startAD signs Multi-Year MoU with AIWF for Emirati Women

A multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by startAD with Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF). Founded in 2016, startAD is a startup accelerator that caters in the Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals industry. It is powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD).

In addition, AIWF is an NGO which was founded in 2001 with headquarters in London, having specialities in Education, Women in Public Life, Women's Entrepreneurship, Arab Youth Empowerment, Arab Women in Law & The Judiciary, Arab Women's Leadership, amongst others. This MoU shall be executed via a series of international and UAE-based events in addition to conferences, summits, and networking gatherings. It will also bring industry experts together for creating networking opportunities.

Nihal Shaikh, startAD Associate Director stated, “This collaboration is rooted in our joint belief with AIWF that access to education, mentorship, and leadership opportunities equips women and young leaders with the necessary skills to drive effective change in their communities and beyond. Creating a pipeline of future role models requires practical steps to creating networking opportunities that can significantly reduce the barriers women face. Women are less likely to know an entrepreneur, which limits their access to contracts and opportunities. We can mitigate these challenges by fostering networks and creating processes that accelerate women's participation.”