Our Mentors
Kathrin Hassler
Finance
Read More
Kathrin is a finance professional with a deep commitment to impact and sustainable investing as a catalyst for change. She has spent most of her career in the financial services industry working for a top-tier consulting firm and a global bank in Zurich and Hong Kong. She also spent a fellowship year in Haiti, working for a social enterprise in finance and business development.
Currently, at the Jacobs Foundation, Kathrin manages relationships with EdTech venture capital funds across the USA and EU and actively participates in impact advisory committees. She also developed a concept for direct investments and spearheaded the structuring of a results-based financing transaction in Ghana.
Ksenia Kurileva
Climate
Read More
Ksenia Kurileva is an innovation consultant working with corporate and government entities. She specializes in developing innovation strategies and initiatives for decarbonization, advancing the circular economy, and implementing climate technologies. Leveraging her startup background, Ksenia serves as a mentor on startup programs across EMEA, supporting founders with sales, pilot projects, and scaling. She’s also a Fellow at the Newton Venture Program, a joint venture by London Business School and LocalGlobe VC, and Climatebase, a program dedicated to mission-driven professionals in the climate sector.
Jeffrey Khater
Strategic Growth & Software
Read More
Jeffrey is a Senior Consultant based out of Montréal, Canada, with extensive expertise in B2B Software Sales and Product Development. With a BSc in Information Technology, 14+ years of experience in Software Sales and Verticalization, and wide knowledge in psychology, Jeffrey brings the perfect combination of backgrounds for tech companies and others to scale and grow. Some of Jeffrey’s closed deals have +1,000 users and +1M$.
Christophe El Khoury
Technology
Read More
Christophe El-Khoury is a builder, advisor, CTO, and execution partner working across startups, SMEs, and venture-backed ecosystems. His work focuses on transforming complexity into clarity – designing the operational, cultural, and leadership systems founders need to move from survival to scale.
With a deep background in software engineering, a passion for psychology and social impact, and years of hands-on experience building technical teams, Christophe brings a rare combination of vision, strategy, and pragmatism to the table. He has mentored and advised founders in sectors ranging from mental health and leadership development to education and agriculture.
Most recently, he has been building The Entity, a high-impact executive consultancy and execution partner for founders, investors, and entrepreneurs, and has founded and is leading The Collective, a national initiative aiming for high-integrity collaboration to advance Lebanon’s tech and innovation ecosystem.
Marc Al Najjar
Sales & Marketing
Read More
Gilbert Kofi Adarkwah
Fundraising
Read More
Gilbert K. Adarkwah, LLM, PhD is a Professor of Strategy and International Business at HEC Montreal and a Research Fellow at the International Institute of Economic Diplomacy. With a multidisciplinary background in business, economics, and law, Gilbert has been instrumental in shaping financing institutions focused on investments in emerging markets. He has a proven track record of fostering business growth and impact across Africa, Scandinavia, and Canada. As the co-founder and former Chief Financial Legal and Risk Officer at Pangea Accelerator, he led initiatives that empowered African startups through strategic partnerships and access to capital. Prior to Pangea, he served as Vice President of Strategy at Peacan Energies and as a Trade and Investment Attaché at the United Nations, where he focused on advancing sustainable economic development in emerging markets.
Currently, Gilbert is the founder of Gilbert and Partners, an Oslo-based venture capital firm investing in high-potential startups across Scandinavia, Africa, and Canada. He is passionate about leveraging research to drive sustainable economic growth and foster inclusive business ecosystems.
Sarah Fayad
Fundraising
Read More
Sarah Fayad is a Vice President in the Client and Product Solutions team at CVC Capital Partners, a global leader in private markets. Based in Dubai, she is responsible for fundraising and investor relations across private equity, private credit, secondaries, and infrastructure platforms.
Prior to joining CVC, Sarah spent eight years at Goldman Sachs in London in the Investment Banking Division, where her work spanned advisory, financing and risk management in EMEA.
Sarah is interested in collaborating with founders and early-stage teams, and is keen to contribute where her background and perspective may add value. She looks to leverage her experience to support others in their journey and has also been involved in various community initiatives, including volunteering with disability and youth programs in Sri Lanka and contributing to corporate social impact efforts.