Speakers

Ayman ElTarabishy

President

ICSB

United States

"Dr. Ayman ElTarabishy is President and CEO of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and a Teaching Professor at the George Washington University School of Business. A global leader in entrepreneurship and MSME development, he co-founded the United Nations MSMEs Day, bringing worldwide recognition to the critical role of small businesses and entrepreneurs. His work bridges research, policy, and practice to advance human-centered entrepreneurship and shape the future of entrepreneurship worldwide."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Ki-Chan Kim

Chair of Board

ICSB

South Korea

"Ki-Chan Kim currently serves as International Chancellor of President University in Indonesia, Chair Professor at aSSIST University, Emeritus Professor of Business Administration at The Catholic University of Korea, Chair of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), President-Elect of the Korea Stakeholder Management Society. . He has served as Advisory Professor to Hyundai Motor, Samsung Electronics, and POSCO Energy, and as an Outside Director of Hyundai Mobis, Home & Shopping, and KINTEX, Chair of the Innovation Economy Division of the Presidential Advisory Council on National Economy, Board Member of the UN Global Compact Korea Association"

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Rico Baldegger

Professor, ICSB Fellow and Chair of SME World Forum Paris 2026

ICSB

Switzerland

"Professor Baldegger’s extensive professional experience, including leadership roles in human resources, IT, and branding, and his entrepreneurial ventures in Europe and the US highlight his versatility and broad expertise. His tenure as the CEO of a management consultancy and his current service on several boards of directors and as a business angel further underscore his leadership in the field. His prolific authorship, with over a hundred publications and several best-selling books, is a testament to his thought leadership. His latest book on the Future of Business Schools, a best-seller, significantly contributes to the field. His research, which focuses on entrepreneurs’ innovation processes, the internationalization of start-ups and SMEs, new venture creation, and growth management, further demonstrates his influence in the business landscape."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Lucia Cusmano

Head of the SMEs and Entrepreneurship Division

OECD

France

" Head of the SMEs and Entrepreneurship Division and Head of the Unit on SME and Entrepreneurship Transformation at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE). She coordinates the development of the OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Strategy and leads work on SME digitalisation and green transition. She has authored OECD reports on SME financing, innovation and sustainability, and benchmarking of SME and entrepreneurship policy. Ms. Cusmano has a PhD in Economics from the University of Pavia (Italy) and has completed a Master of Science in Economics at Warwick University (UK). She has published in international journals on SMEs, entrepreneurship, innovation, globalisation, structural change and economic development."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Jonathan Potter

Head of Entrepreneurship Policy Unit

OECD

France

"brings 25 years of experience in economic policy analysis at the OECD, leading international projects and advising governments around the world. His work spans SME and entrepreneurship policy, social inclusion, national and regional start-up ecosystems, and policy evaluation. Through country reviews, research, and policy advice, he has helped governments develop stronger and more effective environments for SMEs and entrepreneurs."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Afaf Abounouadar

Executive Director

Make Mothers Matter

France

"Afaf Abounouadar is a social impact executive with more than 15 years of experience building and leading organizations, developing partnerships, and driving social change across Europe and Africa. She founded and led the Sanady Foundation in Morocco andhas worked extensively on education, gender equality and social inclusion. She holds an MBA and a diploma in Social Entrepreneurship from Université Paris Dauphine–PSL. She is currently Executive Director of Make Mothers Matter, where she leads the organization’s strategy and advocacy to advance the recognition, rights and representation of mothers."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Matt Adey

Managing Director and Chief Economist

British Business Bank

United Kingdom

"Matt Adey is a Managing Director covering the Chief Economist role and Performance Measurement. He leads a team producing publication quality research on small business finance markets, delivering economic advice on the Bank’s activities and is also responsible for impact measurement and evaluations. "

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Ahmet Vedat Akgiray

Chairman of the Board

Center for Applied Research in Finance (CARF)

