Erika Masako Welch

Erika Masako Welch

Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer, Lucidity Insights

Erika is Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer at Lucidity Insights. Having spent 15 years advising Fortune 500 companies and multinational conglomerates from around the world on how to grow businesses in emerging markets, Erika found that data and knowledge underpinned and empowered strategic decision-making. The creation of Lucidity Insights was inspired by the idea that strategic C-suite level data and insights could empower startups and Venture Capitalists in the MENAPT region, elevating the entire regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. Data is not just for the Chief Executive, or the data analyst after-all. Democratizing access to quality data across the tech ecosystem will elevate every startup and every investors’ decision-making, and thus, benefit the economy, overall. Erika has worked with data to develop comprehensive business success stories and strategies for her entire professional career. She is a thought leader in growth strategies in fast-moving emerging markets, with a focus on Middle Eastern and Asian Markets. She is an expert on the startup ecosystems in the Middle East, and a thought leader on entrepreneurship, disruptive technologies and sustainability. She has worked with both government and corporates clients, across over 30 different industry verticals and in over 40 countries. She is best described as a data-curious strategic thinker and advisor, who also happens to be an enthusiastic storyteller and writer. Erika graduated from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business with an Executive MBA (MSx), and also holds degrees from McGill University (B.Sc Neuroscience) and the University of Cambridge (Sustainability in Business). She speaks English and Japanese, is conversational in French, and speaks survival Arabic. In her spare time, she is an avid globe trotter, having travelled to over 70 countries, and counts scuba-diving, free-diving and yoga among her favourite activities. She is a self-described wellness-junkie and adventure enthusiast. She is also a dog mum.

