The Global Startup Movement - Startup Ecosystem Leaders, Global Entrepreneurship, and Emerging Market Innovation

On this episode we dive into our top 5 episode that we've ever done with leaders in the MENA startup ecosystems. Featured guests include Ali Abukumail, Idriss Al Rifai, Jacob Korenblum, Simon Galpin, and Yariv Lotan.

W. Gyude Moore is a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development. He previously served as Liberia’s Minister of Public Works with oversight over the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure from December 2014 to January 2018.

Prior to that role, Moore served as Deputy Chief of Staff to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Head of the President’s Delivery Unit (PDU). As Head of the PDU, his team monitored progress and drove delivery of the Public Sector Investment Program of Liberia—a program of over $1 billion in road, power, port infrastructure, and social programs in Liberia after the civil war. As one of the President’s trusted advisors, he also played a crucial role in supporting President Sirleaf as Liberia responded to the West Africa Ebola outbreak and shaped its post-Ebola outlook

At CGD, Moore’s research focus is around financing infrastructure in Africa and the changing landscape of development finance on the continent. His research tracks the channels of private sources of finance, the rise of China and its expanding role in Africa, and Africa’s response to these changes.

This episode was recorded at PeaceTech Lab PeaceTech Lab works to reduce violent conflict using technology, media, and data to accelerate and scale peacebuilding efforts. An independent nonprofit, the Lab brings together engineers and activists, MBAs and conflict experts, social scientists, data scientists, and other innovators to put the right tools in the right hands to build peace.

On this episode we dive into our top 5 episode that we've ever done with leaders in the Canadian startup ecosystems. Featured guests include Mark Organ, Mark Maclean, Charles Boulanger, Rivers Corbett, and Marie Chevrier.

Julio Lavalle is the Cofounder of Poupa Certo and MiBolsillo, mobile apps that digitize financial behaviors and tasks to build a financially healthy generation with less human intervention and reduced transaction costs for both end users and financial institutions to bring 5 million people to the formal financial system in the next three years. Poupa Certo and MiBolsillo currently operate in Brazil, Peru, Guatemala, and Mexico with plans to expand into more Spanish-speaking countries. After working on business and economic research, Julio found in development economics a path to put learnings and skills in practice to generate actual impact, shaped by powerful experiences at local and international NGOs, and organizations such as The World Bank.

Samier Mansur is a social entrepreneur, innovator, and writer who is driven by ideas that can build a more just, peaceful, and better organized world. Samier is the founder of No Limit Generation, an organization that supports thousands of displaced and vulnerable children rise and thrive into their full potential. This initiative builds on his previous work in founding the "Safe Haven" for Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh in partnership with the award-winning JAAGO Foundation. The facility provides 500 Rohingya refugee children and orphans a safe space for learning, play, and healing every day. Samier is also the co-founder of LiveSafe, a revolutionary smartphone app that empowers millions of students, employees, and service men and women with the tools to keep themselves and their communities safe. He has as served various US Govt agencies and initiatives from global policymaking to human rights and security, and facilitation of trade and development programs in the rapidly developing economies. He has over 40 national and international publications on range of topics: from international relations and global policy; to humanitarian intervention, self-improvement, gender, among others. He has spoken on the TEDx stage on the topic of Pluralism and religious identity politics and inclusion; and continues to advise technology companies and global policy makers.

Eli David is the co-founder of StartupBlink.com, global map and research center of the global startup ecosystem. They work with dozens of governments and municipalities on the promotion and mapping of their ecosystems. StartupBlink was featured in hundreds of magazines around the world and has thousands of registered startups and release the World's most comprehensive startup ecosystem index ranking more than 1,000 cities and 100 countries. In 2010, Eli also co-founded Lingolearn with its current CEO and team. Lingolearn provides private lessons online for thousands of students in 16 languages. Eli is a digital nomad and lived in more than 20 countries in the last 4 years, constantly changing locations. Eli thinks Nomads and Startup owners have everything in common, in regard to initiating great changes and taking smart risks to achieve happiness.

This special installment of The Global Startup Movement podcast was recorded at the Africa Fintech Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with 4 tech ecosystem player including Adam Abate Cofounder & CEO of Apposit, Yemiru Chanyalew CEO of Moneta Technologies, Saad Sheikh Principal of Investments at TLG Capital, and Habtamu Tadesse Founder & CEO of both Zayride and Arifpay.

Kristin Rechberger is CEO of Dynamic Planet, a company that invests in conservation enterprises so that people and nature can thrive: wilderness protection (land and sea), sustainable tourism, food-energy-water security, and market transformation towards sustainable sourcing and consumption.

As SVP Global Programs & Partnerships at the National Geographic Society, over 14 years Kristin helped lead worldwide growth of cable channels, corporate partnerships, and research, conservation, and exploration programs. Lived in Seoul, Korea as Luce Fellow; produced documentary films throughout Asia. Selected as a 2009 Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum; serves on the Advisory Council, and involved with oceans, the shared economy, and the future of global development. Serves on the boards of Pristine Seas, The Ocean Foundation, and Children’s Eyes on Earth. Public policy and documentary film degrees, Duke University; executive courses, Harvard and Yale.

Shailee Aldinofi is Director of Public Sector Solutions at ConsenSys, a global blockchain technology company building the infrastructure, applications, and practices that enable a decentralized world. She served as Vice President of BanQu, a blockchain-based platform for supply chain transparency. Prior to joining the blockchain industry, Shailee spent 11 years leading USAID funded projects in financial inclusion, mobile money in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and 3 years in logistics and software development for US government projects.