Builders Tribe TechFest 2026 Brings AI, Advice to Doha

Builders Tribe TechFest 2026 will bring startup founders, technology professionals and other members of Doha's tech community together on October 31 for discussions on artificial intelligence, one-on-one business consultations and networking activities designed to help participants build valuable connections.

Organised by Builders Tribe, an entrepreneurial support organisation co-founded by Michael Ifeanyi and Ajiri Omafokpe, the event will run from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Nestwork Grand Hamad, Level 2, Alfardan Centre, Doha, Qatar. The programme includes a panel on AI and the future of work, alongside TechFest Live Consult, which will connect selected founders with experienced professionals for focused business advice.

Through the gathering, the organisation aims to create opportunities for entrepreneurs and technology professionals to exchange ideas, access relevant expertise and develop relationships within Doha's startup ecosystem.

Builders Tribe TechFest 2026 to Explore AI and the Future of Work

Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses operate, how professionals approach their work and what employers expect from prospective employees. Yet questions remain about which skills will become more valuable, how education can keep pace with technological developments and how organisations should prepare their teams for change. These questions will take centre stage at TechFest 2026 during a panel discussion on AI and the future of work.

Moderated by Nada S. Ibrahim, who leads ecosystem programmes at Qatar Insurance Group, the session will bring together professionals from education, talent acquisition, AI research and entrepreneurship to examine the changes taking place across the workplace.

The panellists include Seungah Sarah Lee of HEC Paris Doha, Mohamed Elmalik, principal at HUMAN CAPITAL, Amani Alabed, PhD, of the University of Doha for Science & Technology, and entrepreneur Sam Fouladgar, who is building AI-enabled talent solutions.

Their different professional backgrounds offer several perspectives on the relationship between technology, talent and business. Lee brings an education and professional-development perspective to the conversation, while Elmalik's experience in talent acquisition connects the discussion to recruitment and changing employer expectations. Alabed contributes a research and innovation perspective, while Fouladgar brings an entrepreneurial view of applying AI to talent solutions.

Together, the panel will explore questions that matter to people at different stages of their professional lives. For employees, these include how to develop skills that remain relevant as AI capabilities advance. For employers, they involve identifying the capabilities their teams will need and adapting recruitment and professional-development practices. Founders, meanwhile, must consider how AI could influence their products, operations and business models.

The discussion also creates an opportunity to examine the relationship between education and the workplace. As organisations adopt new technologies, educational institutions and training providers face growing questions about how to prepare people for changing professional demands.

Rather than treating AI solely as a technology trend, the session will examine its implications for people, organisations and the ways they work.

TechFest Live Consult Connects Founders with Experienced Advisers

For founders, building a startup often means making difficult decisions with limited resources. Questions about growth, operations, business strategy and access to the right people can become significant obstacles, particularly when a business is moving beyond its early stages.

Builders Tribe is addressing this challenge through TechFest Live Consult, a programme offering selected founders 15-minute, one-on-one consultations with experienced professionals. The initiative is designed for founders who have developed a working minimum viable product (MVP), an early version of a product with enough functionality to test its value with real users.

Participants are encouraged to identify a specific challenge or request that they want to discuss during their consultation. These may include operational difficulties, growth challenges, regulatory questions, strategic decisions, business referrals or introductions to relevant decision-makers.

By matching founders with professionals whose experience aligns with their needs, the programme aims to make expert guidance more accessible to entrepreneurs working through practical business problems.

One of the announced advisers is Dr Hanan El Basha, DBA, founder of The Business Doctor. She brings more than 25 years of experience advising small and medium-sized enterprises, startups and innovation organisations.

Her background includes serving as Managing Director of Founder Institute GCC and Co-Director of Founder Institute's Qatar chapter. She has also advised organisations including Loyal VC and ScienceWerx and was recognised in Fast Company Middle East's AI 50 in 2025.

Her approach emphasises understanding the underlying problem before recommending a solution, an important consideration for founders who may be tempted to address a business challenge before identifying its cause.

