ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME

Dr. Marwan Alzarouni is a leading figure in emerging technologies, serving as CEO of AI for Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC). His appointment is part of Dubai's ambitious 'Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence', which aims to position the city as a global leader in AI innovation and implementation. In his role at DET, Dr. Alzarouni works closely with both the public and private sector to roll out policies and initiatives to harness AI to enhance the quality of life for Dubai's residents and enrich visitor experiences. As the CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC), he has been instrumental in driving blockchain adoption in the region. With over two decades of experience in technology, information security, digital forensics, and AI, he has driven significant advancements in blockchain adoption and AI innovation. As a founding member of the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) and the Artificial Intelligence Ethical Committee (AIEC), Dr. Alzarouni is recognized globally, including being named one of the top 100 influential figures in blockchain and cryptocurrencies by CoinTelegraph in 2022. His contributions to the field have also earned him a place as a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Cryptocurrencies from 2020 to 2021.

Dr Jane Thomason is Chief Editor of Metaverse and Web3 at Frontiers in Blockchain and an Industry Associate at University College London. A global thought leader and author, she has received multiple honours, including Web3 Leader of the Year and Co-Founded the Women in Deep Tech Network.

Sara Al Madani, widely known as Dr. Sara Al Madani, is a renowned entrepreneur, fashion designer, restaurateur and tech-preneur. She had the vision to launch her first business at the age of 15, demonstrating determination from an early age. Over the years, she has built a diverse portfolio across multiple industries, establishing herself as a pioneering businesswoman and influential voice in the entrepreneurial landscape. Sara Al Madani is the originator of the viral philosophy 'Job Your Love' – a call to build your life around what truly ignites you, transforming passion into purpose, work into freedom, and success into authentic impact.

Founding partner at SwissBorg (>$2BN in AUM, 1.1 million registered users), Cointelegraph Startup Mentor, TEDx speaker and YouTube host: https://youtube.com/c/Cryptonites. Alex played a pivotal role to raise funds and help scale SwissBorg to over 230 employees as of 2024. He was featured as a keynote/ panelist/ educator at WEF Davos, CNBC, Cointelegraph, Coindesk, Coin Bureau Live, Token2049, AIM Summit, Le Figaro, Paris Blockchain Week, Blockdown, Cryptoslate and more.

Tony Ventura is a tech influencer, an international speaker and a dedicated technology researcher. He is known for his work in technology and innovation in Brazil, where he created the Digital Transformation course for the Ministry of Economy. He founded the largest digital tools community in Latin America, positively transforming thousands of lives through technology. In addition, Tony established the Brazil Startups association, supporting numerous startups with technology and investments.

Fiorentina is a seasoned fintech leader with over 25 years of experience spanning Malta's largest banks, top fintech startups and global crypto businesses. She has held senior roles at industry leaders including eToro and Bitpanda, and today serves as CEO of Blockchain.com in Malta, leading their European operations. Fiorentina also chairs FIMA (the Financial Institutions Malta Association). Specialising in innovation, operational risk, compliance and strategy, she combines regulatory expertise with a drive for growth. She holds a Master's in Technology and Innovation Management.

Dr. Theodoros Christodoulou created Lab4Crypto, a quantitative analytics platform designed to empower professional and retail investors, as well as institutions, to make informed decisions in the crypto market. In less than a year, Lab4Crypto has grown to a thriving community of over 100,000 followers. A former nuclear physicist who transitioned from academia to pursue crypto full-time, Dr. Theodoros leverages his expertise to develop unique models and quantitative strategies for the crypto market. He is deeply passionate about the future of crypto and is committed to helping others navigate its complexities.

Giuseppe Marino is an international AML and Financial Crime Expert with extensive consulting experience in corporate due diligence and compliance frameworks. Specializing in strategic legal advisory services, he has developed comprehensive expertise in B2B and B2G relationships across European and Middle Eastern markets. He is one of the founders and currently serves as President of the Italian-Cypriot Chamber of Commerce.

Since 2004, Jarek Bialek has been active in the fintech sector, dealing with several B2B products and in addition taking responsibility for the areas of product management, team building, sales and automated support. As CEO of Revenue Capital, he is also actively involved in the global startup ecosystem, as a mentor, coach, educator and entrepreneur.

Serena Sebastiani is a senior executive and advisor with over 15 years of experience in Financial Services across Europe and the Middle East. She has deep expertise in fintech, digital assets, and financial sector transformation (Future of Finance) across multiple verticals, with a strong background in Assets & Wealth Management. Her career spans leadership roles in consulting, regulation, and venture building, focusing on enabling financial institutions (banks, asset managers, and sovereign wealth funds), regulators, and fintechs to navigate the evolving digital finance landscape.

