Egypt

Kazem Hemeida is a development professional with 10 years of experience, of which five years of progressive positions were at Humanity & Inclusion (HI). Kazem currently occupies the position of Cairo Area Manager, where he oversees the operational aspects of Cairo projects. In addition, Hemeida leads the HI’s Inclusion Technical Unit based in Egypt, with a mandate to support diverse stakeholders from the private sector, civil society organizations, and government to adopt disability-inclusive policies and practices. Before working at HI, Hemeida worked as a Senior Program Specialist at the Center for Development Services, where he managed projects that aim to enhance the empowerment of youth and women. He also contributed to local and global participatory studies. Moreover, he worked at Egyptian non-governmental organizations such as the Egyptian Youth Federation, where he contributed to the design and implementation of various projects that aimed to improve civic participation for youth and women. Furthermore, Hemeida is an experienced trainer and facilitator who organized Open Space Technology workshops, designed and facilitated simulation games workshops that were attended by hundreds of participants. Hemeida holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Cairo University. He is a recipient of the Peace Scholarships Program, where he studied for one year at Colorado State University, winner of the World Bank’s Global Fund for Youth Investment Grant for his project about enhancing youths’ employability through self-employment in the ICT sector, and Youth Guest Speaker at the Clinton’s Global Initiative.

Mostafa Shahin is a dedicated and proactive young man with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Suez Canal University. Mostafa has a long record of civic engagement with organizations such as Resala, Enactus, Tedx SCU, Aiesec, Eyouth, and the ECDC. In 2016, Mostafa travelled to India to work with startups and local businesses as a business developer. Mostafa spent the past two years working at Blom Bank of Egypt and Ahli Bank of Kuwait. In 2019, Mostafa joined the American University in Cairo at the Venture Lab startup accelerator as the program coordinator, closely working with entrepreneurs to refine and scale their businesses. Mostafa’s long term goal is initiating a consultancy platform for startups and small to medium enterprises, with the aim of finding solutions to different issues faced by entrepreneurs. After analyzing their business plan, the platform will provide them with a development strategy to follow, ensuring success and a boost to the economy.

Salma Abbass has three years of experience in marketing, communications, and inter-service coordination. Salma has lived around the world, including in Egypt, France, Belgium and the United States. She is a native Arabic speaker, fluent in English and French, and intermediate in Spanish. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Strategy and Marketing from Poitiers Business School in France, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. She worked as Product Communications Manager in Attijariwafa Bank, planning communications strategies for financial products destined to individuals and SME’s. Previously, she worked in a startup environment after her graduation for one year, focusing on strategic communications and marketing to help the business establish connections with relevant stakeholders. Salma has volunteered with Injaz Egypt, a nonprofit organization, in financial literacy programs implemented in public schools. In addition, she is a volunteered on a PR committee with Clean Shores Campaign, that aims to limit single plastic use in Egypt. She also participated in European Forum Alpbach as a delegate and an ambassador to help Egyptian youth promote social and cultural diversity. She has gained strong communications, organizational, and analytical thinking skills from these experiences. She is interested in the nonprofit sector focused on children’s education, environmental protection, and human rights. In addition, she is interested in working in the private sector and committed to improving the lives of citizens.

Host Organization: IBM

Role at Host Organization: At IBM, Salma will serve as the DevZ Experience Fellow – Hour of Z: supporting youth engagement in preparing for the future of work through digital skill-building, professional development training, and building entrepreneurial spirit with youth around the world who have not been exposed to computer science or are new to IBM Z technology.

Ahmed Fadl is a social entrepreneur from Egypt; he has six years of experience with national and international NGOs in Egypt (Life Makers Foundation, Rotaract, Save the Children, Refuge Egypt, etc.). He has been working on economic development and inclusion programs, serving Refugees, migrants, and Egyptians from vulnerable communities. Ahmed also worked on youth development programs targeting students in different Egyptian universities. He founded iLearn, an educational initiative that aims to raise awareness about online education. In 2016, Ahmed cofounded a FinTech startup, ElGameya, a digital peer-to-peer lending solution through mobile application; he was responsible for the business and financial units at the startup. ElGameya has successfully managed to join four of the biggest startup incubation/acceleration programs in the country. Ahmed interned at Village Capital (a DC-based organization supporting impact driven startups) as part of the Professional Fellows program. Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Port Said University; in addition, he has completed extensive online studies in the fields of project management, data analysis and visualization, finance, and development studies. He is interested in music, astronomy, sports, and philosophy.

