Carl Adams Kopati Gbali, PhD, is a multidisciplinary researcher and technology-policy specialist working at the intersection of innovation, digital technologies, regulation and development. He is a Postdoctoral Researcher at SOAS University of London, where he leads multi-country research on venture capital governance, emerging technologies and digital ecosystems across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt, supported by TLcom Capital. He holds a PhD in Advanced Policy Studies from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo and an MBA from the International University of Japan. His doctoral research examined how national policies shape knowledge transfer between foreign technology firms and domestic technology startups in Rwanda. His broader research interests include innovation and development policy, technological change, digital infrastructure, AI governance and the governance of emerging technologies. Before moving into academia, Carl spent more than a decade at ARCEP, the Central African Republic’s telecommunications regulator, working across technology regulation, market analysis and policy. He also has international policy experience through the International Telecommunication Union.