Meet the 12 Must-See Speakers at RiseUp Summit 2025

As the region’s leading gathering for innovation and entrepreneurship, RiseUp Summit 2025 is set to return to Cairo with a powerhouse speaker lineup that spans the worlds of animation, artificial intelligence, tech investment, and brand strategy. Taking place at the Grand Egyptian Museum, this year’s edition will highlight nine industry leaders who are not only shaping their fields but redefining the future of storytelling, digital communication, and startup growth—each bringing global insight with local relevance.

Simon See

Head of NVIDIA AI Technology Centre

See leads NVIDIA’s AI innovation in Asia, driving applied AI research and its integration across sectors like healthcare and smart cities.

Naveen Selvanathan

Art Director at Netflix Animation Studios

Selvanathan developed visually distinctive animation styles for Netflix, enhancing cultural representation and expanding the creative scope of animated storytelling.

Andreas Horn

Head of AIOps (EMEA) at IBM

Horn leads IBM’s AIOps strategy across EMEA, focusing on automating IT operations using AI to improve system reliability and efficiency.

Eoin McGuinness

Head of Africa, CEE, & The Middle East at HubSpot for Startups

McGuinness adapted HubSpot's marketing and sales strategies specifically for startup growth in Africa, CEE, and the Middle East, facilitating regional entrepreneurship.

Javier Villamizar

Operating Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers

Villamizar implemented operationally focused investment strategies at SoftBank, aiding startups in scaling effectively across various markets.

Ajibola Oluwatobi Ayoku Odukoya

Chief Operating Officer at African Technology Innovation Hubs Initiative (AfriLabs)

Odukoya streamlined collaboration among tech hubs across Africa, enhancing startup ecosystems and facilitating cross-border innovation.

Daniela Braga

Founder and CEO at Defined.ai

Braga built one of the world’s leading data platforms for AI training, helping companies deploy smarter, fairer AI systems.

Simon Clowes

Creative Director at Object Subject Form

Clowes introduced innovative visual storytelling methods, improving brand identity and communication through strategic design.

Mohamed Aladdin Sadiq Abouelnaga

Co-founder and Executive Chairman, EXITS

A visionary entrepreneur with extensive experience in scaling businesses and creating successful exit strategies. Mohamed has helped numerous startups navigate their growth journey and transition into profitable acquisitions or public offerings through his leadership at EXITS.

Rebecca Hansen

Leadership Coach at RH Consultancy

Hansen works with founders and executives to develop leadership skills and organizational clarity through tailored coaching frameworks.

Jiapei Yan

Chief Commercial Officer at PalmPay

Yan has been instrumental in expanding PalmPay’s footprint in Africa, focusing on financial inclusion and digital payment accessibility.

Amr Awadallah

CEO and Co-Founder at Vectara

Awadallah developed advanced AI-driven analytics tools, significantly improving data utilisation for business intelligence.