Tag: entrepreneurship

Google Announces G-Pals Day 2009 In Palestine

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G-Pals Day 2009Google announced that upon invitation by the Palestine Information & Communications Technology Incubator (PICTI) and Palestinian IT Association (PITA), with support from UPP and USAID, it will be offering specialized training days in Ramallah (West Bank), aiming to spur economic development in Palestine.

The event will be held over a two day period (March 24 – 25, 2009); the first day targeted at software developers and the second at entrepreneurs.

The agenda is as follows:

Day 1: For Software Developers (March 24th 2009)

Day 1 will focus on pushing the boundaries of web applications using Google developer technologies. Google engineers and web development leaders will lead attendants through one full day of in-depth sessions on the latest Google technologies and hands-on codelabs. The day will also be about bringing brilliant developers together to share their own ideas. Registration form for Day 1

Day 2: For Entrepreneurs (March 25th 2009)
Day 2 will be full of Google product demonstrations for small or medium sized businesses to help spur innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. There will be a discussion on how to create Arabic content using online tools, how to market them and how to monetize. Furthermore there will be presentations of several tools to better manage businesses. Registration form for Day 2

The event will be held in Ramallah at the following venue:

Grand Park Hotel
Al Masyoon Heights
Rafat Road
Ramallah
Tel: +972 2 298 6194

For more information, you can visit the official site here: G-Pals Day 2009

[Via: Leaders of Tomorrow]

Submit, The Conference For Middle Eastern Internet Entrepreneurs & Professionals (April 8-9th, 2009)

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Submit Conference

Among all the different conferences and events happening in the Middle East, there are rarely any at all that are dedicated to internet entrepreneurs and professionals; Submit is here to change that.

Submit is a gathering taking place in Dubai’s Habtoor Grand Hotel, on the 8th & 9th of April 2009, for entrepreneurs and professionals involved in the Internet industry in the Middle East.

If you’re involved in running an internet startup, web site, web application or are a professional in the Internet space, this event caters to you. 

The goal of Submit is to kick-start a yearly gathering to get people with a common interest in the internet, building web applications, entrepreneurship, technology, marketing, and design together in one place, in an attempt to share the latest innovations and developments taking place in the Internet industry across the region and the globe.

A number of experts from the International & Middle-East Internet scene will be speaking at the event.

The event is being organized by SpinBits and Argaam; with StartUpArabia as a media partner.

For more information about the event, the speakers and the topics that will be covered; you can check out the official event website here: Submit Conference.

Qatar Science & Technology Park Opens Registration For Next Investor Readiness Program

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Qatar Science & Technology ParkThe Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), has announced that registration is now open for its next Investor Readiness Program seminars.

Comprising five consecutive Monday-evening seminars starting 19 January, the free program focuses on how to become “investor ready” and raise finance. They are open to any Qatar resident that wishes to learn how to plan and build a start-up technology company.

Together the five seminars cover the full process of planning a successful start-up, from idea development through to raising capital and steering the company through its early years.  

Topics covered include:

  • Project selection, development & commercial evaluation
  • Building a management team
  • Business planning
  • Pitching to investors
  • Business development

The seminars and workshops are free, however places are limited and require registration. 

Those interested in attending can register online here: QSTP Investor Readiness Program Registration.

What Makes Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurial?

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About a year ago, I came across a really interesting study by Saras D. Sarasvathy from University of Washington’s School of Business on “What Makes Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurial?“. Today, I remebered it, thought I’d dig it up and share it here.

In her study, Sarasvathy  examined the reasoning of 30 founders of companies, ranging in size from $200 Million to $6.5 Billion. What she found was that these founders shared a distinct form of rationality that we have all long recognized intuitively as “Entrepreneurial”. She termed this type of rationality “Effectual Reasoning”.

Here is a bit from her study that basically explains this “Effectual Reasoning”:

“Effectual reasoning […] does not begin with a specific goal. Instead, it begins with a given set of means and allows goals to emerge contingently over time from the varied imagination and diverse aspirations of the founders and the people they interact with. While causal thinkers are like great generals seeking to conquer fertile lands (Genghis Khan conquering two thirds of the known world), effectual thinkers are like explorers setting out on voyages into uncharted waters (Columbus discovering the new world).”

