Carol M. Graham holds a B.S. and M.A. degrees from Georgetown University. She was a US diplomat in the Middle East and Europe before turning to a career in international education. After serving as Executive Director of the US UK Fulbright Commission she was appointed by the Foreign Office to the Marshall Scholarships Commission. She has also been a member of selection panels for several scholarships and grants. Other past board positions include the International House Trust, the International Institute for Environment and Development and Vice Chair of the Carnegie UK Trust. Carol is the author of several articles on international exchange and has been an invited speaker by several international education organisations as well as by the US State Department, the British Council, the Scottish Parliament and the Culture Committee of the European Parliament. She has twice been recognised by the US Department of State, receiving a Superior Honor Award as a diplomat and later a special award for exceptional service as Executive Director of the US UK Fulbright Commission.

Kiyan’s journey to leading a venture firm is as impressive as it is atypical. Kiyan began formally investing in his late teens when he launched a strategy investing in global equities (for individuals in his network) that ultimately grew to $20m, compounding capital at >40% per year between 2007-2012. Born in the UK to Iranian parents, his regular travel to Iran opened his eyes to the transformative business opportunities in emerging markets. As a result, he went to work with the famous (arguably infamous) economist Nouriel Roubini leading economic research and investment strategy in emerging and frontier markets. During this time, Kiyan witnessed the changing technology infrastructure landscape in emerging and frontier markets – and the multi-decade opportunity it represented.

A student of Arabic and Middle Eastern History at university, Robin has lived, worked, and travelled in emerging markets for the past ten years. Robin is one of the partners at Sturgeon Capital, responsible for managing the investment side of the business and travelling regularly to the markets where Sturgeon invests. Robin designed and implemented Sturgeon’s impact framework, focused on employment opportunities, financial inclusion, and gender, and has been a driving force from the Sturgeon side to setup and now formalise the scholarship program. Outside of Sturgeon, Robin is actively involved in several charities and volunteering roles, including Horatio’s Garden.

Glenn Svensson has worked in IT & Software industry for going on 40 years. He is currently Vice President for Digital Innovation and Transformation for SAP, a global software company servicing the largest companies in the world. Glenn previously worked in SAP’s services arm leading management consulting and was also responsible for global strategic initiatives in both sales and development. Glenn is an expert in driving innovation both in commercial and and not for profit organisations and has collaborated with the Princes Trust and UN Technology Innovation Lab among others. He has extensive international experience working with companies, governments and organisations around the world. Born in Sweden, he has lived in London for over 20 years.

Mary Stiasny is Professor Emerita of the University of London and has wide experience across the Higher Education sector, both with a UK and international focus. She began her career as a secondary school teacher, before moving on to secondary school teacher training across the UK and then into university roles. Mary has held senior positions at Goldsmiths College, Oxford Brookes University and at the University of Greenwich. At those institutions Mary became increasingly involved in leading the Internationalisation of Higher Education. She later served as Director of Education for the British Council and Pro-Director for Learning, Teaching and International at UCL’s Institute of Education. In her latest role at University of London, Mary oversaw the provision of Higher Education by distance and through TNE systems to 40,000 students per annum in 190 countries

Aziza Zakhidova is currently a VC investor at EBRD’s VC fund, focusing on early and growth stage tech companies from emerging ecosystems.  Prior to this, she worked in banking and consulting roles at the intersection of finance, technology, and development.  Aziza started her career as an investment banker with UBS in London.  She holds  Bachelor degrees in Economics and International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.  Aziza also holds Masters  degrees in Financial Economics from Oxford and Development Management from LSE, which she completed on a Marshall Scholarship.

Gulnara Yunusova is Treasurer of IFAD and responsible for IFAD’s borrowing program, liquidity management and financial planning. Before joining the Fund, she spent almost two decades in the World Bank Group. Gulnara holds a BSc in Economics from Uzbekistan University of World Economy and Diplomacy and an MSc in International Finance from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.