Samantha Evans

Samantha is a global innovation ecosystem strategist with 15+ years of experience building high-impact economic development programs that accelerate entrepreneurship, tech adoption, and market growth. Her work spans the UK, Europe, the U.S., Asia, India, and the Middle East - advising governments, corporates, and scaleups on how to build globally competitive innovation ecosystems.As Managing Director for the GCC and Africa at Startup Genome, she leads strategy across the region, working with policymakers and innovation leaders to future-proof national ecosystems and deliver commercially grounded programs that help high-growth companies scale.Previously, she led global expansion at Tech Nation, supporting 500+ startups into new markets. Earlier, she spent nearly a decade in Silicon Valley and New York, driving UK trade and innovation efforts across the U.S and working closely with high-growth tech companies grow across Europe and Asia including Uber, Airbnb and Docusign.Sam has had the honor of sitting on several global boards focused on FDI, startup policy, and innovation strategy, including the UK’s Trade Advisory Board and the UK>APAC Digital Trade Network. She’s known for translating bold public-sector ambitions into practical, outcomes-driven programs that bridge policy, capital, and market opportunity.