And on the process entrepreneurs follow:

“All entrepreneurs begin with three categories of means: (1) Who they are – their traits, tastes and abilities; (2) What they know – their education, training, expertise, and experience; and, (3) Whom they know – their social and professional networks. Using these means, the entrepreneurs begin to imagine and implement possible effects that can be created with them.”

It’s a very interesting study that I really recommend reading: 
What Makes Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurial? (Saras D. Sarasvathy)

The Man Who Thinks He Can

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I came across a little poem called “Thinking”, also known as “The Man Who Thinks He Can”, by Walter D. Wintle, that I thought I’d share, and that I think embodies the spirit an entrepreneur needs to have to succeed.

If you think you’re beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,

It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost;

For out in the world we find

Success being with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;

You’ve got to think high to rise.

You’ve got to be sure of yourself

Before you can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster man;

But soon or late, the one who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

— Walter D. Wintle

Third Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Competition Winners Announced

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QRNEC LogoThe winners of the third annual Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Competition (QRNEC) were announced just a few days ago in Amman, Jordan.

HRH Princess Sumaya, who was deputising for Her Majesty Queen Rania at the award ceremony, said that Jordan’s large pool of graduates “represents a tremendous value that Jordan creates every year”, and that the participants in this year’s competition represent “job makers rather than job seekers”, adding that their success is “important to Jordan as role models for the next generation of entrepreneurs whom they will inspire, as future employers and as innovators who are solving valuable problems for society”.

The competition, which aims to encourage a business culture among Jordanian youths, focuses on launching new competitive products and services in various technical sectors, including the environment, information, communications, water desalination, energy and agricultural technologies. It also hopes to promote the spirit of creativity and innovation among young people and highlight the significant role citizens play in social and economic development.

In her address, the Princess stressed that Jordan’s human capital is needed at home to build the country’s economy and advance society. “If we are to examine the numbers of Jordanians abroad, we learn that more than 500,000 live in the Gulf states alone, and nearly one million worldwide,” she said, adding that if the figures are examined “on how much it costs Jordan to educate these expatriates, Jordan is in fact a donor to the global economy in the form of billions of dollars worth of human capital”.

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ABAN Hosts Fourth Annual Entrepreneur – Investor Matchmaking Event

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ABANThe Arab Business Angels Network (ABAN), a subsidiary of Dubai International Capital (DIC), in partnership with Young Arab Leaders (YAL), hosted its 4th annual entrepreneur-investor matchmaking event, taking forward the concept of angel or seed capital investing, a relatively new phenomenon in the Middle East.

The event, held on October 20th at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) spotlighted three aspiring start-ups:

  • White Smile, a project specializing in professional teeth whitening, oral detoxification, and cleansing therapies.
  • Chipmunk, a franchise of an eclectic range of baby products from Belgium. 
  • Khayal Interactive, an Egyptian game production company.

ABAN’s matchmaking events offer entrepreneurial ventures in the MENA region an opportunity to showcase their businesses and connect with high net worth investors seeking start-up investment opportunities. The affluent investors, termed angel investors, provide capital for business start-ups, typically in exchange for ownership equity.

In the past year, ABAN has signed up with several leading regional and international organisations to pool resources and promote entrepreneurialism, innovation and knowledge creation in the region.

Recently, ABAN joined forces with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation to foster entrepreneurship among women across the Arab region. ABAN has also collaborated with Dubai Internet City, one of the world’s largest managed ICT clusters and a member of TECOM Investments, to source new entrepreneurial ventures in the high-growth technology sector for further developing the region as a knowledge-based economy.

In addition, ABAN has partnered with Bader Group to support the establishment of a business angels networks in Lebanon. It has also signed an MoU with the Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG) to promote developmental, cross-learning relationships between Emirati youth and the youth of other countries to help groom competent leaders for the future. 

ABAN offers a wide range of benefits to its members ranging from advice and consultancy to financial support and training for selected entrepreneurs. ABAN also supports proposal pitching to investors, and facilitates collaboration and syndication among investors to maximise investment opportunities. 

The Arab Business Angels Network is scheduled to host its next matchmaking event on December 15th for introducing yet another batch of entrepreneurs to regional investors.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 17 – 23, 2008

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Global Entrepreneurship WeekThe approaching week of November 17 – 23, 2008, is Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide initiative aimed at young entrepreneurs everywhere who seek to generate new ideas and to seek better ways of doing things. 

