The fifth edition of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF), one of the largest events for entrepreneurs in the region, organised by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa), will kick off today (Monday), at Expo Centre Sharjah under the slogan #WhereStarsCollide.

With the participation of 55 speakers, including influential regional and global entrepreneurs, industry titans, and young creatives from social, cultural and sports sectors, and more, the two-day festival will discuss ways to make a meaningful impact and promote positive change in the entrepreneurship sector in the UAE as well as the region. It will bring together more than 4,000 entrepreneurs and founders of startups across sectors on one platform to share their experiences and motivate them to make a positive impact in their communities.

The festival will host Lewis Howes, New York Times bestselling author of The School of Greatness and The Mask of Masculinity; Michael Acton Smith, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Calm; Omar Nour, Egypt’s first professional triathlete; and filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, director of the documentary series Seaspiracy, one of the most watched on Netflix, among others.

Other eminent speakers include Omar Samra, the first Egyptian to climb the 7 Summits, which include Mt. Everest; Tahmima Anam, author of The Startup Wife; Aida Muluneh, Ethiopian photographer and contemporary artist; and Anas Bukhash, who runs the influencer marketing and talent management consultancy, Bukhash Brothers, as well as the popular YouTube show AB Talks.

The festival will present 27 activities which include six inspiring keynotes, 12 discussion sessions and nine training workshops. The keynotes will revolve around the themes: “50 Years Of The UAE: The Growth of an Entrepreneurial Nation”, “Aiming for the Stars”, and “Stepping Into Your Power: Why You Need To Awaken The Spiritual Entrepreneur in You”, “Mindset of an Entrepreneur”, and “Chasing Greatness”.

The discussion sessions include: “What does it feel like to be a Change-maker?”, “Keep Calm and Carry On: Turning Your Dreams into Reality,” “Mind Over Matter: Rethinking the Hustle and Grind of Being an Entrepreneur”; “Today’s Employees, Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs: Lessons from The Careem Cartel”; “Reality Bites: Going Meta About the Metaverse”; “The Untold Truths About Being a Great CEO”; “Financing your Startup: The Key Funding Options Available For Your Business”; “Making Change Happen”; “Subverting Stereotypes: Rethinking Gender Dynamics in the Startup Realm”; “Coming Home: Why Sharjah is the Right Startup Hub for Long-term Thinking Entrepreneurs”; and “I’m an Entrepreneur Too: Giving Creatives Their Due”.

The global educational institution, Mind Valley International, is organizing SEF’s training workshops which are designed to help entrepreneurs and startup founders pursue their passion for learning to achieve their goals.

SEF 2021 is being organised in partnership with the ICT Fund - an initiative of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Digital Government of the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah Media City (Shams), Alef Group, and the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

A transformational experience awaits attendees at the 5th edition of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF), which kickstarted today (Monday) until Nov.23 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Look forward to 10 inspiring sessions led by some of the most sought-after names in productivity, personal growth and physical performance, courtesy of Mindvalley.

Mindvalley, the world’s largest personal growth platform with over 60 million subscribers, will be hosting interactive, workshop-style sessions on their exclusive stage at SEF 2021, dedicated to distilling and spreading a radical new approach to entrepreneurship.

By partnering with Mindvalley for this exciting aspect of SEF 2021’s agenda, festival organiser Sharjah Entrepreneurship centre (Sheraa), is laying the foundations for imagining the Entrepreneur of the future – a new breed of thinkers, doers and change makers who will action change in the new world.

Announcing the partnership with Mindvalley, Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said: “The disruptions caused by the pandemic have accelerated the need for a new generation of holistic entrepreneurs who will foster innovation and ensure future sustainability through their impactful ideas and businesses that will add exponential value to societies worldwide. The entrepreneur of tomorrow is one who can marshal resources with speed, agility and resilience to empower and build a better future to benefit everyone.” She added: “Through our partnership with Mindvalley, SEF 2021 will lead young and aspirational founders on this new and exciting age of entrepreneurship to ensure that transformative ideas and the dynamic process of vision and creation are embedded in the DNA of every ‘future entrepreneur’ here in Sharjah, and around the region.”

WAM