Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan is an entrepreneur, founder, and sustainability and climate change expert. In 2023 she was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

She is driven by the belief that creating change requires diverse stakeholders working together to find and implement interconnected macro- and micro-solutions that unlock progress. As a result, Sheikha Shamma has founded and leads a number of high-impact entities. These include the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), which works to propel the growth of a thriving green economy by advancing green financing frameworks and advocating for effective policy and regulation, in order to accelerate the development and implementation of climate technology solutions. UICCA’s initiatives include a launchpad program for climate SMEs, a policy think tank, and community engagement platforms intended to empower the most climate-vulnerable demographics.

Sheikha Shamma has played a significant role in inspiring climate action at a grassroots level in the UAE through the establishment of The Climate Tribe, a subsidiary of the UICCA focused on creative storytelling, impact production and community engagement. She is also the Founder of Reset MENA, a consulting business which provides energy and water efficiency solutions, and Chairperson of Alliances for Global Sustainability, which identifies, advises and invests in high-performing sustainability ventures.

In addition, Sheikha Shamma is a senior advisor to and active member of many high-level councils, alliances and businesses, including the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center’s Women Leaders in Energy and Climate Fellowship (2022-2023 cohort); the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Net Zero Living; the Advisory Board of Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy; the Emirates Green Building Council; and the UAE Circular Economy Council. In October 2024, she was also appointed Chairperson of the Advisory Board for Chapter Zero UAE.

Sheikha Shamma is the Co-Founder of Aurora50, an enterprise with a powerful vision to achieve gender balance in the workplace, while concurrently serving as the Chair of the Aurora50 Advisory Council.

She holds an MSt in Sustainability Leadership and an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge.

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri was appointed Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and member of the UAE Cabinet in July 2020. He is the Chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE International Investors Council, the CSR UAE Fund’s Board of Trustees, and the Head of the Circular Economy Policy Committee within the UAE Circular Economy Council. He also chairs several government committees including the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, the National Civil Aviation Security and Facilitation Committee, the Economic Integration Committee, and the Emirates Tourism Council. Prior to his appointment, Al Marri held various senior government positions. He was the Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet since 2017, during which he was instrumental in strengthening the interdependence between the federal and local governments. In this role, he also spearheaded many initiatives aimed at measuring public opinion and acceptability of public policies, and he developed critical partnerships with international organizations such as the World Economic Forum.

Minister Al Marri formerly served as the Chairman of the Securities and Commodities Authority and the Director General of the Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was part of the leading team behind the launch of “Area 2071,” the nucleus of the future envisioned in the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. He also took part in the unveiling of the Hatta Economic Zone development project and the relaunching of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development. In addition, as former CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, Al Marri played a vital role in the successful launch of Dubai 10X, the Emirate’s bid to become the city of the future, and other initiatives at the local and national levels.

Minister Al Marri is a member of the Boards of Directors of various federal entities. In these roles, he actively supports the development of priority sectors in the country such as the Golden Visa initiative, which seeks to attract talented individuals from across the world. Minister Al Marri holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Moreover, he is a graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Programme and Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development.

Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui has been serving as the UAE’s Minister of Community Empowerment since December 2024, following the renaming of the Ministry of Community Development. She previously held the position of Minister of Community Development in the ministerial formation of February 2023, and prior to that, she served as the Minister of State for Youth Affairs since 2016 at the age of 22, making her the world’s youngest minister at that time.

In addition to her ministerial roles, H.E. serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Zayed University. She is also a member of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (NAFIS), as well as a member of the Education, Human Resources, and Community Council, and a board member of the Emirates Foundation.

At the beginning of 2023, H.E. was assigned, under the directives of His Highness the President of the UAE, as the "Youth Climate Champion" for COP28, which was hosted by the UAE. She was also a member of the COP28 Higher Committee, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Previously, H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui worked in one of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds, in addition to serving as a Public Policy Analyst at the UAE Mission to the United Nations in New York. She also worked as a Policy Analyst at the Prime Minister’s Office, a Research Analyst at the UAE Embassy in Washington, and an Education Policy Researcher at the UAE Strategic Affairs Authority "Tamkeen."

H.E. Shamma obtained her Master of Public Policy with Distinction from the University of Oxford in 2015. She was also the first UAE Rhodes Scholar In 2018, listed in CNBC’s ‘7 Female Activists Under 23 Who Are Changing the World’, and awarded the NYU Making a Difference Award where completed her B.A. in Economics with a concentration in Finance at New York Abu Dhabi (2014). She has also completed coursework at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Badr Jafar is a business executive and social entrepreneur from the United Arab Emirates. He is the CEO of Crescent Enterprises, a diversified business operating across nine industry sectors in 17 countries, and the President of Crescent Petroleum, the first independent and privately-owned petroleum company in the Middle East. He serves as Chairman of Gulftainer, the largest privately-owned container port operator in the world, and is also the Chairman of Pearl Petroleum, the largest natural gas producer in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Badr is the appointed Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy, UAE.

