SPEAKERS

Shafi Shafat is the President of the Somali American Chamber of Commerce, bringing more than 30 years of leadership experience in international trade, sourcing, and supply chain management. Throughout his career, he has held senior executive positions, including Senior Relationship Director at Fyda Freightliner, where he successfully led strategic business growth and partnership initiatives.

As the Founder and CEO of Dalmar TV USA, based in Columbus, Ohio, Shafi has built one of the leading media platforms serving the Somali diaspora. Through his work, he has strengthened community connections, promoted entrepreneurship, and amplified the voices of Somali Americans across the United States.

A respected business leader and community advocate, Shafi is recognized for building bridges between businesses, institutions, and communities. His work focuses on fostering economic opportunity, encouraging investment, and supporting sustainable development while addressing social and economic challenges through collaboration and long-term vision.

At the East Africa Business Forum 2026, Shafi Shafat will deliver a keynote presentation on "The Investment Potential of East Africa's Growing Real Estate Sector," sharing insights into emerging opportunities, market trends, and the region's expanding investment landscape.

H.E. Hon. Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamud
Minister of Information, Culture & Tourism
Federal Republic of Somalia

H.E. Hon. Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamud serves as the Minister of Information, Culture & Tourism of the Federal Republic of Somalia and is a Member of the Federal Parliament. He is a distinguished public leader with extensive experience in public policy, communications, and national development.

As Minister, he is leading efforts to promote Somalia's cultural heritage, strengthen the country's international image, and unlock the vast potential of its tourism sector. At the East Africa Business Forum, he will bring valuable insights into Somalia's growing tourism industry, emerging investment opportunities, and the country's vision for sustainable economic growth through tourism and international partnerships.

Zekaria Ali is an Ethiopian systems architect, technology entrepreneur, and infrastructure strategist specializing in digital public infrastructure, smart cities, trade, and institutional transformation. He works with governments and organizations across Africa and Europe to build digital systems that strengthen commerce, public services, and economic growth.

He is the architect behind the Addis City Card, a next-generation digital platform integrating transport, payments, identity, parking, and municipal services into a single urban ecosystem. He also leads the development of Ethio Trade Nexus (ETN), modernizing trade infrastructure, and the Oromia Integrated Agricultural Operating System (IAOS), an AI-powered platform transforming agricultural productivity.

As the Founder of the Global African Businesses Network (GABN)—one of Africa's fastest-growing executive business communities—Zekaria is a leading advocate for digital transformation and cross-border collaboration.

At the East Africa Business Forum, he will join a high-level panel discussion on how digitalization, AI, and coordinated digital infrastructure can unlock new opportunities for trade, investment, and sustainable economic growth across East Africa.

Michael Chian Kwok Tung is an education leader, EdTech strategist and curriculum specialist with more than 13 years of experience in international education, academic transformation and technology-enabled learning.

As Chief Academic Officer at Fairview International School, he leads academic strategy, curriculum innovation and data-driven learning across the school network. He has also played a key role in developing and strengthening International Baccalaureate programmes.

Michael is the Chairman and Co-Founder of BeED, an award-winning EdTech company combining mobile learning, experiential education and AI-supported analytics. BeED’s platforms are designed to make quality education more personalised, accessible and scalable, including for learners in rural and underserved communities. 

At the East Africa Business Forum 2026, Michael will discuss how artificial intelligence, mobile-first learning and experiential education can support teachers, personalise learning and expand access to quality education. He will also explore how scalable digital solutions can help reduce geographical barriers and create new learning opportunities for rural communities across Africa and beyond.

Abdibasid Ali Mohamed, MSc

Founder & Lead Trainer, Nuance Intel

Abdibasid Ali Mohamed is an applied behavioural scientist and the founder of Nuance Intel, an international consultancy specialising in behavioural analysis, emotional intelligence and credibility assessment. His clients and audiences include professionals in aviation, law enforcement, corrections, government and corporate leadership across the Gulf, East Africa and the Nordic countries.

He holds an MSc in Communication, Behaviour and Credibility Analysis from Manchester Metropolitan University. His work examines how pressure, cognitive load and cultural differences influence the way people communicate, interpret behaviour and make important decisions.

At the East Africa Business Forum, Abdibasid will join the panel discussion on “Emotional Intelligence Across Cultures.” He will explore how cultural differences in eye contact, silence, directness, emotional expression and communication styles can affect trust, leadership, negotiations and international partnerships. He will also share practical insights on how leaders can avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings, improve their judgement and build stronger relationships across East Africa and Southeast Asia.

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