Hon. Roberta Metsola was elected President of the European Parliament in January 2022, becoming the youngest ever person to occupy this role. In July 2024, she was re-elected for another term, as only the second person and first woman to serve as President for two terms. President Metsola has been very vocal and firm in Europe’s support to Ukraine, following Russia’s brutal invasion. On 1st April 2022, she became the first President of an institution of the European Union to visit Ukraine since the start of the war. As President, she has led reforms towards a Parliament that is more modern, efficient and accountable. She was first elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2013. Prior, President Metsola served within the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union and later as the legal advisor to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. In her student years, she campaigned actively for Malta's European Union membership. Professionally she is a lawyer who has specialised in European law and politics. Born in 1979, Roberta Metsola is married to Ukko Metsola and is the mother of four boys.

Gary Vaynerchuk serves as the Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia and the Creator & CEO of VeeFriends. He is a prolific angel investor with early investments in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase and Uber. Gary is also an entrepreneur at heart — he builds businesses. Today, he helps Fortune 1000 brands leverage consumer attention through his full service advertising agency, VaynerMedia which has offices in NY, LA, London, Mexico City, LATAM and Singapore. Gary was recently named to the Fortune list of the Top 50 Influential people in the NFT industry. Gary documents his life daily as a CEO through his social media channels which has more than 34 million followers and garnishes over 272 million monthly impressions/views across all platforms. His podcast ‘The GaryVee Audio Experience’ ranks among the top podcasts globally. He is a five-time New York Times Best-Selling Author and one of the most highly sought after public speakers.

Nolan Bushnell is a pioneering entrepreneur and one of the founding figures of the video game industry. As the co-founder of Atari, he helped launch the commercial gaming revolution and shape modern interactive entertainment. He later founded Chuck E. Cheese, blending technology, gaming, and family entertainment into a globally recognized brand. A serial innovator and investor, Bushnell has spent decades supporting breakthrough ideas across gaming, media, and emerging technologies.

In his early 20s, David Meltzer quickly rose to the top of his game in the business world, becoming a millionaire. David lectured around the globe and saw rapid success in every business project he touched. But something was missing, and in his 30s as a multimillionaire, he went on a rapid downward spiral that ended in bankruptcy. It was only then that David realized, in order to revive and thrive, he needed to codify what had made him successful in the first place. He has since emerged to realize even more rewarding heights of success in business and life. David Meltzer has created a platform that uses four overarching principles—gratitude, empathy, accountability, and effective communication—and these principles have allowed him to communicate and mentor everyone from college students to c-suite executives. These four principles in everyday practice allow David to live by his mission to “make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun.

Brando Benifei is an Italian MEP serving his third term in the European parliament. During the previous mandate he was co-Rapporteur for the Artificial Intelligence Act and thanks to this work in March 2024 he won the prize for the Best MEP of the Mandate assigned by The Parliament Magazine. Now he is Coordinator in the Committee on International Trade for the Socialists and Democrats Group and Chair of the European Parliament's D-US delegation. He is member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and he works also as substitute member on the EU internal market and consumer protection and on legal affairs, always following closely digital issues.

Daniel Azzopardi started his career in the Malta Civil Service in 2007 following a Government Scholarship on European Affairs at the University of Sussex, UK. His first post was that of an officer at the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division within the Office of the Prime Minister on the management of EU Funding. In March 2009 he took on his first assignment in Brussels as Technical Attaché in charge of the Energy and Land Transport dossier at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union. He held this position until 2015. At the start of 2016, he returned to Malta as Chief Executive Officer of The Energy and Water Agency, a Government body tasked with developing and implementing Malta’s national policy on energy and water. In 2018 Mr Azzopardi was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Malta to the European Union. In August 2020 he was then appointed as Malta’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain. Ambassador Azzopardi has been appointed Ambassador to the Italian Republic on 30th August 2024. Ambassador Azzopardi holds a master’s degree in Contemporary European Studies, from the University of Sussex (UK), and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in European Studies from the University of Malta. He is married to Dr Roberta Azzopardi and they have 4 children.

John Lee is an internationally renowned Entrepreneur, Investor, Mentor, Speaker, and best-selling Author. Over the last two decades, John has been generating wealth through multiple streams of income and is highly passionate about helping others do the same. He became a self-made millionaire through real estate investing, building various seven figure businesses, and taking one of his companies public. John currently mentors and advises entrepreneurs on how to take their businesses to the next level in the digital age as well as coaches world-class CEOs, professional athletes, and celebrities on how to preserve and scale their wealth. John is actively involved in various new ventures, partnerships, and company acquisitions. As an investor, his portfolio of companies consists of several of the top tech based companies, some of which have achieved unicorn status. John’s ultimate mission is to transform lives by teaching people how to create financial freedom while building notable businesses and brands.

