MEET THE TEAM

With over 20 years of regional experience, Mohamad is a serial entrepreneur and experienced strategist with a diverse background in brand strategy, marketing, and innovation consulting. He began his career at the UNDP, where he worked on strategic projects for the Lebanese government and the prime minister's office. After setting up the first guerrilla marketing company in Lebanon, he conceptualized and rolled out two award-winning international art and photography events in Beirut that significantly contributed to the city’s cultural standing and brand identity. As an independent innovation consultant with “Itsme” a boutique innovation consultancy, he focused on designing sustainable strategies & exploring growth opportunities for brands with a focus on people, planet, and profit.

Elena Cernea is a focused executive with experience allying investment banking, management consulting and medtech ventures. Her experience covers both public and private sector, in Europe, Latin America, USA and Asia. Her sector experience ranges from pharma, biotech medtech, airspace & defense, banking, energy and different public entities (public transports, entity in charge of the investments of the French Wealth Fund – the CDC, etc.) Her main focus during her different assignments and roles was to find sustainable ways to improve and develop the different businesses, i.e. innovation, new business models, diversity and inclusion. She co-founded a venture in medical devices which was awarded one of the 10 Grand Prix of the National Contest for Innovation iLab in France in 2019 (minimally invasive treatments in cancerology and cardiology). Elena is working regularly with government and private actors supporting innovation, in France and around the world. She was for instance Jury of the National Contest for Innovation in France, grading hundreds of business plans and accompanying afterwards the winners in the development of their ventures. Clients (selection): Essilor, Unilever, Thales, Roche, Sanofi, Ipsen, Teva, Renault, Valeo, different ministries and regional administration in France, SNCF (the national railway company in France), BNPP / Cetelem, BPI France. Elena holds an MBA from INSEAD as well as a master’s degree in Industrial Strategy from La Sorbonne University. She speaks four languages.

Andy Palanisamy is a seasoned technologist and public policy professional with nearly twenty-five years of public and private sector experience, tackling complex projects in mobility innovations and smart city technologies.

Ibrahim Al Hudhaif

Hassan Ballout is a dynamic entrepreneur and leader, currently serving as the CEO and Co-founder of Limestone Lab, a pioneering Experience Design and Consultancy Firm. In his role, he spearheads a multidisciplinary team of designers, architects, and hospitality experts, revolutionizing the world of hospitality and leisure. Over the past four years, Ballout has unveiled a series of groundbreaking concepts, challenging traditional brick-and-mortar models with a disruptive approach. As the driving force behind Limestone Lab, Hassan Ballout re-imagines hospitality experiences, bringing together a diverse team to create thoughtfully designed properties in unexpected destinations. Limestone Lab's portfolio includes Peaches & Cream, August, Helipad by Frozen Cherry, and Social Distrikt, showcasing the firm's commitment to innovative concepts. In 2023, Hassan furthered his work in the hospitality industry by becoming a founding partner of AAO Consultancy, a full-fledged F&B Consultancy that handles concepts from inception to implementation. Expanding his portfolio, he also established a partnership with the community-centric lifestyle brand, Monkeys Everywhere, marking his first venture in the fashion industry. Prior to founding Limestone Lab, Hassan served as the Chief Growth Officer for Seven Management, Ballout where he orchestrated the strategic expansion of Beirut's well-loved F&B and hospitality brands across the Middle East. His understanding of the balance between brand, market, and location fueled the success of Seven Sisters Dubai and Antika Bar Dubai, as well as securing franchising contracts for international concepts including Antika Bar, Super Snack El Kbeer, and Kahwet Beirut in the region. He was also the driving force behind the first international expansion of Beirut's underground super club, B018, which launched in Dubai in 2021. Additionally, he co-created new concepts such as Bar Ville (bar hall experience) and a multitude of new brands. A true entrepreneur, Hassan Ballout co-founded the digital culinary concept, Leap Nation, in 2016 before transitioning to the role of shareholder in 2019, where he helped co-create 22 virtual restaurant brands. As a global pioneer in the virtual restaurant industry, Leap Nation delivers client-centric cuisine to consumers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Leap Nation was recently acquired, resulting in more than a 50x return on Ballout's initial investment. Ballout was also a seed investor in Kitopi, a leading cloud kitchen platform currently valued at 1.55 billion USD. This platform allows restaurants to expand their delivery reach at minimal expenditure. Ballout exited at the series A level, which yielded a 20x return on his initial investment. Furthermore, he served as the advisory co-CEO of Kitch-In upon its inception for a period of 6 months. Kitch-In is a collaboration between Accor Group and Dubai Bulldozer Group's Evgny Kuzin and Chef Izu Ani, currently reported to be valued at 80 million USD. In February 2021, Ballout co-founded Kanzi, an e-commerce shop-to-win platform currently seeking funding at a valuation of 10 million USD. Hassan Ballout recognizes the importance of a digital presence and the value of online operations. A business graduate of USJ, an acclaimed business school in Lebanon, Ballout began his career by managing his family's assets and property, gaining valuable business insights from a young age. He is a strategist, master NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and life coach, as well as a BD professional IP franchising consultant, enjoying over a decade of consultancy experience across a multitude of industries for over 500 clients and brands. Beyond his business ventures, Ballout is also the author of the book "Poetic Bursts of a Half- Awakened Man" and is currently writing his second book, named "The Rise of the Digital Self."

Seasoned and accomplished healthcare industry professional with more than 15 years of insightful experience from clinical practice to regional and global Medical Affairs roles. Demonstrated expertise in Copy Review Compliance, Medical Information handling, Design and Process Risk Management, safety events management, Clinical Studies Monitoring, and Evidence Generation and Dissemination. Successfully, implemented and managed a global outsourcing model for copy review, proving its efficiency over more than seven years.

A global finance and compliance expert with 17+ years of experience at WPP, Inigo has led finance, compliance, operations, and client servicing in various regions.

Fran is an international brand strategist, consumer insights, innovation expert, a sociologist and a master practitioner of applied cognitive behavioural psychology.

Hayssam brings extensive expertise in the real estate sector drawn from over 19 years of handling a wide range of Sales, Leasing, Marketing, Destination & F&B clusters creations, CRM, Investment & Business development activities with the ability to develop strategic and tactical solutions to build business from the ground-up, ascertaining a competitive edge, sustainability, & organizational growth.

Sami Shatila is a results-driven professional with 12+ years of experience in various GCC industries. Passionate about building teams & scaling businesses, Sami has been helping startups since 2018 to develop and implement market-entry strategies,

Azad Shaar is an interior architect specialised in physical user experiences with a strong  passion for aesthetics. With an unwavering dedication to creating transformative experiences, she believes in the profound impact they have on human growth and evolution, as individuals and as communities.

Yasmeen Sakka is a social media specialist and educator with a passion for empowering individuals and brands to thrive in the digital sphere. With expertise in content creation, strategy, and storytelling, she is dedicated to transforming online platforms into spaces of authenticity and impact.