Elmira Bayrasli writes and works on entrepreneurship and economic development issues. She is a blogger for Forbes and is the Director of Communications at the Peace Dividend Trust, a non-profit supporting entrepreneurs in the developing world. Previously, she was the Vice President of Policy & Outreach at Endeavor, a non-profit supporting “high-impact” entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Before joining Endeavor, Elmira was the Chief Spokesperson for the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, and has served in other positions at the U.S. Department of State. Elmira received her MA from Columbia University and BA from New York University. She has contributed to several books and publications, including several book reviews and op-eds. She is writing a book about entrepreneurship and development.
Sadaf Lakhani is an independent consultant, with over 10 years of experience in international development. She has worked for a range of multilateral and Non-Governmental organizations, most recently the United Nations (UNDP and OHCHR), with a specialization in post-conflict governance, access to justice and natural resource management. She has a PhD in Social policy and Social Exclusion and a BSc in Social and Economic Geography from King’s College, University of London, and recently completed a Masters in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford.
Rituraj Mathur is Vice President at an infrastructure focused private equity fund based in Manila, Philippines. Previously, he was at PetroTiger, an energy and infrastructure focused services company in Bogota, Colombia where he led acquisitions in the energy space. He has also worked at the International Monetary Fund where he was part of a team that advised Latin American and Middle Eastern governments on fiscal and monetary policies. Rituraj has a BA in International Politics and Economics from Middlebury College and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
Kelly Michel is the Founder and CEO of Potencia Ventures, which helps catalyze the growth of emerging market clusters for business that serves the base of the pyramid. She also co-designed and developed Artemisia Negócios Sociais, a Brazilian organization that develops high-performance management teams and accelerates new ventures. Kelly is also the Co-Founder and Partner of Vox Capital, a Brazilian venture capital fund which invests in early-stage companies that improve life for their low income clients. Kelly holds a Masters in Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris and has spent the past 14 years outside her native United States, living, working and studying in Latin America, Europe and West Africa.
Faraz Munaim is Vice-President in Deutsche Bank‘s FX and Commodities Structured Products / Derivatives Group in New York City. He has been working in that role for the past 6 years where he has spent his time creating and trading investable products linked to currencies and commodities for institutional as well as high net-worth clients. He has also been involved with various volunteer organizations in New York City that help students in troubled high-schools with SAT preparation and women and children who have been victims of trafficking. Faraz graduated from Harvard University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.
Misbah Naqvi is Vice President for Business Development & Communications at the American Pakistan Foundation. She has over 14 years experience in finance and business development. Previously, Misbah worked in business development at the Acumen Fund, a global non-profit venture fund, in New York and Karachi, Pakistan, building their social enterprise investment portfolio and managing investments, fundraising and community building. She has also worked at Citigroup in Pakistan. Misbah has an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration Pakistan.
Bowen Uhlenkamp is a strategy and management specialist with more than 10 years of professional experience in business consulting with Accenture and program development and evaluation with the World Bank, UN, and various NGOs. He has an MBA from INSEAD specializing in strategy and entrepreneurship.