A Chat with Maria A. Dahrieh: Serial entrepreneur; Impact leader; Investor relations expert; Founder & CEO, Earth05; Strong advocate for water rights and ethical AI

This week, Stephen Ibaraki has an exclusive interview with Maria A. Dahrieh.

Maria A. Dahrieh is a visionary serial entrepreneur, investor relations expert, and impact leader with 20+ years in tech startups, fundraising, and business development. She has worked with 100+ startups, sourcing deals for VCs, family offices, and institutional investors worldwide. In addition to facilitating deal flow, Maria helps funds access high-quality investment opportunities and raise fund of funds.

As Founder & CEO of Earth05, Maria fosters co-creation at the nexus of water, food, and energy security in the Age of AI. In 2024, she launched the Earth05 Co-Creation Prize, first awarded in Davos (2025), recognizing breakthrough solutions in microplastics, desalination, water scarcity, and AI-driven sustainability. She also conceptualized and founded the Return on Lives (ROL) metric, a groundbreaking framework to measure the social, environmental, and economic impact of innovations on lives.

Her career spans Europe and the Middle East, with expertise in smart cities shaped by 300+ city deployments. A strong advocate for water rights and ethical AI, she champions purposeful regulations that align technology with humanity's needs.

A polyglot and world traveler, Maria is currently writing her first book-a blend of her journey in tech, science fiction visions, and sustainability insights-set for publication in 2026.

Favorite quote:
"Let us not be blind to our differences... And if we cannot end our differences now, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity." - JFK