Nafez Dakkak (fireside discussion) is the managing partner at BLDR, a venture studio focused on pioneering the future of work and learning in the MENA region.

Nafez is the former CEO of the Queen Rania Foundation’s London office, where he oversaw the foundation’s strategic partnerships and talent development, and led the foundation’s engagement with the education entrepreneurship sector. Nafez founded and is the executive chairman of Edraak.org, an Arabic online education portal that reaches over five million learners across the MENA region. An initiative of the Queen Rania Foundation, Edraak’s learners come from all across the region and include disadvantaged youth in Gaza, Syria, and Iraq. Nafez was recognized as one of the top 50 “Makers+Shakers” in education technology globally by EdtechXGlobal in 2016. He also received the Order of Independence First Class on behalf of Edraak from HM Abdullah II King of Jordan in 2017.

Nafez writes on education reform and technology regularly in Arabic and English publications, including the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Harvard Business Review Arabic, and Edsurge. Nafez has a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.