Contributor(s): Christopher Schroeder | The west has one narrative around the Middle East based on political instability and sectarian unrest. In parallel, and little understood, a new generation has come of age in the region, as around the globe, never knowing a world without technology. While these tools of connection, collaboration and innovation have changed the political dynamics on the ground, a second revolution is happening in parallel. Young entrepreneurs are starting companies by the thousands, creating solutions to local and regional problems, and building world-class competitive products and services. They are, in fact, taking control of their economic futures from the bottom up. Schroeder will share the stories of some of these startups, and describe the broader ecosystem challenges and opportunities changing in the Middle East. And he will show that as we move to a world -- within a decade -- of five billion people accessing broadband, the Middle East is a lens into a massive shift we should all be engaging in now.