As COP28 Special Representative for Business and Philanthropy, Badr chaired the inaugural COP28 Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum. He is an Advisory Committee member for ENACT (‘Energy Action’), which aims to advance global sustainable prosperity and progress through shaping the future of energy. Badr also serves as a Board Member for the Dubai International Chamber and on the Advisory Committee for the UK UAE Business Council.

Badr is actively engaged with a diverse range of non-profit organisations and initiatives focused on humanitarian aid and international development, strategic philanthropy, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, education, and the arts, including serving as a member of the Kings Trust International Committee, United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, Tony Elumelu Foundation Advisory Board, and the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education. Badr also serves on the Board of Trustees for Zayed University, the International Council of the American University of Beirut, as well as on the Advisory Council of Development and Outreach for the American University of Sharjah.

In 2010, Badr founded the Pearl Initiative, a non-profit, private sector-led organisation committed to promoting a corporate culture of transparency and accountability across the Gulf Region, in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Partnerships. He is also the Founding Patron of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy based at the University of Cambridge, which is dedicated to enhancing the impact of strategic philanthropy both within and from the world’s fastest growing economies; and is the Founding Patron of MENA’s first Strategic Philanthropy Initiative at NYU Abu Dhabi to study and promote high-impact philanthropy in the region.

Badr holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge and a Business Degree from the Cambridge Judge Business School.

H.E. Dr. Ahmed Abdulhadi AlKhazraji serves as the Executive Director of the Healthy Living Unit, a recently-established delivery unit under the Department of Health Abu Dhabi. In this role he aims to achieve the unit’s ambitious vision of “creating the most active population supported by a healthy food system within a health-conscious society” through setting Abu Dhabi’s healthy living agenda, aggregating healthy living priority initiatives across public and private sectors, providing leadership and guidance in the design and delivery of these initiatives, and assessing their positive impact.

His immediate past role was the Acting Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, where he led and launched critical public health initiatives focused on preventing disease, prolonging life, and driving a culture of health and safety among Abu Dhabi’s citizens and residents, as well as emergency response operations related to infectious diseases, disasters, and crises. He has also served as the Executive Director of Strategy & Policy at the Department of Health, and Director of Health Affairs at the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.

Dr. AlKhazraji has over 15 years of health and healthcare experience across public and private sectors, and has been recognized for his successes in driving large-scale government initiatives, advancing critical health programs, and transforming organizations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), and an alumnus of the UAE Prime Minister’s Office Government Executive Leaders program. He completed his doctorate, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees at the University of Southern California and Marquette University, in the United States.

His Excellency Saeed Al Mulla serves as the Executive Director of Customer Experience at the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi (DGE), where he has led efforts to align over 60 Abu Dhabi government entities in delivering seamless, accessible public services.

With nearly two decades of experience, HE Al Mulla has played a key role in transformative projects such as the Hamdan Bin Mohamed Program for Smart Government and City Makers. His expertise in service design and transformation has led to the redesign of over 300 government services, generating savings of over half a billion dirhams (USD $136 million) to date.

His Excellency Saeed Al Mulla holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan, and a Bachelor's degree in E-commerce from the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates.

Khuloud has close to 28 years of experience in the private sector & philanthropy. Khuloud played a pivotal role in establishing the Emirates Foundation in 2005. Khuloud is a leading voice in sustainability & social impact in the UAE, exemplifying a commitment to fostering positive change. She leads the development of key strategic initiatives that achieve positive socio-economic impact, and advocates to influence relevant policy forums and dialogue. She has developed strong partnerships with the private sector including local & multi-nationals over the years to improve the sustainability of the initiatives and integrate best practices into her work.

As Chief Sustainability Officer at Emirates Foundation, she is more focused on leading Sustainability & Circularity initiatives. She developed the nationalinitiative- ne’ma to tackle food loss & waste reduction across the UAE to achieve the nationalfood security strategy goals through a collaborative approach that engages all sectors across thefood supply chain to change current behaviors and practices leading to food waste. She is alsosupporting the National Projects Office (Presidential Court) in the development of a newtextile circularity initiative. She believes in the power of innovation & Tech in enhancing operationsand creating efficiency in the eco-system. She serves as a Judge for the prominent ZayedSustainability Prize, the FoodTech Challenge both are competitions for innovative SE &startups that address sustainability issues and food systems.

In Feb 2024, Khuloud received Arab Women of the year Award forleadership in Social Development from London Arabia Organization. In 2023 she wasselected as one of the 17 women faces that were profiled during COP28 for tackling one of the17 SDG goals which address Hunger and reducing food waste. In 2015 she won the EmiratesWoman Award for leadership by Dubai Quality group & in 2014 was profiled as one ofUAE’s Inspirational leaders. Before building her career in the third sector she gained herinitial experience from working for 8 years in oil and gas, she was a Senior Analyst in the CorporatePlanning Department of Dolphin Energy Limited and she has also served as a Market Research Analystat the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Khuloud holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with amajor in Advertising Management and Marketing from Portland State University, US.

Andreas Schleicher is the Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices.

He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders around the world to improve quality and equity in education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that Schleicher “understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I’ve met, and he tells me the truth” (The Atlantic, July 11). UK Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher “the most important man in English education” – even though he is German and lives in France.

Before joining the OECD, he was Director for Analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA). He studied Physics in Germany and received a degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the “Theodor Heuss” prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement”. He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.

Dr. Barbara Fasolo is the Founder and Director of the Behavioral Lab for Research and Teaching at the London School of Economics and Political Science, a world-leading lab for behavioral insights and applications with innovative expertise and technology - at the heart of London and with a globally diverse pool of participants. Her research is at the intersection of judgment and decision making, decision analysis, and behavioral science, and published in leading scientific journals including Nature and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Her research-led training and projects span a range of domains, with a focus on interventions to improve strategic decision processes. She previously co-designed and directed the LSE Executive Master’s in Behavioral Science at the LSE, and was seconded as National Expert to the European Medicines Agency, to support risk / benefit judgments of drugs.

Cass Sunstein is a renowned legal scholar and behavioral economist. He is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard University and is the founder and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School. Sunstein has authored numerous influential books, including Nudge (co-authored with Richard Thaler), which revolutionized how governments and organizations think about decision-making. From 2009 to 2012, he served as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

Chiara Varazzani is a senior expert in applied behavioral science, evaluation, and public policy innovation, with over a decade of international experience in government, academia, private sector, and international organizations. Currently serving as Lead Behavioral Scientist at the OECD, Dr. Varazzani leads strategic initiatives at management levels. Prior to this, Dr. Varazzani held various positions in government, including Executive Advisor in behavioral economics to the Australian Federal Government.

Dana Suskind, MD, is Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, Founding Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. A recognized thought leader on the international stage, Dana has dedicated her research and clinical life to optimizing foundational brain development and preventing early cognitive disparities and their lifelong impact. Her work is focused in particular on helping parents leverage their power as brain architects.

David Halpern CBE is President Emeritus at the Behavioural Insights Team having previously been the team’s CEO from launch of the company (2010-2023) and President & Founding Director (2023-2024). Prior to BIT, David was the first Research Director of the Institute for Government and between 2001 and 2007 was the Chief Analyst at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. David was also appointed as the What Works National Advisor in July 2013, a position he held until 2022 through which he led efforts to improve the use of evidence across the UK government.

Before entering government, David held tenure at Cambridge and posts at Oxford and Harvard. He has written several books and papers on areas relating to behavioural insights and well-being, including Social Capital (2005), the Hidden Wealth of Nations (2010), Online Harms and Manipulation (2019) and co-author of the MINDSPACE report. In 2015, David wrote a book about the team entitled Inside the Nudge Unit: How Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference.

David was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours in January 2023 for Public Service in his role as What Works National Adviser.

Dilip Soman is a leading expert in behavioral science and its applications to business and public policy. He is the Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and serves as a Director of the Behavioral Economics in Action Research Centre at Rotman [BEAR]. His research is in the area of behavioral science and its applications to consumer wellbeing, marketing and policy.

Elisabeth is the Chief of Innovation and Partnerships at the Behavioral Insights Team. Elisabeth leads global efforts for building new, long-term partnerships and collaborations across the team, as well as developing BIT’s emerging areas of expertise and service offers. Elisabeth was previously the Managing Director of the Behavioural Insights Team in the UK. Her particular expertise is economic policy and digital markets.

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Elke Weber is the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment, and professor of psychology and public affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Weber's specialty is judgment and decision-making under risk and uncertainty. Her research has investigated psychologically appropriate ways to measure and model individual and cultural differences in risk-taking, specifically in risky financial situations and environmental decision-making and policy.

