Agenda

Li Ran has long been engaged in building and connecting international cooperation platforms, entrepreneurial communities, and innovation ecosystems. She has extensive experience in supporting young entrepreneurs, integrating cross-border resources, and advancing the international development of platforms. As one of the founders of the APEA Asia-Pacific Youth Entrepreneurs Forum, she has played an active role in platform building and in the development of multiple international exchange and cooperation initiatives, while maintaining a strong focus on technology innovation, entrepreneurship support, and women’s development.

At this side event on “AI for Global Women’s Development,” Li Ran will share insights from the perspective of international platform collaboration and entrepreneurial empowerment. She will discuss how artificial intelligence, innovation networks, and cross-sector collaboration can create more opportunities for women at different stages of development and in different regions around the world, particularly in education, personal growth, entrepreneurship, and leadership. She will also introduce the vision, values, and future direction of Her Symblosis, and explore how to bring together more female innovators, founders, and leaders to help build a more inclusive, sustainable, and future-oriented global ecosystem for women’s development.

Kamala Zhu has been actively engaged in building global innovation ecosystems, international collaboration platforms, and decentralized networks. With a multidisciplinary background spanning advertising, the internet industry, Web3, and artificial intelligence, she brings a unique perspective on how technology reshapes human collaboration and value creation.
She began her career at Ogilvy and later worked at Baidu before entering the blockchain and decentralized technology space in 2018. Since then, she has focused on connecting founders, researchers, developers, investors, and ecosystem builders across global technology communities.
As a Co-Founder of 499, Kamala has helped build one of the earliest and most influential decentralized global communities operating at the intersection of AI, Web3, and frontier technologies. Since its founding, 499 has organized over 150 international events across more than 50 cities, connecting participants from over 50 countries and regions. The organization has established deep collaborations with more than 440 global projects and ecosystem partners, including Binance, Ethereum Foundation, Solana Foundation, Base, Google Cloud, and PayPal Ventures, while continuously bridging Web3-native ecosystems with traditional technology institutions and global capital.

Dr. Mariette Awad is the Director of the Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Computing Hub at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, and a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her academic contributions are globally recognized; she ranked among the top 2% of the world’s most-cited researchers since 2022 and is a career impact (Stanford–Elsevier citation database). In 2024, she received the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers in Engineering and Technological Sciences, and the Intissar Ahdab Award for Women’s Excellence and Impact in Research. She has published over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts and secured research funding from organizations such as Meta, the NIH, and the Qatar Foundation. Her bestselling book Efficient Learning Machines was ranked #1 among BookAuthority’s “Best-Selling Machine Theory Books of All Time” and was among the top downloads by Springer Nature. 
 
Dr. Awad’s scholarly work extends into global AI policy and open science governance. She is a Lead Certified Assessor in Ethical AI, a graduate of an AI Policy Clinic, and a contributor to the drafting of the Munich Convention on AI, Data and Human Rights, which was discussed at the UN General Assembly in 2025. Her human rights-related work also includes collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. She co-authored the Principles of AI Use in Health for the Guidelines International Network, ensuring ethical, regulatory, and technical frameworks for AI in clinical decision-making. She served as a consultant to the International Science Council on AI, scientific research, and innovation policy, as well as to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) on the socioeconomic impact of AI in the MENA region, including its implications for employment. In 2024, she co-authored for UN-ESCWA the report The Metaverse and the Future of the Arab Region: Public Policy Choices and Actions. Her contributions to UN-ESCWA’s Arab Vision 2045, particularly the innovation and scientific development pillars, were integrated into the regional framework endorsed by the Arab Summit in Baghdad in 2025.

Hazel as has been a sucessful speaker since 2017. She got the opportunity to co-invest in large-scale AI projects via family business since 2017. Moreover, she has founded and led several big data solutions project for universities and she equally serves as a Guest Lecturer at Lignan University. Her achievements in advancing digital technology and innovation have been greatly acclaimed as she was awarded the distinguished Hong Kong Government Youth Entrepreneurship Fund. Moreover, she has figured in a couple of media interviews as a business leader attracting over $900 million in project finance. 
 
Over the years, Hazel has empowered several women and young entrepreneurs towards raising capital and capacity development in the AI industry. She has  invested in some AI projects to support the women and acheive over 200 million USD market capital. Hazel also manage over 300 employee in a U.S listed company. During AI for Good and WSIS Forum 2026, she will share her experience in women’s development and how to empower women in the AI industry.

Dr. Lionel Mbanda is a visionary leader with advance strategic planning, technical advisory, corporate negotiation and program management abilities. He is a dedicated professional with work and research experience related to development finance, energy policy, environmental management, clean power generation and sustainability with; International governmental organizations (IGO`s), multi-lateral development banks (MDBs), Non-Profit and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Currently, he serves as a Board Member of the Model Forest Policy Program (MFPP) that is focused on providing climate risk mitigation solutions to rural communities notably in Idaho, USA. Lead Author of UNESCO Science Report (USR) for Chapter 11 entitled: Africa for the 8th Edition of the UNESCO Science Report (USR). He equally leads International Programs for the Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center (UNITAR affiliated Center), that initiates capacity development and youth empowerment programs that has supported 5000+ climate leaders to achieve the UN SDGs Agenda. Dr. Lionel Mbanda is a member of the United Nations Working Group on Digital Development Goals (DDGs) for cities and also serves as a member of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS).