Visionary Speakers & Conference Orators
Prof. Luiz Moutinho
University of Suffolk
UK
Prof. Luiz Moutinho
University of SuffolkUK
Biography
Professor Luiz Moutinho (BA, MA, PhD, MAE, FCIM) is the Visiting Professor of Marketing at Faculty of Arts, Business and Applied Social Science, Univ. of Suffolk, Ipswich, England, UK, and IPAM, Marketing Business School.
In 2020 he was elected as the member of The Academia Europaea. In 2017 he received a degree of Prof. Honoris Causa from the Univ. of Tourism and Management Skopje, North Macedonia. In 2025 was rated among the top 85 in 100 best scientists in Business and Management by Research.com.
During 2015 - 2017 he was a professor of BioMarketing and Futures Research at the DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Ireland. This was the first Chair in the world on both domains - BioMarketing and Futures Research. Previously, and for 20 years, he had been appointed as the Foundation Chair of Marketing at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Speech Title
Social Entrepreneurship, Social Good , AI, Sustainable INNO, ESG,Future Startups,FinTech, Vertical SaaS, AgTech , DAOs and Disruptive INNO Lens.
Prof. Mehmet Balcilar
University of New Haven
USA
Prof. Mehmet Balcilar
University of New HavenUSA
Biography
Mehmet Balcilar is an applied macroeconomist, currently working at University of New Haven and a research fellow at Economic Research Forum in Egypt. He also frequently serves as advisor and consultant to various institutions, including the World Bank and World Health Organization, on economics, data analysis, risk analysis, statistics, economics, and field surveys. He was an extraordinary professor at University of Pretoria in South Africa, professor at Eastern Mediterrenean Univrsity and affiliated professor at Montepellier Business School in France. His main research areas include macroeconomics, forecasting, central banking, monetary economics, risk management, financial markets, urban & real estate economics, energy economics according to RePEc top research areas.
Speech Title
Will be updated soon
Prof. Laszlo Szerb
University of Pecs
Hungary
Prof. Laszlo Szerb
University of PecsHungary
Biography
Laszlo Szerb completed his Masters at the University of Pécs, Faculty of Business and Economics in 1984, and in 1994 he earned a PhD in Economics at West Virginia University. Currently he is a full professor at the Department of Management Science at the University of Pécs, Faculty of Business and Economics, and the Director of the Doctoral School of Regional Policy and Economics. Since September 2024 he is a part time senior researcher at Modul University, Vienna Institute of Global Studies. He received his Doctor of Science from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2012. He has been a visiting professor in many European countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the U.K. and in the U.S. Besides a wide-scale experience in teaching during his academic career, his current research subjects are mainly related to entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship policy, small business management, competitiveness; and he also gives lectures in regional research methods at the Doctoral School of Regional Policy and Economics.
Speech Title
The Digital Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Index – Concept and application.
Prof. Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi
IPADE Business School, Panamerican University
Mexico
Prof. Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi
IPADE Business School, Panamerican UniversityMexico
Biography
Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi, PhD, is a Research Professor at the Research Center for Entrepreneurial Initiative, IPADE Business School, Panamerican University, Mexico. He holds a PhD in Business Administration and completed his postdoctoral studies at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Catholic University of Chile). Dr. Afshar has previously held full-time faculty positions at Tec de Monterrey in Mexico and CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School in Peru. His research focuses on entrepreneurship and behavioral strategy, and he has published in leading academic journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, American Psychologist, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Business Strategy and the Environment, and Personality and Individual Differences.
Speech Title
The Black Box of Entrepreneurship Researchers: Are Business Schools Fulfilling Their Role?
Prof. Marco Vivarelli
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart
Italy
Prof. Marco Vivarelli
Catholic University of the Sacred HeartItaly
Biography
Marco Vivarelli, Ph.D. in Economics and Ph.D. in Science and Technology Policy, is full professor at the Catholic University of Milano, where he is also Director of the Department of Economic Policy.
He is member of the Academia Europaea and of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
He is Professorial Fellow at UNU-MERIT, Maastricht and Research Fellow at IZA, Bonn.
He is Editor-in-Chief of the Eurasian Business Review, Editor of Small Business Economics, Associate Editor of Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Associate Editor of Industrial and Corporate Change.
