Viaka Newsletter - An employee experience and workplace strategy MVP Viaka Member!
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The digital destination for startup professionals in the West to connect with each other & promising mentorship and investment opportunities from MENA.
A network-access platform connecting MENA investors and startups to capital, expertise, and talent in the “West,”
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Our weekly newsletter shines a spotlight on members of our Viaka Network, our MENA partners, and the MENA startup ecosystem.
Hi everyone! This week, we’re beginning our new series of interviews and network highlights. We’re now featuring members of the Viaka community who are based in North America and Europe.
Our first feature is Stephani Moukhaiber. Stephani currently works at Shopify and is an expert in employee experience. Stephani has amazing experiences and is a great Network member. Read more about Stephani below!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanimoukhaiber/?originalSubdomain=ca
Interview with Stephani Moukhaiber
What do you currently do?
I currently work at Shopify under the Employee Experience department. I build in-real-life programs that enable Shopifolk to meet in person, build better connections, and spend some productive time working on projects in person.
What prompted you to go down this career path and how did you get into this field?
As a student in Sociology, I used to work with a Non For Profit organization that focused on youth leadership development. From then on I found myself thriving in positions that were connected to people. It's amazing what you can do when you have a diverse group of individuals trying to solve a problem. Naturally, my career post-university continued that way and has always been in HR. I started as an employee relations specialist and then made my way into recruitment. Along the way, I built a knack for strategy which led me to apply to a new role that Deloitte had created which was a Strategy Specialist role. The team was the internal Human Capital consultants of the firm. Today, I am at Shopify working on building real-life programs to encourage and enable our people to meet, connect and get shit done.
What originally got you interested in connecting with the MENA startup ecosystem and other like-minded folks here in North America?
I am Lebanese. I immigrated to Canada 10 years ago but I still am very much involved in the Lebanese community and especially in the last 3 years. It's important to be part of or try to take part in a network that is ultimately trying to bring the Arab world forward, especially as a woman. The number of talents in this region is so grand, but they are being very underutilized and appreciated. I want to try to change that in order so we can maybe stop the brain drain from Lebanon and MENA region in general.
What types of connections are you looking to make through Viaka? This can be from the MENA side, as well as with other MENA-connected folks in the Viaka Network
I would like to take any opportunity in stride, be it networking, a project, support, coaching..any! Networks like Viaka should be explored fully I believe. I would love to be able to advise on any HR-related projects when the need arises. I am also working on my own media tech startup so some advice on Financial modeling would be amazing!
Where will that take you?
Onwards and upwards I hope!
Bonus: favorite dish from the MENA world?
Eaaaaaassy: Mulukhia!
Promising Opportunities from Our MENA Partners
Below are a list of opportunities curated from the Viaka’s MENA partners.
For Founders
Plus.vc invests in early-stage founders (up to Series A) that have a MENA background or connection, but are founding their companies outside of MENA.
*I’m interested*
For Investors
Huupe, the world's first smart basketball hoop, is raising a seed round and connecting with SportTech and Entertainment investors. '
*I’m interested*
For Advisors
Klangoo, an AI-startup providing Natural Language Processing (NLP) to media and software companies, is looking for an advisor familiar with NLP use cases in the world of financial services, particularly in underwriting and risk management. This opportunity can be compensated.
*I’m interested*
If you would like to get involved with any of the opportunities above, please fill out the form below and indicate what opportunity you are interested in in the “Which of Viaka's startup and venture opportunities are you interested in?” section.
Exciting Announcements From Our Network
Below is a list of updates, wins, and asks emanating from members of the Viaka Network in the “West.”
On Sunday, Sept. 11, ProductME and Concept+ will be hosting their interactive session on the foundations of a successful startup. The workshop is based on the book “Disciplined Entrepreneurship” and is taking place in Dubai. This event will be a great way to meet with some of the region’s best and brightest when it comes to products and startups. Register here!
Startup Boston has launched the registration of its five-day Startup Boston Week. The program will be held from September 19-23rd, 2022, and will have over 80 events and 250 speakers. The week is geared towards anyone with an interest in startups, with resources to connect, scale, and celebrate the community. Sessions featured include topics geared towards first-time founders, startup employees, advisors, and more. Sign up here!
If you’re a member of our Network and would like to share your own update next week, email info.viaka@gmail.com or submit an update via this form.
That’s it for this week. Thank you!
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