With over 50 International and regional industry leaders and a stimulating mix of workshops, activations and artistic performances, the 5th annual edition of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF), organised by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), will take place on November 22 – 23 in Expo Centre Sharjah. This is the perfect opportunity for Infleuncers to connect with like-minded people, especially if you are looking to launch your own business. The speakers at the panel will add a kick of motivation and enthusiasm to plan your strategies for the coming year.
In a nutshell, we’re expecting to hear from:
- Najla Al Midfa
- Lewis Howes
- Michael Acton Smith
- Omar Nour
- Tahmima Anam
- Anas Bukhash
A key highlight of SEF 2021 is its unique speaker line-up curation of inspiring personalities from around the world!
Panel of seakers for the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival.
Image Credit: Sharjahef.com.
Notable names who will be taking the SEF 2021 ‘Inspiration Stage’, include @Lewishowes, New York Times Bestselling Author of ‘The School of Greatness and the Mask of Masculinity’, @Michaelacton, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Calm; Rashid Al Ghurair, Founder and CEO of Cafu; Omar Nour, first Egyptian professional triathlete; @Iamalitabrizi, Director and Cinematographer of Seaspiracy, one of the most watched docu-series on Netflix this year; @Omarsamra, first Egyptian to climb Mt. Everest and the 7 Summits; Tahmima Anam, author of ‘The Startup Wife’; and @Aidamuluneh, Ethiopian photographer and contemporary artist; and @Anasbukhash, best known for his Influencer Marketing and Talent Management consultancy Bukhash Brothers as well as his own YouTube show AB Talks.
Panel of seakers for the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival.
Image Credit: Sharjahef.com.
Another big festival highlight is that for the first time in SEF’s history, the in-person event will be free-to-attend for all visitors. Through this move, Sheraa aims to allow the 4,000 attendees who attend the annual festival on an average, uninterrupted access to the entire range of SEF’s founder-focused programme agenda, connect and network, and be empowered with new knowledge and global experiences.
Under the theme, #WhenStarsCollide, SEF’s community of innovative startups, government and private sector leaders, entrepreneurship ecosystem players, and budding entrepreneurs will converge on-site to drive meaningful impact in the region’s entrepreneurial landscape and inspire the next generation of changemakers.
Culinary, literary and performance arts to be celebrated across SEF Zones:
The upcoming edition, packed with brand new features, promises incredible experiences, learning and fun. Sheraa is teaming up with Sharjah’s iconic social hub, House of Wisdom, to hold book signings by several authors who will be attending SEF 2021. In addition, Sheraa has come up with the concept of zones. Leading local dining institutions will be featured in the culinary zone, while attendees will be able to connect with their entrepreneurial role models in the Meet & Greet zone.
There will be a Community Workshops zone to learn and explore new opportunities in a vibrant environment, and the Activations zone will take attendees on exciting tech-driven explorative journeys. Finally, the Performances zone will feature young musicians like Rashed Al Nuaimi who sang the National Anthem at the opening ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai; and will bring young talents from the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy on the SEF 2021 stage.
The festival will also see the return of Mindvalley Stage, the world’s leading personal growth platform, curating two days of world-renowned impactful speakers focused on personal development and life-long learning.
SEF 2021 will fuel a new era of tech-driven, conscious Entrepreneurship:
Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, noted that SEF 2021 offers existing and aspiring founders in the UAE, region and beyond a thriving platform to connect, learn and take their ideas forward, as the world witnesses a global entrepreneurial revolution with brilliant solutions being offered by the startup community in the wake of the global health crisis.
“I believe there hasn’t been a more exciting time for entrepreneurs in recent history, and a platform like SEF enables ecosystem players to coalesce ideas, intentions and efforts towards the creation of a better, more sustainable and inclusive future for all. As the theme asserts, this edition of the festival will truly symbolise a collision of stars from a gamut of key sectors like politics, finance, technology, sports, culture, literature, film, science, and more, who will share their experiences and expertise, their secrets to success, and promote Sheraa’s goals to open a window of new learning and market opportunities to entrepreneurial talents in the UAE and beyond. A well-rounded festival with a bold vision and holistic offerings, SEF 2021 is poised to fuel a new era of tech-driven, conscious Entrepreneurship”.
“Under the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Sheraa has been consolidating the emirate’s status as a high-growth entrepreneurial ecosystem where innovation, tech-driven ideas and community-minded strategies will receive every opportunity to thrive. We are excited to announce SEF 2021, whose unique programming will bring brilliant minds together to boost Sharjah’s role in inspiring and empowering the next generation of changemakers by taking them to the forefront of today’s entrepreneurial demands and trends,” she added.
Among SEF 2021 partners and sponsors are the Alef Group and Sharjah Media City. (Shams)
According to a recent report published in September by the 2021 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), in partnership with Sheraa, Sharjah was ranked seventh of the Top 10 MENA startup ecosystems by ‘Performance’, and was among the top 10 MENA Ecosystem in ‘Performance’ determined by the size and performance of an ecosystem based on the accumulated tech startup value created from exits and funding; and top 10 MENA Ecosystem in ‘Talent & Experience’ based on the ability to identify and retain talent in the ecosystem.
To be a part of the region’s largest festival celebrating entrepreneurs, register for free on www.sharjahef.com.
Held every year since 2017, the aim of this festival is to cultivate the entrepreneurial mindset and inspire the next generation of changemakers. Over the years, more than 200+ startups and 300+ local and international speakers have inspired a community of 13,000 changemakers, and motivated 94 percent of attendees to start their Entrepreneurial journeys.