People

Judges

Hamid Benbrahim

Head of Data and AI, Investor Data Solutions

Hamid Benbrahim is Head of Data and AI at Investor Data Solutions, where he helps businesses in finance, healthcare and manufacturing set their AI strategy and bring generative AI into their technology and operations. He is also a Principal Engineer for AI at Ridgeline. He has built and led large AI and data organizations at Fidelity Investments, TD Ameritrade and Thomas, where he launched a new revenue stream from alternative data and AI. Earlier he co-founded Natural Numerix, an AI and big data platform that helped investors manage risk. He holds a PhD in machine learning from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from Columbia Business School, speaks often at international conferences on AI and complex systems, and is fluent in English, French, Arabic and Spanish.

Ilias Benabdallah

Senior Relationship Manager, Brex

Ilias Benabdallah is a Senior Relationship Manager at Brex in New York, where he was the first Relationship Management hire, and a Venture Scout at Viaka. He builds and scales revenue for financial services and technology companies, working closely with founders and operators on go-to-market strategy, strategic accounts and partnerships. Before returning to Brex, he was the first North American Sales Director at Sterling Technology and built the middle-market and enterprise sales playbook at Mercantile. He also runs a private series of gatherings for operators and leaders, from small dinners to larger events around key industry moments. He studied at the University of Arizona.

Farzad Barzin

Senior Full Stack Software Engineer, EliseAI

Farzad Barzin is a Senior Full Stack Software Engineer at EliseAI, building AI-powered products that automate leasing conversations for the housing industry. He has spent more than a decade shipping web and mobile apps, working across React, FastAPI, and Flutter. Much of his career has been in real estate tech. He led mobile and the Agent CRM at BEX Realty and the Agent Workplace transactions team at Anywhere (now part of Compass). He does his best work where engineering, design, and business strategy meet.