(MENAFN Press) Amman, October 2012 -
Oasis500, the MENA region's premier early stage and seed investment company, hosted its 6th Angel Network Event together with Global Thinkers Forum 2012 (GTF 2012), in an evening aimed at celebrating excellence.
Taking place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Amman, the Oasis500's 6th Angel Network Event's activities were attended by H.R.H. Princess Sumaya Bint El-Hassan, H.R.H Princess Rym El Ali, as well as Dr. Usama Fayyad, Executive Chairman of Oasis500 and former Executive Vice President and Chief Data Officer of Yahoo! Inc. and Elizabeth Filippouli, Founder and Director of GTF 2012, who celebrated leaders, entrepreneurs and luminaries. The Event was also attended by the Minister of ICT, H.E. Eng. Atef Al Tell; the Minister of Education, H.E. Fayez Al Saoudi; US Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Stuart E. Jones; British Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Peter Millett; Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Dr. Hamad Saleh Dueij; and Pakistani Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Attiya Mahmoud.
Also present at the 6th Angel Network Event were a group of local, regional and international investors, Oasis500 partners and mentors, in addition to a number of media representatives. Since 2010, Oasis500's Angel Network Events have become a leading platform for start-ups to share their projects and pitch for investment opportunities.
The 6th Event showcased the presentations of three fast-growth and investment-ready entrepreneurial start-ups within the Information and Communications Technology (ICT), digital media and mobile technologies sectors across Jordan.
The start-ups pitching their ideas included Feesheh.com, the first online music store in the Middle East offering enthusiasts a wide range of music instruments at competitive prices; Abjjad.com, a social network for book enthusiasts that allows avid readers to create reading lists and share book reviews and recommendations with friends; and Ekeif, an online platform for free short how-to videos in Arabic.
"We are excited to have co-hosted the GTF 2012 Awards Ceremony with our 6th Angel Network Event, as it offers additional value to attending entrepreneurs and investors. Our Angel Network Events have consistently proven to be crucial in helping entrepreneurs from across the region overcome challenges related to securing capital and expanding their businesses. We are proud of the quality of showcased start-ups and remain dedicated to extending our support by offering the advice and guidance they need" commented Dr. Fayyad.
In turn, Elizabeth Filippouli, Founder and CEO of Global Thinkers Forum, said, "It was a very special evening that saluted excellence, progress and leadership in the faces of some absolutely marvelous pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders. We are honored that Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and H.R.H. Princess Rym embraced the GTF Awards for Excellence along with other leading ladies such as Arianna Huffington, Zaha Hadid, Deema Bibi and Dr. Hayat Sindi. The GTF vision and mission is to promote productive initiatives, and empower and create a new ecosystem for Excellence in Leadership.'
The GTF 2012 Awards Ceremony's honorees were nominated by the GTF Board of Advisors who select leaders with a proven track record of excellence in life, ethical thinking and actions. Honorees included: Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan for Excellence in Global Thinking; Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-In-Chief of AOL Huffington Post Media Group, for Excellence in Life; Ms Margery Kraus, CEO of APCO Worldwide, for Excellence in Leadership; Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis, UNESCO Good Will Ambassador, for Excellence in Philanthropy; and HRH Princess Rym of Jordan, Founder of Jordan Media Institute, for Excellence in Media.
The list also comprised: Dr. Hayat Sindi, Founder and President of i2Institute, for Excellence in Science; Deema Bibi, CEO of INJAZ, for Excellence in Positive Change; Sonja Lokar, President of European Women's Lobby at the European Union, for Excellence in Gender Equality; Khalid Alkhudair, CEO of Glowork.net, for Excellence in Entrpreneurship; Nabila Ramdani, Journalist, for Excellence in Innovation; Zaha Hadid, for Excellence in Pioneering; and Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director and Senior Analyst of Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, for Excellence in Cultural Understanding.
