Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) is collaborating with the American University in Cairo (AUC) to support female entrepreneurs through Heya Raeda 2021 Programme. The collaboration involves ITIDA and its Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (TIEC) along with the AUC's Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) and School of Continuing Education (SCE). The programme reaches out to female entrepreneurs and helps them start their own projects with a focus on the logical side of business development rather than a theoretical approach. It aims to induce the basic business development functions as a secondary practical skill set enabling them to efficiently run successful operations, reduce the waste of resources and opportunities, and help onboarding them onto other entrepreneurship programmes within TIEC and the ecosystem at large. Amr Mahfouz – CEO of Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) The Heya Raeda 2021 Programme has been developed this year by ITIDA and TIEC, and will be delivered by AUC School of Business's CEI and SCE to train female entrepreneurs on startup methodologies and concepts as well as cultivate their business development skills. "This collaboration aims to instill entrepreneurial spirt and encourage female entrepreneurs in the ICT sector, as we target supporting 300 early-stage projects of female entrepreneurs representing 60 percent increase in the number of beneficiary female entrepreneurs combined in the past three editions of the programme (500 female entrepreneurs in 2018, 2019, 2020)." Amr Mahfouz, ITIDA's CEO said. Hala Barakat, Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the American University in Cairo (AUC) Hala Barakat, Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, stated: "Adding the Heya Raeda 2021 programme collaboration to AUC's CEI portfolio reaffirms its mission toward entrepreneurship advancement and its role in economic development and empowerment, especially for women." "CEI has been a pioneer hub for entrepreneurial stakeholders not only in Egypt but for the MENA region. Since its inception, CEI has worked diligently on promoting entrepreneurial education, supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem and offering capacity-building opportunities." Barakat added. The programme will employ online interactive webinars and training modules, which incorporate generating and validating ideas, business modeling, communication skills, strategies and key technology enablers. It will also incorporate a range of guest speakers and participant pitches. "AUC's School of Continuing Education mission is to improve the employability and provide lifelong learning to participants by extending the resources of the University to Egypt and beyond through high quality, accessible and flexible programmes," said Dr. James Ketterer, Dean of the School of Continuing Education. James Ketterer, Dean of the School of Continuing Education at the American University in Cairo (AUC) "In light of this mission, Heya Raeda 2021 programme is an addition to SCE's extensive portfolio, as we aim to expand outreach and empower our community by enhancing its productivity and performance. We design programmes that are tailored to suit diverse needs, directed at learners' career advancement, and enhancement of their professional qualifications to enrich their lives." Ketterer added.
