Demo Day Workshop with MBC Al Amal
Dubai, UAE, Feb. 27, 2019 – For the second time around, MBC Al Amal (MBC Hope) hosted MENACatalyst and Pitch Challenge finalists to meetup for a series of discussions that addressed the role of entrepreneurship in social and economic development.
MBC Al Amal is part of MBC Group’s ongoing CSR efforts, that features a multitude of ‘campaigns, initiatives, and contributions’ created or supported by MBC Group. MBC Al Amal has come to be known for supporting ‘the empowerment and development of Arab youth,’ through the implementation of initiatives that address their, ‘commitment to education, capacity building and work readiness, supporting entrepreneurship, and humanitarian causes.
Opening the event was Head of MBC Al Amal, Mariam Farag, who spoke passionately about the boundless power of storytelling, inspiring people around the world to take action and have an impact for the greater good. Following Farag, was Salah Al-Hidiq, Co-founder of the app HeyDoc!, and his experiences building a successful startup. A thought-provoking address, that delved into the intricacies of creating an atmosphere and the conditions conducive to not only bringing out the best talent in an organization but fostering that talent, was delivered by Director of Human Resources at MBC Group, Lyna Brahimi.
A series of discussions that highlighted the importance of business planning and startup ecosystems followed. Moatassem Moataz, Business Partner at Innovest ME, spoke about how startups of today must devise sound business models that are not only built for short term success but are built to scale and grow, and most importantly have the capacity to integrate into new markets. Director of Startup Grind Gaza, Rafat Abushaban, expounded upon the multidimensional role of startups in initiating measurable economic growth while simultaneously supporting social development and the alleviation of steep unemployment rates sweeping the region.
Pitching commenced, with startups taking the stage and pitching to gain invaluable feedback and advice. Startups then had the opportunity to take full advantage of a networking session and connect with a roomful of investors, industry partners and philanthropists, to gain invaluable exposure for their ventures, reach out to potential mentors, and become part of a community working to have an impact.
About MBC Al Amal
Launched in 2013, MBC Group’s CSR arm, MBC AL AMAL, focuses on the empowerment and development of youth, for our future and theirs. Our core strategy is about developing and implementing programs and initiatives, supporting youth empowerment, work readiness and capacity building, social entrepreneurship, education, child protection, and humanitarian causes.
To learn more about MBC Al Amal and all of their initiatives, connect with them at:
alamal@mbc.net, @MBCHope, and #MBCHope
MENACatalyst’s ْUAE Pitch Challenge and subsequent Demo Events are jointly funded by Taawon (Welfare Association), and KOICA (Korean International Cooperation Agency)