Nadine Mezher was eager to spearhead change in habits and attitudes to handling money in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). She wanted to democratise access to investing and make it available to not only the ultra rich. Nadine co-founded Sarwa, a platform for investment and personal finance. In 2022, Forbes recognised Nadine among 20 women behind Middle Eastern tech brands. A fashion professional and owner of her own design house in the past, Nadine unpacks the concept of growth mindset in business and private life.

Topics we discuss:

• Anticipating shifts in consumer behaviour early and being ahead of the curve
• Converting setbacks and struggles into fuel for growth
• The art and science of branding and performance marketing: what really makes customers love your product
• Team management: Pivoting the career trajectory of your people to unlock their potential
• Adaptability that comes from facing hardships like political instability or war

About Nadine Mezher (guest):

Nadine co-founded Sarwa, a one-stop platform for investment and personal finance, after years of consultancy and executive roles in growth strategies for government entities as well as multi-national corporates. She comes from a multi-disciplinary background with over 18 years of experience in growth strategies across industries and geographies. Nadine is an award-winning regular speaker on global platforms on topics of business ownership and hacking growth, Fintech, and women in the workforce. Nadine is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

About Darya Kamkalova (host):

Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.

Venturing Women website:
https://www.venturingwomen.org/

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Disclaimer:
No information in this podcast episode should be considered as an investment advice.

How do you launch an innovative business in uncharted territories? Alina Bassi realised she could apply principles of coffee waste management to recycle textiles into… plastics. A chemical engineer, she launched Kleiderly in a foreign country, with no language skills, and out of network. She masterfully addresses challenges of two industries simultaneously: textile waste management and plastics manufacturing.

Main topics:

• Is it a good idea to donate used clothes?
• Think like an engineer: use materials in an unconventional sense
• The most beneficial thing to do for an out-of-natural-habitat founder
• From a fear of failure to ‘Wow, I could do that. So what else can I do?’
• What if you’re pitching and your potential investor is yawning?

About Alina Bassi (guest):

Alina Bassi is a chemical engineer turned impact entrepreneur, with a passion for creating a more sustainable and equitable future. After 7 years in the biofuels and waste recycling space, she co-founded Kleiderly, a textile recycling startup. She is an impact investor and the co-founder of Founderland - a non-profit that supports women of colour to raise investment. She was on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2020, and has been featured in Vogue, Wired, and Germany’s Shark Tank. She is an Obama Leader, TEDx speaker and advisor to over 50+ women-led startups.

About Darya Kamkalova (host):

Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.

Venturing Women website:
https://www.venturingwomen.org/

Follow us on social media:
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All-women startup teams receive less than 3% of the venture capital globally whilst male-led startups collect 89% of it. And as if this statistics wasn’t depressing enough, the trend is negative. It’s getting worse every year.

Venture capital investors share their views on the reasons behind such disparity. What are its consequences? What are we as a society missing out if this gap perpetuates? And how can we possibly bridge it?

About guests:

Lucy Chow is the General Partner at the World Business Angels Investment Forum and a member of the steering committee of the movement 2022 Female Angels. Lucy has been recently recognized by Arabian Business as one of 50 Inspiring Female Business Leaders 2022.

Katie Wachsberger is the Co-Founder of DANA Global, an Abu Dhabi based venture builder and investment platform for women-led startups in desert tech, including agritech, foodtech, renewable energy, water solutions, and circular economy.

Medea Nocentini is Senior Partner at Global Ventures, an international venture capital firm. She is also the Founder of Companies Creating Change (C3), a UAE-based social enterprise helping impact-driven entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa to unlock their growth potential and maximize their positive impact on the community.

Vera Futorjanski is the CEO & Founder of Veritas Ventures, a global strategic advisory firm. She is also an investor at Launch Africa Ventures. Vera is on the steering committee of the 2022 Female Angels. She is a serial entrepreneur and is currently building a community for female leaders.

About Darya Kamkalova (host):

Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, a co-founder of Manifest Taproom (a craft beer bar in Berlin), and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.

About this episode:
This episode was recorded at the Women’s Empowerment Convention organised by the Women’s Empowerment Council. WE Council is dedicated to empowering women to achieve their goals, ambitions, and dreams. The event took place in the Dubai Opera on March 8, 2023. The next Women's Empowerment Convention will take place on November 11-12 in Dubai. 

Venturing Women website:
https://www.venturingwomen.org/

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