FFE Prize: four Lebanese women entrepreneurs break gender stereotypes

Because obstacles remain numerous for women entrepreneurs in Lebanon, the Francophone Woman Entrepreneur (FFE) competition stands out as one of the rare events to encourage business development and the promotion of female entrepreneurship, both in the country and the region. Initially scheduled for October 2024, this thirteenth edition, postponed due to the war in Lebanon last fall, finally delivered its verdict on Thursday.

Organized by the Agence universitaire de la francophonie (AUF) Middle East in Lebanon, the Lebanese incubator Berytech and The Orient-The Daythe competition rewarded three Lebanese start-ups and one Emirati one. The winners share 30,000 euros in funding, in addition to access to training sessions and a six-month coaching program offered by Berytech. This year, the jury members were Maya Rahal, director of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy in Lebanon; Mohammad Rabah, general manager of ZRE, specializing in real estate development; and Elsa Charabati, journalist and entrepreneur.

Despite the obstacles and challenges of daily life, gender stereotypes and sexism in sectors often perceived as reserved for men, these female entrepreneurs have chosen to chart their careers in the face of an uncertain horizon in Lebanon and the region. As Jean-Noël Baléo, regional director of the AUF Middle East, pointed out: “We need to combine solution and talent to get back on track (in Lebanon, Editor’s note). Feminization is the right solution. »

Of the hundred applications received following the call for applications launched last April, 30 were selected for the next phase, with more than 40 hours of training and support over a period of six months at Berytech. Finally, ten projects, including 7 local and 3 regional, were selected. The Lebanese Emma Sleiman (Cogny), Raya Bekhazi (Kids Baking Box), Haya Hamed (Pharma Organic) and Yara Abou Dalha (Nomad) won the final which took place Thursday at the Francophone Employability Center (CEF) in Beirut , in the Beirut Digital District (BDD).

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With Cogny, an innovative “health-tech” start-up, Emma Sleiman won the FFE competition and 10,000 euros. Cogny starts from a particularly promising postulate in the world of cognitive sciences: it is virtual reality software designed as a clinical tool to diagnose cognitive conditions in children, offering a precise and immersive assessment adapted to the needs health professionals. Currently, the startup is exploring immersive environments to improve patient engagement and boost diagnostic accuracy, leveraging objective multimodal data capture and processing to deliver in-depth analytics. Emma Sleiman shared with L’OIL his gratitude and joy at having won first prize. Her advice to Lebanese women? “Never put off until tomorrow what you can accomplish today. There is never a “right time” to start a business. You have to dare. »

The second winner, who won an envelope of 7,000 euros, is Raya Bekhazi, founder of Kids Baking Box, a project born in Lebanon and recently extended to the United Arab Emirates. Pastry chef graduated from the Lebanese culinary institute Cordon bleu, Raya Bekhazi launched Kids Baking Box following the explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020. Like many, she then had to reinvent herself, and the best way to bounce back was to pass on his passion to children, by offering them a simple and pleasant way of cooking. Kids Baking Box is a box filled with pre-measured ingredients and illustrated step-by-step instructions allowing children to have fun creating their own recipes while developing their culinary creativity.

With 5,000 euros up for grabs, third place was won by Haya Hamed, head of Pharma Organic. In a world saturated with chemicals, the company stands out with entirely organic products, where science and nature go hand in hand. Founded in 2022, Pharma Organic took on a major challenge: designing organic products while guaranteeing their effectiveness and affordable prices. Inspired by biomimicry (imitation of biological processes), Haya Hamed turned to nature, observing the way flowers react to sunlight, while studying centuries-old medicines. Pharma Organic therefore offers products combining ancestral knowledge and the latest technologies.

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For the second consecutive year, the 2024 edition of FFE has therefore opened its applications to the 17 other member countries of the AUF in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Palestine, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey and Yemen.

And it was the Lebanese Yara Abou Dalha, founder of Nomad Workshops in the United Arab Emirates, who won the last part of the planned funding, i.e. 8,000 euros. This start-up offers a series of fun and original workshops for expatriates in order to improve their mental well-being by promoting social exchanges.