Kenneth Brincat is the CEO of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority. With 25 years of experience in management and digital transformation, Kenneth is spearheading MDIA 2.0: A driving force in Malta's digital landscape. He is catalysing the national agenda for responsible and human-centric development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the enabling of cybersecurity across industry. Under Kenneth's leadership the Authority adopted a collaborative approach enabling policymakers, industry experts and academia to synergise.

Belal Jassoma is Director of Ecosystems at DMCC, the world’s leading business district and authority on international commodities trade and enterprise. Belal joined DMCC in 2011 and has been instrumental in scaling up DMCC’s ecosystems and commercial offering, including new products, services and member engagement programmes. In his current capacity as Director for Ecosystems, Belal is responsible for developing key strategic relationships, partnerships and product functions.

George Gregory is the CEO of Malta Enterprise, responsible for driving investment, supporting enterprise growth and enhancing Malta's global competitiveness. With over 30 years in the accounting profession, he previously served as Managing Partner at one of Malta's largest firms. Known for his strategic insight and fast-thinking approach, he has led major acquisitions and restructuring projects. George brings deep experience across public and private sectors to foster innovation-led economic development.

Marcello Coppo is a Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies with Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy). A lawyer admitted to the bar in 2009, he advises individuals and businesses on labor, social security, and tax matters. Before his election to Parliament in 2022, he served as Deputy Mayor of Asti (2017–2022) with responsibility for economic development and the promotion of local entrepreneurship, and had previously held various municipal roles in Asti since 2002. In the Chamber of Deputies, he serves on the Public and Private Labour Committee, the Committee on Elections, and the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into workplace conditions and safety. He also serves as Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Digital Assets, Blockchain and Bitcoin, engaging with industry and institutions to promote clear, responsible rules for virtual assets that protect consumers while supporting competitiveness and growth.

Dr. Donald Patrick Lim is the President and Chief Operating Officer of DITO CME, and the Chief Innovation Officer of the Udenna Corporation. Prior to his current role, he has served in various leadership capacities in the media, advertising, and digital spaces. Dr. Donald teaches Advanced Marketing and Advanced Strategic Management for the doctoral program of San Beda University, and has taught eMarketing at the graduate school of De La Salle University and the IMC program at the University of Asia and the Pacific. He was also an adjunct professor in the Asian Institute of Management and Bradford University. He now also teaches Blockchain and AI in Enderun College. He used to sit as part of the technical panel of the Commission of Higher Education, and has also been awarded the Dr. Bienvenido R. Tantoco Sr. Professorial Chair in Marketing by the Jose Rizal University. Aside from his full time job now with Udenna, he oversees twelve other businesses of his own, and also does management consulting for up and coming brands and businesses. Dr. Donald recently jumped into the world of Web3, organizing the 1st Philippine Blockchain Week and is now serving as the founding president of the Blockchain Council of the Philippines. He is a partner in Vibrant DAO, one of the first DAOs established in Spain, and is the Chief Growth Adviser of the foremost Filipino blockchain developer BayaniChain and another Web3 pioneer Validata. Considered one of the founding fathers of digital marketing in the Philippines, Donald has been awarded by various institutions and organizations, his most recent being awarded the The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Community Building in Digital Media. He is the first awardee of the Agora Award for Marketing Communications by the Philippine Marketing Association, a 2015 Young Global Leader conferred by the World Economic Forum, and the only Filipino to receive the DMN 40 under 40 awarded in New York. On top of these, he was conferred Digital Marketer of the Year at the Asian Leadership Awards in Dubai, UAE by the Asian Confederation of Business, the Young Market Masters Award in Online Marketing by Mansmith and Fielders, and is the first recipient of the Digital Leader of the Future award conferred at the World Brand Congress in Mumbai, India. He is the youngest to serve as President of the Philippine Marketing Association, the biggest gathering of marketing professionals in the Philippines. He is the founding president of the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines and the founder of the Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines. He sat as a board of Governor and Vice President of the Management Association of the Philippines, and was a past board of director of the Manila Junior Chamber. Finally, Dr. Donald served as a board of Trustee and current President of Operation Smile, a non-profit, volunteer service organization that provides free reconstructive facial surgery for children with cleft lips, and a past board of trustee for the World WildLife Fund Philippines.