Osama M. Ashri
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia
Osama M. Ashri has assumed multiple leadership roles dedicated to cultivating entrepreneurship ecosystems including CEO of the Saudi VC & PE Association, Head of Strategy at MBS College, Head of SMEs and Entrepreneurship at KAEC and founding VP of Strategy at Namaa Almunawara. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Wadi Makkah Ventures and a member of the Investment Committee. Osama founded the Saudi Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Lab, and championed the participation of Makkah and Madinah regions in MIT REAP (Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program) from 2017 to 2019.
His publications include: On the Fast Track: Saudi Arabia’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, Navigating Saudi Arabia's Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, The Role of Universities as Catalysts within Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor of Saudi Arabia.
Osama earned an MBA from Babson College where he also received the Babson Charley Osborn MIS Award and was a finalist for the Babson MBA Entrepreneurship Award. In addition, he participated in different programs at MIT Sloan School of Management (Affiliate Alum), University of North Carolina, Stanford University, Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Venture Capital University.