All eyes on Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2022

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2022 kicks off this weekend for their 6th edition of the highly anticipated event, as business leaders and entrepreneurial stalwarts from the region and from around the globe start to make their way to Sharjah to share their priceless knowledge, experience and inspiration with all who will be attending.

Hosting over 150 inspirational speakers to lead inspiring conversations and forge authentic connections, SEF 2022 will include 50+ life-changing talks and discussions, and 30 engaging workshops set to empower entrepreneurs from the region.

The festival will feature rich discussions spearheaded by a range of renowned speakers, such as; Mo Gawdat, Author of Solve for Happy; Robert Wolcott, Co-founder and Chairman of The World Innovation Network; Ahmed Al Ghandour, Content Creator; Steven Bartlett, Author and Podcaster; Sayyida Basma Al Said, Founder of Whispers of Serenity Clinic; Ali Abdaal, Youtuber and podcaster; Raja Al Mazrouei, Fintech and Transformation Leader; Nelly Attar, Mountaineer; Khawla Bin Thani, holistic wellness expert; Sultan Sooud Al Qasimi, Founder of Barjeel Art Foundation; Abdulrahman Abumalih, Founder and CEO of Thmanya; Khalid Al Ameri, Emirati Influencer; and regional performances by Sons of Yusuf and Quick Style.

The theme of this year’s extravaganza “Where We Belong”, envisions the ease of finding ones business niche, through five dedicated stages for entrepreneurs to associate their passion with, namely Impact Stage, Creative Stage, Tech Stage, Community Stage, and Wellness Stage which has curated an exciting and diverse range of entrepreneurial content for all those attending. The event will feature a range of talks, activities, workshops from the world’s biggest business leaders to cater to all communities of entrepreneurs, creators and changemakers; along with incredible performances by regional artists.

SEF is organised by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), an institution that incubates and cultivates future changemakers by fostering a culture of experimentation and critical thought. The institution seeks to contribute to the national efforts on raising entrepreneurship communities in the region and creating a strong and globally-connected ecosystem.

Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, who will also be initiating proceedings at this year’s event stated, “We at Sheraa are committed to opening doors and minds for all the future business leaders, and the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival is our annual gathering to provide knowledge and inspiration to the aspiring change makers of tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem to Sharjah over the two days, and pushing forward the conversation on sustainable and impactful entrepreneurship.”

With such a massive line-up of talks, workshops and performances, the public can expect to experience a festival that may just be the key to their future success. Here are some highlights to be sure to attend in your respective areas of interest:

The Impact Stage will witness the opening ceremony of SEF 2022 with keynote address from Najla Al Midfa, followed by Mo Gawdat, Author of Solve for Happy, talking about ‘Engineering the Path to Happiness’. The session will be followed by Robert Wolcott, Co-founder and Chairman of The World Innovation Network, providing insights on sustainable innovation under the title ‘Innovation at the Centre of a Sustainable Future’. HH Sayyida Basma Al Said, Founder of Whispers of Serenity Clinic, will speak on ‘Building Psychological Support for Entrepreneurial Journey’ while Youtuber and podcaster Ali Abdaal will share his experiences in ‘Creating the Energy for your Passions’.

Five panel sessions will take place on the first day of SEF 2022 on the Impact Stage. Robert Wolcott, Co-founder and Chairman of The World Innovation Network; HE Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park; Khalid Huraimel, GCEO of Be’eah Group and Tom Selten, VP of Business Development at Lightyear, will lead a discussion titled ‘To Infinity and Beyond: The Case for Sustainable Mobility’.

Another panel session ‘Sustainable Innovation in Corporates: How Large Organisations are Innovating’ will see the presence of Beau Sell, VP of Innovation, Strategy and Technology, MN Custom Homes; Stephen Kruger, Chief Technology Officer of Careem; and, Fintech and Transformation Leader Raja Al Mazrouei.

In a third panel session, Farida F. El Agamy, Co-founder and CEO of Kyma; Ali Sajwani, Managing Director of Damac Properties;Abeer Al Shaali, Executive Management Officer of Gulf Craft; Haleema Al Owais, CEO of Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Real Estate; and, Adil Al Zarooni, CEO of Alzarooni Emirates Investments, will discuss ‘Business through the Ages: Taking over the Family Business’.