His current research interests include the relationship between innovation, employment and occupations; the economic and social impacts of Artificial Intelligence; the economics of entrepreneurship and industrial dynamics.
Speech Title
Is AI a New Technological Paradigm? A Focus on the Labor Market
Dr. Pagon Gatchalee
Chiang Mai University Business School
Thailand
Dr. Pagon Gatchalee
Chiang Mai University Business SchoolThailand
Biography
Dr. Pagon Gatchalee is a lecturer at the Department of Marketing, Chiang Mai University Business School, Thailand. He holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology and Digital Innovation from Silpakorn University (pending formal graduation) and has completed doctoral-level training in Business Administration at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He also earned a Master of Engineering in Computer Software and Theory from Beihang University, China, under a CSC scholarship, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Chiang Mai University.
Speech Title
Platform Adaptation and Human-Centered AI Use in Transnational Micro-Entrepreneurship: A Qualitative Study from Chinese Entrepreneurs in Thailand
Dr. Nataliya Venelinova
University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev"
Bulgaria
Dr. Nataliya Venelinova
University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev"Bulgaria
Biography
Associate professor Nataliya Venelinova, PhD has over 20 years of academic teaching and research experience as a lecturer in disciplines in the field of general communication theory, communication skills, public relations, communication policy, project development, crisis communications management in emergencies, business negotiations, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices, and multidisciplinary case work. She is the author or co-author of more than 60 papers and 3 monographs and has taken part in 24 successfully implemented regional, cross-border, and transnational multidisciplinary projects. Now she is a full-time member of the academic staff of the Management and Social Activities Department of the Faculty of Business and Management at the University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, where she is also assigned as manager “Project activities, monitoring & communication” at the Management Committee of Ruse Scientific University project, financed under National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), being responsible for the operational management, quality and risk management and monitoring of the scientific activities, implemented for the execution of the Strategic scientific research and innovation program of the University.
Speech Title
Digital Transformation of Eco-Social Systems: Insights for Their Adaptations
Dr. Nakia Melecio
Georgia Institute of Technology
United States
Dr. Nakia Melecio
Georgia Institute of TechnologyUnited States
Biography
Nakia Melecio is a Senior Research Faculty member of Georgia Institute of Technology, and Director of The National Science Foundation NSF I-Corps Southeast Hub, and Principal in Venture Lab. In this role, Nakia helps researchers commercialize their Biotechnology, Energy, Defense, Military Technology, Education, Government Technology, and Aerospace Technology. He also helps them secure investments from a network of federally funded laboratories, universities, and corporations. Nakia also is the Founder/Director of MedTech Center of Excellence, created to support and address the unique needs of early-stage medical device technologies where they provide expertise in product realization, technology, medical device manufacturing, biotechnology, life science, and therapeutic innovations to early-stage entrepreneurs.Throughout his career, he has worked with industry, academia, and government which has provided him with a unique and deep understanding of the early-stage innovation ecosystem and technology transfer, proven scientific and technical ability, and decades of operational experience in technology-driven, high-growth companies. He has successfully helped startups and develop businesses worldwide in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria, Thailand, South Korea, Colombia, South Africa, Kenya, Canada, and Ghana.
Speech Title
From Lab to Market: Turning Research into Real-World Impact
Summit Speakers
Dr. Xinwei Cao
Jiangnan University
China
Dr. Xinwei Cao
Jiangnan UniversityChina
Biography
Dr. Xinwei Cao is a full professor at the School of Business, Jiangnan University, China. She earned her PhD through a joint program between Fudan University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr. Cao has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and currently serves as an independent director on audit committees for listed companies. Her research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence and computational tools in finance, management, and economics. She has pioneered methods for financial fraud detection and portfolio optimization using machine learning. Her recent book Modern Business Management synthesizes evolutionary theory, economics, and computer science to address challenges in today’s business world.
Speech Title
Modern Business Management in the Age of Globalization and Technological Disruption.
Dr. Agnieszka Rachwal-Mueller
Jagiellonian University
Poland
Dr. Agnieszka Rachwal-Mueller
Jagiellonian UniversityPoland
Biography
Agnieszka Rachwał-Mueller has been a lecturer and researcher at the Institute of Entrepreneurship at Jagiellonian University since November 2024. Her academic focus includes content marketing, social media analysis, e-entrepreneurship, social marketing, and mobile technologies. She is also a PhD candidate at the Prague University of Economics and Business, where she is conducting research on global leadership.
