Meet the Juries of Egypt’s Entrepreneur Awards 2023

The third edition of Egypt’s Entrepreneur Awards (EEA) is around the corner, on a mission to celebrate and support the most resilient, innovative and successful business leaders making an impact on Egypt’s economy, the ‘People of Now.’

Since its launch in 2021, EEA has fast become a key component of Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the first of its kind to spotlight impactful businesses in Egypt through a glittering awards ceremony.

As founder Amr Mansi shared with #StartUpScene, the motivation was to offer mentorships as a structure for healthy peer reviewing and encouragement, which is important now more than ever to build resilience amid the global economic challenges of today.

What strengthens the reach and potential of EEA’s initiative is that it seeks out businesses across a diverse spectrum of impact areas. EEA nominees don’t need to fit the concept of a conventional ‘tech startup’, the award ceremony’s 14 categories give recognition to less exposed industry areas, such as the Sports and Wellness Award, or the Disruption of Traditional Industries Award.

Meanwhile the jury board reads like a who’s who of Egypt’s most dynamic and inspirational entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovative industry pioneers.  As with previous years, EEA has invited experts tailored to each category, in order to get to the heart of each business’s strengths and challenges rooted in in the specific mechanisms of each respective industry.

Applications can be made here through filling out a form here before the deadline of 20th April 2023. It’s a chance to get to know the business all-round; the ‘what, who and why’ driving the team forward, and the impact it has on the Egyptian economy and society. The nomination can be submitted by him/herself or by anyone associated with the nominee on behalf of their entrepreneurial achievements.

Art to Business

This award will go to those who've cracked the science of turning Art, in all any of its forms from photography to product design to brand creation to music to entertainment, into a business that broke boundaries in the industry.

Amir Fayo

Creative Strategist, Brand Architect & Art Director at Amir Fayo Consultancy

Farim El Hayawan

Principal Designer at Design Point Interiors

Mohamed Hefzy

Producer and Founder of Film Clinic

Rising Entrepreneur of the Year

The “Rising Entrepreneur of the Year” is dedicated to entrepreneurs that have a new start-up, product, or service that has been on the market for less than 2 years, yet is already disrupting its respective industry and is on track to become a significant player in the near future.

Ahmed El Alfi

Chairman at Sawari Ventures

Laila Hassan

General Partner at Algebra Ventures

Marie Therese

Independent Investment Consultant

Tamer Azer

Partner at Shorooq Partners

Sports & Wellbeing Award

You can apply for the “Sports & Wellbeing Award” if you’re an entrepreneur who sells a product or service, ranging from a nutritional product to a fitness app to a holistic center, improves humans overall health and wellbeing.

Mohamed El Damaty

CEO, Domty & Board member, AL Ahly Club

Mohamed Saadoun Al-Kuwari

Executive Sports Presenter, Bein

Seif El Wazery

Chairman and CEO at Estadat, Presentation Sports

Digital Solutions & Customer Experience

This one calls out to entrepreneurs running an e-commerce platform or digital solution that allows businesses and consumers to transact and exchange goods & services online, creating a more efficient, secure, and convenient way to conduct business.

Hisham El Nazer

Country Director, Egypt + Startups Director, MENA at Google

Moataz Kotb

Managing Partner Cultiv Ventures

Omar ElSahy

Amazon Egypt General Manager

Shehab Marzban

Managing Partner and Co-founder - Camel Ventures

Tino Waked

Ex-Head of Middle East & Africa at Uber

Real Estate Service

For those who build our homes, provide top-quality real estate services and valuable experiences to their clients, that could range from brokerage, property management, leasing, and property financing generally improving and innovating in how people buy, sell, and rent properties.

Abdallah Sallam

Chief Executive Officer at MNHD

Ayman Amer

Chief Operating Officer at SODIC

Dr. Ahmed Shalaby

President & CEO of Tatweer Mist, Chairman of Egyptian Real Estate Council

Interior Design

For the wild dreamers: the entrepreneurs who have the ability to turn interior spaces into functional, aesthetically pleasing, and inspiring environments that reflect the reality that their clients dream of and aspire to.

Amr Helmy

Founder of Am Helmy Designs

Ammar Basheir

Founder of Ammar Basheir Creative Studio

Mohamed Fares

Co-founder of Alchemy Design studio

Next Generation Intrapreneur

For the 2nd or 3rd generation ‘Intrapreneurs’ transforming and leading their long-standing family business. Next Generation Intrapreneur of the Year is a pause and applause for you by the finest entrepreneurs in various industries.

Alaa Hashem

Founder & Executive Partner at Transcendium

Ayman Abbas

Chairman of ADES International Holding

Ibrahim Abdelrehim Managing Partner at Moonbase Capital

Entrepreneur for Good Award

The Entrepreneur for Good Award is for trailblazing entrepreneurs who offer products, services, or methodologies with a mission to create and sustain social value, have measurable impact in the community, and contribute back for the public “good.”

Manal Hassan

Group Sustainability Director Elsewedy Electric and VP Elsewedy Electric foundation

Noura Selim

Executive Director of Sawiris Foundation for Social Development

Dr. Sherif El Kholy Partner and Head of the Middle East & Africa Infrastructure and the Middle East & North Africa Private equity at Actis and member of the Economic Advisory Council of H.E. The Prime Minister of Egypt.

Experiential Dining

For entrepreneurs who use their culinary and business experience to create an innovative modern food business or form of dining that offers customers a unique and memorable experience away from the traditional restaurant concept.

Amr Fikry

Managing Partner at Lorax Capital Partners

Ayman Baky

Founder of Baky Hospitality

Hoda El Sherif

Co-founder & Creative Head at Flavor Republic

Rony Gadelrab

Director Of Food & Beverage Four Seasons

Fashion Business.

This one seeks out entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional innovation, creativity, and business acumen in the fashion industry while building a unique and sustainable brand.

Mohamed Talaat

Vice chairman & CEO, Concrete Stefano Fenili Partner, Bain & Company

Yasmine Yehia

Founder & Creative Director, Mason Yeya

Fintech/Fintech Enabler Award

Calling to the entrepreneurs driving a business or fintech enabled platform that offers solutions anywhere from lending platforms to e-payments to finance management to blockchain to loyalty & reward programs that all cater to the fintech and/or insurtech space.

Ahmed Nafie

Chief Executive Officer, Maria Digital Payments (MDP)

Mona El Sayed

Co Founder & Managing Partner, Camel Ventures for Investments

Omar Darwazah

Managing Director & General Partner, AAF Management Ltd

Sahar Salama

Group Chairwoman & Founder, TPAY Mobile

Disruption of Traditional Industries Award

In this category governed by AmCham Egypt’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Committee (EIC), jurors are on the lookout for entrepreneurs who are managing a business that offers disruptive solutions, technology products, and services in the more traditional fields of agriculture (agritech), healthcare (health tech), education (edtech), and construction.

Regional Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

This award is given to female entrepreneurs from the Arab region who have led the most impactful female-founded businesses. It will be awarded in collaboration with “She Wins Arabia,” an initiative by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) that supports female entrepreneurs in the Arab region. For this award, IFC will be in charge of the award’s nominations, jury panel, and selection process. EEA encourages people who are interested in hearing more information about this award to contact the EEA team directly.

Ecosystem Hero of the Year

This is looking for the all-round leader who is known for her/his passion and persistence to help her/his fellow entrepreneurs to grow through offering various resources and services to support growth.