Lucidity Insights

Latest Articles by Erika Masako Welch

ArticlesWhy Egyptian Startups Might Do Better to Expand to Africa vs the GCC
ArticlesCreating Impact: A comprehensive Special Report on The Business of Impact Investing
ArticlesHealthTech in the Middle East and Africa
The State of Healthtech
ArticlesThe State of Healthtech
The Digital Revolution of Healthcare
ArticlesThe Digital Revolution of Healthcare
ArticlesEnvironmental Impacts of Trade
ArticlesSocio-Economic Impacts of Trade
ArticlesThe Journey to Net Zero in a Complex, Globalized Economy
ArticlesThe EV Charging Conundrum
ArticlesA Brief History of Electric Vehicles
ArticlesThe World’s Leading Universities for Entrepreneurs
Articles5 Graphs that Explain EV Purchase Drivers Across the World
ArticlesStrategic Drivers for Mass EV Adoption
ArticlesEV Global Domination
Articles5 Infographics that Explain the Race to Electrification
ArticlesThe State of the EV Revolution in 2023
ArticlesThe Evolving Landscape of FoodTech: Challenges and Opportunities
ArticlesDemystifying Foodtech: Why It Matters
ArticlesGlobal Foodtech Unicorn Success Stories
ArticlesData Points That Help Explain the Emergence of Foodtech
ArticlesFoodtech Startups in the Middle East Raise over US $2.6 Billion in the past Two Years
ArticlesMiddle Eastern Women Making Waves in Silicon Valley
ArticlesWeb3 Revealed: A Comprehensive 2023 Report on the Future of the Internet
ArticlesTop 10 Trends of Web3 in 2023
ArticlesMENA's startup growth continues to be led by Dubai: over $11.7B lifetime raised across 306 scaleups
ArticlesDubai Chamber of Digital Economy Publishes 2023 Venture Report; Dubai adds 64 more scale-ups in 2022
ArticlesBetting on Africa: Why the Future of Fintech Lies on the Continent
Fintech Market in Africa Graphs
Articles6 Graphs That You Need to Know about the Fintech Market Landscape in Africa
ArticlesMeet the Fintechs Dominating Africa’s Unicorn List
10 graph of fintech opportunity & challenge in Africa
ArticlesHere Are the 10 Graphs That Will Help Explain the Fintech Opportunity and Challenge in Africa
ArticlesThe future of fintech may well be in Africa.
Diriyah: The Cultural Capital of Saudi Arabia
ArticlesDiriyah: The Cultural Capital of Saudi Arabia
Diriyah and the Giga Projects Defining Saudi Arabia’s New Tourism Economy
ArticlesDiriyah and the Giga Projects Defining Saudi Arabia’s New Tourism Economy
Saudi’s Young & Tech Hungry Consumer
ArticlesSaudi’s Young & Tech Hungry Consumer
Vision 2030 and Entrepreneurship in Saudi
ArticlesVision 2030 and Entrepreneurship in Saudi
Who Are the Key Stakeholders and Supporters of Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia?
ArticlesWho Are the Key Stakeholders and Supporters of Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia?
What Are the Latest Trends in Saudi’s Startup Ecosystem?
ArticlesWhat Are the Latest Trends in Saudi’s Startup Ecosystem?
What Are the Future Trends in the Saudi Start-up Investment Landscape?
ArticlesWhat Are the Future Trends in the Saudi Start-up Investment Landscape?
How Saudi Arabia’s Start-up Funding Skyrocketed in 2022
ArticlesHow Saudi Arabia’s Start-up Funding Skyrocketed in 2022
What Are The Most Funded Startups in Saudi Arabia?
ArticlesWhat Are The Most Funded Startups in Saudi Arabia?
Meet the Most Active Investors in Saudi Arabia
ArticlesMeet the Most Active Investors in Saudi Arabia
Amal Dokhan, General Partner at 500 Global
ArticlesWoman to Woman: Advice from Saudi Investors to Those Aspiring to Enter Venture Capital
Special Feature: Women in Saudi’s VC Ecosystem
ArticlesWomen in Saudi’s Venture Capital Ecosystem
What Dubai’s Startups and Tech-preneurs have to say about Dubai’s Ambitions to Become the Digital Economy Capital of the World
ArticlesWhat Dubai’s Startups and Tech-preneurs have to say about Dubai’s Ambitions to Become the Digital Economy Capital of the World
Startups are Leading the Next Innovative Charge for Sustainability Solutions
ArticlesStartups are Leading the Next Innovative Charge for Sustainability Solutions
10 Things to Know About Dubai’s Digital Economy Ambitions
Articles10 Things to Know About Dubai’s Digital Economy Ambitions
tourism industry
ArticlesThe Importance of the Global Tourism Industry and Why it’s Revival is Necessary
10 Things To Know About the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Articles10 Things to Know about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Compelling Data  for fintech in saudi
ArticlesCompelling Data for Fintech in Saudi
The Strategic Drivers for fintech in KSA
ArticlesThe Strategic Drivers for fintech in KSA
Fintech Supporting Infrastructure in KSA
ArticlesFintech Supporting Infrastructure in KSA
fintech in Saudi Arabia
ArticlesFintech in Saudi Arabia Today
Understanding the Mena Region from a Fintech Perspective
ArticlesUnderstanding the MENA Region from a Fintech Perspective
Ranking Mena Markets by Size of Fintech Opportunity
ArticlesRanking Mena Markets by Size of Fintech Opportunity
The Mena Region's 5 Top Fintech Hot Spots
ArticlesThe Mena Region's 5 Top Fintech Hot Spots
Navigating the World of Cryptocurrencies
ArticlesNavigating the World of Cryptocurrencies
The Foundation Religious Tourism
ArticlesReligious Tourism in Saudi Makes Mecca the 13th Most Visited City in 2019
Saudi's New Leisure Tourism Sector
ArticlesSaudi's New Leisure Tourism Sector
The Kingdom's Thirst for Sport & Entertaiment
ArticlesThe Kingdom's Thirst for Sport & Entertaiment
The Global Tourism Industry
ArticlesWhy The World Needs Tourism to Recover... ASAP
Saudi Arabia's Vision for Tourism
ArticlesSaudi Arabia's Vision for Tourism
The Origin Story: The Intriguing Story about the Anonymous Founder(s) of Cryptocurrency
ArticlesThe Intriguing Story about the Anonymous Founder(s) of Cryptocurrency

