Web Summit, the world’s largest global technology event series, has announced that Oscar-winning Hollywood superstar Will Smith will be speaking at the second edition of Web Summit Qatar, taking place at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre from February 23-26.
Web Summit Qatar is set to gather over 25,000 technology and business leaders, founders, 600 world-leading investors, 600 media, and a record 1,500+ startups for its highly anticipated return. As well as his onscreen stardom, Smith is also a business founder and entrepreneur. In 2019, he and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith founded Westbrook, an entertainment venture company whose mission is to help established and emerging talent realize their creative aspirations across film, television, documentaries, new media, and consumer goods.
Smith will speak on Web Summit Qatar's centre stage, exploring the intersection of media, culture, health, and technology. There, in conversation with global bestselling author and podcast host Jay Shetty, Smith will share the lessons he’s learned through his career, the challenges he’s overcome, and how he continues to push boundaries in entertainment, business, and life. The conversation will explore what success truly means through the eyes of a global star - both on and off the screen.
Smith joins a lineup that includes tech and VC leaders like Alexis Ohanian, founder of Seven Seven Six and Reddit co-founder; Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook and B Capital; best-selling authors and podcast stars Malcolm Gladwell and Jay Shetty; Laura Chambers, CEO of Mozilla Corporation; Brian Robbins, CEO of Paramount Pictures and many more.
Up from 1,000 startups at its inaugural edition, Web Summit Qatar’s second edition will gather 1,500 of the most promising early-stage startups from 90 countries – 46% of which are women-founded and 85% of which are global. 85% of the startups attending are global and 15% are from Qatar, highlighting both the strength of the Qatari ecosystem and its international appeal -- as well as Web Summit’s reputation as the global showcase for the world’s most promising new businesses.
Will Smith boasts a career that spans over three decades, during which he has earned critical acclaim as an actor and musician, enjoyed massive commercial success, and exerted huge cultural influence. He has won 4 Grammy Awards as a rapper, starred in multiple blockbuster films and also won an Academy Award in 2022 for Best Actor.