During this week, governments and partner organizations from all over the world will host events ranging from invention competitions to local entrepreneurship summits – designed to inspire, connect, inform, mentor and engage the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The Week is a global initiative that is linking all those willing to embrace it. Host organizations in each participating country are recruiting partners and coordinating related activities. The exact type of these activities, whether online or face-to-face, is limited only by the imaginations of the partners and the participants. And while a list of suggested activities such as invention competitions, entrepreneurship film festivals, networking events, school-based activities, and local entrepreneurship summits – are available on the website, the actual activities conducted by partners will vary greatly.

And while it may be global in scope, at its heart, the Week is a local initiative that reflects the customs and entrepreneurial culture of each community. After all, what works in one corner of the world might be quite different from what works in another.

Some hosts and partners have signed up from a number of Arab countries to take part in this week, by conducting activities and organizing events. To check the hosts and partners in your country, apply to be a host, sign up as a partner or member, or add an activity; you can visit the official website: Global Entrepreneurship Week

Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Competition Nominated Teams Announced

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QRNEC Logo

The nominated teams have been announced for the third iteration of the Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Competition (QRNEC), which aims to be a driving force for entrepreneurship and innovation in Jordan.

The following are the names of the nominated teams, who have successfully passed the first stage and will compete for the QRNEC awards for this year.

Academia Entrepreneurs:
– VStock Exchange
– Friends
– Genesis JO
– ELSIRAJ
– SAFEtech
– YAMAMA
– Mis
– biotechnology
– JUST team
– GREEN LIGHT POWER
– Jeeks
– ecgteam
– Innovational Team
– Human Heater		 Mature Entrepreneurs:
– Grooshat
– Populace Ads
– Talasim.com Team
– ProcHub
– TrueI
– Monitoring Systems
– F1 “Help at the Click of a Button”
– National Center for Electronic Care (NCEC)
– Royal Scientific Society & Dr.Farqad F.M.Saeed
– Energy & Environmental Technologies
– MIDA Technologies
– HubbleDesk
– Saba Fawzi Mohammad Al Nsairat
– Biomedical Engineer
– KEENWASH

These nominated teams will be receiving advanced training courses and mentorship.

# QRNEC Results

MBR Foundation Center For Entrepreneurship and Innovation In American University Of Beirut

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Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum FoundationThe Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced plans to establish a new center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, as part of its continuous efforts to instill the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Arab world.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, aiming to serve as a regional nucleus for entrepreneurship research and knowledge dissemination in the Arab world, will be established in collaboration with AUB with an endowment of AED18.3 million (nearly US$5 million).

Under the agreement, the Foundation and AUB’s Olayan School of Business will combine forces to support and develop entrepreneurship-related research, training material and expertise in the Arab world. Through the new centre, the Foundation and AUB will also work towards enhancing regional business capabilities, leading to a better understanding of current and future entrepreneurial activity and challenges in the region.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will develop and provide research and training materials fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the Arab World, thereby contributing to creating conditions conducive to furthering employment and supporting economic activity across the region. Additionally, it will conduct regional entrepreneurship studies to identify barriers to entrepreneurship that individuals, business leaders, corporations and governments can help alleviate.

The center will also serve as a knowledge center for e-students, entrepreneurs and policy-makers by providing entrepreneurship sector analysis, country analysis, profiling and policy recommendations, regular data surveys, as well as relevant business case studies.

Operating as an open source institution for its published output, the centre will offer access to its resources to eligible entrepreneurs, researchers and relevant stakeholders as determined through mutually agreed criteria set by the Foundation and the AUB.

Aimed at promoting job growth and business creation in the region, the Foundation seeks to develop entrepreneurship programmes that facilitate business mentorship, expertise and services among successful and aspiring entrepreneurs. In developing a series of related programmes that support young businesses, the Foundation aims to assist emerging entrepreneurs to explore, identify and seize potential business opportunities across the Arab world.

As part of its efforts to support regional centres dedicated to advancing business education and supporting young enterprises, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation recently signed key partnership agreements with a number of leading organisations and educational bodies across the Arab world including the Dubai-based Young Arab Leaders (YAL), Al Akhawayan University in Morocco, and the Palestine Information and Communications Technology Incubator (PICTI) in Palestine.

# More: Zawya