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Some of the UAE’s leading entrepreneurs, including Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, shared their experiences of growing a successful social business with budding social start-ups at an event led by the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an.
Ambitious social entrepreneurs, including the ten participants of Ma’an’s first Social Incubator Program, as well as investors and government partners joined the conversation to hear first-hand about the highs and lows of the journey to become a successful entrepreneur.
Speaking at the event, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan shared her experiences of growing a number of successful businesses since 2008 including the Alliances for Global Sustainability, of which she is the CEO, she said:” I have learnt a lot running social initiatives for just over five years which I am happy to share with budding social entrepreneurs to help boost this sector.”
His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi pointed out the importance of establishing a culture of community investment and raising awareness among business to motivate them to invest in social projects that will better the life of individuals in the community. He stressed that the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an is a catalyst to achieve the goals of the social sector and create a new generation that is enabled socially and economically.
His Excellency Dr Mugheer said: “The social sector in Abu Dhabi, led by the Department of Community Development, is keen to create an impactful social system that enables all members of the community to participate in making the positive change required and eliminate the issues that might face the development of the community. This will not happen unless we adopt the right policies and strategies to empower entrepreneurs within the social sector to achieve their goals.”
Also speaking was Mashal Waqar, co-founder and COO of The Tempest (a global next-generation women's media company) and a recipient of Forbes Middle East 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneur Middle East MENA Region's Achieving Women among others.
Mashal Waqar said: "People of determination are one of the largest communities in the world with more than 1.2 billion people with disabilities. But less than 1% of websites are accessible.
"When I joined as co-founder of the company, I realised we have an important responsibility to prioritize accessibility as a core value and to make online content accessible.
"It's not to feel good, it's not just to say we're doing something with good intentions, it's actually about the fact that this makes business sense. When you're targeting 1.2 billion people, that's a massive opportunity. Accessibility is a responsibility and it makes sense from an innovation point of view and from an opportunity point of view."
Moderated by Aby Sam Thomas, Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Middle East, the event also included a panel discussion with additional guests Kyle Weber, Founder and CEO of EVERA, a start-up leading the regional shift towards sustainable mobility and Sameer Mankani, Chief Operating Officer of Health at Hand, one of the UAE’s leading health tech start-ups.
Panellists discussed the challenges and opportunities of growing a business, including how to unlock the stages of growth, the importance of educating the regional market about social entrepreneurship and their top advice for people looking to start an enterprise in the UAE.
The ‘Join the Conversation’ event was organized by Ma’an as part of a regular series of initiatives to bring together stakeholders from across the public, private and third sector to advance the agenda of creating collaborative communities.
The Ma’an Social Incubator program aims to support and develop innovative social concepts and start-up projects in Abu Dhabi so they may become social institutions or civil facilities with an active role in providing solutions to challenges in the community.
Her Excellency Ms. Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of Ma’an said: “At the start of any new business venture, the challenge can seem both exciting and daunting.
“That is why it is so important for our social entrepreneurs – many of whom are embarking on their journey for the first time - to hear from those who have already arrived at the destination.
“We are especially honoured to have Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan speak to us at this event. It is testament to both her passion for sustainable enterprise and the innovative work Ma’an is leading to establish the concept of social entrepreneurship firmly in Abu Dhabi.”
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