Her research interests lie at the intersection of intercultural management, organizational culture, and responsible global leadership. In her academic work, she explores the impact of cultural factors on consumer behavior, the development of value-based marketing strategies, the role of organizational culture in business development, and the implementation of CSR and sustainable innovation as integral elements of modern management models. She combines her extensive international business experience with academic research, producing studies that are practically relevant for contemporary organizations. Her publications are available via ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7871-2356.
Agnieszka has over 20 years of professional experience in international consulting, having led trainings, workshops, and projects across Europe and Asia. She has collaborated with a wide range of global companies and institutions, including Deutsche Telekom, Shell, Bertelsmann AG, Microsoft, Orange, Samsung, Hitachi, Makro, Metro, UPC, ING, Skanska, T-Mobile, Neuca, PKO BP, Sanofi, AccelorMittal, Baker McKenzie, Nowy Styl, Estee Lauder, Veolia, Prologis, Strabag, as well as various universities, ministries, and NGOs in Poland and abroad.
Since 2020, she has served as President of the Ad Lucem Foundation, where she leads international educational and social projects promoting intercultural dialogue, including in conflict-affected regions such as Kashmir (India). She co-authored the "Empathy Manual – a resource book for teachers," now used in over 50 schools across India. She also acts pro bono as an advisor to foundations in India and Africa, supporting them in strategic development and sustainability efforts.
Since 2007, she has worked with the award-winning German training firm ICUnet.AG and the UK-based Richard Lewis Communications. In 2025, she joined the American consultancy Enquire.AI as an independent expert and became a member of the Povaddo Advisory Panel—a prestigious international network of opinion leaders from politics, academia, NGOs, and the private sector. As a panelist, she shares insights in business strategy and global communications.
Privately, she is passionate about classical music, travel, and the diverse philosophies of the East.
Speech Title
Cultivating Responsible Global Leadership Competencies for Sustainable Entrepreneurship in a VUCA World.
Dr. Mark Fekete
King’s College
London
Dr. Mark Fekete
King’s CollegeLondon
Biography
Márk Fekete, and I was born and raised in Hungary. For my bachelor’s degree, I moved to London and graduated from BA International Development at King’s College London in 2023. During my last two years at King’s, I was increasingly focusing on international business, finance in emerging economies and entrepreneurship. I wrote my dissertation about the potential of reforming the Hungarian startup ecosystem based on the Estonian model, a topic close to my heart.I am currently finishing my studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) at the MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship course. Alongside university I also volunteer at a social enterprise in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya that aims to build small-business ecosystems in disadvantaged areas, giving locals a chance to break out of the cycles of poverty despite high unemployment, and lack of opportunities. In the future I would mostly like to work on projects that aim to foster the development of local startup ecosystems.
Speech Title
will be update soon.
Okeke Darlington Wagner
C.E overflow ventures
Nigeria
Okeke Darlington Wagner
C.E overflow venturesNigeria
Biography
Will update soon.
Speech Title
Will update soon.
Uzuaru Ikechukwu Paulnus
C.E overflow ventures
Nigeria
Uzuaru Ikechukwu Paulnus
C.E overflow venturesNigeria
Biography
Will update soon.
Speech Title
Will update soon.
Nnadirinwa Declan Uchenna
C.E overflow ventures
Nigeria
Nnadirinwa Declan Uchenna
C.E overflow venturesNigeria
Biography
Will update soon.
Speech Title
Will update soon.
Ewurum Paschal Chukwuemek
C.E overflow ventures
Nigeria
Ewurum Paschal Chukwuemek
C.E overflow venturesNigeria
Biography
Will update soon.
Speech Title
Will update soon.
Dr. Shama Urooj
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan
China
Dr. Shama Urooj
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, WuhanChina
Biography
Dr. Shama Urooj is a researcher and academic specializing in finance, financial compliance, and sustainable entrepreneurship. She earned her PhD in Business Administration from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, where her dissertation examined the role of digital financial capability, anti-money laundering (AML), and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) compliance in shaping sustainable entrepreneurship across developed, developing, and fragile economies.
Speech Title
Exploring the Impact of Dimension-Specific Financial Inclusion on Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Policy Insights from Africa
