As an expression our commitment to advancing women as leaders, WomenLEAD Inc, hosted a group of a dozen Egyptian woman entrepreneurs last week at Mass Challenge offices. Thank you to the Mass Challenge for co-sponsoring the event , and World Boston who coordinated; with the US State department to bring these women to Boston.. We had dynamic discussion, with four women owned Mass Challenge startups joining in, about many challenges and similarities of woman entrepreneurs here and in Egypt. Topics included how to find angel investors, what barriers we all face, including those unique to women founders. WomenLEAD Inc.’s CEO and Founder Ilene Fischer demonstrated WomenLEAD’s innovative platform, and how building a Personal Advisory Board can create exponential growth for individuals and companies.
The Egyptian companies included hardware and software companies, sustainable energy companies, online translation services, marketing services and social impact products like a safe, cost effective water pump. Four Mass Challenge Finalist companies with women CEO’s/Founders shared their experiences as women.
entrepreneur. When asked what they will take away from their experience in the US, which included visiting three other start up incubators around the country, one Egyptian woman stated “I have learned the world is open to me and that I have to help myself to help my community. I have more skills to learn and training to take to achieve my goals.
Another was so inspired by Mass Challenge and enjoyed meeting other female engineers. “Only 10% of women are engineers, and it feels so good to be around women here. When we have a problem we close our mind and say ‘there is no solution, but we just have to change the way we look at a solution and ask ourselves Why and Why not’…we should try it!”
After exchanging business cards around the table, all agreed: If women met around the world, there would be no war. All the women at the table both the Mass Challenge start up and the Egyptian Women Founders/ CEO’s were inspirational and determined to make a difference in the world; creating jobs and having their companies make a social impact.
