Impact Innovation Summit has concluded this October on a loud note about the importance of innovation for leading businesses, cross-regional collaboration in business and need for growth fostering platforms for entrepreneurs. The event happened on 2nd October, 2025 in Holiday Inn Al Qasr, Riyad where over a hundred business owners connected for business expansion. This edition of the summit and Awards ceremony, organized by Impact Events in collaboration with Nobel International Group based out of Riyadh, has been a resounding success. Aligned with the UN SDGs of climate change, sustainability and economic diplomacy, this summit brought together think tanks and industry experts from eleven different countries including United Arab Emirates, UK, USA, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Pakistan, Spain, Italy, Romania, and India. Among the few major objectives of the summit were the goals of drawing attention towards climate change, sustainable business practices and reducing carbon emissions in the wake of rapid economic development.
Impact Innovation Summit and Excellence Awards 2025 were another milestone event in the portfolio of Impact Leadership Program. This program is known for being the global initiative that allows business leaders and industry experts to benefit from international cross-industry networking while they update their knowledge with current as well as innovative emerging business practices and trends. Impact Leadership Program has been founded by the renowned business icon Nousheen Mukhtar, who has been revered world over for her business acumen and social initiatives. Talking about Impact Innovation Summit, Nousheen Mukhtar expressed her views about the way this initiative has successfully collected innovators and entrepreneurs from many different countries in last four years.
Impact Innovation Summit and Excellence Awards 2025 paved way for international businesses to find their way into the rising innovation hub of Riyadh, KSA. This season the summit included companies from the following sectors: training and development, coaching, wellness, health, medical and healthcare, finance, banking, agri-tech, software solutions, cyber security, fintech, social care and philanthropy, leadership development, textile, cosmetics and beauty, organic products, construction and smart cities development, credit risk management and law, taxation and compliance and more. The strength of this initiative lies in the ease with which it brings together experts and leading companies in many different sectors from various regions on a single platform. It allows them to explore common grounds and discover new partners during the course of its proceedings.
Impact Excellence Awards 2025 completed season 4 during the summit. These awards endorsed scores of distinguished leaders from across the globe with the support of the Private Royal Office of H. H. Sheikh Ahmad Bin Faisal Al Qassimi. The trade Minister of Pakistan Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Dr. Shagufta Zareen, revolutionary business woman – Nousheen Mukhtar and the Founder CEO of Nobel International Group – Mr. Zayed Ahmad Al Tamimi headed the awards ceremony and recognized the global leaders who travelled from eleven different companies to attend this prestigious awards ceremony during the Summit in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Many respected business leaders from the Pakistan Investors Business Forum (PIBF) also attended the summit and participated in its business discussions enthusiastically.
Among the distinguished winners of Impact Excellence Awards were business investors, business owners, C-suite Executives, innovators, philanthropists, social workers and entrepreneurs. Marilyn Aziz, an enthusiastic health advocate and PhD researcher won an award for being the most inspiring health advocate. She has also received recognition for her commitment to leadership, resilience, and community impact in the healthcare and wellness space from BSU and beyond.
Business leader and entrepreneur, Angela Thomas, won two excellence awards this season, including Excellence in Business Mentorship and Excellence in Leadership Development (Business). Angela is revered for her business acumen and ability to help companies scale up. She works with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams to design business strategies that convert, scale, and sustain. Barbara Amerio, the CEO of renowned yachting company Amer Yachts won the Excellence in Yachting Business Award. Barbara is revered for sustainability related work in yacht customization to control oceanic carbon emissions. When it comes to social impact and humanitarian work, the name Chichi Ezeh resonates deeply. Chichi won the award for Excellence in Social Innovation for her more than fifteen years of efforts in safeguarding leadership, social innovation, child protection and community advocacy. Hala Jaber the founder of FutureEntity won Excellence in Business Growth & Development for her decades of successful journey in expanding and growing corporates.
Impact Excellence Awards in Riyadh were dominated by technology evangelists and businesses. Cristina Luminita Iancu, the Founder CEO of Genuineq, a software development company based in Romania, won the Excellence in Software Development Award. Duha Rahahleh, the COO of CyberX World received the award for Excellence in Cybersecurity for her company. Elena Unciuleanu, the Founder CEO of Reporting Center received an award in Excellence in Banking Product Innovation for tech innovation in the banking sector. She spent 18+ years building Reporting Systems for more than 20 European Banks. Ten years ago, she built Elite Reporting Platform, an innovative tool which automates the Regulatory Reporting for Banks. Her aim for Reporting Center is to become a global leader in RegTech. Ghada Mohammad Rashwan, the founder of SustAInavate, won an award in Excellence in Digital Transformation. Sundus Jaber Alfaresi, the founder CEO of Alfaresi Software Solutions, won Excellence in Fintech Product Development Award. All these tech entrepreneurs shared value by contributing towards global networking.
Coaching and training awards had a few selected winners. Akanksha Gulia won Excellence in Cultural Quotient Training award. Cultural intelligence is my superpower. Combined with her architectural education, which views spaces as catalysts for human connection, and her innovation studies, she has built a career that transforms diversity into a strategic asset. Dr. Moriah Priestley won an award in Excellence in Organizational Leadership Development. She runs Insight Coaching Academy (ICA) specializing in leadership and personal development for professionals globally ICA is currently working with several government organizations in the UK and in Africa, it consults with the ministers and CEOs heading organizations, change labs and succession planning. Dr. Ignacio Bonasa secured an Excellence in Education award during the Riyadh Summit. He is the founder and president of Liderarte and the international movement “Turn the Table”.
Miscellaneous industry leaders won industry awards during the summit. World renowned beauty entrepreneur and beauty business mentor, Dr. Diana Richardson was recognized for Excellence in Beauty Business Mentorship. Dominique Cagle won Excellence in Corporate Housing Business Award for successfully heading Nika Corporate Housing and expanding its operations to many states in the USA. Iffat Parveen won Excellence in Health & Social Care Award for successfully serving the society in Oldham. Ibrahim Alqasim won Excellence in Logistics & Supply Chain; while Mohammad Faris Hassan secured the Excellence in Nursing award this year.
The fields of real estate, textile, personal care, law, finance and agriculture were dominated by entrepreneurs, business leaders and senior executives who have made their prominent mark within their fields. Riadh Bouaziz, the Chairman & CEO of RKF Group and RKF Luxury Linen, Europe’s leading luxury linen company was endorsed with Excellence in Textile Award. Paola Surdo Maldini won Excellence in Haircare Product Development for the premium quality of her products in NML Salon and its increasing popularity in successfully fulfilling the haircare needs of youngsters. Sheikh Mohamad Hamade won Excellence in Sustainability in Agriculture for his research in the field and effective services in Oil and Gas sector for improving water quality. Rebecca Harriet Lilley was endorsed for her premium services in finance, compliance and AML. Mridula Singh won Excellence in Real Estate Business Development Award, while Nicole Purin won Distinction in Law Award for her global premium services. All these shining stars made the success of Riyadh Summit.
“Riyadh with its strong economic presence and growing expat entrepreneur systems is attracting more and more world leaders in business towards it. We look forward to create more consistent opportunities for Impact driven businesses to branch out to Riyadh and develop business ties,” said Nousheen Mukhtar, CEO Impact Events. Impact Innovation Summit, Riyadh was among the successful project by Impact Events and the company looks forward to spread the Impact Leadership Program in many metropolises to facilitate business exposure for its members. We look forward to the next Innovation Summit in 2026.
