Inspirational Woman October 2015: Dina El Mofty

Dina El- Mofty founded Injaz Egypt in 2003, an Educational organization with a strong focus on Entrepreneurship. Injaz works with schools and universities across Egypt, and has helped impact more than 500,000 students through its entrepreneurial and work readiness programs. The organization also helps young entrepreneurs jump start and accelerate their businesses and has helped seedfund and launch 40 successful startups over the past four years

Dina serves on the US Egypt Business Council and is the Co-chair of the Women in Business Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce, and serves as a member of the Education and Entrepreneurship Committees. Prior to Injaz, Dina worked with Save the Children in helping expand their operations in Egypt. She was also part of a team that helped in establishing the Future Generation Foundation in Egypt. Prior to that, she conducted key research assignments for the US-Egypt Presidents Council.

Dina holds a Graduate degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and is an undergraduate of the American University in Cairo. She also spent time as an undergraduate at Georgetown University, Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service, and later attended professional degrees at Penn State University and Insead.

1) You believe in the mission of encouraging young entrepreneurs. Why must a society cultivate its entrepreneurial community?

It’s important to cultivate an entrepreneurial cultural in society from a young age where it becomes second nature to young people where they no longer get dominated by a fear of failure and instead are able to venture and put their ideas to test. Another important element to keep in mind especially in developing countries where many challenges exist these entrepreneurs become the agents of change who create solutions to address many of these challenges.

2) You have seen numerous young entrepreneurs, what three qualities do they all possess?

Passion and determination fuelled by imagination

3) Tell us about your journey a little, what inspired you to head Injaz and what does Injaz mean?

Injaz means achievement in Arabic our organisation is part of the junior achievements global network and in the Middle East we go by our Arabic name.

Back in 2003 I had the opportunity to pilot Injaz in Egypt I was just a few years fresh out of college at the time but incredibly passionate about entrepreneurship and education and I was fuelled by a desire to make a change in our society and determined to have an impact.

In our country I can’t even begin to explain to you what a mismatch and growing gap we have between the education system and the private sector. Suffice to say there’s incredible frustration on both sides. That’s where our organisation comes in to bridge that gap by delivering the latest global programs on entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy in Arabic to students in public schools and universities. These programs are delivered and taught by professionals who take time off each week to volunteer their time in a class room. This  formula has worked wonders!

So when I first started out piloting the program getting private sector on board this initiative they were quite welcoming to the idea. But getting the governments by in was another story altogether! For starters getting approvals to deliver this new program was an ordeal not to mention the security clearances ! Now  being a young woman in her early twenties at the time didn’t help my case much. The bureaucrats would continually ask if I had an older male boss that they could deal with. They would also ask if I was part of an organisation with a hidden political agenda.. I guess they were all about Conspiracy theories were common at that time!

After  several months of persistence I guess they realised I wasn’t going away and there was so older male boss or hidden agenda behind what we were doing and they finally agreed to give us clearances to deliver our programs! Hallelujah!

My partner Dahlia had joined me a year after the pilot and together we have grown the organisation from impacting 300 students in 2003 to impacting cumulatively over 500,000 students in 2015 and have grown the organisation to over 140 passionate and driven team members working for an incredible cause.

4) Injaz has worked with schools and universities and over 500,000 students – why do you think you needed to start entrepreneurial programs at the school level and what voids did the educational experience have that Injaz was filling?

For starters our country unfortunately has a very weak public school system which is very much based on route memorisation and fails to encourage imagination and creativity and self discovery among many other things. There is also a big mismatch of skills where many students work very hard for a certificate which does not guarantee them a job nor equip them with the right mind set or values for life nor does it give them the skills they’d need to get a job.

Our organisations mission has been to bridge that gap from an early age starting middle school to gradually equip students with the skills and mindsets which would enable them to reach their fullest potential.

5) Studies have shown that women in the Middle East are dominating the tech market and startup ventures. Would you agree this to be true?

It seems to me that there is an incredible wave of change happening before our very eyes that we sometimes don’t acknowledged as it has become so much a part of the norm where women are not only dominating these sectors but are starting to have a dominant role in so many different industries.

6) If yes, why do you think that is?

There must be many different reasons for this but a big part in my opinion is modernisation  young women today this particular generation are very fortunate that they now stand on the achievements of their mothers and even grandmothers who have   pushed forward the bar of cultural norms in society towards women.

7) What motivates entrepreneurs the most and how can a community enhance the experience for them?

In my opinion the biggest motivator is their internal sense of being driven by a greater purpose and I think that governments and society at large need to ease the process for startups to encourage and support them not only financially but through mentor ship and training, and to create laws that make it easy for startups and entrepreneurs to operate.

8) You have had a diversified portfolio as far as your academic, life experiences. Has your global experience shaped how you view the world? How?

Absolutely having that kind of mentality opens you up to so many possibilities where your mental frame is not boxed in but once youre exposed to global experiences the sky’s your limit.

9) Has it shaped your confidence and goals?

Most definitely when you are fortunate to have that kind of exposure you can become limitless in your potential to achieve.

10) Why is it so important for us to enhance our global experience as leaders and change makers?

I think  connecting and creating networks with others on a global level exposes all parties to different cultures mindsets and ways of operating. It also brings with it a wealth of knowledge and ideas on so many levels making us true citizens of the world!

11) How can we actually globalize our personal experience?

There are many ways of doing this from  joining global business networks or helping in international causes you believe in to simply Venturing out to see the world!

12) You are CEO, mother, wife. Today many women are struggling with whether they should lean in or not lean into their career. What are your thoughts?

It’s always a difficult decision and especially when your raising your children and don’t want to miss out on their important mile stones. So ultimately it’s a very personal decision to each woman    whether you have the time and energy and drive to dedicate towards your career. Either way for many who decide to take on that challenge they have proven to be professional jugglers when it comes down to it.

13) What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur who wants to stand out in their industry?

I’d say that it’s important in what ever you do you should have a  greater sense of purpose because when you have that it elevates your mission all together and will automatically differentiate you when you operate from that level.

14) Is social media a friend or enemy to startups?

Definitely a friend and use it to its full potential!

15) Lastly, who is your role model?

I have many role models that I look up to in different areas of life it’s important to have that I think. For me it’s people in my family like my father who was my very first role model to others who are change makers in our society to global inspirational men and women who are leaders in their fields it’s great to learn from others, from their successes and failures and ultimately be inspired by them