EMERGE conference 1st speakers revealed

The organisers of the EMERGE conference, which takes place in Dubai on May 28–29, have announced the first speakers for the 2023 edition of what has grown to be one of the largest startup conferences in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

EMERGE, which was founded in Belarus in 2018, has grown to attract tech startups, founders, community leaders, major corporations, and investors from the New East, which includes Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The speakers at this year’s event are a reflection of this progress, with a diverse range of perspectives set to be present at this year’s event.

“We are excited to announce the first speakers who will be joining us at EMERGE conference in Dubai! We are bringing together the best and brightest minds in the industry to share their insights, knowledge, and expertise.” A statement from EMERGE read.

“We are thrilled to have such diverse and talented speakers joining EMERGE 2023, and we can’t wait to hear what they have to share with us. Stay tuned for more updates on our upcoming event!”

Without further ado, below are the first speakers for the 2023 EMERGE conference:

Sandro Gelashvili, Head of Creative Works, Gaming & Tech, EMEA Emerging Markets at Google: Sandro used to lead strategy and creativity at Wargaming and Playrix. Now, he is leading Google’s Creative Works team—a unit of creative strategists and producers who help top gaming and tech customers unlock their full growth potential with creatives. His current gaming portfolio of clients consists of Playrix, Wargaming, Playgendary, My.games, Zeptolab, Nexters, and others.

Sameh M. Megrhi, CTO and founder at O MY NOTE: Sameh holds a Ph.D. in computer vision and started her career as a data science expert in many domains, like healthcare, education, and luxury. In 2020, she founded O MY NOTE, a B2B platform that can use generative AI to personalise perfume fragrances.

Dr. Jonathan Doerr Doerr, Founder & CEO at Smileneo: Jonathan is a serial entrepreneur now entering the investment field. He cofounded and managed Daraz, the leading online marketplace in South Asia, and Jumia, a NYSE-listed online marketplace operating in more than 10 African countries. His recent business, Smileneo, MENA’s fastest-growing direct-to-consumer clear aligner health tech company, was acquired by India’s leader in the space, Toothsi (part of makeO).

Thajudeen Abdul Kadhar, Head of Strategy & Marketing at NASR Esports: Thajudeen is an expert in growth and strategy with broad experience in the e-commerce and gaming industries. His current employer, NASR Esports, manages professional players and teams from the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region. He also used to develop niche-specific, US-based e-commerce businesses.