Access Tomorrow

About Access Tomorrow

Join Leila Serhan, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for North Africa, Levant, and Pakistan at Visa, along with esteemed guest speakers in Access Tomorrow, brought to you by Visa. Tune in for the latest technology trends, business insights, and learnings on how to successfully navigating the contemporary digital economy.

Publisher

Visa CEMEA

Category

technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Nov 2023

Latest episode

5 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

16 of 21 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   5 Aug 2026

   AI, WhatsApp, and the Rise of Conversational Commerce with Fares Akkad, Regional Director, MEA, Meta

   In a region powered by ambition and a young, digital-first population, the future of commerce is being reshaped in real time. In this episode of Access Tomorrow, Leila Serhan sits down with Meta’s Fares Akkad to unpack how AI, open platforms, and messaging are lowering barriers for entrepreneurs and SMEs across the Middle East. From “chat as the new shop” to the democratization of AI, the conversation explores how businesses of any size can scale faster, connect deeper, and compete glob...

2. 

   27 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT

   How Digital Finance Can Drive Growth and Inclusion

   In this episode, Amna Usman Chaudhry, Financial Economist & Frontier Technology Leader | Founder & Board Member, explores how technology, policy, and innovation can reshape financial systems. We dive into her perspective on the real impact of digital finance in emerging markets, the challenges and opportunities for women and marginalized groups, and how fintech can drive economic growth, resilience, and inclusion. Amna also discusses how trust, regulation, and responsible innovation a...

3. 

   9 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   From Freelance Platforms to Venture Capital

   In this episode, Loulou Khazen Baz, Founder of Spade Ventures and host of Conversations with Loulou, shares her journey from building Nabbesh, the first online freelance marketplace in the Arab world, to her work in venture capital. We explore her personal philosophy of reinvention, how she’s rethinking wealth, and her commitment to empowering entrepreneurs through investment and mentorship. For more podcasts by Visa, visit: https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/about-visa/cemea-podcast.html#1

Inside a recent episode

How Digital Finance Can Drive Growth and Inclusion

Published 27 Jan 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] But then we have the third barrier, which is financial literacy, which encompasses both crowd -fired options, traditional finance, and also decentralized finance. These things create multiple barriers. I think another important thing to mention is the lack of regulation and regulatory clarity, which in turn creates issues of trust. People do not understand the financial system. They do not trust it. And because of the lack of clarity, you know, that's another barrier that comes up. So I believe it was the World Bank's G20 financial inclusion plan, which said that it's very important to have clear frameworks and rules if you want to ensure the digital finance prosperous easily, specifically in emerging markets. […]

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

45

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

27

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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