Latest Spotlights by Erika Masako Welch

Connor Landgraf, Founder and CEO of Eko Health
SpotlightsEko Health’s Symphony of Innovation: Bridging Cardiac Care Gaps
VentureSouq and VC’s Growing Role in Sustainability
SpotlightsVentureSouq and VC’s Growing Role in Sustainability
SpotlightsAcross the Table with Nader Albastaki: A Journey from Banking to Venture Capital, Exploring Dubai's Startup Ecosystem
STV on Creating the Next Digital Giants of the Middle East
SpotlightsSTV on Creating the Next Digital Giants of the Middle East
SpotlightsPure Harvest Smart Farms: MENA’s Next Agtech ‘Uni-Camel’
Kevin Chin
SpotlightsTEMBO: Electrifying Utility Vehicles One Commercial Fleet at a Time
SpotlightsKLC Virtual Restaurants: Cloud Kitchens Re-Imagined
SpotlightsYango Tech: Tech Stack for Profitable E-Grocery
SpotlightsIn Conversation with H.E. Ahmad Abdullah Juma Bin Byat, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy
SpotlightsOlayinka David-West: Achieving Financial Inclusion Will Require a New Kind of Customer-Obsessed Fintech
SpotlightsMoove.io: Financial Inclusion for Mobility Entrepreneurs
SpotlightsMastercard’s Role in Fostering Fintech in Africa
SpotlightsIFC on Fostering Financial Inclusion via Fintech Investments in Africa
SpotlightsNowNow Reimagining Fintech in Africa
Jerry Inzerillo on His Legacy Role Helping Saudi Build Its Own Tourism Legacy
SpotlightsJerry Inzerillo on His Legacy Role Helping Saudi Build Its Own Tourism Legacy
Fahad Alidi, Managing Director at Wa'ed Ventures
SpotlightsWa’ed Ventures: Empowering an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia
Hala Ventures on Supporting Global-Minded Saudi Startups
SpotlightsHala Ventures on Supporting Global-Minded Saudi Startups
KAUST Innovation Ventures on Closing the Gap in Deep-Tech Startup Investments
SpotlightsKAUST Innovation Ventures on Closing the Gap in Deep-Tech Startup Investments
Envisioning the Future of MENA Startups: Vision Ventures’ Investment Approach
SpotlightsEnvisioning the Future of MENA Startups: Vision Ventures’ Investment Approach
Basmah Alsinaidi, Partner at IMPACT46
SpotlightsIMPACT46 on Launching World Class Saudi Unicorns
Hazen.ai: A Saudi Startup Using Deep Learning To Drive Road Safety
SpotlightsHazen.ai: A Saudi Startup Using Deep Learning To Drive Road Safety
NUQTAH: At the Cross-Section of Saudi’s Creative and Digital Economies
SpotlightsNuqtah: At the Cross-Section of Saudi’s Creative and Digital Economies
OQ Technology: Space Technology Startup Sets up in Saudi Arabia
SpotlightsOQ Technology: Space Technology Startup Sets up in Saudi Arabia
SVC’s Role in Creating a Healthy Investor Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia
SpotlightsSVC’s Role in Creating a Healthy Investor Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia
Jahez: 5 Years to Unicorn-Dom in Saudi Arabia’s Hypergrowth Consumer-Tech Market
SpotlightsJahez: 5 Years to Unicorn-Dom in Saudi Arabia’s Hypergrowth Consumer-Tech Market
Chalhoub Group’s Venture Studio: Nurturing the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs In-House
SpotlightsChalhoub Group’s Venture Studio: Nurturing the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs In-House
How Dubai’s First Insurtech Startup Reimagined Health Insurance to Achieve $47 Million in Revenues in 3 Years
SpotlightsHow Dubai’s First Insurtech Startup, Sehteq, Reimagined Health Insurance to Achieve $47 Million in Revenues in 3 Years
In Conversation with Rashid Alabbar
