafa
CEO, "She is Arab"
Samar Al Shorafa is the Founding CEO of "She is Arab", a social enterprise with a vision to help increase Arab women’s participation in the workforce and leadership positions through economic autonomy in the region and beyond.
In her TEDx talk, "From Uncertainty to a Structured Sector: It’s Time to Leave the Grey Zone," Samar redefines what it means to be a social enterprise. She challenges the conventional focus on a fixed profit-versus non-profit split by proposing a dynamic definition centered on social impact, inviting us to rethink and reshape the sector.
Prior to her current position, Samar spent over 15 years working in the field of international development and consulting in MENA with organizations.
Samar is an Atlantic Council WIN Fellow for 2025. She was recognized as one of the "50 global women leaders driving a business with social impact" in 2021". She was listed on the "Arab Power List 2021" among 100 business leaders who have had a significant impact on life in MENA.
Sultan Al Hashimi
Co-founder, Juntas
Sultan Al Hashimi is a strategist and entrepreneur. He serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Al Jallaf Advocates & Legal Consultants. He is a co-founder of Juntas.
In his inspiring talk, "Our Open House Concept," Sultan shares the courageous and challenging—yet rewarding—journey of his mom and aunt as they introduced the unique "open house" concept—a home-away-from-home café—in their suburban community. He showcases how their venture has become a catalyst for social impact, transforming the neighborhood by fostering community connections, inclusivity, and positive change.
Sultan has a politics and international relations background from the University of Exeter. He intertwines creativity with business acumen to drive growth and innovation.