Ms. Mariam Lashkhi is a Deputy Chairperson at Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA) with 13 years of working and managerial experience in both public and private sectors as well as in international financial institutions and civil society organizations. Ms. Lashkhi is a strong believer in economic growth through innovation development and sees many opportunities where the government can play a crucial role, especially in developing an enabling environment. Prior to joining GITA, Ms. Lashkhi worked at the World Bank with the private sector development group where she contributed to elaborating the national innovation strategy of Georgia as well as to establishing GITA, which provides state institutional support for innovation. In 2018 she received a Woman Leader in the Government Award for her efforts to build an innovation ecosystem in Georgia. She is also a founder of a charity NGO that supports orphan houses with vocational education. Ms. Lashkhi holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Georgian Technical University (2012) and a BA in IT and Engineering from the University of Georgia (2009). She also underwent trainings at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; Charles University, Czech Republic; and the Heidelberg University DAAD Program, Germany. She is currently pursuing her PhD from the School of International Relations at Georgian Technical University. Research topic: “Digital Silk Road: Collaboration between Countries and the Role of International Financial Institutions.”