Host Organization: Village Capital

Role at Host Organization: At Village Capital, Ahmed will serve as the Startup Ecosystem Fellow: supporting Village Capital’s relationship with the IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator with an aim of creating fans and advocates of IBM’s technology and approach with the fintech, health tech, insurtech, and regtech startup communities.

Heba is an urban planner and researcher. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Alexandria University and a Master’s degree in Urban Development from the Technical University of Berlin. Heba’s biggest passion is a sustainable development of cities and communities. She has worked on city issues in Egypt and various countries in the MENA region. She also took part in a number of international events, workshops, and traineeships, all of which helped her further develop her skills and knowledge. Heba’s biggest goal is to keep working to make cities more sustainable places for people to live.

Host Organization: Charter Cities Institute

Role at Charter Cities Institute: At Charter Cities Institute, Heba will serve as a Research Fellow: collaborating with new city developments interested in improving their governance and supporting the creation of the legal frameworks for charter cities.

Sohaib has four years of experience working in nonprofit organizations. He earned a diploma in Business Administration from the German University in Cairo after earning a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Minufiya University. Currently, Sohaib works mainly as a Business Development Manager for his startup, MD Group. In this role, Sohaib learned to find sponsors through effective networking, closing deals, negotiation, and discovering new leads for partnerships. Sohaib also has four years of experience in entrepreneurship. In addition to his passion for entrepreneurship, Sohaib has a business background. Sohaib has experience in his family’s business, startups, and other professional businesses, which gives him a wider perspective on all aspects of business scales, especially in Egypt. Sohaib is incredibly passionate about providing high-level education for youth in his country and helping charity organizations get funded. In the future, Sohaib intends to be one of the best strategic planners in the government education sector.

Host Organization: Mentor Capital Network

Role at Mentor Capital Network At Mentor Capital Network, Sohaib will serve as the Entrepreneur Fellow: collaborating with for-profit social entrepreneurs around the world, collecting their stories, and helping the Mentor Capital Network connect them to the appropriate peer and mentors.

Mohamed is an Egyptian researcher at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies. He was a researcher at the Law and Society Research Unit at the American University in Cairo (AUC) and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights’ (EIPR). Mohamed researches law and religion in Egypt, as well as civil society, indigenous people’s rights, and peasant rights. He has published many articles, papers, and book chapters in Jadaliyya and an edited volume, The Rise and Fall of the Labor Movement (2018). He is a recipient of AUC’s John D. Gerhart Center’s Lazord Fellowship and Open Democracy’s Middle East Forum Fellowship. Mohamed holds a diploma in Islamic Sharia. Mohamed participated in several academic conferences as organized by the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of Amsterdam, and AUC.

Host Organization: Project on Middle East Democracy

Role at Project on Middle East Democracy At POMED, Mohamed will serve as a POMED Resident Fellow: using his time with the organization to enhance his analytical, research, and public speaking skills by completing an independent research project in consultation with POMED staff.

Nourhan has around three years of experience in journalism. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from The American University in Cairo (AUC) and just completed her law degree at Cairo University. She worked as a reporter in several reputable Egyptian news outlets, including Mada Masr, where she compiled daily press reviews for the Morning Digest, Aswat Masriya, and Daily News Egypt. Previously, she worked as a researcher and archivist at the Law and Society Research Unit at AUC for 1.5 years. There, she conducted socio-legal research and devised archive collection strategies with the aim of compiling legal documents for the digital legal archive Manshurat Qanuneya. Throughout her career, she has primarily focused on human rights issues, media freedoms, judicial affairs, and significant court verdicts in Egypt. She has acquired strong research, writing, editing, outreach, and marketing skills through her various work endeavors. Nourhan finds media governance and criminal justice reform as fields of particular interest and has a strong passion for legal and judicial development in Egypt.

Host Organization: Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

Role at Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy Nourhan will serve as the Bassem Sabry Democracy Fellow: developing an independent research paper or project of her own design in conjunction with TIMEP’s directorial staff.

