The Egyptian woman is known for her strength and loyalty. Against all odds, she continues to climb the ladder of success and shatters stereotypes. This generation of strong women chose to hone their talents and turn them into businesses.
Below are three of many examples of 20-something female entrepreneurs that made their mark on the market in 2009. They are young, energetic and their success stories are inspirational for both the women and men of their generation.
Farida Dorra, Nour Omar and Heba Nawara
As art students at the American University in Cairo, (AUC) the girls were given an assignment: to come up with a five-year plan after graduation. This is when Farida Dorra, Heba Nawara and Nour Omar came up with the idea of a studio and gallery project, Hanfaninha (in Arabic ‘let’s make art’).
“This is exactly what artists like us need to come up with so that we have something to do after graduation. To be able to exhibit your work in well-known galleries in Egypt is very difficult and we needed to secure and encourage artists in our situation to have the space to exhibit easily, Dorra said.
In January 2009, Hanfaninha opened its doors. “[It] is a place where creativity is unleashed to bring out the maximum potential of any artistic project. Hanfaninha is divided into two parts, the studio and the gallery. The studio is a space that gives the artist the room to think and collaborate with other artists and freedom of creativity, she added.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing; the girls faced their share of challenges along the way. “It was an original idea that we were presenting to the public and people really didn’t get what we wanted to do and so began criticizing, explained Dorra.
Dorra advises hopeful entrepreneurs to make plan and with it a promise not to miss a day without “taking a step forward.
“Just dream big and once you have it under control never lose interest, make your next day at work more exciting than the previous one, she said.
Manal Nagy
Manal Nagy’s business first saw the light of day on social networking website Facebook. The marketing graduate from Arab Academy for Science and Technology created a group from which people can order clothes, accessories and home accessories. The group was doing so well that Nagy thought of expanding the business and the idea of the boutique Pieces was born.
But an online business is very different than opening an actual boutique, she said. “It was a very challenging project for me as I was leading it by myself, explained Nagy, and the fact that the boutique offered a variety of merchandise made it more difficult.
After months of hard work, Pieces opened its doors offering a variety of sections including clothes for all ages and occasions, be it evening dresses, formal and casual wear or even pajamas and accessories to go along with belts, shoes and bags.
Pieces stood out by offering both international brands and introducing Egyptian talents. For example, jewelry by May Heggy is displayed as well as bed garments and towels by Gilan El Rashidy.
“Anyone who has a business idea that she/he really believes in: prepare a detailed plan, make the effort and success will follow, Nagy said.
Perihan Abou-Zeid
Studying in Canada for more than two years, Perihan Abou-Zeid was exposed to a range of online services that made life easier. She continued her business administration studies at AUC where her interest in online business ultimately grew.
“I needed to explore the entrepreneurial side of myself, being my own boss and discover the challenging world, she said, adding that this is how the idea for ‘El-Sou2,’ or ‘The Market,’ an online grocery store, came about.
Her old college friend Sherif Saleh, who has an MA in computer science, became a partner and took charge of the technical side.
They embarked on an intense information gathering process, meeting with experts in all the related fields and getting into the information and communication technology sector.
“If there is one advice I can give for anyone thinking of starting their own business is to network, network, network, said Abou-Zeid.
Abou-Zeid noted that in Egypt people are risk-averse, especially women. “I blame this on society and [stereotypes] that females that are very successful will not get married or they can’t be successful altogether because of the social limitations.
“Entrepreneurship is the key to economic development in Egypt and females are needed especially to eliminate the notions that women are inferior to men, she said.