SpotlightsIn Conversation with Rashid Alabbar: Serial Entrepreneur & Board Member, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy
The Path to Humanity’s Sustainability Lies in AI Optimization
SpotlightsThe Path to Humanity’s Sustainability Lies in Opteam's AI Optimization
Archireef: Using 3D Printing to Save the Coral Reef Ecosystem
SpotlightsArchireef: Using 3D Printing to Save the Coral Reef Ecosystem
E-Payment Platform That Strives for Financial Inclusion of Banked and Unbanked Egyptians
SpotlightsE-Payment Platform Fawry, Strives for Financial Inclusion of Banked and Unbanked Egyptians
How Dubai Is Attempting to Become the World’s Ground Zero for Blockchain, Metaverse & Virtual Assets
SpotlightsHow Dubai Is Attempting to Become the World’s Ground Zero for Blockchain, Metaverse & Virtual Assets
Dubai Future District Fund: An Evergreen Fund Anchored with AED 1 Billion, and Even Greater Ambitions Ahead
SpotlightsDubai Future District Fund: An Evergreen Fund Anchored with AED 1 Billion, and Even Greater Ambitions Ahead
In 2015, Eduard Castaneda and Enric Asuncion shared a vision of propelling the EV revolution forward by developing more intuitive and cost-effective EV charging solutions, and became the founders of Wallbox
SpotlightsIn 2015, Wallbox's Eduard Castaneda and Enric Asuncion shared a vision of propelling the EV revolution forward
Dubai Chambers Role in the Development of the Emirate’s Digital Economy
SpotlightsDubai Chambers Role in the Development of the Emirate’s Digital Economy
In Conversation with Dubai Future Foundation
SpotlightsIn Conversation with Dubai Future Foundation
The Fine Dining Cloud Kitchen Concept
SpotlightsKITCH-IN: The Fine Dining Cloud Kitchen Concept
How Sweet it is to be Sweetheart Kitchen…
SpotlightsHow Sweet it is to be Sweetheart Kitchen…
the Cloud Kitchen that wants to do it all…
SpotlightsKLC Virtual Restaurants: the Cloud Kitchen that wants to do it all…
An Insider’s Look: An Aviation Entrepreneur Tells Us How Saudi Arabia Has Changed Over the Past 10 Years
SpotlightsAn Insider’s Look: An Aviation Entrepreneur Tells Us How Saudi Arabia Has Changed Over the Past 10 Years
Sitting Down with the Saudi Tourism Authority
SpotlightsSitting Down with the Saudi Tourism Authority
Bringing the F1 Grand Prix and Motorsport to the Shores of Saudi Arabia
SpotlightsBringing the F1 Grand Prix and Motorsport to the Shores of Saudi Arabia
PayTabs Egypt Case Study
SpotlightsPayTabs Egypt: In Conversation with GM Hany Soliman
a dApp at the crossroads of DeFi, BNPL & Crypto to Fiat (C2F)
SpotlightsAtPay.io | a dApp at the crossroads of DeFi, BNPL & Crypto to Fiat (C2F)
Aggregating Protocols to Become the most user-friendly One-Stop-Shop Blockchain for DeFi
SpotlightsReef.io | Aggregating Protocols to Become the most user-friendly One-Stop-Shop Blockchain for DeFi
Helping to Solve the Cash-on-Delivery Challenge for Saudi eCommerce Merchants
SpotlightsTamara is Helping to Solve the Cash-on-Delivery Challenge for Saudi eCommerce Merchants
Saudi’s first Unicorn
SpotlightsSTCpay | Saudi’s first Unicorn
A Newcomer looking to Empower Financial Literacy amongst Middle East Youth
SpotlightsCashee | A Newcomer looking to Empower Financial Literacy amongst Middle East Youth
Egypt’s BNPL Leader Plays in Market Forecasted to Reach $1.6 Billion by 2028
SpotlightsEgypt’s BNPL leader ValU plays in a market forecasted to reach $1.6 Billion by 2028
the SaaS Powering Cloud Kitchens
SpotlightsFOODICS: the SaaS Powering Cloud Kitchens