“Meet Silicon Valley”: The Program Taking Egyptian Entrepreneurs Beyond Borders
If you’re a fan of big exchange programs that give you the opportunity to network with leading tech executives, investors, entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders, as well as supporters, then this program is for you! The 10-day acceleration exchange program is implemented by INJAZ Egypt in collaboration with TechWadi, the leading non-profit organization that builds bridges between Silicon Valley and the MENA region, and is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. The goal is to support the fast growth and expansion of high-tech entrepreneurship in Egypt.
Visiting Silicon Valley with INJAZ Egypt was a very memorable and fruitful trip. We managed to attract a high calibre talent, signed an investment deal and got great exposure to a network of mentors. Not only have we gained an understanding of future trends but also experienced the most advanced technical culture. Not to mention, the myriad of amazing times spent with wonderful new and old friends.”
Amr Abodraia, Co-Founder, Rology
The program is taking Egyptian entrepreneurs aged 23 to 35 on an exciting tour of the Silicon Valley entrepreneurship ecosystem to provide them with a once in a lifetime chance to visit accelerators, different co-working spaces and big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple. And at the end, they’ll get mentorship from TechWadi. This way participants will have the opportunity to gain the global exposure they aspire to for their startups.
Meet Silicon Valley has been a truly life changing experience for myself and my business. The fast paced, very well organized and coordinated trip with other fellow entrepreneurs who share similar journeys shaped the perfect scene for us to explore, interact and communicate with key people of different backgrounds sharing their own and their organizations journeys, answering questions and providing rich material for us to think and reflect on how to manage our businesses better, be more efficient, tackle bigger problems, and have higher impact. I would definitely say the 2 weeks have been very well spent and creates a lasting inspiration for us as participants on both the professional and personal levels”
Hussein Mohieeldin, CEO Robusta
“The program did not only facilitate the transfer of knowledge between the bay area and the Egyptian entrepreneurs, but also opened the space for peer to peer mentorship between the Egyptian entrepreneurs themselves. The entrepreneurs added so much richness to the program when they mentored each other during the trip. Every single one added value in a different way even after they came back from the trip. They started to form different partnerships and supported each other in the development of the different capacities. For example, it is very satisfying to hear that Hussein Mohieeldin, CEO of Robusta, helped Gamal Abo El Enein, CEO of dryve to build his tech team and hire a tech lead after several months of struggling to find a good caliber”
Noha Faltas, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Head, INJAZ Egypt.
Entrepreneurs are going to be receiving all kinds of key skills training; which is not limited to business development, marketing, developing a successful funding strategy, and product design, but ss so much more than that!
Sharing the knowledge learned within the community is expected, but in exchange, all participants will have to dedicate mentorship hours in return. These hours can be in the form of panel discussions, workshops, or direct mentoring.
“This trip was one of the most insightful experiences I’ve had in my career. Injaz and Techwadi took us by the hand and opened the doors to influential people at distinguished Silicon Valley companies. We were given the opportunity to discuss our businesses and learn from the best there are. The learnings I’ve gathered from this trip still guide our decisions in the company months later. It was a truly eye-opening experience. I also made great friends, true companions who share similar journeys. People I can trust, go to for advice and allow me to be part of a closely-knit community of enablers who genuinely care for my success. I couldn’t be more grateful for this exceptional opportunity. Thank you Injaz & Techwadi.”
Mahmoud Sabea,
Co-Founder and CTO, Garment IO