Eric J. Johnson is the Norman Eig Professor of Business and the director of the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School. He has been the president of both the Society for Judgment and Decision Making and the Society for Neuroeconomics. His research examines the interface between Behavioral Decision Research, Economics and the decisions made by consumers, managers, and their implications for public policy, markets and marketing.

Ernesto Reuben is a Professor of Economics, Business, Organizations, and Society at NYU Abu Dhabi and a Global Network Professor of Economics at New York University. He has extensive experience working on behavioral public policy with various governmental organizations both in the UAE and abroad. He has been a leader in combining experiments with survey data to do research at the intersection of behavioral economics and public policy. As one of the founding researchers of the Center for Behavioral Institutional Design, he leads various research projects investigating the foundations of cross-country behavioral diversity.

Evan Nesterak is the editor-in-chief of Behavioral Scientist, an award-winning digital and print magazine focused on exploring the world through the science of human behavior. He has also served as an editorial consultant on book projects with a number of authors and scientists. Previously, he researched character development at the University of Pennsylvania and he worked with the U.S. Soccer Federation to understand the psychological development of players in their Development Academy. He studied psychology and statistics at Swarthmore College. He lives in Prague, Czech Republic.

Faisal Naru has been working for over 20 years globally in public bodies, the private sector and international organizations. He is the founder of Think Test Do working with leaders, executives and their teams to deliver innovative services and solutions for their organizations.

Faisal was the inaugural Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Centre at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, where he set up Africa’s first national level “behavioral unit”. Prior to setting up the PIC, Faisal founded the work at the OECD on Behavioral Insights and is responsible for a number of OECD publications, guidelines, and establishing communities of practice internationally. At the OECD, Faisal Naru also set up an internal behavioral capacity in the Executive Director’s Office that applied behavioral science into management and organizational change.

He serves on a number of international committees, is a speaker at various behavioral science Masters and Education Programs, and advises a number of governments and public bodies on strategy and reform. He is a former member of the UK Government’s Cabinet Office, Head of Practice and Leadership Board Member for global development consultancy. He graduated from the University of Oxford.

As Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at PureHealth, Farrah Alshash is committed to building a resilient society and making a meaningful impact. She leads initiatives fostering health, inclusion, and community empowerment. Through strategic partnerships and social innovation, she works to inspire the next generation and drive positive change across the UAE.

Fatima Koaik is the behavioral science lead of the Ideation Center at Strategy&. She has more than 12 years of experience with international organisations, focusing on development and public sector projects in the MENA region. She leads a variety of projects related to the application of behavioral insights through evidence-based approaches. Among the first behavioral scientists in the MENA region, she has expertise in behavioral science as it relates to consumerism and financial literacy as well as national identity.

Francis Meyo is an applied behavioral scientist and the CEO of Busara, a research and advisory firm dedicated to advancing and applying behavioral science in the Global South. His work focuses on sexual reproductive health as well as digital financial services. He has over 10 years of experience in global development and prior to joining Busara, worked in various research and policy capabilities at Innovations for Poverty Action.

Hamda AlSuwaidi is a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at University College London, focusing on the experiences of Emirati women with substance abuse. She holds a Master of Science in Medical Anthropology from UCL and a Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery from Harvard University. With extensive experience in health research and policy, Hamda has held roles such as Head of Research at the Early Childhood Authority in Abu Dhabi and Senior Clinical Quality Officer at the Dubai Health Authority. Her work spans topics like addiction recovery, early childhood development, and quality improvement in healthcare. In her role as Head of Research at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority she has spearheaded a groundbreaking three year study on young children’s digital media use in Abu Dhabi.

Hugo is the Mission Director for Nesta’s A Healthy Life mission and leads BIT’s work on Health in the UK. He has been with the team for the last 9 years running projects with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, Public Health England and Cabinet Office.

He has worked behavioral insights to a large range of implementation and policy issues, but has a particular interest in obesity. During the pandemic Hugo spent almost all his time on the Covid-19 response and sat on the SAGE sub-group SPI-B.

He has spent time in both Singapore and Australia developing the adoption of a more behavioral approach to policy implementation, including several projects for the Singaporean Prime Minister’s Office.

Hugo holds an MSc, with distinction, in Behavioral and Economic Sciences from the University of Warwick, as well as a BA in Psychology and Physiology from Oxford University.

Ivan Fernando Budassi is the former director of the Behavioural Sciences and Public Policies unit in Argentina’s Ministry of Economy. He has now returned to teaching and working as a consultant with leading international behavioral science organizations.

Prof. Iyad Rahwan is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, where he founded and directs the Center for Humans & Machines.
Rahwan's work lies at the intersection of computer science and human behavior, with a focus on the impact of Artificial Intelligence and digital media on the way we think, learn, work, play, cooperate and govern. His work appeared in the world’s leading academic journals, including Science and Nature, and features regularly in major media outlets, including the New York Times, The Economist, and the Wall Street Journal.

Dr James K Tibenderana is a malaria and public health expert, bringing over 20 years of experience in the fields of epidemiology, infectious and tropical diseases and health system strengthening. He is the Chief Executive of Malaria Consortium, a leading global health non-profit working across Africa and Asia. Malaria Consortium is an evidence-led organisation that generates rigorous research and works alongside governments and other stakeholders to deliver life-saving initiatives at scale. Under James' leadership, Malaria Consortium continues to pioneer innovative approaches in global health. He is an Honorary Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Jana Fleming heads the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation's program in Early Childhood Development where she advises UAE leadership on the fundamental concepts, knowledge, practices, and policies that promote optimal child development and wellbeing. Prior to moving to Abu Dhabi, she served as Director of the Herr Research Center for Children and Social Policy at Erikson Institute (Chicago, IL, USA) where she oversaw research, evaluation, and public outreach projects to inform and support effective early childhood public policy development and implementation. Dr. Fleming has held other positions in higher education in the USA, as well as in state and local government and philanthropy.

John A. List is the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago.
His research focuses on questions in microeconomics, with a particular emphasis on using field experiments to address both positive and normative issues. For decades his field experimental research has focused on issues related to the inner-workings of markets, the effects of various incentives schemes on market equilibria and allocations, how behavioral economics can augment the standard economic model, on early childhood education and interventions, and most recently on the gender earnings gap in the gig economy (using evidence from rideshare drivers).

Laura heads up BIT’s Paris office, where she leads a team working on a range of social purpose projects addressing a variety of issues – from public health and consumer protection to sustainability, education and public finance. She has worked at BIT since 2016, and was previously a Senior Advisor in the Home Affairs and International Programs team, where she was responsible for our work in Bangladesh and worked on impact evaluations in Mexico, Peru, India and Brazil.

Alongside her role at BIT, Laura is completing a PhD in Economics, where her research focuses on financial inclusion and management practices in bureaucracies. She also holds MPhil degrees in economics from University College London and Sciences Po Paris, as well as a degree in political science and international relations from Sciences Po Paris.

Lucia Reisch is a behavioral economist and social scientist and the El-Erian Professor of Behavioral Economics and Policy at the University of Cambridge. Her research interests focus on the theory and application of behavioral insights to promote behavioral change in individuals and organisations towards societal welfare and sustainable development. She has two decades of experience with high-level policy consulting on consumer behavior and policy.

May Bin Baz has over 18 years of experience at both the private and government sector focusing on the intersection of behavioral science and economics, with a deep understanding of how to drive impactful change. May work spans research and consultancy, with a focus on behavioral change, decision-making, and improving wellbeing for individuals, organizations, and government entities.
Equipped with an MBA from Al Faisal University and an MSc in Behavioral Science from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), May combines strong analytical and managerial skills with a nuanced understanding of behavioral science. May expertise lies in translating evidence-based insights into actionable strategies that empower stakeholders and foster sustainable outcomes.

Mike Bailey is a senior social scientist at Meta where he founded the Social Capital Lab, a research group that partners with academics and policy groups to study social networks, communities, and economic opportunity with an aim to release research and data to improve society. The work of the Social Capital Lab has been featured in top scientific journals such as Nature and the Journal of Political Economy and has been featured worldwide in media outlets such as The Economist and The New York Times . Research and Data from the Social Capital Lab are publicly available including the Social Connectedness Index and the Social Capital Atlas and more through Meta’s Data for Good program .

Dr. Michael Hallsworth is BIT’s Chief Behavioural Scientist. Before his current role, Michael was Managing Director of BIT Americas. For 20 years, he has worked as both an official and an advisor to various governments, and has been a leading figure in applying behavioural science to address practical problems. He is the co-author of the book Behavioral Insights from MIT Press and his new book, The Hypocrisy Trap, will be published in 2025. His work has been published in, among others, The Lancet, the Journal of Public Economics, and Nature Human Behaviour, and has more than 6,000 citations.

He has a PhD in behavioral economics from Imperial College London, was an Assistant Professor at Columbia University, and is currently Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University.

Michael Muthukrishna is an Associate Professor of Economic Psychology at the London School of Economics. He is also Affiliate of the Developmental Economics Group at STICERD, Affiliate of the LSE Data Science Institute, Fellow at the Charter Cities Institute, Director of the PhD Programme in Psychological and Behavioral Science, Technical Director of The Database of Religious History, and founder of both LSE Culturalytik (culturalytik.com) and the London School of Artificial Intelligence (lsai.org.uk). He is particularly interested in the application of research in cultural evolution to public policy.

Monica Menendez is the Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Affairs and a Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), as well as a Global Network Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering at the Tandon School of Engineering in New York University (NYU). She is also the Director and Lead PI of the NYUAD Research Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES); and the recipient of the NYUAD Distinguished Research Award for 2021.Her research interests include monitoring, modelling, and control of multimodal transportation systems, considering new technologies and data sources. She is an active reviewer for over 20 journals, and a member of multiple editorial boards for top journals in Transportation.

Mónica is the Director of International Programmes for BIT EMEA. Since joining the team in 2015, she has worked with a broad range of partners including charities and international organization (the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, CIFF), the UK government (Department For International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and police forces), as well as foreign governments in over 15 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, including in her native Colombia. From public health, education and tax compliance to recidivism prevention, anti-corruption, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence, Mónica has worked on a wide range of increasingly complex policy areas.

Prior to joining the team, Mónica worked with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on youth violence prevention in South Africa, the European Centre for Anti-corruption and Statebuilding (ERCAS) in Berlin and with a peacebuilding think tank in Colombia. Mónica holds a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, and a BSc in Economics and a BA in Political Science from Los Andes University in Colombia.

Mohammed Almazrouei is a member of the Abu Dhabi Government Behavioral Insights Network – a platform for policymakers to connect, collaborate and share knowledge in the applications of behavioral science in Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed has a PhD in forensic expert decision-making from University College London and has recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University.

Consultant Internist with many years of versatile experience in handling patients. Currently functioning as the Head of Internal Medicine/Cardiology Department in AL Kuwait Hospital - Dubai.

• Head of Central Infection prevention and Control committee in Emirates Health Services
• Chair of National Antimicrobial Resistance committee in UAE
• Graduated from UCD Ireland and Fellow of the Royal College of Physician UK
• Associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine University of Sharjah
• Well versed in the management of patients with various medical illnesses.
• Delivered various lectures in in many conferences and symposiums.
• Highly active and experienced in conducting patient education campaigns
• Member of Various committees in EHS, Ministry of Health and Prevention, DHA and other National committees
• UAE Focal point for Antibiotic in the human sector for WHO
• Member of GCC AMR Committee
• Participated in researches in various medical fields
• President of International Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance-ICAMR

Dr. Munther Al Busaidi is the Vice Chairman of Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit. The unit is tasked with following up and supporting the implementation of the vision’s programs and initiatives. Prior to joining the unit, he led the establishment of the Behavioral Economics Department in the Ministry of Economy. He also served as an advisor to the department after the establishment. Dr. Munther was also the Assistant Dean for Training and Community Service in the College of Economics and Political Science at Sultan Qaboos University. His role involved building ties with the public and private sectors through joint projects and initiatives. Dr. Munther was also a founding partner at The Firm for Business & Economic Consulting. The company specializes in management consultancy and capacity building. He has a PhD from the University of Melbourne – Australia and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois - USA

Dr. Najwa Aaraj is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the overarching advanced technology body in Abu Dhabi responsible for driving research and development for transformative technology outcomes. Previously, Dr. Aaraj was the Chief Researcher at the Cryptography Research Center and the Autonomous Robotics Research Center at TII.

Dr. Aaraj earned a PhD with Highest Distinction in Applied Cryptography and Embedded Systems Security from Princeton University (USA). She has extensive expertise in applied cryptography, trusted platforms, security architecture for embedded systems, software exploit detection and prevention systems, and biometrics. She also specializes in shaping the robotics and self-organized autonomous vehicles ecosystem in the UAE and beyond - exploring their application across air, land, on-sea and underwater. She has over 18 years of experience with global firms, working in multiple geographies from Australia to the United States.

Before joining TII, Dr. Aaraj was Senior Vice President of Products & Cryptography Development at DarkMatter, a cyber-security company based in the UAE. She formerly held positions at Booz & Company, where she led consulting engagements in the communication and technology industry for clients globally. She also held a Research Fellow position with the Embedded Systems Security Group at IBM T.J. Watson Security Research in New York State, and with the Intel Security Research Group in Portland, Oregon, where she worked on Trusted Platform Modules and contributed to an early prototype of a TPM 2.0 based firmware. She was also a Research Staff Member at NEC Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey.

Dr. Aaraj has contributed multiple conference papers for professional bodies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), as well as ournal papers and book chapters, and received patents on applied cryptography, embedded system security, and machine learning-based protection of Internet of Things (IoT) systems.

She is also an Adviser within the Strategic Advisory Group at Paladin Capital Group (Cyber Venture Capital) and Adjunct Professor at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning Research Group). In addition, she is an Adviser to multiple security and Machine Learning startups including Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. She is also a board member of Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB).

She received a Special Recognition award at the Arab Woman Awards 2021, held in partnership with the United Nations to recognise the notable achievements of the region’s women. Additionally, Dr. Aaraj received the Wu Prize of Research Excellence from Princeton University.

Neela A. Saldanha is a behavioral scientist and the Executive Director at the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE). Previously she was the Founding Director for the Centre for Social and Behavior Change, Ashoka University India, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Saldanha designs and tests behavioral interventions across the globe on challenging problems of poverty alleviation, public health, financial inclusion and charitable giving.

Nikos Nikiforakis is Professor of Economics and Co-director of the Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID) at NYU Abu Dhabi. His main body of work consists of experimental studies (lab, field and online) investigating factors that impact on the evolution of cooperation. Recently, he has conducted experiments in order to understand the causes and consequences of social inequalities. He is one of the founding researchers of the Center for Behavioral Institutional Design, and the co-Director of the Social Science Experimental Laboratory.

Rachel is Global Managing Director at BIT. In addition to leading the work of the team internationally, Rachel has a strong personal interest in evidence-based policy, institution building, effective leadership, security, international development and anti-corruption. She leads much of BIT’s international work on social innovation, including organising around mission-driven approaches, and supporting partners developing innovation strategies and building innovation teams.

Rasha Attar is an Advisor at the Presidential Court, where she leads the Behavioral Science Group (BSG) and manages a broader insights portfolio within the Office of Developmental Affairs (ODA).

Over the past two years, she has spearheaded the growth and expansion of the BSG, consistently delivering impactful behavioral projects in collaboration with a range of strategic partners.

With over 17 years of experience in research and policy impact for the UAE government, Rasha has led numerous national and international initiatives focused on promoting positive behavioral change. Her work spans diverse domains, including health, sustainability, well-being, education, and more. She also brings deep expertise in the study of well-being trends, public sentiment, and satisfaction.

Rasha holds an Executive MSc in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics and a degree in Economics from the American University of Beirut. She has also completed the Behavioral Insights and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School and is a member of the Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists.

Sanjog Misra is the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. His research focuses on the use of machine learning, deep learning and structural econometric methods to study consumer and firm decisions. In particular, his research involves building data-driven models aimed at understanding how consumers make choices and investigating firm decisions pertaining to pricing, targeting and salesforce management issues.

Sébastien Mangeant is the Chief Operating Officer of Abu Dhabi Transport Company (ADT) where he plays a crucial role in driving the company’s long-term goals of providing seamless and sustainable public transport in Abu Dhabi. A seasoned executive with over 20 years of extensive experience in transportation systems, Sébastien brings a special focus and interest in railways to his role.

Throughout his career, Sébastien has supported the delivery of major projects in many countries, including Highways in the Philippines, a High-Speed Railway project in Taiwan and a Conventional Speed Passenger Railway Project in South Africa. His involvement in transportation projects spans from concept to completion, encompassing multidisciplinary functions such as interface and integration management, as well as all telecommunication systems required for operating highways and railways. He possesses hands-on experience in the design, delivery, testing & commissioning, and maintenance of mega transportation projects.

Leading up to Sebastien’s current role at ADT, was his previous tenure at Etihad Rail as the Executive Director for High Speed. Within this role, he managed all high speed rail planning activities across the UAE, and other intermodal surface transportation networks at the Emirate level. He planned, presented, and validated his planning work with municipalities, stakeholders, and developers until floating the high speed rail tender packages early 2025. Prior to this, he served as the Executive Director for Etihad Rail passenger services and Director for the Rolling Stock and Railway systems for Etihad Rail’s freight network expansion, managing the team responsible for preparing contracts for tender. He oversaw the design, procurement, testing & commissioning, and full integration of railway systems for the extension. This included the design, manufacture, testing & commissioning of locomotives and wagons for Etihad Rail, connecting the KSA and Oman borders with the UAE as well as linking major cities to the port of Fujairah.

Having worked for both contractors and clients, Sébastien possesses a comprehensive understanding of all project aspects. He excels at facilitating negotiations between parties to ensure the seamless preparation, planning, delivery, and completion of mega-projects, leading to on-time and on-budget outcomes while fostering long-term partnerships.

Sébastien holds a Master of Science in Quality Management from Lyon 3 and a Master of Computer Science and Material Science in Engineering from Polytech Dijon.

Serene oversees Singapore’s domestic consultancy work and capability development programme in the region. She helped to set up the Singapore office in 2016 and has led projects across various policy domains including water conservation, academic stress, and youth rehabilitation. Serene has deep expertise in training and capability building– to date, she has delivered training workshops to more than 5000 civil servants, NGO practitioners, and private sector partners in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific.

Serene has shared behavioral change insights with media outlets across the region including Channel News Asia, TODAY, and the South China Morning Post on topics such as vaccine uptake, safe driving, and general civic behaviors. She is also Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Center for Behavioural and Implementation Science Interventions (BISI) at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Before BIT, Serene was a researcher with the Ministry of Communications and Information where she led the department’s work in behavioral and social research. Serene holds a Masters in Research Methodology and Ph.D. in Education from the University of Michigan.

Shekhar Menon leads the Behavioral Insights function at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s India country office. In this role, he is responsible for integrating behavioral science into health programs and policies across a range of areas, including maternal and child health, nutrition, family planning, infectious diseases, financial services and gender.

Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked on behavior change and design initiatives for private-sector organizations, with projects spanning health, sanitation, organizational behavior, marketing, sales and new product introductions.

Toby leads the energy, environment and sustainability work at BIT, covering topics as diverse as energy, water, mobility, food systems, circular economy and wildlife conservation. His expertise lies in the psychology of pro-environmental action at the individual and societal level. He has delivered in excess of 50 projects designing and testing behavioural policy, communications, and interventions for government departments, environmental NGOs and environmentally conscious businesses around the world. He has led much of BIT’s thought leadership in the application of behavioural science to climate and environment, including on sustainable diets, electric vehicle adoption, green nudges, and nature conservation.

Most recently he has been advising the UK government on the public engagement and behavioural dimensions of its Net Zero Strategy. Current policy-oriented projects have a strong focus on the decarbonisation of domestic heat and the wider transformation of the energy system. We also continue to support our commercial clients in media, consumer products and food to apply cutting edge behavioural science to help their customers adopt sustainable lifestyles.

Toby’s background is in psychology and engineering.

Umar is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Science. He delivers Executive Education at London School of Economics, University of Oxford and Warwick Business School. His current projects span the domains of tech, health, energy, finance, security, politics and education. He is also the co-founder of CogCo, an organization helping institutions grow using behavioral science, design and data science. He previously founded the ongoing ‘Nudgeathon’ program, which helps organizations to rapidly learn and apply concepts from the behavioral sciences to addressing their own goals. He delivers research, consulting and capacity building programs and has provided his services to over 50 global institutions delivering 200+ projects.

Victor Dominello is a former senior NSW Government minister, best known for serving as the inaugural Minister for Customer Service and Digital, a role he pioneered globally in 2019. Recognised by The Australian in July 2022 as one of Australia’s top 100 innovators, Victor spent 12 years in cabinet leading portfolios including Digital Government, Innovation, Finance, and Aboriginal Affairs. His leadership earned international acclaim for revolutionising NSW public service delivery through initiatives like the Department of Customer Service, Service NSW, and the Digital Restart Fund.
Prior to his political career, Victor practiced law for over a decade, becoming a partner in a commercial firm. In September 2023, he co-founded ServiceGen, a consultancy advising governments and organisations on innovative service delivery strategies. Through ServiceGen, he was selected by The World Bank to spearhead a transformative digital identity initiative in Mongolia. In February 2025, he launched the Future Government Institute, a global hub for forward-thinking public sector leaders, innovators, and practitioners dedicated to shaping the next era of governance. In March 2025, Victor was named one of The Identity 25 by Okta Ventures, recognising global pioneers shaping the future of digital identity. As part of the announcement, Victor’s image was featured on the Nasdaq Tower in New York’s Times Square—a celebration of his contribution to secure, citizen-focused identity innovation.

Victor currently holds several prominent roles: Chair of the Services Australia Independent Advisory Board, Senior Advisor for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and Professor at the University of New South Wales. He also serves as a Director of the UNSW-UTS Trustworthy Digital Society Hub and a Board Director of the Tech Council of Australia.

Wardah Malik is the CEO of BEworks and guides its global application of behavioral economics in the financial services, energy, retail, and government sectors. For over a decade, Wardah has been committed to helping leaders develop innovative solutions in health, wealth, sustainability, and organizational behavior using insights and applications grounded in the science of human behavior.

Zeina Afif is a Senior Behavioral Scientist at the World Bank's Mind, Behavior & Development Unit (eMBeD), within Development Impact (DIME), focusing on leveraging behavioral insights to enhance women's financial inclusion and employment, tackle youth unemployment, foster social cohesion, and improve public service access. She also works on integrating behavioral science into government practices.