Turkey

"Vedat Akgiray is currently a Professor of Finance at Bogazici University in Istanbul, and Chairman of the Board of the Center for Applied Research in Finance (CARF) in Turkiye. He directed the doctoral program in finance from 1992 to 2009, the M.S. Program in Financial Engineering from 2002 to 2009. He has advised more than eighty graduate students, published and presented more than one hundred academic papers."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Jeffrey R Alves

Incoming Chair

ICSB

United States

"Jeffrey R. Alves is a passionate advocate for MSMEs, award-winning faculty member, author, mentor, and entrepreneur. He has served on the ICSB Board since 2007. During his tenure he has been recognized for his leadership and served ICSB in a variety of roles including: President, Senior Vice President for Finance and Control, Founding Co-director of the ICSB Academy, and Founding Editor of the Journal of the International Council for Small Business. He is the former Dean of the Jay S. School of Business and Leadership, Professor of Entrepreneurship Emeritus, and former Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Wilkes University. He holds a PhD in Finance and Small Business from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a MBA from Southern Illinois University, a BS from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and MA and MFA degrees in Creative Writing from Wilkes University."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Lai-Chong Au

Group Chief Executive Officer

Delta Asia Financial Group

China

"Lai-Chong Au is the Group Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Delta Asia Financial Group, her family’s business, which she rejoined in 2016. With more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry, she leads the Group’s long-term strategy and day-to-day management, having previously held leadership roles in wealth management, securities brokerage, asset management, and commercial banking. She is also passionate about socially responsible investment and social entrepreneurship and is a co-founder of Second Stage, a venture builder focused on developing scalable and sustainable impact businesses. Lai-Chong serves on the Executive Committee of the Golden Age Foundation, is a regular columnist for AM730, and holds a BSc in Clinical Sciences from King’s College London."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Evette Banfield

Chief Economic Development Officer

The Coalition

United States

"Evette facilitates the execution of the Coalition’s inclusive economic development agenda, reflecting a commitment made in our strategic plan. Her primary focus is on coalition building, policy, and advocacy. Since coming on board at the end of 2014, Evette has led the creation of five working groups reflecting the priorities and needs of CNHED’s members and the broader economic development field. Evette brings a wealth of diverse community-building and revitalization experience, working on the ground with residents and community-based groups as well as with the government, private, and philanthropic sectors to facilitate system-level changes and targeted local solutions. "

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Marco Bianchini

Head of Digitalisation and AI for SMEs Unit

OECD

France

"Marco Bianchini is an Economist of the OECD’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, and the Coordinator of the “Digital for SMEs” Global Initiative. Mr Bianchini has 10 years of experience in innovation, finance, and digitalisation policies. He has published research papers and reports on firms’ uptake of digital technologies (including emerging technologies as blockchain and artificial intelligence) and has supported policy design of governments across the globe (i.e. Western and Eastern Europe, Middle-East, South-East Asia, Central Asia, and South America). He also coordinates the OECD “Digital for SMEs” (D4SME) Global Initiative, a multi-stakeholder dialogue among OECD governments, large and small enterprises, business associations, academia and NGOs that aims to promote knowledge sharing and learning on how to enable Small and Medium Enterprises to make the most of the digital transition. Mr Bianchini holds a bachelor degree in Economics from the University of Florence and a Master of Science in Economics and Social Sciences from Bocconi University (Italy), both obtained “summa cum laude”. Before joining the OECD, Mr Bianchini worked in strategic consultancy in McKinsey in Milan."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Skye Blanks

Chief Operations Officer

ICSB

United States

"Experienced leader, with expertise in project management, team building, event planning, and customer relationship management (CRM). Worked with multilateral organizations, government agencies, nonprofits, and small businesses."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Wael ElDesouky

Secretary General

Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development Organization (SKSEED), Egypt

Egypt

"Dr. Wael Eldesouki Bedda is the Secretary General of SKSEED (Saleh Kamel Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development), an international organization under establishment, affiliated with the Islamic Chamber of Commerce & Development. SKSEED supports entrepreneurs and ecosystem enablers across OIC member countries through programs, networks, and policy initiatives. Previously, Dr. Bedda was the Founding Director of the AAST Entrepreneurship Center at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport —an organization of the League of Arab States— for 10+ years he led one of the most impactful ecosystem-building efforts in MENA, launching incubators, accelerators, competitions, conferences, and other platforms."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Ibrahim Nabil Elsayed

