- December 16, 2024
EPISODE #
What It Takes to Win Big – in MENA: Insights from a $35Bn Founder and Global Investor
About this episode
Chris Rogers is a global entrepreneur who co-founded Nextel Communications, a wireless connectivity company, in 1987 and sold it for $35B in 2005. In the early 2000s, Chris came to Saudi Arabia to launch Nextel as a joint venture with Saudi Telecom. His deep connection to the region brought him back as an investor in Careem, Kitopi, and several other startups. In this episode, Chris shares what it takes to build and lead billion-dollar businesses, his perspective on Sovereign Wealth Fund initiatives shaping the MENA startup ecosystem, the challenges Venture Capital firms face in the region, and what it truly means to exit successfully. Chris also offers timeless lessons on resilience, attracting global investors, and balancing ambition with wellness. Whether you’re a founder, VC, or someone with big dreams, this episode is packed with insights to help you scale your next big thing.
Support for the show comes from Capital.com, a global investment company with offices in Dubai. Click here for a chance to win AED 1m.
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guest profile
Chris Rogers
Christopher T. Rogers, J.D. is a Partner at Lumia Capital where he is responsible for leading Lumia’s investment and value-add activities for companies with significant exposure to mobile platforms. Prior to Lumia, Chris was the co-founder of Nextel Communications which he grew to $13B in sales and 19k employees before being acquired by Sprint for $35 billion. Chris brings 30 years of mobile industry experience as a founder, advisor, and operator. Most recently, Chris served as a Senior Vice President at Sprint (Fortune 100, 36K employees), where he oversaw mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, equity investments and joint ventures. He also was responsible for management and oversight of wireless spectrum licenses and Sprint’s portfolio of emerging technology investments.
Prior to the 2005 acquisition, Chris helped spearhead the roll-up of local carriers that transformed Nextel into a major national operator. He also led the series of transactions in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Brazil that resulted in the creation of Nextel International, now an independent public company which reached over $6B of revenues. Chris was also responsible for negotiations with regulators, investors, and carriers in China, Saudi Arabia, India, Jordan, and Pakistan, among other geographies.
Throughout his time at Nextel and Sprint, Chris sat on the boards of numerous venture-backed companies across five countries. Additionally, Chris has served as a director on multiple public company boards and as well as several Washington, D.C.-based philanthropic organizations. He currently sits on the board of Digital Turbine (NASDAQ:APPS), NII Holdings (NASDAQ:NIHD).