Badr Jafar
CEO, Crescent Enterprises
Jafar is at the reins of UAE-based Crescent Enterprises, a multi conglomerate with interests ranging from ports and logistics to power and engineering, that is empowering other businesses within the region too. CE-Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Crescent, has committed to doubling its VC investments in startups to reach Dhs1bn by 2022. But Jafar’s core focus has been philanthropy and to that end he partnered with New York University Abu Dhabi last year to begin the Strategic Philanthropy Initiative. It aims to study and promote impactdriven philanthropy in the UAE and the wider region.