core team
Aman Merchant | Executive Chair
A Dubai-based serial entrepreneur passionate about creating better futures through the power of ideas & disruptive thinking, Aman’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1991 even before he entered university. He brings nearly two decades of experience to the team, having launched six ventures - mostly centered around education & ideas - and led three others across the Middle East & Asia. Aman holds a 1st Class Masters Degree with Honours from Oxford University, is a lifetime member of the Stanford Business School Alumni Association, as well as a past President (2009-10) of the UAE Chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO).
Habib Al-Assaad | Vice Chair
In tandem with a sales career at houses like ORACLE, GM, and Motorola, Habib is a large-scale societal innovator whose work with ORACLE Foundation has improved 160,000 livelihoods in 66 countries through one of the earliest examples of Social Intrapreneurship: the shift from strategic philanthropy to corporate citizenship... by frontiering a social business unit in 2004. His other causes included a co-op banking union and projects to transform Gulf public sectors. An avid proponent of the digital humanities and of venture incubation for development, Habib is an alumnus of the 1st INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship program and a UN GAID member.
Marwan Chaar | Co-Founder
Marwan has been involved in the energy industry for the past 7 years in different sectors and is currently active in M&A at GE. Previously, he founded a company for sustainable energy development in the Gulf - FuGu Energy, worked at DC Energy - an energy trading firm based in D.C., Ausra - a solar thermal technology firm, & Crescent Petroleum - a regional gas development company based in the UAE. Marwan holds a BS with High Honors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, an MS in Energy Systems from Stanford University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School with a focus on entrepreneurship.
Mohamed Al-Ali | Host
Mohamed is an ambitious, purpose-driven societal facilitator, sought for his profound expertise in community action. He has a long track record in volunteering circuits, orchestrating volunteer groups for some of Dubai's most profiled events, and is also a pro-bono skills trainer & coach intimate with UAE culture... running motivational workshops for those eager to improve their conditions. By profession, Mohamed is an aircraft engineer serving in one of the world's foremost airlines and advocates sustainable industry practices. He has qualifications from the Institute of Leadership & Management, and from Coventry University.