A Women Entrepreneurs Breakfast Roundtable” seminar hosted at the Latham & Watkins office in Dubai, examined challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the Arab World

1. challenges & opportunities
March 5 2012
rama chakaki
rama@baraka.ae
women entrepreneurs in the arab world
Monday, March 5, 12

2. A global challenge .. a MENA reality!
Monday, March 5, 12

3. rama@baraka
Monday, March 5, 12

4. Fundraising
• USA - Keybridge - $60 M - 3 wks (VC)
• MENA Fundraising - zeedna - $500k - 3 yrs (F&F)
SOFTWARE: Social Media Platform
Monday, March 5, 12

5. other PRIVATE EQUITY
• venture capital
• seed
• angel networks
• grant organizations
• lending banks
Investment Landscape
Monday, March 5, 12

6. Challenges
• entrepreneurs
• Humility & poor self-promotion
• family & society
• seek stability
• family first
• build cupcake businesses
• investor profile
• risk averse
• accustomed to brick and mortar model
• lacking industry knowledge
• underdeveloped eco system
• insufficient seed & angel investment networks
• Majles recommendations
• global pressure to invest in developed markets
• Media & Multinationals
• Solving the wrong problems
Monday, March 5, 12

7. CONSUMER INTERNET: eCommerce & Augmented Reality
Monday, March 5, 12

8. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT - Gaming
Monday, March 5, 12

9. SOCIAL ENTERPRISE: Mobile & RETAIL & eCommerce
Monday, March 5, 12

10. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT - Science & Education
Monday, March 5, 12

11. Opportunities
• An eco system - Women centric everything
• angel networks & vc firms
• consumer internet & mobile
• increased collaboration between
academic & private sectors
• services
• web design, custom software
development,
• e-education, digital agencies,
• social ventures
Monday, March 5, 12

12. what we must do..
• enable the powerful with knowledge & tech
• tell stories & celebrate success & failure
• identify role-models
• Network
• push into the media
Monday, March 5, 12

13. BUKSHA
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE: Volunteer Tourism
Monday, March 5, 12

14. connect.communicate.collaborate
about.me/rchakaki
@rchakaki
rama.chakaki.com
Monday, March 5, 12