Manager of International Cooperation and Business Development

AlBaraka Forum

United Kingdom

"Ibrahim Nabil Elsayed is Manager of International Cooperation and Business Development at the AlBaraka Forum for Islamic Economy and a Ph.D. Scholar and Teaching Assistant in the Finance Department at Durham University Business School, UK. His research focuses on the evolution of Islamic finance, with particular emphasis on the integration of Financial Technology (FinTech) and Regulatory Technology (RegTech) into the financial sector. Ibrahim holds two master's degrees with distinction, including an M.Sc. in Islamic Finance, Banking, and International Business from the University of Dundee and an M.Sc. in Sukuk and Islamic Investment Solutions from Egypt."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Lila Fernández

Director of Europe Strategic Account Services

Amazon

Spain

"Lila Fernández is Director of Europe Strategic Account Services at Amazon, where she leads the strategic direction and operational execution of the EU Strategic Account Services programme. Her team builds tools that address the biggest priorities emerging from feedback from EU SMEs selling on Amazon and works alongside them to prototype AI solutions, turning the strongest ideas into scalable products with Amazon's engineering teams. Lila began her career in M&A at a law firm in Spain before joining McKinsey. She holds an MBA with distinction from INSEAD and a dual degree in Business and Law from ICADE, Madrid."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Christian Friedl

Professor, Head of GEM Austria & DEM

FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences

Austria

"Head of Master´s Programme “Digital Entrepreneurship & Innovation”, FH-Professor at JOANNEUM - University of Applied Sciences Graz, Head of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Austria. Former Board Member of the Global Entrepreneurship Research Organisation (GERA, uk) and coordinator of several European-wide research projects in the domain of entrepreneurship and innovation. Academic focus on entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, open innovation, entrepreneurial ecosystems and edupreneurship. PhD in entrepreneurship, Master´s Degrees in European Project Management, Environmental System Sciences and Business Administration. Developer of award-winning business MOOCs and MicroCredentials, entrepreneur in the music industry, and business consultant."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Rita Grant

Board Member

ICSB

United States

"Rita Grant brings extensive academic and professional expertise to her role as ICSB Board Treasurer and Secretary. As an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at Grand Valley State University, she has spent decades developing deep knowledge in financial management and accounting principles that directly inform her oversight of ICSB’s financial operations."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Marc Gruber

Full Professor

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Switzerland

"Marc Gruber is full professor at the College of Management of Technology at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, where he holds the Chair of Entrepreneurship and Technology Commercialization (since 2005) and served as Vice President for Innovation (2017-2021). Marc has recently concluded a three-year term as Editor-in-Chief of Academy of Management Journal (AMJ), the highest ranked empirical research journal in the management domain. He previously served as an Associate Editor (2013-2016) and Deputy Editor (2016-2019) at this journal as well. Furthermore, Marc is co-author of the book “Where to Play: 3 Steps for Discovering Your Most Valuable Market Opportunities”, which introduces the Market Opportunity Navigator – a practical business tool that was recently added to the ‘Lean Startup’ toolset by Steve Blank and is used by tens of thousands of startups and established firms to improve their capabilities in opportunity identification and new wealth creation."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

David Halabisky

Project Co-ordinator

OECD

France

"Mr. David Halabisky is a project co-ordinator in the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities. He is currently working on several projects related to entrepreneurship policy, including a multi-year project on inclusive entrepreneurship and is the main author of the Missing Entrepreneurs reports. Prior to joining the OECD, David worked for more than a decade in the Canadian Public Service where he worked on SME policy at the Federal Ministries of Industry, Finance and Labour. Mr. Halabisky has won several awards during his career, including a Best Paper Prize from the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. He has degrees in economics from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Narmina Hasanova

Founder

MiniBoss Business School Baku

Azerbaijan

"Narmina Hasanova is the Founder of MiniBoss Business School Baku."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

