CAIRO: In 2011, over 1000 university students from across Egypt formed start-up companies as part of the INJAZ Egypt Company Program. On Saturday, 24 September, the top 500, in 22 teams from 11 Egyptian universities, will hold a trade fair and compete for 10 seed funds plus incubation from corporations such as Mobinil, Exxon Mobil and Abraaj at “Dare to Dream: Empowering Egypt's Young Entrepreneurs 2011”. “Dare to Dream” is sponsored this year by Mobinil and will be held at the American University in New Cairo. The 10 winning companies will receive a share of the 285,000 LE contributed by the adopting companies for the start-ups, and will be mentored by their adopting corporation in registering legally, and making them financially sound, profitable and sustainable. The event is the culmination of our top program – the Company Program. During the CP, students form small start-up companies over the course of the semester, helped by a volunteer mentor from the private sector. They think of a product, assign roles like CEO, marketing, finance, human resources, sell shares to raise capital, manufacture and sell their product. “Through the Company Program, “Dare to Dream,” and our other courses on entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy for every age level, INJAZ Egypt hopes to contribute to building a stronger economic future for Egypt by equipping young people with practical experience, character and skills to drive Egypt's economic future,” said Dina Mofty, Executive Director INJAZ Egypt. INJAZ Egypt is an education NGO that addresses the gap between the education system and the needs of the job market by training business professionals and entrepreneurs to deliver INJAZ curriculum and serve as mentors to classes in schools and universities. Since Its establishment in 2003, INJAZ Egypt has impacted a cumulative of 147,813 students. During the past academic year 2010-2011, INJAZ impacted 61,080 students in more than 167 schools and 11 Universities in 19 governorates with the help of 400 Volunteers from 16 private sector companies. BM
