​UPDATE ON THIS INVITE:
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for announcements and resources on how you can participate.

You are invited to an international, diverse, multi-faceted, cross- disciplinary discussion about the AI transformation and its growing influence on our lives.

​The Global BrainTrust is an advocacy coalition of community, business, and institutional leaders whose collective aim is to build bridges and present ‘the human response,’ from diverse national, cultural and social perspectives. The braintrust's aim is promote human-centred AI adoption, empathy, compassion and fairness for all. The Global BrainTrust was launched in Stanford, CA and Seattle, WA, in May 2024.

​Context
Artificial intelligence (AI) promises immense benefits, yet also poses complex challenges for humanity. To thrive in an AI-powered world, we must optimize the opportunities and benefits brought about by greater AI adoption. We believe at The Global BrainTrust that this begins with building bridges, and broadening dialogue that extends beyond national borders, tech corridors and policy hubs.

​Invitation
We will be opening up a dialogue online as part of Seattle Tech Week, on the implications of AI adoption, with our advisors and partnrs, leading the discussions from four continents.We extend an invitation to all who are interested in the adoption of AI technologies, with a dive into universal issues associated with cultural diversity, the creative arts, community, and peace-making. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see how you can get involved.

​KEYNOTE:
Dr Ahmed Banafa - Senior Technology Advisor if the Global BrainTrust is a recognized expert in Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. He will present his newly released book "Artificial Intelligence in Operations: Strategy, Efficiency, and the Future of Execution" where he explores how AI is transforming operations across industries. Banafa is an awarded university professor, and was recognized as the No. 1 Tech Voice to Follow. He is the author of 11 books, including five on Artificial Intelligence; his work has been featured in Time, Forbes, Nature, IEEE, and MIT Technology Review, and is regularly interviewed by media outlets such as ABC, NBC, Bloomberg, BBC, FOX, and NPR. Banafa holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence.
H/ahmedbanafa

​-----

​Second part of the session: Members of the Global BrainTrust advisory board and participants from the advocacy platform's multi-national consortium will discuss the evolving landscape of AI adoption in their countries. The Global BrainTrust presents diversity in its representation of voices from across 12 countries, and professional backgrounds.

​Sana Bagersh: The founder of the Global BrainTrust, an avid interculturalist and technologies, set up the platform to build bridges and expand the global AI conversation. Bagersh is CEO of BrandMoxie, a strategic comms agency based in UAE. She has extensive experience managing comms projects in Africa, Europe, the USA, and the Gulf and oversees a number of social impact platforms such as Tamakkan which promotes entrepreneurship and innovation. She is also founder of US based World4Good, and fractional CMO of StatewayUSA, a US based corporate upskilling platform. /sanabagersh

​-----

​Amro Zakaria - Specialized in the green economy, energy transition and carbon markets, Amro serves as the Director for the Middle East and Africa at the Kyoto Network which guides nations and corporations in developing and enhancing carbon optimization strategies, all with a vision to unlock the value and vast potential within the transition to a net-zero future. Amro also founded MADARIK Ventures, which facilitates ESG-compliant projects, renewable energy, commodities, food security, and financial inclusion solutions, towards driving social and environmental impacts through sustainable investments. /amro-zakaria-2339942

​-----

​Gabriella Kohlberg: Gabriella is a strategist and advisor to governments, corporate, startup entities, and ecosystems. Her background covers international economics, marketing, data, governance, legal, and finance. Her experience spans 65 developed and developing countries, and her focus is on bridging gaps between national realities and needs. With a strong ethical underpinning and holistic risk analysis skillset, she ensures that humanity’s wellbeing comes in priority to profit for sustainable business development and growth strategy towards a better future. /gabriella-kohlberg

​-----

​Zeshan Zafar is the Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace and a leading global voice on ethical AI. Seamlessly bridging an early career in algorithms and information systems with international affairs, he champions "algorethics" globally. He serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council, the AI Faith Commission, and spearheaded the Rome Call’s Abrahamic commitment and its Hiroshima expansion, while actively driving critical discourse on AI deployment in Africa. /zeshan-zafar-78389b17

​-----

​Zainab Hafiz - Zainab is a talent development strategist and Co-Founder of Boldly Go Beyond (BGB), where she serves as a human systems decoder mapping the hidden needs that drive team behavior. She brings over 15 years of global experience scaling collective impact across healthcare, tech, and aviation. A cognitive science graduate from UC Berkeley, Zainab champions empathetic, human-centered AI adoption that prioritizes trust, organizational health, and cross-cultural equity. /zhafiz

​-----

​Dr. Samuel T. Segun - An expert in AI safety, ethics and technical governance, advising governments, multilateral institutions, and research networks. He is the CEO of Quelox Labs, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of The Algorithmic Review, and serves as Honorary Senior Lecturer and Senior Research member of the African Hub on AI Safety, Peace and Security at the University of Cape Town. He also provides strategic guidance as a member of the Board of Advisors for VerifyWise, an Open Source AI Governance Platform. Previously, he served as Senior Consultant on AI Safety to the UNOCT and UNICRI. /samuelsegun

​-----

​Dr. Mazdak Rafaty - A globally recognized leader in sustainability-driven entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems with over 20 years of experience fostering cross-border collaboration across Europe, the Middle East and Africa He is specialized in Sustainable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that empowers entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs. He has supported over 200 entities in the MENA region, with focus on tech (web3 and AI). Mazdak is Chief Strategy Officer at nGRND Inc and Co-Founder of VerifAI Technologies, and also holds advisory roles at The Block, Wise Ventures Capital, and various other initiatives. /dr-mazdak-r-78035a

​-----

​Mohammed Ajnash is CEO of Adetive, a tech solution company, and Tech Advisor at BrandMoxie, a leading communication company based in the Gulf. He helps businesses build high-performing sales systems using CRM, AI, and automation. His practical solutions have helped over 100 businesses accelerate growth and supported digital transformation initiatives with semi-government organizations across the region. The standout sales accelerator Moxie Engine leverages AI technology to facilitate sales for private and public entities. /mohammed-ajnash-561858142

​-----

​

​ANNOUNCEMENTS:

​BOOK - "Beyond Intelligent Machines: Consciousness, Control, and the Future of Artificial Intelligence "
by Ahmed Banafa. Out in September on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Intelligent-Machines-Consciousness-Intelligence/dp/874381297X

​WHITE PAPER: AI Is Rewiring Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: New Research Highlights a Critic - By Qussay AbdulWahab
https://globalbraintrust.us/communiques/

​MOXIE ENGINE - deploys AI agents that capture, qualify, and follow up on every lead across WhatsApp, web, and your CRM. https://brand-moxie.vercel.app/

​STATEWAY- democratizes AI and future-ready skills through curated, practical learning for businesses, schools and institutions. www.statewayusa.com

​BOLDLY GO BEYOND - We give teams a clear, shared view of what’s driving team momentum and reveal shortcuts that amplify collective impact. https://boldlygobeyond.com

​QUELOX - Connects directly to your machines — no sensors, no hardware, no setup. Real-time OEE, downtime analysis, and predictive maintenance from day one. https://www.quelox.co/

​JOIN THE CONVERSATION: We open the discussion to all. Share your ideas, insights, recommendations etc.

​EVENT: SEATTLE TECHWEEK is hosting the Huge Annual Summer Barbecue at AI House in downtown on July 30. Here's the link to join: https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fluma%2Ecom%2F92pyibuc&urlhash=u9sy&mt=dQzYql_BCuRjhcFhPRPGXBAVcgrh0Xil0pVVOTfXFXQfrxGQF4s2Vt1R4M50aiu0V622wCyByV1NPizoOBprxSMUnbWXme0Abr19LiudZON8_mUBVUEtunSE&isSdui=true.

​JOIN OUR WHATSAPP PAGE: Join WhatsApp Group

​--------

​More about The Global BrainTrust: www.globalbraintrust.us