George Jabbour

Professor/Director

GWU

United States

"George M. Jabbour is a professor of finance at the GW School of Business."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Donna Kelley

Frederic C. Hamilton Professor of Free Enterprise Studies

Babson College

United States

"Donna Kelley is Professor of Entrepreneurship, the Frederic C. Hamilton Chair of Free Enterprise, and former Chair of the Entrepreneurship Division at Babson College. At Babson, she has taught New Venture Creation, Managing Growth, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship in Asia, Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship and Leading Entrepreneurial Action Project. She also taught MBA students at Korea University, Tsinghua University and Tongji University, and has led seminars for students and faculty at other universities in China and Korea, as well as in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Mexico. Prof. Kelley developed the entrepreneurship curriculum and courses for startup universities in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, and consulted with Goldman Sachs on their curriculum for the 10,000 Women project. In 2011, she worked in Bandung Indonesia as a Fulbright Specialist."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Khalifé Khalifé

Member of the Senate of France

Senate of France

France

"Khalifé Khalifé is a French senator representing the department of Moselle in the Grand Est region. Elected to the Sénat on 24 September 2023, he sits with the Les Républicains group. Before entering national politics, he built a long career as a cardiologist and held elected office at the municipal and departmental levels in Moselle. Khalifé Khalifé began his political career on the Metz municipal council in 2001. Following the 2020 municipal elections, he served as first deputy mayor of Metz, with responsibility for social cohesion, health, and family affairs, and as vice-president of the Eurométropole de Metz. In 2021 he was elected departmental councilor for Moselle, later serving as ninth vice-president of the departmental council, delegated to higher education, research, innovation, and health. He was elected to the Sénat in September 2023. In the Senate, he sits on the Commission des affaires sociales (Committee on Social Affairs) and the Délégation sénatoriale à la prospective, and has taken part in inquiry commissions on the financing of public policy and on academic excellence in French universities. Drawing on his medical background, Khalifé Khalifé also serves on several national bodies, including the Comité consultatif national d'éthique (National Consultative Ethics Committee) for life sciences, the board of the national medicines safety agency, and the board of the National Cancer Institute."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Joseph A. Miranda, KCHS, KMCO

Assistant Dean, Operations

GW School of Business

United States

"Joseph Miranda is the Assistant Dean of Operations at The George Washington University School of Business (GWSB). Joseph came to the George Washington University after a 28-year career in management consulting at Accenture, where he held several executive leadership positions and retired as the global director of operations for corporate development and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). He has worked in the commercial and federal industries and has expertise in operations, finance, M&A, pricing, project management, corporate development, university lecturing, public speaking, and career counseling. Joseph previously served as the Interim Executive Director, senior career consultant, and Consulting360 program director at the F. David Fowler Career Center. Joseph received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and his Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Catholic University of America."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Marija Kuzmanovic

Project Manager, SME and Entrepreneurship Finance

OECD

France

"Marija Kuzmanovic is a Policy Analyst and Project Coordinator in the SME and Entrepreneurship Unit of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE). In her current role, Marija co-coordinates the OECD Platform on Financing SMEs for Sustainability and conducts analytical work on SME sustainable finance. Prior to joining CFE, Marija provided analytical and capacity building support on competitiveness and private sector development to OECD partner countries in the OECD Development Centre and Global Relations Secretariat. Marija has also worked as a macroeconomic analyst at the EBRD Office of the Chief Economist as well as a junior professional associate at the World Bank’s Environment and Social Development Department. She has a Master’s degree in Development Economics from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Master’s degree in Finance from LSE."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Eric Liguori

Associate Dean & Jim Moran Professor

Florida State University

United States

"Dr. Liguori is the Jim Moran Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Associate Dean of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University. He currently serves as Co-Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Small Business Management and Immediate Past Chair of AACSB’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Affinity Group. His expertise is sought after by leading Fortune 100 companies and governments alike. Liguori worked with Hewlett-Packard to help launch HP’s Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs, which to date has provided over 3.5 million courses in eight languages, to more than 2 million learners, spanning over 200 countries around the globe. In 2023 he served as a subject matter expert for Amazon.com, helping develop the curriculum behind Amazon’s Small Business Academy. And, in 2025, he's supporting the U.S. Small Business Administration as a member of their Regional Innovation Cluster Technical Working Group."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Anders Liljehaga

Business Director

Sparbanken Alingsås

Sweden

"Anders Liljehaga is Business Director at Sparbanken Alingsås, one of Sweden’s independent local savings banks. He is responsible for business leadership across the bank’s retail, corporate and support functions, with a particular focus on customer growth, leadership development and local community impact. With more than 20 years of experience in the banking sector, Anders has held leadership and advisory roles at Sparbanken Alingsås, Länsförsäkringar Älvsborg and Handelsbanken. He is passionate about supporting local businesses and strengthening regional economic development through relationship-based banking and close customer proximity"

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Ignacio Gimenez Losano

Associate Director of Ventures & Science Applications Creative Destruction Lab

HEC Paris

France

"Ignacio Gimenez Losano is Associate Director of Ventures & Science Applications at the HEC Paris Deep Tech Center, where he leads the Ventures & Science team supporting startups across AI, Climate, Biotech, Next-Gen Computing and Space. He has experience in product development, data science and venture management across Latin America and Europe. Previously, he worked at ZX Ventures, the innovation and investment arm of AB InBev, taught applied statistics at the University of Buenos Aires School of Engineering, and bootstrapped a B2B SaaS startup focused on measuring burnout in South American SMEs. Ignacio holds an Engineering degree from the University of Buenos Aires and an MBA from HEC Paris "

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Orkhan Mammadov

Former Chairman of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, founder of Azfar Group company

Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA)

Azerbaijan

"H.E. Orkhan Mammadov is the Chairman of the Management Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Ambassador Martín García Moritán

ICSB Ambassador and Fellow

ICSB

Argentina

"Martín García Moritán is a distinguished Argentine career diplomat who served as the nation's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2016 to 2020. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he also represented Argentina as Ambassador to Uruguay until early 2025 and held diplomatic postings in Brazil, Bolivia, and the Holy See."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Ahmed Osman

Past Chair & Board Member

ICSB

Egypt

"Ahmed Osman is the Past Chairman (2019-2021) of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), the world’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization devoted to small businesses internationally. He was the first Arab and African elected to this position since ICSB’s establishment in 1955 and the youngest Chairman to date. ICSB is the platform that distributes new knowledge and information on small business management and entrepreneurial development. Ahmed currently serves as a Board member of ICSB (2025-2027). ICSB is the platform that distributes new knowledge and information on small business management and entrepreneurial development. ICSB is the originator of the United Nations’ Resolution to create an International Name Day dedicated to Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises on June 27 (MSMEs Day). He was also the editor of the Global MSME Report for 2019. He is also the founder and creator of the ICSB Knowledge Hubs. Ahmed is also the President of the Global Entrepreneurship Network in Egypt (GEN Egypt) and is a Project Management & Strategy Advisor for several Government and Private organizations in Egypt. He holds both a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering with Honors and a Masters Degree in Engineering and Management from The University of Birmingham, UK and is a certified Project Management Professional from The Project Management Institute, USA. He is also the Founder & CEO is of a Project and Facility Management firm in Egypt - CHROME. The company currently manages a multi sector construction portfolio. CHROME works with SMEs on developing their real estate assets whether office spaces or industrial facilities. Ahmed has been instrumental in the launch of the Egypt Entrepreneurship Summit and Nawah Social Entrepreneurship Competition. Since it’s inception Nawah has supported over 100 companies in their startup journey. His current focus is on the creation of innovation districts in historic cities.. He was a board member of The Egyptian Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (2017-2019). Most recently, Ahmed has been selected as one only the Top 10 most influential professionals in SME Development for 2024 as well as receiving the ICSB Award for Global Excellence in 2025. He was inducted as an ICSB Fellow in November 2025."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Anette Rudin

