jameel qeblawi is a serial entrepreneur and investor with over a decade of experience building and backing early-stage ventures. as the founder of myqubator, he brings a sharp eye for opportunity, operational rigor, and a people-first approach to venture creation.

with a background spanning executive roles as ceo, chairman, and board director, jameel is known for assembling high-performance teams and scaling ventures with clarity and purpose. his leadership blends strategic vision with execution, combining emotional intelligence with data-driven decision-making.

jameel leads myqubator with a deep belief in investing in people, creating value with integrity, and building businesses that endure. his experience and foresight are instrumental in shaping the fund’s long-term strategy and investment selection.

Gordon Henderson is a serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience scaling businesses in consumer tech and health-tech. He launched buy.com, built JohnLewis.com into a £12 billion digital leader, and later chaired AXA’s European Health-Tech Innovation Program.

At myqubator in Dubai—a venture studio and $50 million fund—Gordon applies his global network and scale-up expertise to select and actively support high-potential startups. His founder-first approach combines rigorous AI-powered screening with hands-on capital, partnerships, and go-to-market execution, helping ventures grow from the UAE to global markets.

Rushab has over a decade of experience working with startups and growth-stage companies across Southeast Asia and the UAE.   He has played a key role in helping businesses expand into new markets, establish operational structures, and execute growth strategies. His work spans multiple industries and includes close collaboration with founders, family offices, and leadership teams.   Rushab’s experience is grounded in execution, with a focus on building scalable and sustainable businesses in complex, cross-border environments.

Paras Barot is a senior strategy and programme director with over 20 years of international experience across financial services, insurance, reinsurance and technology.

His career spans senior consulting engagements and permanent leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, HSBC, AIG, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Munich Re and Marsh McLennan, operating at global head and regional leadership level across London, Toronto and Dubai.

Alongside his corporate career, Paras has been an active angel investor and strategic advisor to early-stage ventures. He is a member of the Investment Committee and Selection Committee of AngelSpark, one of the UAE’s leading angel networks — which has deployed capital across approximately 15 investments, and a member of Founders Capital from the UK.

Separately, he has personally participated in a further 15 to 20 early-stage investments across the UK, UAE, USA and broader international markets, spanning sectors including biotechnology, financial technology, ESG intelligence, health technology and deep tech.

He currently holds board, advisory or investor positions in a number of active portfolio companies, including Halo Therapeutics, Vault Wealth, Metis ESG, RetailHub and Inovat, among others.

Paras brings this background to his role as Managing Partner of the Fund.

Paras holds an MSc in Innovation Management and Technology Policy from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a BA (Hons) in Business Studies with Entrepreneurship from the European College of Business and Management, London. He also holds PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner certifications.

Balázs Katona is a seasoned commercial strategist with over 12 years’ experience leading category creation, market expansion, and operational transformation for Fortune 500 companies across the UAE, Central Europe, Southeast Asia, and North Africa.
Before joining myqubator, Balázs held senior regional leadership roles at British American Tobacco, where he managed multi-market P&Ls exceeding US$25 million annually and successfully launched new product categories projected to generate over US$125 million in net turnover within five years. His career highlights include turning loss-making business units into profitable operations, integrating large-scale acquisitions twice as fast as planned, and delivering record-breaking regional sales growth of 200%.

Balázs brings a rare blend of operational precision, data-driven decision-making, and creative go-to-market execution. At myqubator, he oversees the operational framework of the venture studio, ensuring that portfolio companies receive world-class execution support—from strategic positioning to commercial rollout—while driving efficiency and scalability across the ecosystem.

nisha barot is a strategy and operations leader with over a decade of international experience across financial services, consulting, and institutional environments in the uk, usa, canada, and the uae.

her career spans senior operational and chief of staff roles at morgan stanley, capgemini, meridiam, and imperial college london, operating at both global and regional levels across emea, north america, and apac – leading enterprise transformation, governance, and complex programme delivery across multimillion-dollar initiatives.

alongside her corporate career, nisha has been an active investor and strategic advisor to early-stage ventures. she is a member of angelspark, one of the uae’s leading angel networks, and has personally participated in investments across multiple companies spanning financial technology, health technology, biotechnology, and deep tech across the uk, uae, usa, and broader international markets. she also founded and runs a private women’s network in dubai, bringing together senior professionals, founders, and investors across the region.

nisha brings this background to her role as chief of staff to the founder and chairman of myqubator, sitting at the intersection of strategy and execution – translating vision into structured priorities, driving alignment across the venture studio, fund, and holding structure, and ensuring the platform operates as one coherent system as it moves into launch and scale.

nisha holds an msc in pharmaceutical sciences from the university of toronto. she also holds prince2 foundation and practitioner certifications.