For example, a founder experiencing slow growth might initially look to increase marketing activity. However, the underlying problem could involve customer retention, product positioning, operational capacity or the business model itself. A focused conversation with an experienced adviser could help the founder examine the situation and consider a more appropriate response.

Live Consult emerged from a similar experience involving Builders Tribe co-founder Michael Ifeanyi. In a LinkedIn post shared ahead of TechFest, Ifeanyi described how a conversation with ecosystem professional Haitham Al-Haidari helped him gain useful insights and connections while developing plans for the organisation.

The experience inspired the idea of creating a structured opportunity for other founders to access the knowledge and perspectives of experienced professionals.

Although a short consultation cannot guarantee a solution to every business problem, it can give founders an opportunity to discuss a specific challenge, question their assumptions and identify possible next steps. The programme is free, with limited places available for eligible founders.

Beyond Business Conversations: Building a Connected Tech Community

Alongside its professional sessions, TechFest is designed to create a relaxed environment where members of the technology ecosystem can interact through shared activities and informal conversations.

The announced activities include painting, virtual games and physical games, giving attendees opportunities to connect outside formal discussions about business and technology.

For Builders Tribe, these interactions are part of the event's wider purpose. Startup communities depend on more than access to funding or business advice. They also benefit from relationships between people who can exchange knowledge, recognise shared challenges and identify opportunities to work together.

A founder might meet a potential collaborator during an informal conversation, while a technology professional could discover a new perspective by speaking with someone working in a different field. Such outcomes cannot be guaranteed, but creating opportunities for these interactions is one of the reasons community events remain valuable to startup ecosystems.

The organisers have encouraged prospective attendees to approach TechFest with an idea of the relationships they want to develop, whether they are looking for potential co-founders, team members, customers, investors or other people who could contribute to their work.

That approach places some responsibility on participants to make the most of the gathering. Attending is a starting point; asking questions, exchanging ideas and following up with people afterwards can help turn an introduction into a lasting professional relationship.

The event also provides opportunities for people to contribute behind the scenes. Builders Tribe has promoted volunteer roles involving registration, activity facilitation, social media and content, as well as event setup and coordination. The opportunities offer participants a way to gain event experience while supporting the wider community.

What TechFest Means for Doha's Startup Ecosystem

Entrepreneurial support organisations play an important role in helping founders navigate the challenges of building businesses. Their work can include connecting entrepreneurs with mentors, providing access to resources, facilitating relationships and creating environments where people can learn from one another.

As co-founders of Builders Tribe, Ifeanyi and Omafokpe are using TechFest to bring several of these elements together in one gathering. The AI and future-of-work panel will address questions about how technology is changing professional life, while Live Consult will give selected founders an opportunity to discuss business challenges with experienced advisers. The social activities and networking programme provide another way for participants to engage with the community. The combination gives the event relevance beyond a single professional group.

Founders may be interested in the consultations, employees and job seekers may want to hear the panel's perspectives on AI, and other ecosystem participants may value the opportunity to meet people working across different areas of technology and business.

For Doha's startup community, gatherings such as TechFest can help create opportunities for these groups to interact. They bring together people with different experiences and needs, making it easier to discover shared interests and explore possible collaborations.

The value of such events ultimately depends on what participants do with the conversations they begin. A meeting may lead to an introduction, a new idea or a clearer understanding of a business challenge. Some connections may develop into longer-term professional relationships, while others may simply provide a useful exchange of perspectives.

How to Attend Builders Tribe TechFest 2026

Builders Tribe TechFest 2026 will take place on Saturday, October 31, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Nestwork Grand Hamad, Level 2, Alfardan Centre, Doha, Qatar.

Admission is free, but advance registration is required.

Founders interested in TechFest Live Consult should check the programme's separate application or interest-registration requirements, as consultation places are limited. Attendees can register through the official event page.

With a discussion on AI and the future of work, focused consultations for eligible founders and opportunities to connect through informal activities, TechFest offers Doha's technology community a place to exchange ideas and build relationships.

For entrepreneurs and professionals looking to expand their networks or gain fresh perspectives, the gathering is an opportunity to spend an afternoon engaging with the people helping shape the region's startup ecosystem.