Amjad Ahmad was chairman of the empowerME Initiative at the Atlantic Council and managing partner and emerging market advisor at 500 Global. Ahmad also serves on the board of directors of Amideast, Homzmart, Koita Foods, and Tapal Tea.

Ahmad has invested in emerging markets for over two decades, building two investment firms and providing over one billion dollars in venture and growth financing to companies in the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Turkey in sectors ranging from technology and education to healthcare and finance. Based in the Gulf for seventeen years before moving to Washington, DC, Ahmad has collaborated with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors to build companies in the Middle East.

Ahmad holds a master’s degree in international affairs with a concentration in international finance and economics from Columbia University and is a graduate of the general management program at Harvard Business School.