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Global Impact

Two decades of education innovation across 50+ countries — from Stanford classrooms to refugee camps, from Silicon Valley to the Kazakh steppe

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Countries
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Years at Stanford. Now, Borderless.
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M+ Lives Touched
"To me, technologies exist because we want to make the impossible possible and the unreachable reachable."
Global Synergistic Projects

Building Bridges Across Borders

Major international initiatives — each one designed to transform how nations approach education

🇰🇿 2025
National AI & Entrepreneurship Initiative (AI-SANA)
Design, development, and operation of a national program training 600,000 students from 96 universities in AI and entrepreneurship.
Ministry of Science & Higher Education, Kazakhstan + ADB
🇰🇷 2023–2024
AI Education Initiative — Incheon
Designed and advised on an AI education initiative for the Incheon metropolitan education system.
Education Office of Incheon, Republic of Korea
🇦🇪 2020
Madrasa K12 Digital Future School
Advised on design, development, and operation of a digital K12 school initiative under the vision of Dubai's leadership.
Executive Office of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai
🇦🇪 2019
University-X — Future University Design
Designed a future university concept based on a global entrepreneurship incubator network.
The Executive Council of Dubai
🇴🇲 2014–2015
University of Oman — New National Science & Technology University
Designed the establishment of a new national science and technology university from the ground up.
Sultanate of Oman
🇩🇪 2013
Global Online Education Program
Design advice for a global online education program backed by one of Europe's largest telecommunications companies.
Deutsche Telekom, Germany
🇹🇿 2012
Mobile Learning Initiative for Tanzania
Developed a mobile learning initiative bringing education technology to Tanzanian communities.
UNESCO
🇸🇦 2011
National Online Education Strategy — Saudi Arabia
Provided strategic advice for national online education infrastructure development.
Ministry of Higher Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
🇦🇷 2011
Mobile Learning Evaluation — Argentina
Evaluated mobile learning initiatives for Argentina's public school system.
Argentina Telecom
🇺🇾 2011
Plan CEIBAL Evaluation — Uruguay
Evaluated Uruguay's national One Laptop Per Child initiative — one of the world's first nationwide 1:1 computing programs.
ORT University, Uruguay
🇵🇸 2010
Birzeit University Capacity Building — Palestine
Built learning technology capacity and established graduate degree programs at Birzeit University in the West Bank.
British Council
🇷🇼 2010
National ICT Initiative — Rwanda
Advised on national ICT initiative planning for Rwanda's education system.
Ministry of ICT, Rwanda
🇺🇸 2009–2013
Programmable Open Mobile Internet for Education 2020
Designed and developed open mobile internet infrastructure for education — a $1M, 5-year research initiative.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Advisory Roles

Trusted by Leaders

2025 — PRESENT

🇰🇿 Office of the President, Kazakhstan

Council Member on AI Policy — advising on national AI development, regulation, and ethical guidelines as part of Kazakhstan's AI Development Strategy.

National AI Policy
2024 — 2025

🌍 World Bank — Chair

Chair, Committee of International Experts on Digital Innovative Solutions for Education. Evaluating and recommending investments at nation-state level in East Asia.

$77.6B Work Program
2019 — 2022

🌏 Asian Development Bank

Presidential Adviser — provided expert guidance leveraging digital technology for development across the Asia-Pacific region.

$77.6B Program
2017 — PRESENT

💰 Lumos Capital Group

Adviser to a growth-stage VC firm specializing in education technology, workforce innovation, and knowledge services.

EdTech VC
2012 — 2015

🇺🇸 National Science Foundation

Education & Human Resources Advisory Committee — promoting STEM education and broadening participation.

Federal Science Policy
2011 — 2013

🇺🇸 National Academy of Sciences

Advised on strategic initiatives addressing grand challenges in STEM and international development.

Science Policy
Recognition

Awards & Honors

🏛️
2024

Chair, World Bank Committee of International Experts

Led the "Digital Innovative Solutions Program for Education" — evaluating investments for educational innovation at nation-state level in East Asia.

🇺🇸
2023

Fulbright Specialist — U.S. Department of State

Contributed to national STEM education strategies in Malaysia (Petronas).

🎓
2014

Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters

Holy Family University, Philadelphia — for work with UNESCO in Peace and Disarmament Education.

📱
2011

Vodafone Foundation Award — Wireless Innovation Challenge

Recognized for mobile innovation in education.

🏆
2011

Best Paper Award — ETR&D

Research on student performance and PTSD in Palestine.

🌍
2010

WISE Award — World Innovation Summit for Education

For global impact with Seeds of Empowerment. Doha, Qatar.

💡
2010

$100K Education Innovation Challenge — Marvell, Inc.

Awarded for breakthrough innovation in education technology.

🏆
2009

Best Paper Award — ETR&D

Research on literacy education in Mexico.

🔬
2008

NSF Research Grant — $1,000,000

5-year grant for Programmable Open Mobile Internet research.

Keynote Trail

Global Stage Keynotes

From UNESCO Paris to SXSW Austin, from ADB Manila to the Kazakh Steppe

2026
"Trends of AI and the Future Skills"
🇰🇿 Forbes, Almaty
2025
"Core Competencies in Future Education for the AI Era"
🇰🇷 Office of Education, Gwangju
2025
"AI-integrating Language Training"
🇭🇰 Education University of Hong Kong
2025
"Education After GenAI"
🇸🇬 Nanyang Technological University
2025
"6 Competencies and SMILE"
🇨🇳 Ningbo, China
2025
"Preparing Future Leaders with AI"
🇰🇷 Office of Education, Incheon
2024
"AI Entrepreneurship"
🇰🇿 Kazakh American University
2024
"Harnessing AI in Creativity & Inquiry"
🇭🇰 Education University of Hong Kong
2024
"Science Education in the Age of AI"
🇨🇳 Peking University, Beijing
2024
"Navigating Competencies in the Era of AI"
🇰🇷 IB Global Conference, Daegu
2024
"Design Thinking and GenAI for Community Development"
🇲🇽 Aguascalientes, Mexico
2023
"The Talent Imperative"
🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary
2023
"Always On: Learning in the Age of AI"
🇺🇸 SXSW, Austin, Texas
2022
"Innovation with Cause"
🇰🇷 NCSOFT, Seoul
2022
"Design-based Learning and Digital Innovations"
🇸🇮 Ljubljana University, Slovenia
2020
"Schooling Redefined in the Age of AI"
🇰🇷 Global HR Forum, Seoul
2019
"Pedagogical Divides & 21st Century Workforce"
🇦🇪 Global Education Forum, Dubai
2019
"Learning and Assessment in the Age of AI"
🇨🇳 AI & Adaptive Education, Beijing
2018
"AI to Transform Education"
🇹🇼 National Taiwan Normal University
2017
"Education and the 4th Industrial Revolution"
🇵🇭 ADB 7th Int'l Skills Forum, Manila
2016
"Digital Revolution in Education"
🇦🇪 Middle East Digital Education, Dubai
2016
"Changing Education Landscape and New Workforce"
🇲🇽 Ministerial Forum, Mexico City
2013
"MOOCs and Beyond"
🇩🇪 Stifterverband, Berlin
2012
"SMILE" — Inquiry-Based Learning
🇺🇸 TCC, Honolulu, Hawaii
2011
"Future Education Ecosystem"
🇫🇷 UNESCO, Paris
2011
"Pedagogical Paradigm Shift"
🇺🇾 ORT University, Montevideo
2011
"Causing Evolution in Education"
🇮🇪 EDEN, Dublin, Ireland
2011
"Contextualized Innovations in Education"
🇺🇸 Imagination Summit
2010
"Global Alliance for 21st Century Education"
🇴🇲 Muscat, Oman
2010
"Evolution of Higher Education"
🇦🇺 Melbourne, Australia
2010
"Evaluating Higher Education in the 21st Century"
🇵🇪 QS Forum, Lima, Peru
2010
"ICT National Initiatives & Mobile Innovations"
🇷🇼 Ministry of ICT, Kigali
2010
"Contextualization of Mobile Technology"
🇵🇸 Birzeit University, Palestine
2009
"Innovation — Increasing Access Through Technology"
🇶🇦 WISE, Qatar Foundation, Doha
2009
"Entrepreneurship in Education"
🇮🇳 IIM Ahmedabad, India
2009
"Digital Innovation and Empowerment for All"
🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Board Memberships

Governance & Leadership

2022 — 2025

Team4Tech

Co-founded by Lila Ibrahim, COO of Google DeepMind. Board members include John Solomon (VP Chrome OS, Google) and Claudio Sasaki (EIR at Stanford).

Google DeepMind
2015 — 2017

Stratford Schools

Guided California school networks. Led a successful exit valued at $500M, acquired by Primavera (China).

$500M Exit
2018 — 2025

📚 Chegg, Inc.

Advised on acquisitions, academic integrity, global outreach, and AI R&D initiatives.

EdTech
2010 — 2021

🎓 Udemy, Inc.

Adviser & Shareholder — developed global expansion strategies leading to a successful IPO in 2021. $750M+ revenue, 1,500 employees.

IPO 2021
2004 — PRESENT

Seeds of Empowerment

Co-Founder & Board Chair. Launched SMILE (UN Future Education Innovation 2016), 1001 Stories (6M+ books), and global education programs.

Co-Founder
"Deep questions come from deep heart.
That heart comes from exposure."