FFE Prize: Four Lebanese female entrepreneurs break gender stereotypes

Because numerous obstacles remain for women entrepreneurs in Lebanon, the Francophone Female Entrepreneur (FFE) competition stands out as one of the rare events promoting business development and female entrepreneurship both in the country and the region. Initially scheduled for October 2024, this thirteenth edition, postponed due to last fall's war in Lebanon, finally announced its verdict on Thursday.

Organized by the Middle East branch of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) in Lebanon, the Lebanese incubator Berytech, and L’Orient-Le Jour, the competition rewarded three Lebanese startups and one from the Emirates. The winners share 30,000 euros in funding, in addition to gaining access to training and a six-month coaching program offered by Berytech. This year's jury members were Maya Rahal, director of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy in Lebanon; Mohammad Rabah, CEO of ZRE, specializing in real estate development; and Elsa Charabati, journalist and entrepreneur.

Despite obstacles and everyday challenges such as gender stereotypes and sexism in sectors often perceived as male-dominated, these entrepreneurs have chosen to pursue their careers against an uncertain horizon in Lebanon and the region. As Jean-Noël Baléo, regional director of AUF Middle East, stated: "We must combine solution and talent to climb back up (in Lebanon, NDLR). Feminization is the right solution."

Out of the hundred applications received following the call for entries launched last April, 30 were selected for the next phase, with over 40 hours of training and support over six months at Berytech. Ultimately, ten projects, including seven local and three regional ones, were selected. Lebanese entrepreneurs Emma Sleiman (Cogny), Raya Bekhazi (Kids Baking Box), Haya Hamed (Pharma Organic) and Yara Abou Dalha (Nomad) won the final held Thursday at the Francophone Employability Center (CEF) in Beirut's Digital District (BDD).

Local Prizes

With Cogny, an innovative "health-tech" startup, Emma Sleiman won the FFE contest and 10,000 euros. Cogny stems from a particularly promising premise in the world of cognitive sciences: It is a virtual reality software designed as a clinical tool to diagnose cognitive conditions in children, offering a precise and immersive assessment tailored to healthcare professionals' needs. Currently, the startup is exploring immersive environments to enhance patient engagement and improve diagnostic accuracy by utilizing objective multimodal data capture and processing to offer in-depth analyses. Sleiman shared her gratitude and joy with L'Orient-Le Jour for winning first place. Her advice to Lebanese women? "Never put off until tomorrow what you can accomplish today. There is never a 'right time' to start a business. You have to dare."

The second winner, who received 7,000 euros, is Raya Bekhazi, founder of Kids Baking Box, a project born in Lebanon and recently expanded to the United Arab Emirates. A pastry chef who graduated from the Lebanese Culinary Institute Cordon Bleu, Bekhazi launched Kids Baking Box following the explosion at the Beirut port on Aug. 4, 2020. Like many, she had to reinvent herself, and the best way to bounce back was to pass on her passion to children by offering them a simple and enjoyable way to cook. Kids Baking Box is a box filled with pre-measured ingredients and step-by-step illustrated instructions allowing children to have fun creating their own recipes while developing their culinary creativity.

With 5,000 euros at stake, the third place was won by Haya Hamed, head of Pharma Organic. In a world saturated with chemical products, the company stands out with fully organic products where science and nature go hand in hand. Founded in 2022, Pharma Organic took on a major challenge: To design organic products while guaranteeing their effectiveness and affordable prices. Inspired by biomimicry (imitation of biological processes), Hamed turned to nature, observing how flowers react to the sun while studying ancient medicine. Pharma Organic thus offers products combining ancestral knowledge and the latest technologies.

Regional Prize

For the second consecutive year, the 2024 edition of FFE opened its applications to the other 17 member countries of the AUF in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Palestine, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.

And it is the Lebanese Yara Abou Dalha, founder of Nomad Workshops in the United Arab Emirates, who secured the last portion of the planned funding, amounting to 8,000 euros. This startup offers a series of fun and original workshops aimed at expatriates to enhance their mental well-being by encouraging social interactions.

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.