United Nations Programs
In my most recent work at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, I leveraged frontier technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence to create a positive impact on millions. My role involved scouting startups and nurturing their growth from incubation and acceleration to scaling, in line with the global sustainability agenda. Skilled in orchestrating innovation processes. I was adept at conceptualizing, designing investment theses, securing funding, and rolling out multimillion-dollar innovation programs in partnership with a variety of multilateral organizations, including the Adaptation Fund, and corporations such as Google, among other international stakeholders.
Digital Innovation Hub
Digital Innovation Hub is a Europe and Africa Innovation Ecosystem Bridging program. Within the European Union and African Union innovation framework and policies, the EU is implementing multiple innovation hubs across Africa. The objective is to strengthen the innovation ecosystem of private and public sectors in Africa to qualify and open the innovation space for investment opportunities. I was responsible for developing the international innovation frameworks, building the partnerships, and pulling the required resources and funding to initiate the project around the topic of Smart Cities.
Programme Designers’ Lab
Programme Designers’ Lab is an Innovation Programming program. The aim of the project is to consult multiple businesses supporting organizations in innovation program design and implementation. The project also aimed to foster public-private partnerships through design thinking and co-creation approaches. My responsibilities covered the design of the innovation and impact-measurement frameworks and the facilitation of the multi-sectoral design thinking workshop internationally for multiple organizations from Germany, India, Iraq, and Tunisia.
Incubation Revamped
Incubation Revamped is a Change Management and Business Coaching program. The objective was to revamp an incubation cycle and level it up to be aligned with the latest business innovation trends and to be more investment-oriented. In order to achieve this objective, I had to do business coaching, strategy, and operational consultation on multiple levels: starting from the organization's executives through the program managers and to the startups. While coaching startups on how to be ready to scale I also acted as a Scrum Master to embed the agile management principles in the incubator to better manage the ambiguity and complexity of the innovation process.
Virtual Incubation Platform
Virtual Incubation Platform is a Digital Transformation project. It was accelerated by the impact of COVID-19 raising the urgency to digitalize the incubation processes and experience of early-stage startups. I was responsible for developing the innovation processes and the business training curriculums and content. I also acted as a product owner to conceptualize and manage a team of software developers, business consultants, and designers to develop a full-fledged incubation software program that covers the whole innovation and incubation funnel starting from sourcing going through selecting, incubation, mentoring, and graduation of startups.
StartHope@Home
Starthope@Home is an Incubation Program for Migrant Entrepreneurs in Germany who want to relocate back to their home countries. The program was taking place in 10 German cities and it expands to 10 other African and Asian cities. I was the global manager who is responsible for designing and implementing the expansion strategy. Besides my role as a regional manager, leading two teams in Germany. While working closely with senior staff across the organization, I built partnerships with multiple innovation hubs and designed the operational procedures and the innovation curriculums and frameworks while representing the organization and the program in multiple national and international events.