Sheraa unveils second cohort of 14 women entrepreneurs for prestigious SWIF leadership programme
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center selects accomplished founders across diverse sectors for transformative six-month journey designed to amplify business growth and leadership capabilities
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, known as Sheraa, has selected 14 accomplished women entrepreneurs for the second edition of the Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship, a transformative six-month programme crafted to cultivate successive stages of business growth and organisational excellence.
The distinguished cohort comprises nine established small and medium enterprises alongside five burgeoning startup ventures, spanning a remarkable breadth of sectors including food and beverage, fast-moving consumer goods, creative industries, sustainability, manufacturing, educational technology and healthcare. These founders, drawn from diverse nationalities and operating across varied business models, have already demonstrated considerable entrepreneurial achievement and now focus their energies upon strengthening and scaling their operations.
The programme commenced with an orientation session featuring an immersive role-playing leadership assessment conducted by SWIF Empower Partner Evolve Careers, a specialised career-readiness platform. This foundational evaluation established a personalised baseline for each fellow’s developmental trajectory throughout the programme. Participants engaged in meaningful exchange of experiences, deliberated upon current leadership development priorities and business growth imperatives, and commenced the process of cultivating valuable peer connections with fellow entrepreneurs navigating comparable stages of expansion.
Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, Chief Executive of Sheraa, reflected upon the programme’s significance: “Building a business constitutes merely one facet of the entrepreneurial journey; sustaining its momentum and navigating its growth demands the continuous cultivation of capability, confidence and strategic thinking. Through SWIF, we are establishing an environment wherein female entrepreneurs may further harness their leadership and decision making capacities, whilst preparing their enterprises for forthcoming phases of development.”
She elaborated further: “Our endeavour focuses upon developing founders in tandem with the enterprises they construct and the value they generate as growth materialises. By strengthening their leadership capabilities, we can facilitate the construction of more resilient companies, establish fresh employment opportunities, stimulate greater innovation, and contribute toward a more diversified and robust economy.”
Underpinned by Sheraa’s distinctive LEAD Framework, a carefully structured leadership model conceived to strengthen the personal and operational capacities requisite for cultivating resilient ventures, the selected entrepreneurs will embark upon a comprehensive six-month journey. This experience interweaves personalised coaching, executive mentorship and practical learning with privileged access to strategic networks and the expansive entrepreneurship ecosystem that Sheraa cultivates.
The programme encompasses a specialised leadership retreat facilitated by Noona Nafousi, Chief Executive of NEO Noor at Chedi Al Bait, Sharjah, complemented by intensive pitch coaching masterclasses. Fellows will translate their acquired knowledge directly within their ventures, addressing pressing business priorities and identifying novel growth opportunities.
Source: WAM