Hadeel has seven years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics from Cairo University in Egypt and a Diploma in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Cairo Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Through her work as a Senior Business Development Executive and a certified Innovation Facilitator at the Information Technology Institute, Hadeel worked to profoundly scale up the impact of the Egyptian youth on the ICT workplace. She helped cultivate an entrepreneurial culture and mindset among Egypt’s aspiring talents through managing the Virtual Incubation Program in partnership with Waterloo University in Canada. Hadeel is a Gabr Fellow 2016, between the U.S. and Egypt. She has been to The White House, United States Congress, International Monetary Fund, and other esteemed entities both in Egypt & the U.S. to address local, regional and global challenges and discuss potential proposals and initiatives, building up strong ties between the two countries. Previously, Hadeel has worked at Ashoka Arab World, promoting Social Entrepreneurship in the Arab World, and empowering social ventures and non-governmental organizations in Egypt. She is strongly passionate about people, ideas, stories, cultures, a better interconnected world and good coffee.

Host Organization : Kinvolved

Role at Host Organization : Hadeel will be responsible for coordinating local and national events and meetings, representing Kinvolved in community meetings and events, implementing marketing and social media campaigns and strategies, measuring and tracking progress and goals of marketing strategy, and assisting with design of basic marketing materials.

Sally has ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector in the area of non-formal education and development. She graduated from Ain Shams University with a BA in English Literature & Language and completed a diploma in Human Resource Management from the American University in Egypt. For the past five years, she has worked with adults and young people on issues ranging from youth participation, volunteering, intercultural learning, and human rights education. Sally has also been contracted by both local and international NGOs, including EuroMed Youth Programme, Council of Europe, and Nahdet El Mahrousa, to design and conduct specialized training courses. She is the author of a publication on international volunteering between Europe and the Arab Mediterranean for the Support and Advanced Learning and Training Opportunities Resource Centre (SALTO). Sally feels blessed to be doing what she is passionate about: working with people, exploring different cultures, and advancing development.

Host Organization: Grameen USA

Mirette has over five years of non-profit sector experience working in the field of community development in Egypt. She graduated from Cairo University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Professional Development at the American University in Cairo. Mirette started her career as a banker at HSBC bank in Egypt. In her spare time, Mirette devoted herself to community-based social work. She volunteered at an orphanage where she employed games and experiments to teach English and science using an interactive approach. Mirette later volunteered as a facilitator with ILO-Cairo on the SCREAM project, which supports child rights through education, arts, and the media. Mirett’s enriching experience with this project led to a life-changing decision to devote her career to community development. Mirette is currently working as a non-formal education coordinator and youth educator at Alwan Wa Awtar NGO, an arts-for-development organization situated in rural Cairo. Mirette has over five years of non-profit sector experience working in the field of community development in Egypt. She graduated from Cairo University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Professional Development at the American University in Cairo. Mirette started her career as a banker at HSBC bank in Egypt. In her spare time, Mirette devoted herself to community-based social work. She volunteered at an orphanage where she employed games and experiments to teach English and science using an interactive approach. Mirette later volunteered as a facilitator with ILO-Cairo on the SCREAM project, which supports child rights through education, arts, and the media. Mirett’s enriching experience with this project led to a life-changing decision to devote her career to community development. Mirette is currently working as a non-formal education coordinator and youth educator at Alwan Wa Awtar NGO, an arts-for-development organization situated in rural Cairo. Mirette has over five years of non-profit sector experience working in the field of community development in Egypt. She graduated from Cairo University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Professional Development at the American University in Cairo. Mirette started her career as a banker at HSBC bank in Egypt. In her spare time, Mirette devoted herself to community-based social work. She volunteered at an orphanage where she employed games and experiments to teach English and science using an interactive approach. Mirette later volunteered as a facilitator with ILO-Cairo on the SCREAM project, which supports child rights through education, arts, and the media. Mirett’s enriching experience with this project led to a life-changing decision to devote her career to community development. Mirette is currently working as a non-formal education coordinator and youth educator at Alwan Wa Awtar NGO, an arts-for-development organization situated in rural Cairo.

Host Organization: Earth Conservation Corps

May has over four years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has worked in various capacities as fundraising consultant, grant proposal writer, trainer, and translator for a diverse list of organizations, including Da’am for Information Technology, Etijah, United Group Attorneys at Law & Human Rights Advocates, and several human rights agencies. May graduated from Ain Shams University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and received diplomas in Written Translation and NGO Institutions from the American University in Cairo. May has represented Egyptian youth in the U.S. on many occasions and has met with international officials including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As part of a Freedom House and USAID fellowship program in Spring 2009, she delivered a speech at the International Solidarity Committee and was featured on the Voice of Americas website. May previously volunteered at Al Waref Institute in Washington, D.C. as the Egypt Coordinator. As a human rights activist and freelance writer, she writes about youth activism for changing behaviors and social norms.

Host Organization: Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA)