Yasmine El-Mehairy, Building Dija, Empowering Women & Navigating Uncertain Terrain – Ep.8, Season 3

Yasmine El-Mehairy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Dija, a platform helping Muslim women invest with confidence in a way aligned with their faith and values. Yasmine is a serial entrepreneur, passionate about startups with purpose. Before launching Dija, she worked in global financial service organizations like City Ventures and Deloitte Digital, as well as founding and managing other startups in various fields, like digital media and e-commerce. She previously Co-Founded SuperMama, the one-stop shop for mothers in the Arab world, which was acquired by Mawdoo3. She's also an expert in entrepreneurship, serving as a lecturer and tutor at Oxford University. Yasmine holds an executive MBA from London Business School, a master's in online media from the University of Westminster, and a bachelor's in computer Science from Egypt's Aisha's University, and has been strongly committed to creating the change she wants to see in the world by starting purposeful startups that contribute to the growing ecosystem.

—-----------------------------------------------------------

The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.

Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and get in touch:

LinkedIn: Startups Arabia Podcast

Twitter: @ArabiaStartups

Facebook: @startupsarabia

Youtube: Startups Arabia Podcast

—--- Resources—--------:

Yasmine’s LinkedIn account: @Yamine El-Mehairy

Dija Money’s Website: https://www.dija.money/

—-----------------------------------------------------------

SHOW NOTES:

00:00 Introduction to the Startups Arabia Podcast

00:25 Meet Yasmine El-Mehairy: A Serial Entrepreneur

02:17 Yasmine's Early Career and First Startup

03:01 The Turning Point: From Corporate to Startup

07:28 The Birth of SuperMama

09:11 Challenges and Pivots in SuperMama's Journey

19:46 SuperMama's Growth and Traction

34:31 Navigating Investor Relations and Board Dynamics

38:37 The Acquisition of SuperMama

45:07 Transition to Dija Money and Financial Empowerment

45:30 The Origin of Dija Money

46:29 Financial Mistakes and Lessons Learned

49:32 Gender and Financial Literacy

54:18 Geopolitical and Socioeconomic Factors

01:00:45 The Dija App: Vision and Development

01:06:23 Building a Startup: Strategies and Challenges

01:10:51 Personal and Professional Reflections

01:20:53 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts