TechWadi

TechWadi (Wadi ; also: Vadi, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley.) is a leading non-profit organization connecting Silicon Valley and the Arab world to promote economic development by facilitating access to mentorship, funding, and acceleration for high-impact entrepreneurs.

Goals and Activities

TechWadi promotes practical entrepreneurship education, establishing a global mentorship network, and assisting Middle Eastern startups by providing access to Silicon Valley resources.

TechWadi holds forums and conferences bringing together high-impact entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders in the United States and Arab World to advance entrepreneurship in MENA countries. Past events include:

TechWadi Global Entrepreneurship Forum

The TechWadi Global Entrepreneurship Forum, held at the American University of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon in 2010, marked the launch of the TechWadi 100 Network. The conference addressed topics including the role of mentors and incubators in building the support infrastructure for start-ups, the application of best practices in venture capital, and cross-border collaboration between the U.S. and MENA.

Mentorship and Acceleration

TechWadi helped launch the Plug and Play Egypt accelerator and the American University in Cairo, School of Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program by participating in a mentorship roundtable in Cairo, Egypt in 2010.

Stanford Pitch Day

TechWadi brought MENA entrepreneurs to pitch in Silicon Valley at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business in 2011.

#TechSpring Forum

TechWadi organized the #TechSpring Forum at Plug and Play Tech Center in Silicon Valley in 2012. The forum focused on how to unlock the potential of the Arab Spring and harnessing the power of technology and innovation to create sustainable economic growth in the MENA region. Speakers included Mike Cassidy (Google), Julie Hanna (Kiva), Deena Shakir (State Department), Osama Bedier (Google), George Akiki (Cisco), Khaled Nasr (InterWest Partners), among many more.

The Commonwealth Club of California

The Commonwealth Club of California hosted Dr. Ossama Hassanein, chair of TechWadi, who discussed TechWadi's mission in building bridges between the US and MENA to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development.

Partnerships

In partnership with the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, TechWadi led the TechWadi Global Technology Forum, which addressed entrepreneurship, venture capital, and new initiatives to accelerate the growth of the Arabic Digital Economy. In her closing remarks at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced new developments in mentorship innovation which are spearheaded by several organizations including TechWadi:

{{ centered pull quote|I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new effort to expand access to mentors for aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs. We’re calling it the e-Mentor Corps. Mentors provide invaluable support and advice, but for too many entrepreneurs, good mentors are hard to find. You may be doing something that nobody else you know has ever attempted before. Through the e-Mentor Corps, an entrepreneur seeking a mentor can go online and find a person with the expertise they need on everything from securing financing to writing a business plan.

Several private sector groups have pledged to supply mentors from their global networks, including Intel, Ernst & Young, the Kauffman Foundation, Endeavor, TechWadi, the Young Presidents’ Organization, and Babson College. The State Department has worked with several existing groups to create and develop online portals for the e-Mentor Corps. |author=Hillary Rodham Clinton|source=Closing Remarks at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. }}

TechWadi also partnered with The Global Innovation through Science and Technology Initiative (GIST). GIST aims to facilitate entrepreneurship in forty-three countries across the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central Asia by identifying, coaching, and funding prospective entrepreneurs through competitions, start-up accelerator services, online social media platforms, and mentorship programs.

TechWadi 100 Network

On October 26, 2010, TechWadi launched the TechWadi 100 mentorship network of business leaders, investors, and technologists dedicated to coach and mentor high-impact entrepreneurs. Notable TechWadi 100 members have included: Magid Abraham (comScore Inc.), Ali Diab (Caturra Capital), Ossama Hassanein (Rising Tide Fund), Fadi Ghandour (Aramex International), Youssri Helmy (Idealratings), Dolly Chamas (Middle East Online), Usama Fayyad (Oasis500), Khaled Nasr (InterWest Partners), Habib John Lahlouh (Lahlouh Inc.), Abdullah Assal (Offerna.com), Ahmad El Alfi (Sawari Ventures), Nicolas Rouhana (Berytech Technological Pole), Saeed Amidi (Plug and Play Tech Center), Taher Elgamal (IdentityMind), Maha Ibrahim (Canaan Partners), Ahmad Al Sari (Malaz Capital), Tarek Assaad (Ideavelopers), Atef Eltoukhy (Aurum Capital Management), Essam Badawi (Perceptia Devices), Karim Fahmy (Intel Capital), Kais Menoufy (Delegata), Ford Tamer (Telegent Systems), Samih Toukan (Jabbar Internet Group), George Chammas (NavLink), Ayaz Ul Haque (ePlanet Ventures), and Ibrahim Al Mojel, (Strategy Decisions Group) among others.