Singularity Summit SA - Schedule

SUMMIT SCHEDULE

Official programming details subject to final confirmation. Select a track below to explore the schedule.

DAY 0 : 20 OCTOBER
13:00 - 16:00
Pre-Registration
Pre-Registration, induction, navigation, digital expo, networking
13:00 - 16:00
Various AI courses throughout the day
UBU
DAY 1 : 21 OCTOBER
07:00 - 09:00
Registration, Expo & Networking
—
09:00
Ignite Africa's Future
Shayne MannCo-CEO: Singularity South Africa | CEO: Mann MadeMic MannCo-CEO: Singularity South Africa | CEO: UBULebo MashileHost
Welcome Address by Peter Diamandis - Virtual
Dr. Peter DiamandisExecutive Founder & Managing Director: Singularity
Change How Leaders See: Why Everything You’re Doing to Prepare for AI Will Not Be Enough
David RobertsGlobal Expert in Disruption, Innovation & Leadership
The Future Looks Good on You: How To Reinvent Yourself & Build With Clarity in the Age of Tech Convergence
Cathy HacklTech & Gaming Executive | CEO: Future Dynamics | Author | Keynote Speaker | Futurist | Podcast Host
Build Once Multiply Forever: Africa's AI Factory and the exponential curve it unlocks
Ziaad SulemanSVP & CEO: Cassava Technologies South Africa & Botswana
11:00 - 11:30
BREAK
—
11:30
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
From Models to AI Workforce: What We’ve Learned from a Decade of Enterprise AI
Felix CheungFounder & CEO: Bairong Group
News from the Other Side of the Event Horizon. Learning to Embrace the Bitter Lesson
Dario FanucchiCTO: Isazi.ai
Moving From Pilots to Production: Closing the Execution Gap in Enterprise AI
Barak KaufmanChief Strategy Officer: Wonderful.ai
Robots
Rajesh PasungiliHumanoid Experience
13:00 - 14:30
LUNCH
—
14:30
The Economic Singularity
Raoul PalCo-Founder & CEO: Real Vision Group | Co-Founder & CEO: EXPAAM
Courageous Leadership: Transforming Performance with Purpose
Kyle HermansCEO: Oxford Leadership | CEO: Be Courageous Research
Beyond the AI Pilot
Celiwe RossGroup Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer: Old Mutual
Celebrating Success, One Failure at a Time
Christina GerakiteysCEO: UtopiaX | Founder: IdeaSparx
Building What’s Next: Long-Term Thinking in a Fast-Changing World
Hamed KazimCEO: HK Consulting | Board Member | Senior Advisor: PWCModerator: Shayne Mann (Co-CEO: Singularity South Africa | CEO: Mann Made)
16:00
BREAK
—
The Connections We Grow: From Personal Setbacks to Building Africa’s AI Community
Prof. Benjamin RosmanDirector: MIND Institute
I want to be Iron Man
Tilly LockeyInternational Speaker | Technology Advocate | Designer: Open BionicsFana Shabane
Closing and What to Expect of Day 2
Lebo MashileHost
17:30 - 20:00
Reception
DJ Seth Schwarz
DAY 2 : 22 OCTOBER
07:00 - 09:00
Registration, Expo & Networking
—
09:00
Highlights from day 1
Lebo MashilePoem Highlights - 1 liner from each speaker
Quantum Frontier
Dr. Mark JacksonSenior Quantum Evangelist: Quantinuum
From Healthspan to Peakspan: Peptides, Exosomes and Everything in Between
Dr. Cathy DaviesFounder & Director: ZD Hair Clinic | Longevity Specialist (Fireside)Moderator: Kim Hulett (CEO: Next Biosciences)
The Frequency of Life: How Sound is Rewriting the Future of Cancer Medicine
Dr. Martin ZschornakRadiation Oncologist | Music Producer
The Oxygen Frontier
Brandon BirchakCEO & Founder: Elite Performance Design
10:45 - 11:25
BREAK
—
11:25
What's next in AI
Amanda MannaVice President, Strategic Relations: SingularityDr. Mark NasilaChief Data and Analytics Officer: FNB AI Strategy
The End of Education The Future of Learning
Mic MannCo-CEO: Singularity South Africa | CEO: UBU
INVESTING IN THE EXPONENTIAL AGE: AI, Crypto and the New Architecture of Wealth
Raoul PalCo-Founder & CEO: Real Vision Group | Co-Founder & CEO: EXPAAMRan NeunerFounder: Crypto Banter | CEO: Onchain Capital | Entrepreneur | Investor | Media LeaderHywel GeorgeDirector of Investments: Old Mutual Investments
Cybersecurity in the Age of AI
Dr. Melanie RiebackCEO & Co-Founder: Radically Open Security
13:00 - 14:25
LUNCH
—
14:25
Breathing exercise
Brandon BirchakCEO & Founder: Elite Performance Design
The Future Keys to Mental Health
Dr. Danielle EinsteinClinical Psychologist | Researcher | Author
The Future of Cities
DaeWha KangFounder: DaeWha Kang Design
African AI Champions
Atenkosi NgubevanaChairperson: South African AI Awards
15:45 - 16:15
BREAK
—
16:20
The Most Important Decade in Human History
David RobertsGlobal Expert in Disruption, Innovation & Leadership
18:00 - 18:10
Closing What to expect next year
Shayne MannCo-CEO: Singularity South Africa | CEO: Mann MadeMic MannCo-CEO: Singularity South Africa | CEO: UBULebo MashileHost
Networking Cocktails
—
DAY 1 : 21 OCTOBER
11:05 - 11:25
Grassroots to Global: Building Entrepreneurs Through Coding, Robotics & AI
Rajesh Pasungili
13:05 - 13:35
Training Tomorrow: Building Africa’s Voice in the Age of AI
Mmathebe ZvobwoDirector of Market Development, South Africa: TruecallerModerator: Marko Stavrou (The Gen Z Guy | Founder: Genlink | Investor)
13:35 - 14:05
Human Centered AI
Dr. Natalie RaphilAngel Investor & Founder: Robots Can ThinkAmbassador Lavina RamkissoonAmbassador for Africa UnionDr. Mark NasilaChief Data and Analytics Officer: FNB AI StrategyModerator: Phokeng Mogase (CIO: Financial Sector Conduct Authority - FSCA)
16:05 - 16:25
Generative AI Workshop
Marc Du Plessis
DAY 2 : 22 OCTOBER
10:50 - 11:10
AI Workshop
Coming Soon
13:15 - 13:45
Steward Ownership and the Rise of Non-Extractive Finance
Dr. Melanie RiebackCEO & Co-founder: Radically Open Security
13:45 - 14:20
Modernisation at Scale
Valter AdãoCEO: Cadena Growth Partners
15:50 - 16:10
Behind the Scenes of Australia’s Social Media Revolution
Dr. Danielle EinsteinClinical Psychologist | Researcher | AuthorModerator: Marko Stavrou (The Gen Z Guy | Founder: Genlink | Investor)
DAY 1 : 21 OCTOBER
DAY 2 : 22 OCTOBER
13:15 - 14:15
Google Gemini AI Masterclasses
—
Level 2 B-BBEE Contributor

Effective from 1 March 2019, Singularity South Africa is proudly level 2 BBBEE as a result of the 51% equity ownership of Singularity South Africa by The Invincible Empowerment Trust. Singularity South Africa gains from level 2 BBBEE procurement recognition for every R1.00 spent with Singularity South Africa.