Project Director

Navigator Foundation

Sweden

"Anette Rhudin holds a degree in business administration and is an entrepreneur and founder of Navigatorn, with a professional background as a product manager in major industrial companies and extensive experience in business and organisational development. Since 2012, she has led the development of Navigatorn’s methodology for strengthening established, owner-led companies’ capacity to develop and grow; in 2017, Navigatorn received the European Commission’s European Enterprise Promotion Award. Today, she is a business developer and Vice Chair of Stiftelsen Navigator and is involved in research and development projects focusing on business development, growth and entrepreneurial learning."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Winslow Sargeant

Immediate Past Chair

ICSB

United States

"Dr. Winslow Sargeant is the immediate past chair of the International Council for Small Business. Dr. Sargeant is also the Senior Advisor for Globalization and Head of Capital Markets for Genaesis. In this role, Dr. Sargeant syndicates opportunities with capital partners – both domestically and internationally – facilitating optimized valuations and deal structures. Dr.Sargeant co-founded Aanetcom, a computer-circuit design company, and participated in numerous private equity and venture capital funds in both limited and managing partner capacities. In addition to his business and investing experience"

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Johanna Schima

Head of EU Delegation

Make Mothers Matter (MMM)

France

"Johanna Schima studied Law and Philosophy in Colombia and holds an LL.M. from Harvard University. She has worked at Make Mothers Matter (MMM) since 2014 and serves as Head of its EU Delegation. In this role, she leads MMM’s EU advocacy on economic and labour issues, poverty and vulnerability, gender equality, maternal healthcare, and the impact of unpaid care work on mothers. Her work on the economic empowerment of mothers includes contributions to MMM’s reports on Mothers’ Poverty in the EU, which has served as a reference for European Parliament Resolutions, including those on Women’s poverty in Europe and on Developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy. In the field of maternal healthcare, she contributed to MMM’s report on Maternal Healthcare in the EU, submitted to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). She has also contributed to the academic article “Mapping Key Actors in Family Support: A European Perspective,”published in Children and Youth Services Review, examining the European landscape of family support and the actors involved in addressing the needs of families. "

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Jeff Shay

Professor of Entrepreneurship, Chair of the Board of the Global Entrepreneurship Association

Babson College

United States

"Jeff Shay is Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College, Chair of the Board of the Global Entrepreneurship Research Association (GERA/GEM) and co-leads the GEM USA team and serves as a Director of the Bank of Montana. His research focuses on the intersection of entrepreneurship and international business, with particular interests in entrepreneurial leadership, technology and AI, and the conditions that shape entrepreneurial activity. His work has been published in HBR, MIT Sloan Management Review, AMJ, JIBS, and several other leading journals."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Ilias Skamnelos

Practice Manager

World Bank Group

Greece

"Ilias is the Practice Manager for the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice in East Asia and the Pacific. He engages with policymakers to build stable, efficient, and inclusive financial systems and to foster private-sector development and job creation. Ilias is a Ph.D. macro-financial economist with World Bank experience spanning multiple regions – including East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia. He has led numerous Financial Sector Assessment Programs and has served as advisor to the Vice-President of Finance and Private Sector Development. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, focusing on financial crises, and studied economics at LSE."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Christine Volkmann

Professor, UNESCO Chair

Universität Wuppertal

Germany

"Prof. Dr. Christine K. Volkmann is one of Europe's leading scholars in entrepreneurship and innovation. She serves as Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Transformation at the Schumpeter School of Business and Economics, University of Wuppertal, where she also holds the UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship and Intercultural Management."

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris

Anni Wilhelmi

Head of Global

Women Presidents Organization (WPO)

South Africa

"Anni Wilhelmi is a tireless champion for women in business and leadership. She heads the Women Presidents Organization (WPO) in South Africa, leads the organization’s global growth strategy, and serves on the board of the International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC). She is also the founder of Women in Business Advisory (WiBA), a platform that supports the next generation of entrepreneurial and corporate women leaders. "

October 21–23, 2026
OECD · Paris