Female Entrepreneurship in the Arab World: From Morocco to Saudi Arabia
Fri, Mar 26, 2021 12 noon - 1:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
Register here.
Learn from an all Arab female panel on their personal experiences, and views as entrepreneurs who built their ventures during the pandemic!
The perception and practice of female leadership in the Arab world is often overlooked. An old saying tells us that women’s work is never done. Yet, for too many women in the Arab world, in some respects it never begins. Despite their multiple responsibilities as daughters, mothers, wives, and caregivers to family members old and young, women in the Middle East and North Africa have the world’s lowest rates of labor force participation.
The GW Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) in collaboration with GWomen invites you to participate in an all Arab female entrepreneurship panel discussion with entrepreneurs who built and grew their different business ventures in the Arab world during the pandemic. In an effort to highlight the contributions of women in entrepreneurship, we’re excited to bring this discussion to the GW community at-large during Women’s History Month. Panelists include women innovators, entrepreneurs, and educators stretching from Morocco to Lebanon who will offer their unique perspectives, personal experiences, and views.
About the Panelists:
Ichraf Jarray, Founder of Hive12:
Ichraf Jarray is an entrepreneur and community catalyst, enthusiastic about Social Innovation and Technology. As the founder of Hive12 Co-working space, she initiates various entrepreneurship programs for early-stage startups for women and youth. She works on developing a valuable network of partners and ensures the design of effective marketing strategies, expansion, and growth.
Imane El Ouizgani, Professor of Management & HRM at Ibn Zohr University
Imane El Ouizgani is currently working in the field of development and women & youth capacity building for employability. She conducts various studies in her field of expertise and design and implements a portfolio of training in different fields in Arabic, French and English. In addition, Imane has a PhD in Human Resources Management and is an assistant professor in Ibn Zohr Faculty of Economics in Agadir, Morocco. She conducts research on the use of technology in Moroccan HRM and is currently submitting new research to leading journals.
Terry Bitar, Founder and President of Charity Donation Foundation, Inc.
Terry Bitar is a graduate Architect from Notre Dame University Louaize, Lebanon. After she graduated with honors, she pursued a Masters’ degree in Sustainability with a goal to link between the social works and the educational background. She registered a foundation called Charity Donation and an architectural design office called Bitarchitects, simultaneously to her PhD thesis. After the unprecedented events of 2020 in Lebanon: severe economic crisis, inflation and the blast in Beirut, Terry moved to Washington D.C. to pursue a Global MBA degree at George Washington University with an aim of establishing her foundation in the USA.
Dr. Afnan Al Shuaiby, Founder and CEO of FNN International
Dr Afnan Alshuaiby is the founder and CEO of FNN International. She is also Chairperson of the Arab international Women’s Forum. A senior manager executive with over 20 years of comprehensive large-scale management and successful track record providing fiscal, strategic and operational leadership in uniquely challenging situations in Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab world, the United Kingdom and the United States. Dr. Alshuaiby has a PhD In leadership administration from the George Washington University, a Masters degree in educational administration from the American University Washington DC, a bachelor’s degree in English literature from King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a certificate in executive education from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a certificate in peace and conflict resolution from the American University Washington DC.
About the Moderator:
Mariam Zara, GWSB ’22, Entrepreneurial Fellow (GWOIE)
Mariam is Junior in GW School of Business and studying Business Administration with a concentration in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Marketing. In her role as an Entrepreneurial fellow, she provides effective guidance to other students seeking evidence and experienced-based direction in moving their ideas forward. Witnessing how team-led ventures grow excited Mariam tremendously and she is now applying that same excitement and passion toward building her own startup tackling the negligence of women’s sexual and reproductive health.
Please note that this is an online event. A Zoom link for the event will be sent to all registrants a few days prior to the session.
