You’re reading this now from Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
The 2024 Mastercard Women SME Leadership Awards are scheduled to take place on June 6, 2024 at the Bluewaters Forum, Banyan Tree Dubai, Dubai, UAE.
The Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards is an annual event designed to support women-owned and -led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Through a rigorous screening process, Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs Selected by the team and a judging committee chaired by Mastercard and industry leaders, the full list of finalists, companies and individuals, has now been announced.
The finalists for each of the 15 categories for the Mastercard Women Small Business Leadership Awards 2024 are:
Creative Leader
- Stephanie Khoury Choueiri, Managing Director, Sites Design and Build (UAE)
- Lim Gilali, CEO, Mustard and Linen Interior Design (UAE)
- Faye Young, Director and Partner, BID LLC (UAE)
- Owner and Managing Partner, Southern Harbour, DiPiuzzi (UAE)
- Dominic Laird, Group Creative Director, Solutions Leisure Group (UAE)
- Ara Dontu, Founder of ALMAESTRO (Moldova)
F&B Leader
- Panchali Mahendra, Global CEO, Atelier House Hospitality (UAE)
- Atim Mba, Founder and Project Coordinator, Green Farmland (Cameroon)
- Hessa H. Al-Khalifa, Founder and Chef, Curious Diner (Bahrain)
- Hoda El Sherif, Founder of Flavor Republic (Egypt)
- Neha Anand, Founder and Managing Director, Three Layer Hospitality (UAE)
- Chaimae Sqalli Adoui, Quality Manager, FOODEALS MEA (Morocco)
- Alain Saadeh, Founder of Hatichit Arbeh (Lebanon)
- Laura Kažukonienė, Founder and CEO of Supergarden (Lithuania)
A visionary
- Hanan Benkalrouk, Founder, Tawazoon (UAE)
- Mirna Sulaiman, Founder and CEO of Fintech Galaxy (UAE)
- Priyanka Brahmbhatt, Co-Founder and CEO, Bankai Group (UAE)
- Agwuna Favour Obianuju, Co-Founder and Program Director, Waste to SafeNets Venture (Nigeria)
- Sonia Mohammed Janahi, Founder and CEO of SJ Investment (Bahrain)
- Ajayi Shulamite Fisola, Founder, Vocational Skills and Empowerment Foundation (Nigeria)
Tomorrow’s Leaders
- Reem Musabbah, Co-Founder, Unipreneur Inc and Head of Community Engagement and Membership, Women in AI UAE Technology (UAE)
- Aisha Iddrisu-Ahmadu, Business Coach, Missashleybakes (Ghana)
- Shilpa Mahtani, Founder and Chief Business Officer, bnbme Holiday Homes (UAE)
- Nosaiba Alrajihi, CEO and Board Member, Forus Invest (Saudi Arabia)
- Madueke Jane (Nigeria) of MacTech Innovative
Guardian of Health
- Amal Tolba, Managing Director, Hope Abilities Medical Centre (UAE)
- Natasha Rudatsenko, Founder and CEO, Health Nag (UAE)
- Chelsea Hornby, Founder of Elle International (South Africa)
- Sarah Lindsay, Co-Founder, ROA Fitness (UAE)
- Patricia Odoi-Atsem, Owner and CEO, 3m&C Ghana Limited/3m&C Health Systems (Ghana)
- Susan Jere Stevens, Founder and CEO, Sukie Wellness Solutions ltd (Zambia)
Innovator
- Maggie Musanje of Bukowa CredorSave Loans (Zambia)
- Reem Musabbah, Director, Esaal and Co-Founder, Unipreneur (UAE)
- Jesse Radwan, Founder and CEO of Carerha (Egypt)
- Farah Zafar, Co-founder and CEO, Lyvely (UAE)
- Shereen Tawfik, Founder and CEO, Balinca (UAE)
Retail company
- Erica Brazevisiute Doyle, Founder and Managing Director, Drink Dry (UAE)
- Hannah Curran, Founder, Pure Born (UAE)
- Basma Chayeri, Founder, Etika Jewels (UAE)
- Pamela Lilburn Opie, Founder and CEO, Linen Obsession Textile Trading Llc (UAE)
- Freda Nyambura Gachie, Managing Director, Card Group East Africa Ltd (Kenya)
A Leader in Professional Services
- Rosheen Ngorima, CEO, Neeps Consulting Services (UAE/Tanzania)
- Nivin Issa, Founder and Managing Director of Terra Nexus (UAE)
- Nancy Akeyo, Founder of The Confidence Queen (Nigeria)