Dr. Usama holds a Doctorate and MBA from the University of Manchester, with expertise spanning innovation, strategy, organizational culture, leadership, technology, and economic growth. His career began in 1999 and spans diverse sectors including oil & gas, telecom, strategy consulting, and large-scale events.

With a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering, Usama approaches complex challenges with both technical precision and strategic vision. He has led multi-million-dollar portfolios and served as Head of GITEX for two consecutive editions, driving one of the region’s most influential technology platforms. His transition into research deepened his ability to link philosophical worldviews to practical business transformation, enabling him to engage and inspire diverse audiences.

A visiting professor, adjunct faculty member, and podcast host on topics ranging from entrepreneurship to technology and leadership, Usama also leads AcceMind, his mission-driven venture reshaping how innovation is understood and executed in the region. At myqubator, he drives strategic direction, ensuring the Fund and its portfolio companies are positioned for long-term, sustainable impact.

Deon Robbertze is a Chartered Accountant with a Master’s in Business Leadership and over 25 years of senior financial management experience across industries including manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture, and emerging technologies. He has served as CFO at Xstrata South Africa, Commercial & Financial Manager at Kumba Base Metals, and held directorships on numerous global subsidiary boards.

His career highlights include leading a landmark investment into China’s base metals sector, spearheading strategic divestitures, and driving large-scale business reorganisations across sub-Saharan Africa. Skilled in corporate finance, structuring, project implementation, and international tax, Deon’s expertise extends from traditional industries to blockchain and AI ventures. At myqubator, he oversees financial strategy, ensuring robust governance and scalable growth for the Fund and its portfolio companies.

Negin Baradari is an accomplished legal professional, strategist, and ecosystem builder with over a decade of global experience spanning government, corporate advisory, recruitment, and community development. Fluent in six languages, she brings a uniquely international perspective to fostering cross-border partnerships and scaling innovation networks.

Her career includes high-impact roles as Parliamentary Counsel at the Luxembourg Parliament, Diplomat-Attaché for the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Abu Dhabi, and Senior Consultant at Deloitte Luxembourg. Most recently, she has led regional expansion for SOLA Group in the MENA region, specializing in technology and AI talent acquisition, while simultaneously building “Begin with Negin,” a platform dedicated to leadership, wellness, and performance optimization.

At myqubator, Negin leverages her deep cross-sector network, legal acumen, and diplomatic expertise to connect high-potential startups with strategic partners, investors, and government stakeholders. Her mission is to ensure that founders in the myqubator ecosystem not only access capital but also benefit from the relationships, mentorship, and market entry pathways needed to thrive in the UAE and beyond.

Jo is a powerhouse in international business development and relationship management, known for turning connections into high-impact collaborations. She has a flair for navigating diverse markets, unlocking opportunities, and crafting strategic growth stories that resonate across borders. With a track record of engaging top-tier clients, cultivating influential networks, and driving cross-border partnerships, Jo thrives in dynamic environments where ambition meets execution.

Irina Sharay is a qualified solicitor (England & Wales) with over 15 years’ experience structuring and governing private investment funds across the UAE, UK, Luxembourg, Channel Islands, Ireland, and Cayman Islands.
She has led legal a team for a DFSA-regulated fund manager in the DIFC and held senior roles at Osborne Clarke and MJ Hudson. Earlier in her career, she trained at PwC Legal and worked as a newly qualified locum solicitor at Clifford Chance, gaining exposure to complex cross-border transactions and fund structuring.
Combining regulatory precision with commercial insight, Irina has advised on fund launches across different asset classes such as private equity, venture capital, infrastructure, private debt and real estate as well as co-investmnet schemes and GP-led secondary transactions, managing fund mandates from $ 250 million to $2 billion. Fluent in English and Russian, she is a key driver of myqubator’s legal governance and cross-border compliance.

Samir Hassen is a cloud computing, AI, and IoT specialist with a passion for designing enterprise architectures that transform how businesses operate. The “Son of a Coder,” Samir grew up immersed in technology, starting his journey in a computer store before advancing into software engineering, systems design, and digital innovation.

With a career dedicated to bridging complex technology with clear business value, Samir is adept at helping CEOs and development teams understand and leverage IT architectures for strategic advantage. At heart, he is a builder and problem-solver, equally comfortable leading technical teams and architecting solutions that scale.

As incoming CTO of myqubator, Samir brings deep technical expertise, a hands-on leadership style, and a commitment to ensuring that technology is a core enabler of every startup in the ecosystem. His work will play a pivotal role in shaping the digital backbone of myqubator’s portfolio companies, ensuring they are future-ready from day one.