Event Organisers

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Dr Quentin Williams

Director, AI and Data, Deloitte Analytics

Dr Quentin Williams is a Director for Deloitte Analytics, with a focus on AI-fuelled organisations and specialisations in digitalisation, analytics, Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) and advanced data science. As a seasoned researcher and consultant, Quentin has 17 years of experience in the research and development of AI solutions that enable business sustainability, innovation and growth. This includes the development of organisation-wide strategies for digitalisation, operationalisation of analytics and ML (MLOps), enabling cloud analytics transformations, as well as the establishment of large-scale training, capability and policy development initiatives, particularly for the Ministry of Science and Innovation. 

Previously, Quentin worked for the CSIR as the Strategic Research Manager of the Meraka Institute, where he established ICT and AI research programmes at national level. He was also Manager for Emerging Research and Human Capital Development, where he created and implemented student training programmes. His previous roles include being the Southern Africa Manager for the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Office, working on internet (HTML, CSS, Javascript), data science and AI standards for South Africa. 

Quentin has established himself as a researcher in the AI and data science space creating solutions for persons with disabilities, medical image processing and sports analytics, and has overseen multiple PhD and Master’s students, particularly in Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing.

Dr Helen Messier

Chief Medical and Science Officer, Fountain Life

Dr Helen Messier has dedicated most of her career to harnessing data to bridge the

translational gap in medicine. She has cultivated a unique expertise in seamlessly

integrating multi-omic data and digital health technologies into real-world clinical care to help patients realise the beneficial potential of biomedical technologies.

Helen holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Genetics and a PhD in

Molecular Immunology from the University of Alberta. Following her doctoral studies,

she completed post-doctoral studies at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in San Diego, and received her MD from the University of Calgary. She is certified in family medicine.

Beyond clinical practice, Helen has left an indelible mark as a notable innovator

and healthcare entrepreneur. Alongside her roles on various medical and scientific

advisory boards, she founded a national network of concierge medical practices in

Canada, served as the Medical Director of Genomics at Human Longevity Inc., and

played a pivotal role as the inaugural Chief Medical Officer of Viome.

In her current role as the Chief Medical and Science Officer at Fountain Life, Helen brings her extensive experience and profound knowledge to further advance her mission in expanding proactive and preventative medicine. In addition to leading the company’s clinical and scientific programmes, Helen is establishing Fountain Life University to train Fountain Life-certified practitioners and lead the effort to gain insights and publish findings from Fountain Life’s vast amount of data.

Jacob Hinson

Co- Founding Partner, Oppenheimer Partners / Investor

Jacob Hinson, a Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Accountant, has a background at Actis, a firm specialising in emerging markets, which includes South Africa, West Africa, Brazil and China. He served as Chief Investment Officer at Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH) where he was responsible for managing the investment strategy, team, portfolio and was part of the company’s transition into a fully-fledged, pan-African investment holding company. Under his leadership, the team invested over US$300mn in major landmark acquisitions across the continent and managed over 25 disposals.

Dr Peter Diamandis

Executive Founder & Managing Director, Singularity

Named by Fortune as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Dr Peter Diamandis is the Executive Founder of Singularity. He is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions.

As an entrepreneur, Peter has started over 25 companies in the areas of HealthTech, education, space, and venture capital. He also serves as co-Founder of BOLD Capital Partners, a venture fund with US$500mn under management being invested in exponential technologies and longevity companies. Peter is co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of two public companies, Celularity and Vaxxinity, and is also the co-Founder and Chairman of Fountain Life, a fully-integrated platform delivering predictive, preventative, personalised and data-driven health.

Neil Sogard

Vice President Strategy and Global Partnerships, Singularity

Neil Sogard leads Singularity’s International Growth Initiatives. He collaborates with a curated group of partners to extend cutting-edge educational programmes and impact initiatives to innovation ecosystems throughout the world. 

In previous years at Singularity, in his role as Managing Director of Singularity Ventures, Neil led start-up initiatives aimed at serving humanity. He opened new markets as Senior Director of Global Partnership Programmes, and launched and led the growth of Singularity’s Global Summit and the Exponential Summit series.

Most recently, Neil was a senior member of Peter Diamandis’ A360 Leadership Team, heading up strategic partnerships, technology showcases, and acting as Executive Director of Peter’s Platinum Longevity programme. Neil earned his MBA from Boston College.

Nastassia Arendse

Host

Nastassia Arendse is a business anchor at CNBC hosting a daily weekday program which explores the most interesting topics in finance, markets, economics, and business. Every day, she sits down with the top names in finance and economics to analyse the essential stories for the business day ahead, bringing insight into global and local markets.

With a career spanning 15 years, Nastassia has established herself as a smart, compelling, and creative financial journalist. Her versatility is evident in her experience across various platforms, including print, audio, digital news, and TV. Her breadth of international experience, which has taken her across the globe, further underscores her adaptability and wide-ranging skills.

As a television anchor, she presented Closing Bell East Africa and Open Exchange on the international business channel CNBC Africa. She has also hosted business shows on Business Day TV, SAfm, Classic FM and SABC News.

As an experienced reporter, she has covered global commodity markets for the financial media company Moneyweb, writing features that track changes and trends worldwide in the commodity space. The beat focused on how prospects for the global economy, interest rates and currencies influence investor decisions concerning gold, precious metals, fixed income, and equities.

Nyari Samushonga

CEO, WeThinkCode_

Nyari Samushonga is an entrepreneur, tech executive, and educator. As CEO of WeThinkCode_, she has led the academy’s national expansion with campuses in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, while delivering world-class tech education to South African youth from diverse backgrounds, including from rural and underserved communities. In collaboration with industry experts, she has driven the development of the academy’s market-relevant curricula and built partnerships with the public education sector to scale.

Under her leadership, WeThinkCode_ received the “Africa Tech Week 2023: EdTech Award”, while she received the Standard Bank “Top Women Award” in the ‘Top Gender Empowered Organisation’ category. Nyari’s contributions to the technology sector were also recognised in 2022, when she was named “IT Personality of the Year” by the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA).

Previously, Nyari was the Managing Director of ThoughtWorks Africa, where she led digital transformation programmes for enterprises across the continent. She is also the co-Founder of FoldLeft Consulting, where she advises organisations on how to navigate the transition from legacy systems to modern digital solutions. As a thought leader in her field, she speaks at global conferences on building high-performing teams and integrating technology with business strategy. Nyari also serves on the board of NEMISA, contributing to South Africa’s national digital skills agenda.

