Lamia Hanafi is a visionary entrepreneur and global innovation strategist who builds bridges between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She is a leading voice in cross-border innovation and positioning emerging markets on the global startup map.
As Founder & CEO of Nest Accelerator, the first transcontinental innovation hub, she is redefining how ecosystems connect. Nest Accelerator empowers entrepreneurs, accelerates high-impact startups, and supports governments and private institutions in designing innovation-driven growth strategies between Paris, Riyadh, Africa, and beyond.
She is also President of Startup Ecosystem & Innovation at the G100 – Women Economic Forum, championing women’s leadership in technology and entrepreneurship.
In 2025, with the support of the Saudi–French Business Council (CAFS), Lamia launched the First Global Women Leaders Innovation Forum, French–Saudi Edition in Riyadh, a platform uniting Vision 2030 with European innovation and strengthening the Saudi–French innovation corridor. The same year, she signed an MoU between Nest Accelerator and Monsha’at, Saudi Arabia’s SME Authority, to internationalize Saudi startups and build Europe–Africa–Saudi innovation bridge.
Previously, as Head of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at UM6P France, she created and launched NextAfrica at Station F, establishing the first African university presence at the world’s largest startup campus. She also designed the first Venture Builder for OCP, the world leader in phosphates, based at Station F and launching DeepTech and AI ventures.
Her impact has been recognized: she co-founded a startup ranked among the Top 100 Startups in France, joined the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford University under President Barack Obama, and was named among the 40 Under 40 European Business Leaders in 2025.
Featured in media like Forbes, Lamia is a sought-after speaker who continues to build bridges and ensure emerging markets rise globally. Her conviction remains unchanged: innovation is not a process, it is a bridge.
