ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP
The Women Innovators (WIn) Fellowship is an initiative of the empowerME initiative at the Atlantic Council, held in partnership with Georgetown University since March 2022, which aims to help women entrepreneurs accelerate their businesses.
The fellowship provides a comprehensive, fully sponsored year-long executive training program that includes mentoring from regional and international executives. It also offers networking opportunities with prominent US and MENA business executives, government officials, and policy experts. Top participants are chosen for a fully sponsored trip to the United States, where they benefit from leadership training at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and meet with US business and government leaders.
The fellowship’s objectives:
- Accelerate the leadership and executive skills of women entrepreneurs and provide them with an unparalleled network of mentors, business executives, and policymakers
- Offer US policymakers, academics, and the business community direct insights into the opportunities and challenges faced by women in selected countries
- Develop a top-tier network of WIn fellows across the Middle East region who can support one another and be ambassadors for women’s economic participation
After the success of the inaugural program in 2022 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the fellowship’s expansion in 2023 to include not only the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but also the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the WIn fellowship is returning with a third cohort this year with an exciting program and growth opportunities of trailblazing women entrepreneurs from UAE.
Grow your business
Are you a woman founder or co-founder of a business in the United Arab Emirates looking to take your business to the next level? If you aim to attract more investors, conquer new markets, and gain a more profound understanding of industry dynamics, this fellowship is designed for you.
Scale with confidence
In the last two years, over eighty women entrepreneurs have boosted their startups forward with our WIn Fellowship, leveraging our extensive support in academic training and business development. Our vibrant community not only tackles together the challenges hindering women entrepreneurs’ encounter growth, but also empowers women entrepreneurs to showcase their vision, align it with their values, and explore further their professional and academic capabilities.
Benefits
Through the fellowship, you will:
- Enhance your knowledge and skills: Gain new insights and competencies, providing you with a competitive edge and helping you stay ahead in your industry.
- Expand your network: Broaden your professional circle and forge new partnerships, facilitating access to new markets, resources, and industry insights.
- Connect with mentors and supporters: Engage with mentors who provide guidance and support, offer valuable feedback, identify opportunities and challenges, and share practical advice from their experiences.
- Boost your visibility and credibility: Enhance your standing and trustworthiness in your industry and beyond, attracting new customers, investors, and partners, and establishing your business as an industry leader.
Eligibility criteria
- You must be an Arab woman residing in the United Arab Emirates.
- You must be the founder or co-founder of a business that is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates and have aspirations for growth.
- You should have a minimum of five years of professional experience.
- Your business should have been operational for at least two years.
- You should have proficiency in both English and Arabic.
- You must be available to participate in four ninety-minute workshops (all scheduled after 6:00 PM, and are not on local holidays). Attendance at these four events hosted within the United Arab Emirates is mandatory.
- There is no requirement to travel during the program; however, only top participants will be selected to travel to the United States for a one-week fully-sponsored roadshow at the program’s conclusion.
Please note, that there will be no travel requirement, as the program is fully remote. Only selected participants will need to travel to the US for the fellowship’s roadshow week. Local in-country networking sessions will also be available.
WIN FELLOW TESTIMONIES
Dina Shabib
Founder & CEO, Etijah Coaching & Consulting Services
Saudi Arabia Cohort
Dina Shabib is the founder and CEO of Etijah Coaching and Consulting, a social enterprise devoted to cultivating leadership and development in young professionals through programs that help them discover their passions and purpose.
Jumana Al Darwish
Founder, The Happy Box, The Happy Studio, Happy Hearts Global
United Arab Emirates Cohort
Jumana Al Darwish is an award-winning entrepreneur and philanthropist with over nineteen years of experience shaping the public and private sectors in the MENA region. Her portfolio of investments extends to the arts, education, and tech/web3 domains.
Rawan Almogbil
Founder, IXMeta
Saudi Arabia Cohort
Rawan Almogbil is a Saudi female entrepreneur and the CEO of IXMeta. She has made significant strides in the tech industry. She founded two startups recognized among the top fifteen in the InspireU STC and Misk programs, showcasing her innovative leadership.
2023-2024 COHORT
Meet 2022 Fellows and Mentors
The WIn (Women Innovators) Fellowship was launched in 2022 in Saudi Arabia by the Atlantic Council empowerME Initiative in partnership with Georgetown University. The WIn Fellowship supports over thirty women entrepreneurs, enabling them to build leadership and executive capacity to scale their startups to new heights.
Sponsors
Past Events
Event recaps
empowerME
empowerME at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East is shaping solutions to empower entrepreneurs, women, and youth and building coalitions of public and private partnerships to drive regional economic integration, prosperity, and job creation.
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