Kris Østergaard

Co-Founder & Head of Research, Rehumanize Institute

Kris Østergaard is the co-Founder and Head of Research and Publishing at Rehumanize Institute. He is co-Founder of Singularity Nordic, a Singularity Expert on innovation, and the co-Founder of multiple innovation initiatives, such as the accelerator Thinkubator and the now defunct incubator DARE2mansion. 

The prolific author has penned a number of bestselling business books among them Transforming legacy organizations about how to turn a business into an innovation champion. He edited the Amazon bestseller Ethics at Work, and co-authored The Fundamental 4s: How to design extraordinary customer experiences in an exponential world; After Shock – The world’s foremost futurists reflect on 50 years of future shock; and Look ahead to the next 50. 

He hosts the Corporate Innovation Podcast, presented by Singularity, and The Responsible Innovation Podcast. As a member of the GeoTech Center Action Council, a non-partisan organisation that galvanises US leadership and engagement around the world, he helps to shape solutions to global challenges alongside allies.

MJ Petroni

Principal, Causeit, Inc.

MJ Petroni a faculty member at Singularity University and Universidad Tecnológico de Monterrey. He specialises in helping people understand the mental models needed to navigate the AI era. As a cyborg anthropologist, MJ helps us see how we shape technologies, and how they re-shape us. He is an AI and digital fluency educator and strategic advisor, who attends to the tools as well as the thinking, skills, data, and business models that underpin new value creation. 

MJ focuses on raising the lowest common denominator of AI and digital fluency for individuals, teams, and organisations. Since founding Causeit, Inc. in 2006, and authoring the company’s Digital Fluency Guide, he has shifted the thinking of countless global organisations and their professionals, including Accenture, Volkswagen, the Gates Foundation, Thomson Reuters, Credit Suisse, among several other financial and media companies. MJ sits on the Accenture Tech Vision Advisory Board.

Richard Sutton

Performance Coach / Author

Richard Sutton is the Founder of Sutton Health and the CEO of The Performance Code – global business health and performance consultancies. He works with CEOs, leadership teams and companies around the world to encourage effective stress management, resilience and performance realisation. With more than 20 years’ experience in the world of professional sport, Richard has worked with top-ranked tennis players, Olympic-winning teams and athletes, advising on human performance, potential, resilience and adaptability, with a special interest in how genetics impact these fields. He is also the co-developer of the DNA Resilience Panel, a genetic test that analyses 13 of the most influential genes key to self-mastery and personal excellence. 

Richard penned the bestselling book The Stress Code: From Surviving to Thriving and developed The Stress Code app, a wellness tool designed to analyse and quantify specific stresses and resilience competencies. His passion for science saw him lecture for two decades at postgraduate level in the field of human performance, potential, pain management, health and athletic development. Richard’s second book Stressproof: The Game Plan provides nuanced systems and processes for managers, leaders and decision-makers facing stress and health-related challenges in the professional landscape. Richard lives in Cape Town with his family and his work takes him around the world.

Dr Divya Chander

Chair in Neuroscience & Faculty in Medicine, Singularity / Founder & CEO, Lucidify

Divya Chander (MD, PhD) is an anaesthesiologist, neuroscientist, futurist, and entrepreneur, who tracks neuro- and med-tech’s implications for governance and the global economy. She specialises in the convergence of brain health, technology, AI, and bioethics.

Dr Chander is the Founder and CEO of Lucidify, a neurotechnology company that uses brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and edge-based ML algorithms to detect brain failure in order to preserve life, mental health, and cognitive longevity. 

Her research at Stanford University pioneered automated tracking of brain state transitions that have led to new theories of consciousness. Dr Chander’s work includes the consideration of human augmentation on consciousness and evolution, and the potential to recognise consciousness in non-human entities. She models the effect of AI and embodied AI in the consciousness space to define its risk landscape. 

Dr Chander is the former Neuroscience Chair of the Singularity Group and sits on the Health and Space Brain Trusts at XPRIZE. As a Stimson Loomis Innovation Fellow and former Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, she advises organisations such as the UN, XRSI, and the Australian Human Rights Commission on policy, while developing frameworks for digital identity, neurorights and biometric data protection.

As an alumnus of the International Space University, she has performed remote simulations of trauma rescues, anesthesia and surgery in Mars analogue settings. Dr Chander is designing BCIs to diagnose and treat astronaut brain health, and medical systems to support space exploration.

Dr Rutendo Hwindingwi

CEO & Founder - Tribe Africa Advisory

As the Founder and CEO of Tribe Africa Advisory, a business development advisory firm, Dr Rutendo Hwindingwi advises private and public organisations across several industries – financial services, healthcare, energy, technology and telecoms – about how to successfully conduct business on the African content and how to implement strategic business development initiatives in emerging markets. He equips mid to senior organisational leaders in building their leadership strategy by drawing on his experience of leading strategic business development initiatives. 

Alongside a MSc in Strategic Management from the University of Derby, Rutendo has earned his PhD in International Business Strategy from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a Non-Executive Director for the British Chamber of Commerce in Southern Africa, and Vice Chairman of the Trade and Investment Forum for the American Chamber of Commerce of South Africa. 

Rutendo has detailed the business lessons he has learned while working in more than 20 African countries over the last two decades in his 2022 book Rumble in the Jungle Reloaded – Navigating Business on the African Continent. He is regularly featured on the Africa Business Report with Bruce Whitfield on Talk Radio 702. As a keynote speaker, his expertise includes digital transformation, innovation, business management and executive leadership. Rutendo’s passion is to see the exponential growth of Africa’s economy through its greatest asset – its people.

Dr Reshma Sheoraj

Vice President for Strategic Engagements - World Data Lab

Dr Reshma Sheoraj is the Vice President for Strategic Engagements at World Data Lab (WDL), a non-profit social enterprise that develops datasets and tools to track Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in real-time, including emissions, jobs, poverty, hunger, water scarcity, and health.

With over 15 years of experience as a Senior Economist, Director and policymaker, she has worked within the public and private sectors. Reshma is responsible for scaling WDL’s impact business and building strategic engagements, while having oversight over the expansion of its global business. 

Reshma previously served at the National Treasury of South Africa as a Senior Economist and Director, where she worked across economic policy, fiscal, financial sector policy issues affecting South Africa. She also represented the governments of South Africa, Angola, Nigeria at the Board of the World Bank Group in Washington D.C, where she was responsible for strategic, operational and policy matters. 

She serves as a member of the Board of Southern African Partners, a non-profit based in Boston, which seeks to mobilise resources for education and health programmes from the United States for positive sustainable impact across South Africa. 

Reshma holds a Doctorate in Economics, a Master’s in Finance with majors in Economics, a Master’s in Public Policy, and undergraduate degrees in Law and Finance.

Gilan Gork

Mentalist, Bestselling Author, Founder - The Influence Institute

Gilan Gork is a bestselling author, executive coach and a global authority on influential leadership, who has worked with leaders of Fortune 500 companies, governments, and organisations such as NATO, in over 40 countries. His insights are shaped by a mix of psychology, neuroscience, and his unusual skillset as an expert mentalist, which provide him rare experiences and perspectives about the human mind.

Gilan strives to create a world where leaders are equipped with the tools and

knowledge to be conscious, responsive, and purpose-led, allowing them to achieve success and also inspire and empower those around them.

He founded The Influence Institute as the research and training arm for his projects with global clients that include Mercedes-Benz, Unilever, Deloitte, Microsoft, KPMG, Sasol, among others. By providing leadership development keynotes, masterclasses and other training services, Gilan aims to foster a global community of influential leaders who are dedicated to making a positive impact in their organisations, while helping to solve the world’s biggest problems.

Nchaupe Khaole

Chief Investment Officer, Mineworkers Investment Company

Nchaupe Khaole is the Chief Investment Officer of Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), where he leads the MIC investment team and is a custodian of investment strategy at the company. His career in financial services spans more than two decades, most of which has been in corporate finance, private equity, and venture capital. 

Nchaupe’s previous roles have seen him working for the likes of Safika Holdings, Tandem Capital, Safika Investments, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). He serves as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of Peermont, RMB’s divisional board, DNI Invest, and Universal Industries, while also being the Chairman of KNF II Ventures.

Nchaupe holds a BCom and BCom Hons (Investment Management) from the University of Johannesburg and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). In his spare time, Nchaupe is an avid cyclist and has a keen interest in reading about leadership, operational excellence and self-mastery.

Valter Adão

CEO, Cadena Growth Partners

Valter Adão is a Singularity Expert and TEDx speaker on disruptive innovation and emerging technologies with experience working across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As CEO of Cadena Growth Partners, a digital and innovation advisory, Valter excels at guiding organisations through business slowdowns and disruptions, unlocking new avenues for growth and relevance, while leveraging the potential of emerging technologies and disruptive trends. 

With extensive experience as a corporate entrepreneur across numerous industries, alongside his expertise as a managing partner and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at a Global Consulting Organisation, he has a proven track record in venturing, commercialising, and scaling businesses into sustainable, high-growth enterprises. 

Valter holds an MSc and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science. He has trained with Roger Martin as a master strategist and is a Professor of Practice at the Johannesburg Business School. 

Tebogo Mogadime

Investment Manager (Private Equity Transactor), Mineworkers Investment Company

Tebogo Mogadime is an Equity Investment Manager at Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), where she is responsible for the full transaction life cycle across a diverse portfolio of investments across numerous industries, including post-transaction management. 

Her career in finance and banking spans more than 13 years and has seen her leverage her expertise in investment banking, transaction and corporate strategy, and implementation that she honed at EY, RMB and IQbusiness. As a Non-Executive Director and Board (ARC) sub-committee member for numerous companies, she represents shareholder interests. 

Tebogo holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accounting from the University of Cape Town, an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Management Accounting, and a Bachelor of Accounting Sciences Honours in Advanced Management Accounting. Outside of work, when she is not spending quality time with her family, hiking, exploring new cuisines and travelling, Tebogo is working towards completing her CIMA CGMA qualification through the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. 

Shayne Mann

Co-CEO, Singularity UBU / CEO, Mann Made

As co-Founder and co-CEO of Mann Made – an award-winning, experiential brand agency for top local and global Fortune 500 companies – Shayne Mann has 24 years of experience in the media, marketing and eventing industries. Over the decades, he has successfully driven Mann Made to become one of the top brand experience agencies on the African continent creating unforgettable experiences that amplify human connection and ignite human potential.

As a Singularity alumnus, Shayne co-founded Singularity South Africa. He epitomises exponential leadership and is passionate about how exponential and disruptive technologies can drive change to positively impact South Africa and the continent. He is passionate about the drivers of entrepreneurship and is involved in the local start-up and maker communities. 

Shayne has partnered with Dr Taddy Blecher from Maharishi University of Management to educate young South Africans. In partnership with an international private equity investor, he has invested in a variety of industries including property, medicine, music, media, and tech, alongside his brothers Kevin and Mic. Shayne is fascinated by the longevity mindset and is constantly trying new things to feel better and extend his health, while spending quality time with his four daughters.

Sacha Hoedemaker

Founder, The Music Maker / Music Director / Composer / Musician

Sacha Hoedemaker is an Emmy-winning composer and pianist based in The Netherlands, who has spent close to two decades perfecting his craft through theatre, live performance and composing for various media. He is one of the most sought-after Music Directors in improvisational theatre and performs daily at a comedy theatre, Boom Chicago, in Amsterdam. 

Sacha is a successful neoclassical composer (Top 50 worldwide in 2022, with over 20 million streams) and the music director of the successful formation: Peacock in Concert. He has a wide range of experience in live-scoring events and performances and has worked with various clients such as: KLM, International Dentistry Conference, TOP employers, ING, KPMG, Salesforce, Amp.Amsterdam, bol.com, among others. Sacha is a master at creating a dynamic and thrilling musical experience for any type of event, by live-scoring in real-time, creating the perfect interactive experience for the audience.

Laila Pawlak

Co-Founder & CEO, Rehumanize Institute

Laila is the co-Founder and CEO of The Rehumanize Institute, co-Founder and former CEO of Singularity Nordic, a Singularity Expert on impact leadership and the future of work, and a sought-after executive facilitator.

Laila is the winner of the Experience Management Achievement Award and was named “Distinguished Fellow” by the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization at the United Nations. She is also the recipient winner of the Investor of the Year Award. Her work has seen her nominated twice as Female Entrepreneur of the Year. 

Laila is on the list of the top 100 female role models in Denmark, and was named among the top 50 and 100 people in tech in the Nordics. She is an angel investor and an advisor and board member to various start-ups, politicians and organisations.

She is co-author of The Fundamental 4s: How to design extraordinary customer experiences in an exponential world, and the Amazon bestseller Ethics at Work. Her experience has seen her moderate large-scale events with thousands of attendees, and intimate leadership sessions for executive teams across the world, including the Obama Foundation, Coca Cola, Nestlé, H&M, and Lufthansa among others.

Beau Williams

Engineering Lead, UBU / Product Manager, Atlassian

If you ask Beau Williams’ family about his childhood, they recall that he only ever wanted two things: a ‘bikkie’ (Australian slang for a biscuit) and to play on the computer. Today, with a degree in software technology from Macquarie University behind his name, the Aussie is a co-Founder of Transhumanism Australia and the co-Creator of the TranshumanCoin. This community of technologists aims to educate, incubate, accelerate, and invest in the research and development of projects for the transhumanism movement that works towards extending healthy human lifespans, enhancing our intelligence, and improving our wellbeing. 

He is also the engineering lead of Africarare, a product manager at Atlassian, and the lead of the Google Student Developer Clubs. Beau is passionate about working on open-source projects – at one point he ranked number 60 in Australia for open-source contributions. He shares his insights about Web3 gaming, blockspace derivatives and the metaverse on stage at various Ethereum conferences around the world.

Ashley Anthony

Co-Founder & CEO, Isazi Consulting

Ashley Anthony is an entrepreneur and thought leader in practical applications for AI and Optimisation. In 2012, with a foundation in physics and mathematics, Ashley co-founded Isazi.ai, which was one of the first AI companies in Africa. Alongside his co-founders, a computer scientist and applied mathematician, they challenge conventional problem-solving approaches with their bold slogan: “If you’ve tried to solve a problem with a traditional consulting firm, maybe you’re crazy enough to try a mathematician”. 

The team of over 50 scientists and engineers guide blue-chip companies on their AI journey. Ashley’s expertise ensures that each implementation of AI at their clients’ companies pays for the next. To date, Isazi has completed over 175 AI projects across 11 industries with products in automation, prediction and optimisation. The Johannesburg-based company has expanded to Dubai and London to solidify its position as a global leader in AI innovation. Ashley also serves on the Industrial Advisory Board appointed to guide Engineering Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand, is a speaker for Singularity University, and an alumnus of the Dubai Future Foundation.

Dario Fanucchi

Co-Founder & CTO, Isazi Consulting

Dario Fanucchi is a South African entrepreneur and technologist with a passion for algorithm design and AI. He has represented South Africa, both as a participant and coordinator, in mathematics and computer science Olympiads globally. Before co-founding Isazi, Dario was one of the youngest Applied Mathematics lecturers at the University of the Witwatersrand. 

At Isazi, he leads a team of the best data scientists and engineers on the continent to build AI products with a measurable impact on businesses and the local economy. Over the last five years, Dario has overseen the development of Hudson, an AI supply chain platform with the audacious goal of reducing the cost of living by making supply chains more efficient. Dario has given talks at various universities and conferences, such as the Deep Learning Indaba, on the practical application of AI in business contexts. 

Mpoomy Ledwaba

Founder, Wisdom & Wellness / Author

Mpoomy Ledwaba is a YouTuber and the Founder of Wisdom & Wellness, a mental health podcast that builds deep connections between her guests and audiences through relevant conversations to help them be the best versions of themselves. She is an international speaker and one of South Africa’s foremost female podcasters in the mental health and wellness space. She is a devoted wife and mother of two, who balances her personal and professional life, while inspiring women globally to do the same. 

Mpoomy was featured on the Forbes Africa “30 Under 30” list and is a recipient of multiple awards in the content creation space. Her upcoming book, How Did We Get Here?, hits shelves in late 2024. Mpoomy’s life-long vision is to equip, inspire and educate individuals on holistic wellness through various platforms, which solidifies her role as a trailblazer in Africa’s wellness community.

Paul Pagnato

Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, Humanaut Health / Co-Chairman, Cresset / Founder & CEO, PagnatoKarp

Not many can say that their first job was working as a microbiologist alongside NASA to look for life in outer space. Today, however, Paul A. Pagnato has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry and is ranked among Barron’s and Forbes top wealth advisors globally. He is an Advisory Council Member for Stanford Center on Longevity and is a Board Member for CFA Society of Washington D.C. 

Paul is co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Humanaut Health, a company that empowers people to optimise their health and well-being. He is co-Chairman of Cresset, and CEO and Founder of PagnatoKarp, a private wealth management firm with over US$50bn assets under management. He authored Transparency Wave, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, among other financial media. 

As the Founder of Transparency Global, Paul believes that the global adoption of Transparency® will empower organisations that are aimed at improving literacy, longevity, humanity and wealth, especially as he is passionate about giving back. 

He is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University and the Singularity Executive Programme, whilst being a Singularity Expert.

Barbara Silva

CEO, Singularity Chile / Advisor on AI Policy and Regulation of the Senate of Chile

After being the first Chilean to study at Singularity in 2012, Barbara Silva introduced Singularity to Latin America in 2016, before becoming CEO of Singularity Chile. She has two Master’s degrees, one in Organisational Psychology and the other in Innovation Management, both from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI), Chile’s top business school. 

As a leader in innovation, transformation, technology transfer and exponential technologies, Barbara advises various companies, is a board member of several organisations, and speaks at international conferences. She also helps educate the public sector in her role as the President of the Technical Committee on Industry and Development for the new AI regulatory framework of the Chilean Senate.

Barbara founded Her Global Impact, the first innovation academy for Spanish-speaking professional women, and is recognised among the “30 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes Chile, and one of “100 Leading Women” in her country. She was named a “Young Leader Innovator” at the Asia Pacific Forum, is a community lead of the Cartier Women’s Initiative as well as a former Jury President of the initiative, and an ambassador of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Mic Mann

Co-CEO, Singularity South Africa / CEO, Africarare

Mic Mann is an entrepreneur, futurist, storyteller, and speaker on how exponential technologies can help to #futureproofAfrica. He is the co-CEO of Africarare and Singularity South Africa.

After completing his honours degree in scriptwriting, directing and film producing at AFDA, Mic joined the family business, Mann Made, as co-CEO. Over the last 23 years at the award-winning, experiential brand agency, he has created 360-degree events and marketing campaigns for some of the largest organisations in South Africa and Fortune 500 companies.

Since bringing Singularity to the continent in 2016, alongside his partners, he has been educating, inspiring and empowering Africans through Singularity Executive Programmes, summits and multimedia events to help build a global community of changemakers who want to have a positive impact.

As an avid gamer, Mic has developed numerous online games, digital spaces and metaverse environments alongside his studio at Mann Made. In 2021, he co-founded Africa’s first metaverse, Africarare, to unlock Africa’s online potential and connect the continent to the global digital economy. Mic speaks regularly about VR, AR, the online global economy, blockchain gaming, as well as education, the future of work, and the changing role of professionals.

Rapelang Rabana

Founder - Rekindle Learning

As a serial tech entrepreneur who is deeply committed to education and skills development in Africa, Rapelang Rabana founded EdTech Rekindle Learning. The company enables organisations to easily codify and share institutional know-how among their teams to enhance business performance. 

Rapelang recently became co-CEO of Imagine Worldwide, which operates across seven African countries, providing tablet-based learning programmes to develop literacy and numeracy skills among millions of children. 

She was featured on the cover of Forbes Africa before the age of 30, was named ‘Entrepreneur for the World’ by the World Entrepreneurship Forum, and was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, all of which are testament to her work as an internationally lauded technology entrepreneur. Rapelang holds a BCS and an MSc from the University of Cape Town.

Dhesen Ramsamy

Chief Technology and Data Officer, Old Mutual

As the newly appointed Chief Technology Officer at Old Mutual Limited, Dhesen Ramsamy focuses on digital transformation, technology strategy, future state architecture, data, and spearheading innovation at the financial services group. With 16 years of experience in the financial services sector, he has led product development and built teams in digital banking and within the space of digital business model transformation. 

Dhesen’s previous roles at Momentum Metropolitan Holdings, Woolworths, Unilever, among others, saw him lead functions responsible for corporate innovation, venture capital and corporate venturing. Throughout his career, he has garnered extensive insights and experience in business and customer strategy, product and client experience design, digital channel building, and technology commercialisation. 

Dhesen completed a BSc in chemical engineering from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, holds an MBA from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, and participated in Wharton School’s executive education programme in international housing finance.

Angela Shurina

Executive Coach 360

Angela Shurina is a multidisciplinary coach who is driven to accelerate human progress towards a better world by helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs, leaders, teams, and companies do better, but her career started with a degree in computer science. She traded that for coaching after realising that tech just wasn’t for her. 

In her work as a coach, Angela blends the neuroscience and psychology of high performance with integrative brain-body protocols. These are coupled with optimal health, nutrition, stress management, productivity hacks and mindset tools to help purpose-driven individuals build their vision faster, without risking burnout, while creating more work-life integration for themselves in the form of time, health and freedom.

Angela hails from Russia. After 15 years of the digital nomad lifestyle that saw her live in 15 countries, she parked her luggage for good in Cape Town in 2023. From there she runs her ‘Your Brain’s Coach’ podcast and writes a daily newsletter.

Dr Jania Okwechime

Partner - Deloitte Africa AI & Data Leader

With a PhD in machine learning and computer vision from the University College London and over 15 years of experience in developing and implementing AI solutions for various industries and sectors, Dr Jania Okwechime is a leading AI expert and innovator in Africa. In her role as Africa AI and Data Leader at Deloitte, she is at the forefront of driving AI capabilities and fluency throughout the continent, while guiding organisations through their AI, data, and analytics transformation journeys. 

Jania delivers cutting-edge, bespoke AI solutions to solve complex business problems and to create value for organisations in the realms of fraud detection, transaction monitoring, face recognition, regulatory compliance, and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) data management.

She advocates for the growth and empowerment of the next generation of Africa’s AI talent. This has seen Jania deliver over 100 capacity-building sessions for executives and technical teams on AI, Gen AI, big data analytics, business intelligence solutions, technology, business operations. She regularly publishes thought leadership articles and scientific papers on these subjects.

Prof. Brian Armstrong

Independent Non-Executive Director, Old Mutual, / Professor in the Chair of Digital Business, Wits Business School

Professor Brian Armstrong is regarded as one of Africa’s foremost ICT industry leaders, with over 30 years of experience in telecommunications, IT, technology R&D and systems engineering globally. He completed a BSc (Eng) and MSc (Eng) at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1982 and 1984 respectively, and obtained his PhD from University College London in 1992. 

Brian is Professor in the Chair of Digital Business at Wits Business School and the interim Executive Director of the Centre for Technological Transformation in Africa. With his extensive experience as a Non-Executive Director of listed and unlisted companies, he consults to industry and government on technological disruption, digital business, digital ethics, and the socio-economic impacts of technology.

Brian is a Non-Executive Director of Old Mutual Limited, BankservAfrica, and the National Transmission Company of South Africa. He brings substantial practical experience in corporate governance with a focus on Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG). 

Previously Brian spent seven years in the Telkom Group, as Group Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Commercial Officer. Before joining Telkom in 2010, Brian was British Telecom’s Vice President for the Middle East and Africa with the responsibility of overseeing and growing the company’s activities across the region.

Celiwe Ross

Group Director: Strategy, Sustainability, People and Public Affairs, Old Mutual

With over 20 years of experience in financial services, Celiwe Ross is the Director of Group Strategy, Sustainability, People and Public Affairs at Old Mutual Limited. She has strong credentials in project finance, structured finance and origination, leadership advisory and team effectiveness. Her multidisciplinary experience allows her to align and integrate her portfolios across strategy, human capital, sustainability, and public affairs for maximum value.

 

Celiwe’s achievements include graduating as the first Black female mining engineer in South Africa, being recognised as “Gauteng’s Businesswoman of the Year” in 2016 by the Businesswomen’s Association, and being named the Standard Bank “Top Women Business Leader” in 2022. Celiwe holds a Mining Engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Cape Town. She is passionate about the convergence of technology and people, and the role women play across all levels of leadership.

Evan Luthra

Tech Maestro / NFT Enthusiast

Few people can say that they have created more than 30 mobile applications before turning 17, though it’s one of the many accomplishments that landed Evan Lutha on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. The tech maestro is also responsible for fuelling more than 500 Web3 companies. 

Since 2014, he has managed a crypto investment bank and invested in projects such as Hashgraph, Ripple, HYGH, and Nakamoto Games. As an angel investor, and a founding partner at KOL Capital, a venture capital fund composed of over 70 investors, Evan’s influence reaches a market cap exceeding US$100bn. 

Evan regularly contributes to publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Binance.com, CoinTelegraph, beincrypto, hackernoon on topics including play-to-earn gaming, real-world assets, GambleFi, Blockchains and the future of decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs). He shares his knowledge by speaking at TEDx and various universities around the world, and to his 2.3 million+ Instagram followers. 

Dr Sandy Carter

COO & Head of Business Development, Unstoppable Domains

Professor Sandy Carter is the COO of Unstoppable Domains, a Web3 and blockchain Digital Identity Company with a mission to onboard the world onto the blockchain-based identity platform and to optimise business using AI tools. She is also on the board of Altair, which focuses on AI simulation and digital twins. Sandy has been a notable expert working with AI since 2013 and with blockchain since 2018, garnering extensive global recognition along the way. 

She has had a distinguished career, holding leadership positions as a COO, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Sales Officer working for Amazon Web Services and IBM. Among her achievements, Sandy has led the business development efforts at Fortune 100 companies that changed the business landscape and resulted in adding billions of US dollars to their bottom line.

Sandy is the Chairperson of the board of Girls in Tech, an adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley, and the author of five award-winning books.

DAVID ROBERTS

Disruptive Technologist / Thought Leader

David Roberts is a globally recognised thought leader in the realm of disruptive innovation and exponentially advancing technology. As an alumnus of Singularity, he has dedicated his career to harnessing technology’s potential to address humanity’s global grand challenges. David’s insights into the future of technology, its implications, and opportunities have captivated audiences on stages around the world. As a Singularity headline speaker, David delves into the transformative power of technology, offering a visionary perspective on its role in shaping the future.

DR TADDY BLECHER

Co-Founder & CEO, Maharishi Invincibility Institute

Dr Taddy Blecher is a Singularity Expert on the future of human potential and exponential education. He is the CEO and co-Founder of the Maharishi Invincibility Institute, the Imvula Education Empowerment Fund, the Invincible Group, and Tendrel (now Catalyst 2030). He also co-founded the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa alongside Sir Richard Branson.

Taddy is passionate about Consciousness-based Education that promotes transferable skills. He conceptualised the E3 initiative (Entrepreneurship, Employability, Education) for the National Department of Basic Education to embed 21st century skills in South Africa’s school system by 2030.

Due to his work, 24 000 unemployed South Africans (70% of whom are women) have been educated at tertiary level, with over 21 000 of them currently employed, yielding a combined annual salary exceeding ZAR1.715bn. Meanwhile, over 600 000 learners have undertaken his week-long education and life-skills training courses, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Extranet programme.

