QBIC kicks off seventh wave of LeanStartup Program with speaker series

Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) founded by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Social Development Center (SDC) successfully kicked off its seventh wave of the LeanStartup Program (LSP), with a women edition Speaker Series entitled “The Rise of Female Entrepreneurship in Qatar”.

Building on its successful flagship program, the center continues to take on promising entrepreneurs of all ages with innovative ideas, to provide them with the coaching and support needed to establish a startup. By organizing a Speaker Series session and inviting local and successful entrepreneurial experts, QBIC hoped to encourage the new entrepreneurs to refine their business ideas, overcome their obstacles and fully dedicate themselves to their startups as they take their first steps towards turning their ideas into reality.

Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al Khalifa, Qatar Development Bank CEO and QBIC Chairman said: “SME’s are the core of a diversified and flourishing economy. We keep witnessing different ideas that have the potential to highly contribute to the local economy, and this is why we’re pleased to continue kicking off our flagship program twice a year. With our assistance and support, we are actively expanding and developing stronger SME’s.” “The major role we play at QBIC benefits the interest of entrepreneurs, as we ensure that their startup ideas are turned into reality, through which they can actively participate in the local economic and SME development. Uniting our expertise with established entrepreneurs is an essential part of transferring knowledge, which encourages aspiring ones to venture into the field of entrepreneurship; female entrepreneurs are a great example of this.”

He added: “Our significant partnerships are essential to help us achieve our mission of developing the next QAR 100 million companies in Qatar, and it is only by unification that we can promptly and efficiently move towards a knowledge based economy. We look forward to incubating startups under our specialized incubators that are available in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority, and telecommunications giant Ooredoo”

This wave of the LSP entails business ideas in the fields of marketing, fashion and education. Additionally, startup ideas in the field of tourism will fall under the QBIC Tourism specialized incubator, guided by Qatar Tourism Authority, whereas ideas in the area of technology will belong to the Digital and Beyond specialized incubator, powered by Ooredoo. Throughout the 10-week program, entrepreneurs will work on developing their ideas and building prototypes in preparation for Demo Day using the Business Model Canvas as part of the ‘lean’ methodology.

While QBIC previously hosted various Speaker Series sessions with renowned entrepreneurs such as Mohammed Jaffar, former CEO of Talabat.com, Christopher Free, General Manager of UBER Qatar and UAE, and Elmar Mock, co-inventor of SWATCH, QBIC wanted to shed light on the local accomplishments of Qatari women to date in an effort to showcase that businesses do not require feasibility studies to succeed; they require hard work, determination, and customer assessment.

Talking at the women edition Speaker Series were women who were chosen based on their personal achievements, to share their acquired knowledge on the way to successful entrepreneurship. Topics included the rise in women entrepreneurship in the Gulf, how women’s contributions benefit the local economy, and ways in which entrepreneurship positively impact women’s personal lives. These motivating talks were delivered by:

• RazanSuliman, founder of Fanilla Couture
• Aisha Al Jaidah, founder of Blue Penguin
• Noof Al Marri, founder of Newline 4 Media
• Noora Al Amri, founder of Tartebkom Holidays

Aysha Al Mudahka, QBIC CEO said: “Ourentrepreneurs have been greatly benefitting from practical work, networking and collaborating with experts in the field. We strongly believe in the local talents making a difference in the Qatari market, and we especially value and believe in the capabilities of Qatari women, which is what we wanted to highlight in this edition of our Speaker Series.” She added: “Our select guest speakers were inspirational. With their experiences and facts presented, the incoming entrepreneurs with new business ideas can foresee the challenges they’re about to face, and can also realize the potential of their ideas.”

The entrepreneurs will be pitching their refined business ideas to a judging panel and potential investors during the Demo Day event marking the end of the program, which will take place on December 6, 2016.