At the helm of HELM (pun intended), Dawood Patel brings a wealth of knowledge, and experience running a AI,UX, Design consultancy that aims to drive impactful change on the African continent. Dawood’s engaging personality — “a beacon of smiles” — will be on full display at the Ummah Tech Conference. Whether you’re a startup enthusiast, thrive on teamwork, or are seeking fresh perspectives in Tech and leadership, this is one session you don’t want to miss!

Turning problems into innovative solutions! We're thrilled to introduce Tasneem Mohamed, Social Innovation Director at Smart Communities and Co-Founder of think Innovator! With diverse skills and experience across various disciplines – Tasneem leads Innovation Consulting, Coaching & Facilitation and works with Disruptive Founders to help them pivot and scale their innovations.

Haroon Meer isn’t just any cybersecurity expert — he’s the visionary behind Thinkst, the company that revolutionised network intrusion detection with the creation of Thinkst Canary. His contributions to information security are vast, from publishing papers and contributing to key books to delivering cutting-edge research talks at global conferences like BlackHat, Defcon, and Microsoft Tech-Ed. This former hacker knows how to break into applications and networks — and how to protect them. His mission? To ensure companies detect breaches - before it’s too late.

“Naweed Khan, a Master Inventor and Research Scientist specializing in Generative AI Reasoning System.

Naweed’s expertise includes Image Processing, Computer Vision, and Robotics. He brings projects to life with his hands-on experience in Deep Learning and Data Science. "

Introducing Nabeelah Shaikh, an award-winning journalist with a diverse background in print, broadcast, and online media. Currently a producer @seen.tv she focuses on telling stories out of South Africa and Palestine. Seen.tv is a new media company with over a billion yearly views across social media. 

Nabeelah began her career at Independent Media as a multimedia reporter, specialising in investigative journalism, before joining e.TV News as a video journalist. She has won two Vodacom Journalist of The Year Awards for her investigative work. Nabeelah is also a crazy cat lady. If she's not telling stories, she's playing with her five cats.

With 20 years of corporate experience across M&A and energy deals, Faiz Nacerodien brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. As a seasoned professional who’s worked both within Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, his background spans everything from deal origination to execution, and even includes time at a Fortune 500 FMCG giant.

Faiz is more than just his corporate credentials. As a former director and member at Jozi Angels, he’s invested in numerous startups, walking the entrepreneurial journey with them every step of the way. In addition, Faiz mentors aspiring founders, offering insights that help turn great ideas into thriving businesses.

Introducing Abdullah Haydar, the man behind QuranBook, an app that simplifies teaching Hifdh for schools and teachers. He is a senior software engineer with over a decade of experience designing applications that make an impact! During his tenure at Snapplify and DPO South

Africa, he led the movement towards massive improvements in educational and fintech

solutions. His latest project, Quranbook is transforming Quranic education by integrating cutting-edge technology with traditional learning methods.

Oh, and when he’s not revolutionizing tech, you can find him exploring the wilderness with his

family, connecting with nature for inspiration.

Ummah Tech speaker Nazareen Ebrahim is an accomplished AI ethicist with a solid foundation in media, technology, and communications, built over 20 years. As the AI Ethics Lead at Socially Acceptable, she is dedicated to building a responsible digital citizenry and is deeply involved in public education on AI Ethics and digital democracy. Nazareen serves as an advisory board member of the South African AI Association and is a board director at the Minara Chamber of Commerce, where she leads the technology portfolio. She is also the Founder/ CEO of premier African communications and PR firm Naz Consulting International.

Introducing Ummah Tech speaker Bilal Kathrada ....

... an EdTech entrepreneur, and founder of IT Varsity. His mission is to find innovative ways in which technology can make life better for everyone.

A software engineer by profession, he is a multi-award-winning app developer and 2022's African Tech Leader of the Year - awarded at the Africa Tech Week Awards held in Cape Town.

He has lectured at the University of KwaZulu Natal, the Durban University of Technology, and the University of Johannesburg. Bilal has also consulted with a number of educational institutes and businesses on transformation for the age of Artificial Intelligence.

He was featured in the book, "Developer, Advocate!" by G. Willenga for his work in promoting software development as a career in South Africa. 

Dr Shabat is an AI expert with over 15 years of experience in technology, artificial intelligence, and data science. He has a PhD specializing in computer vision, and has made significant contributions to the advancement of AI, particularly in improving computer vision algorithms.

Dr Shabat has trained and mentored hundreds of students across Africa. He has built AI models and data science solutions across diverse sectors such as telecommunications, banking, retail, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG).

He is shaping the next generation of AI specialists through his teaching and academic research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology. 

Introducing Ummah Tech speaker Ridwaan Babamia, an executive with over 20 years of experience in the office automation industry. Ridwaan is an Executive MBA graduate from the University of Cape Town. He began his career in technical roles & over the last 8 years, has served as an executive at Smart Office Connexion Western Cape PTY (LTD), where he drives growth, operational excellence, & innovation.

With a strategic mindset & strong technical acumen, Ridwaan is dedicated to fostering environments that promote adaptability, innovation, and long-term success. His extensive experience in leadership, coupled with his passion for organizational transformation, makes him a powerful advocate for entrepreneurial and community-driven success.