In 2010, the Maharishi Invincibility Institute won first prize in a global competition for the world’s most innovative education initiative. It was selected by Stanford University’s Guide to Re-Imagining Higher Education, as one of the 12 most innovative higher education institutions in the world in 2019. Taddy is profiled in over 65 books and Inc. Magazine named him one of five most influential global entrepreneurs over the last 30 years. 

VIVIAN LAN

Director, Singularity Mexico / Co-Founder & CEO, Uma School Conscious Education

Innovation for social good and the use of technology to help humanity are Vivian Lan’s biggest drivers. In addition to studying graphic design at CDMX, majoring in fine arts, and being a Montessori teacher, Vivian has always been involved in projects of social impact whether it is through her work or her talks as an international speaker. 

As a social entrepreneur and consultant with experience in leadership, innovation and design, Vivian believes in tackling global grand challenges through creativity and collaboration. 

In 2013, she attended Singularity at NASA, where she studied the use of exponential technologies to integrate them into humanitarian work. After graduating, Vivian became the Singularity Ambassador in Mexico and is the current Singularity Mexico Director. She is the Director of the Innovation Ecosystem at the Presidency of the country, and the Exponential Growth Director at ExO Works. 

After 10 years of working with corporates, government leaders and entrepreneurs, Vivian understood that the only way to change the world is through education. In 2023, Vivian co-founded Uma School, a Montessori institution of Consciousness-based Education, pioneering a new paradigm where education serves as a life tool, empowering individuals to discover their purpose, nurture a desire to be their best selves, achieve self-realisation, and expand their capacity, while uncovering inner happiness and vital force. 

RAJESH PASUNGILI

Founder & CEO, Resolute Education

Rajesh Pasungili is the Founder and CEO of award-winning EdTech Resolute Education, which has partnered with Oxford University Press South Africa to bring educational tools and programmes to schools across the country. 

Throughout his degree working towards an Honours in Electronic Engineering from the University of Pretoria, and even after graduating, Rajesh was committed to tutoring mathematics and science to public high school students. He observed the challenges students encountered in bridging abstract theoretical concepts with real-world applications, and was driven to better equip them for life after high school, while ensuring equitable access to transformative, tech-based education.

Resolute Education aims to cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in students from all backgrounds, through their innovative robotics and coding programmes. To date, the EdTech has impacted over 150 000 students, more than 5 000 teachers in over 300 schools across seven countries. With a goal to positively influence the future of education, Resolute Education is committed to readying learners for a rapidly evolving world. Rajesh believes that education is among the few tools that can level the field, enabling students to ascend socially and make significant global impacts. 

Resolute Education has won the EdTech of the Year Award and has been recognised among the top 15 EdTech startups globally in 2024.

JOS DIRKX

Founder & Advisor, Beenova AI / Author / Thespian

Jos Dirkx is the Founder of Beenova AI, Chief AI Strategist at Turner, and a global speaker. Her work as a World Economic Forum tech pioneer, Singularity Expert, bestselling author and podcast host make her a leading voice on education, technology, leadership, and practical AI implementation.

Jos and her team have built numerous tech products, solutions and initiatives for social impact that have reached over 85 000 people globally. She consults with universities and Fortune 500 companies on AI strategy by incorporating real-world examples and human-first approaches, while advising executive boards on AI strategy and execution.

She has worked with the United Nations across Africa, started an award-winning NGO, and is board member at various organisations. Jos has designed an AI methodology that prioritises curricula development and pedagogy for personalised learning. Together with her team, she received a grant from the Dutch government to pilot AI solutions in The Netherlands.

Clients such as Google, HSBC, Evolvence Knowledge Investments, the Dubai Future Foundation, and the Colombia Chamber of Commerce rely on Jos’ advisory. Her work has been featured in Mail & Guardian, CNBC, Entrepreneur, among others; in addition to peer-reviewed academic journals. Making Sense of AI, her fourth book, will be published in 2024. 

KARINE ARAMA

Partner, SGH Capital

With a 20-year track record in investment banking, Karine (Kay) Arama’s career highlights include leading fixed income sales teams at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and RBS in key financial hubs such as Paris, London and Singapore.

In 2018, she joined IOV (Internet of Values), a blockchain-protocol start-up, as COO and Head of Investor Relations. Two years later she joined SGH Capital, a Paris-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage blockchain infrastructure companies in the United States and Europe. Here she was able to merge her extensive experience in banking with her expertise in the blockchain sector. 

Her team’s investment strategy centres on machine learning and AI as tools to screen and track companies, which represents a novel class of venture funds. She helps SGH Capital harness the power of a new generation of machine learning algorithms in line with an approach that is underpinned by an extensive proprietary dataset. 

DR CARLO VAN DE WEIJER

General Manager, Eindhoven AI Systems Institute / Fellow for Future of Mobility and Transport, Deloitte Center for the Edge

Dr Carlo van de Weijer has a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology and a PhD with honours from Graz University of Technology. He is the Managing Director of the newly founded Eindhoven AI Systems Institute (EAISI) at the Eindhoven University of Technology, and Fellow for future of mobility and transportation within Deloitte’s Center for the Edge. 

Due to his extensive experience within the automotive industry, he holds a.o. executive positions at Siemens and TomTom, while advising governmental ministries and industries around the world on the future of mobility. Carlo is also a member of numerous supervisory boards at several high-tech companies, investment firms and start-ups. He shares his insights in a weekly column for Het Financieele Dagblad, a daily Dutch national newspaper.

Prof. Benjamin Rosman

Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand

Benjamin Rosman is a Professor in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he runs the Robotics, Autonomous Intelligence and Learning (RAIL) Laboratory, whilst being the Director of the National E-Science Postgraduate Teaching and Training Platform (NEPTTP). He is the Chief Science Officer of Lelapa AI, which builds AI for Africans, by Africans, and a co-Founder of the Deep Learning Indaba with satellite events in 47 African countries.

He received his PhD in Informatics in 2014, and his MSc in Artificial Intelligence, both from the University of Edinburgh, after completing his BSc (Hons) in Computer Science and BSc (Hons) in Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand. His research interests focus on reinforcement learning and decision making in autonomous systems, specifically how learning can be accelerated through abstracting and generalising knowledge gained from solving related problems.

Benjamin was a 2017 recipient of a Google Faculty Research Award in machine learning, and a 2021 recipient of a Google Africa Research Award. His accomplishments include being made a Senior Member of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2020. Two years later, Benjamin was named the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, in Learning in Machines and Brains.

DR ADAM PANTANOWITZ

Founder, think3dots / Co-Founder: AURA, Resolute Education / Director and Chair in Innovation at the University of the Witwatersrand / Singularity Expert

Dr Adam Pantanowitz is a biomedical and electrical engineer, well-known for initiating and leading the first group in the world to connect a live and mobile human brain to the internet in a project called the Brainternet – a term he coined. 

As a technologist, he enjoys using his applied sciences skills to have real-world impact. He has co-founded a number of businesses/social impact projects, including AURA, Resolute Education, PRTL Medical, shift.stream among others. Adam lectured Engineering and Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he currently holds the Angela and David Fine Chair in Innovation, whilst being the Director of the Wits Innovation Centre. 

His numerous innovations include a variety of human-computer interaction devices, assistive devices and novel AI technologies and applications. He is one of the youngest global fellows of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (UK), and is a Singularity Expert. Adam is an internationally chartered engineer and holds a PhD in AI applied in healthcare innovation.

DR JAYA BALOO

Chief Security Officer, Rapid7

Dr Jaya Baloo is recognised within the list of top 100 CISOs (Chief Information Security Officer) globally and ranks among the top 100 security influencers worldwide. She is an expert in cybersecurity and quantum readiness, and serves as a contributing expert in Quantum and Cybersecurity for the World Economic Forum, and as an advisor to Europol (EC3). 

Before becoming Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Rapid7, Jaya was CISO at Avast. Prior to that she held the CISO position at KPN, the Netherlands’ largest telecommunications carrier. 

In 2022, she received an honourary doctorate from the University of Twente for her leadership and significant contributions to technological advancement in the field of cybersecurity. Jaya sits on the advisory boards of the Netherlands’ National Cyber Security Centre, PQCrypto, and Yubico. She serves on the audit committee of TIIN capital, a cybersecurity fund, and is a board member of the Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA), and also the RvT of the Dutch broadcasting organisation, the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS). Jaya has been a Singularity Expert since 2017, where she lectures regularly.

ALIX Rübsaam

Vice President Research, Expertise and Knowledge, Singularity / Researcher in Philosophy of Technology

Dr Alix Rübsaam is the Vice President of Research, Expertise and Knowledge at Singularity, where she oversees Singularity’s research efforts, body of knowledge and experts. As a researcher in philosophy of technology and cultural analysis, Alix investigates the societal and cultural impact of exponential technologies. Her focus is on changing ideas about humanity and human activity in technological contexts, such as: AI, (autonomous) robotics, information technologies, digital environments, and on deploying emerging technologies thoughtfully and responsibly.

Alix’s postdoctoral research centres around two large-scale projects. The first is a deep-dive on responsible AI, algorithmic bias and exclusion. It aims to raise awareness about the impact of automated decision-making algorithms to explain how decisions made during the design process can lead to unwanted outcomes, and to empower leaders to build AI that is equitable, fair and just. The second comprises an analysis of the digitalisation of information, its effects on decision making and ethics. Its purpose is to reposition decision makers vis-à-vis the way they inform themselves, to investigate and challenge computational paradigms, and to envision an approach to ethics that befits 21st century dilemmas.

DR MARK NASILA

Chief Data and Analytics Officer, FNB Risk / Singularity Expert

As the Chief Data and Analytics Officer of FNB Risk, Dr Mark Nasila is the brains behind reimagining the bank’s risk management and forensic due diligence processes in line with global standards. He holds a PhD in Mathematical Statistics from Nelson Mandela University, is an alumnus of the SingularityU South Africa Executive Programme, a Singularity Expert on AI, data science and data strategies, and a global speaker. 

Mark is a steering committee member of the National Institute for Theoretical Physics and Computational Sciences (NITheCS), a Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University, and a Professor of Practice in AI at the University of Johannesburg. He is also an advisory board member for Moody’s Analytics Europe and Africa.

His opinion pieces have featured in Business Day, Mail & Guardian, TechCentral, among others, and he has written for Corinium Global Intelligence and The European Council for Modelling and Simulation. 

Mark was named one of the Global Top 100 Innovators in Data and Analytics by Corinium Global Intelligence in 2020, clinched the title of the 2022 Southern African Finnovator of the Year, was the recipient of the Excellence in Data and Analytics Award at the DigiBank Summit in 2022 and 2024, while also being the 2023 Technology Excellence Award winner at the IITPSA Annual President’s Awards.

ARTURO ELIZONDO

Founder & CEO, The EVERY Company

Arturo Elizondo is the Founder and CEO of the Silicon Valley-based food technology company, The EVERY Company, which created the world’s first egg without a chicken. It leverages precision fermentation to brew real animal proteins without the use of a single animal. 

Prior to founding EVERY (formerly known as Clara Foods), Arturo studied Government and Comparative Politics at Harvard University, served under Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and worked at the US Department of Agriculture and at Credit Suisse. 

He has been lauded on Forbes’ “30 Under 30”, Newsweeks’ “America’s 50 Greatest Disruptors”, San Francisco Business Times’ “40 Under 40”, and named “Ten Innovators to Watch” by Smithsonian Magazine. Arturo hails from Laredo, Texas and grew up living on both sides of the US-Mexico border. He was also named “Person of the Year” by the National Hispanic Institute, and one of “10 Latinos who inspire the United States” by BBC World News.

CATHY HACKL

Co-CEO, Spatial Dynamics / Futurist / Author

In tech circles, Cathy Hackl is popularly known as ‘The Godmother of the Metaverse’. As a futurist, technology and gaming executive, she focuses on spatial computing, virtual worlds, augmented reality, AI, and gaming platforms strategy. Cathy is the co-CEO of Spatial Dynamics, a spatial computing and AI solutions company. She has worked at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE and with companies such as Nike, Ralph Lauren, Walmart, Louis Vuitton and Clinique on their emerging technology and gaming journeys. 

As a keynote speaker, Cathy has spoken at Harvard Business School, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The World Economic Forum, and at countless conferences. She is one of Ad Age’s “2023 Leading Women”, was featured on the cover of Forbes Latam’s “100 Most Powerful Women 2023” issue, and is on the inaugural Vogue Business “100 Innovators” list.  

Cathy hosts Adweek’s TechMagic podcast, is a guest editor for Vogue Singapore, and has been a fixture in the world of immersive technology for almost a decade, with numerous appearances on CNBC’s Squawk Box, 60 Minutes on CBS, CNN, and features in Time, The Economist, Bloomberg, among others. In 2022, she became the first human to ring NASDAQ’s opening bell in physical and avatar form, while on live television.

EMAD MOSTAQUE

Founder, Stability AI / CEO, SchellingAI

Emad Mostaque is a British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur and mathematician, who has been instrumental in spearheading the development of the most advanced image, audio and video models in generative AI history. With a Master’s degree in mathematics and computer science from Oxford, Emad founded Symmitree, a start-up that aims to reduce technology costs for those living in poverty. 

He is best known as the Founder and former CEO of Stability AI, the company behind the free and open-source text-to-image generator Stable Diffusion, which had more than 300 million downloads during his tenure. Emad’s vision was to activate humanity’s potential through open-source generative AI. The project also raised philosophical questions about the nature of human creativity and art. 

Because he works so closely with AI, Emad has been a vocal advocate for AI safety. He signed an open letter in 2023 calling on AI labs to pause training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. Since stepping down as CEO of Stability AI in March 2024, Emad founded SchellingAI, and is also pursuing decentralised AI, which reflects his commitment to exploring new frontiers in AI and his belief in the potential of decentralised systems. As a firm believer in open-source, Emad is committed to transforming the industry from commercialised corporate AI to decentralised democratic AI. He sits on the boards of EleutherAI and Render to prompt innovation and fine-tune initiatives for a better future.