- Sujud Albalawneh, Founder, Supportive For Packaging Solutions (Jordan)
- Annette Kimitei, Managing Director, Senaka East Africa Limited (Kenya)
- Yulia Fedosiuk, CEO of UAPAY (Ukraine)
Media Reader
- Renata Messara, Reborn Consultancy (UAE)
- Gugulethu House Harvest (South Africa)
- Jacqueline Lawrence, Highlands FM Radio (Tanzania)
- Tina Karisma, Karisma Campaign Aklaa (Ghana)
- Adriana Usvat, FLC Group (UAE)
- Ellie Keane, Keane PR (UAE)
- Zainab Salami, Mswitch Media (Nigeria)
- Nikita Fulwani, Nigi Marketing Management (UAE)
- Nadejda Gorea, Design.Arhitectura.Stil SRL (Moldova)
Leaders who make an impact on society
- Reverend Serene Nterinanziza, President and Headmaster of Hands of Compassion Rwanda (Rwanda)
- Cindia James, Founder, First Light Foundation (South Africa)
- Skola Kevin Ponela, Managing Director, Hecasa Homestay and Safaris LTD (Tanzania)
- Qhakaza Mohare, Chief Operating Officer, Digify Foundation (Digify Africa) (South Africa)
- Hanan Benkalrouk, Founder, Tawazoon (UAE)
- Ipek Koç Kirac from Sunanun Kilali (Türkiye)
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Maria Morris, Founder, Maria Morris Real Estate (UAE)
- Nneka Nwobbi, CEO, Children’s Cancer Foundation (Nigeria)
- Dr. Sumita Francis, Founder and Chairperson, Namibia Women Engineers Association (Namibia)
- Suraya Turk, Managing Partner, Legal Circle (UAE)
- Sheeba Hasnain, Chairperson and CIO of Sentiente (UAE)
- Dr. Tori J. Evans-Barton, Founder and CEO, The Fatherless Generation Foundation Inc. (USA and Zambia)
Mom Entrepreneur of the Year
- Hadil Al Khatib, Co-Owner and CEO of The Broth Lab (UAE)
- Rania Saeed, CEO, Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe (UAE)
- Ruwaida Abela Northern, Founder, JRN Consultancy (UAE)
- Jennifer Muller, Founder of Little Mary (Lebanon)
- Claire Kanji, Founder, Marsh’N’Mallow (UAE)
- Farah Ahmed, Founder and CEO of The Baby Garage (Egypt)
A leader in fashion and beauty
- Yewande Akinse, Co-founder of Salvata (Nigeria)
- Reda Di Marti, CEO, Maelle Group LLC (UAE)
- Barbaran Heaton, Owner and Creative Director, Hom Bridal (UAE)
- Guzal Elgasheva, Co-owner of Prive7 Salon, Co-founder of Avanta and Womens Russian Speaking Social Club (UAE)
- Teni Agana, Founder and CEO of Luzile Initiative (Ghana)
- Haifa Adas, Founder and CEO of Instagram (UAE)
Home based business of the year
- Alicia English, Executive Director, Olive Exchange (South Africa)
- Aisha Iddrisu-Ahmadu, Business Coach, Missashleybakes (Ghana)
- Boikhutso Ngwenya (Botswana) from Craft Unlimited
- Zainab El Hajj, Founder, Save ME (UAE)
- Cathie Halim, Founder, SPActacular (Egypt)
educator
- Chioma Ukpabi, Founder, Skill Up With Kahdsole (Nigeria)
- Jesse Radwan, Founder and CEO of Carerha (Egypt)
- Nyenje Aida Lubwama, Senior Consultant, Uganda Institute of Management, Uganda
- Mago Hasfa, Founder and Literacy Specialist, Read to Learn Foundation/Book Drive Store, Uganda
- Soraya Beheshti, Managing Director, Crimson Education (UAE)
Launched in 2022, the Mastercard Women Small Business Leaders Awards aims to support women in the entrepreneurial spirit by shining a spotlight on women shaping the future in emerging markets around the world.
Now in its third year, the Mastercard Women Small Business Leadership Awards celebrates the achievements and contributions of women entrepreneurs who have demonstrated admirable leadership, vision and tenacity in building successful small businesses.
looking forward to Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs We are announcing the winners of the 2024 Mastercard Women Small Business Leader Awards.
Related: For the greater good: Amna Ajmal, executive vice president, market development, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard
