GEMS in the news.

LAS VEGAS, NV — Inside Otonomus Las Vegas — the world's first fully AI-powered hotel — GEMS World Dialogue officially launched the Women-Led Investment Network (WIN). Built to convert empty promises of gender equality into real-world capital, contracts, and breakthroughs, WIN bypasses institutional gatekeepers to give high-impact projects direct access to funding under UN Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Conceived by Nora Abou Chakra, founder of GEMS World Dialogue and CEO of VIPMINDS, the network acts as a mixed-gender execution engine.

The launch took place under the patronage of His Excellency Philippe Ziade, Special Envoy for the State of Nevada to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, who unveiled the WIN Monument. Emmy® Award-winning journalist and Master of Ceremonies Stacey Gualandi framed the night as a turning point: "Trillions move through the global economy daily, yet the money to elevate women stays locked behind outdated systems. We are here to break that cycle permanently."

The event drew heavy government backing. Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony presented official commendations alongside representatives for U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, and U.S. Representatives Steven Horsford and Susie Lee. WIN's multi-sector strategy is driven by its founding steering committee — a cross-sector group of women leaders, among others.

Grounding its commercial power in local impact, Signs of HOPE CEO Kim Small spotlighted WIN's commitment to funding crisis intervention for survivors of abuse across Southern Nevada. The evening concluded with a live media activation and red-carpet interviews broadcast to international networks, signaling a new era where disruptive powers, capital deployment, and human breakthroughs converge.

About GEMS World Dialogue — An international, outcome-driven diplomatic framework binding 50 nations into an active pipeline to fast-track the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In partnership with the LAU School of Business via the UN PRME framework, GEMS brings strict metrics and accountability to global diplomacy.

BEVERLY HILLS — A new kind of global movement was switched on recently, the GEMS World Dialogue Beverly Hills 2026, which launched at the Beverly Hills City Hall with a blunt promise: bring 50 countries into a single, outcome-driven pipeline to accelerate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — and publish what works, what doesn't, and who delivers. This initiative redefines the very concept of global conversation; typically "world dialogue" implies discussion, but this time it represents dialogue in action, where words are translated into tangible impact through various forms of diplomacy — including Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Cultural, Art, Sports, Health, Diaspora, Education, Music, Science, Food, Environmental and Tech Diplomacy.

This movement is anchored by the LAU School of Business and its commitment to PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education). PRME is the "Global Accountability Shock-System" of the United Nations. While most initiatives rely on self-reporting, PRME is a rigorous global network of over 800 elite institutions across 95 countries that mandates absolute transparency. It functions as a technology-backed "Truth Engine" that vets every project against high-level academic and ethical benchmarks. By integrating PRME, GEMS ensures that global diplomacy is no longer just a series of meetings, but a high-pressure audit of real-world results that leaves no room for bureaucracy or corporate storytelling to hide.

Held under the patronage of His Excellency Philippe Ziade, Special Envoy for the State of Nevada to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and a board member of the LAU School of Business and Sustainability Committee, the launch opened a full-year, high-pressure program built to convert diplomacy into measurable impact. Unlike traditional forums that end with communiqués, GEMS is structuring a public accountability engine: a transparent scorecard of deliverables, paired with an immersive documentary that follows the decisions, the fixes, and the results — project by project, country by country.

GEMS is designed as a global selection and scale mechanism. A cohort of power players chosen for proven, durable impact will identify and advance the "gems" — spanning education, healthcare, climate resilience, governance, and inclusive economic growth. The initiative is founded by VIPMINDS in partnership with Growth Holdings, and is anchored by the LAU School of Business, utilizing the PRME framework to ensure every diplomatic effort contributes concretely and verifiably to the SDGs.

The launch panel signaled the cross-sector coalition behind the effort, featuring Julie Wagner, CEO of the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau; John Bendheim of Bendheim Enterprises; Todd Johnson, President & CEO of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce; Keith Sterling, Deputy City Manager of Beverly Hills; Tony Cuccio, President & CEO of International Cuccio Brands; Yasmine Shihata, Founder and CEO of eniGma Magazine; and His Excellency Philippe Ziade. Dr. Tahani Saker, President of the Humanity Work nonprofit in Las Vegas, Nevada, and an education advocate from Qatar, was acknowledged for her role as a key supporter of the initiative, bringing cross-border sustainability expertise through her advocacy for child welfare, education, and women's empowerment.

A broad coalition of advocates and business leaders has lent backing to the initiative, including Sam Alawie, President of Beverly Hills Dental Lab & Magne Education, who emphasized the role health infrastructure plays in sustainable progress; Charlie Hanna of Boston, CEO of Cedar's Foods, who highlighted cross-regional food security and supply-chain resilience; and Natalya Berikjanzu, Co-Founder of AeroPrivate, selected as the exclusive luxury sponsor supporting the event's global logistics and high-profile guests.

The evening was accompanied by a philharmonic ensemble led by Anna Maria Mendieta, an acclaimed soloist and harpist — winner of five Global Music Awards and a Grammy-finalist whose album reached #2 on Billboard's Classical Crossover Chart, and who has performed for the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI, Presidents Clinton and Gorbachev, and the King and Queen of Spain.

Beyond the launch, GEMS is building its own public record. The program will culminate in a high-profile red-carpet awards ceremony and the premiere of a cinematic documentary tracking the year-long journey across 50 nations — turning abstract targets into human stakes and showing, in real time, how aligned public-private action, driven by focused diplomacy and PRME-backed academic rigor, can outpace bureaucracy and accelerate sustainable development. Prof. Dima Jamali, Dean of the LAU School of Business, underscored the importance of matching local realities to global standards, while Diplomat Philippe Ziade framed the initiative as a credibility test for modern governance and truthful storytelling. Organizers say next year's main convening will be a published deliverables framework with defined milestones, funding gates, and impact metrics open to review.

The countdown has begun.