Dubai Startup Hub Shares Practical Tips For Finding The Right Co-Founder

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As part of its Co-Founder Dubai program, Dubai Startup Hub, the entrepreneurship arm of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organized an exclusive event for its participating entrepreneurs to share guidance on how to find the right partners for their respective businesses.

The event, which took place in April, provided entrepreneurs with legal and human resources advice, as well as mentorship, networking and additional practical tips for finding the right co-founder.

The event, which was held at Dubai Chamber's headquarters, kicked off with a workshop on human resources led by David Mackenzie, Group Managing Director, Mackenzie Jones, who examined strategies for building long-lasting successful partnerships, finding highly-skilled talent and navigating human resources concerns.

Meanwhile, Shahram Safai, Partner, Afridi & Angell, highlighted important legal aspects related to selecting a co-founder, such as guidelines for drafting contracts, agreements and best practices when sharing work and dividing priorities among the company's founding partners.

The workshops were followed by networking and mentorship sessions, joined by several successful entrepreneurs including Katharine Budd, co-founder and CEO of NOW Money; Rodrique Nacouzi, Founder of Transcorp; Anna–Liisa Goggs, co-Founder and COO of Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3); and Ihab Fikry, CEO of Al Mentor. The speakers also shared their experiences and lessons learned from their entrepreneurial journeys.

Commenting on the event, H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, explained that recent research conducted by the Dubai Chamber found that selecting a co-founder remains a key challenge for startups and entrepreneurs.

He added that the Co-Founder program was established to address such obstacles by connecting startups with prospective co-founders and providing the right level of support and guidance during this crucial stage, with the aim of improving the success rate of startups in the region.

A total of 10 startups were shortlisted and selected for the pilot program over the past month. Three co-founder candidates will be selected for each. The selected startups are: Shala Online DMCC, Pacific67 Innovation Studio FZ-LLC, Hayya Middle East, YAH Capital Financial Services LLC, alBeqsha Gifts Trading, whspot, Deliver 2 Mum, ChannelPro, Darb Technologies and Tracking Systems LLC, and Solarino Energy Solutions.

Dubai Chamber launched Dubai Startup Hub in 2016 as an online platform to connect startups, entrepreneurs, developers, venture capitalists and students, enabling them to learn about new opportunities and create new partnerships that stimulate economic growth.

This article was originally published on Dubai Startup Hub and has been reposted on Entrepreneur Middle East based on a mutual agreement between the websites.

Megha Merani is an independent journalist based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her stories have made headlines across a number of publications including Reuters, Associated Press, Entrepreneur Middle East, Bloomberg Middle East, Arabian Gulf Business Insight, Arabian Business, and former local daily 7DAYS.

Megha also produces editorial for government platforms including the World Government Summit and World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils. She has been a grant winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Global Initiative Against Organized Crime funded by the government of Norway to report on the online trade in illegal wildlife.

Megha is also an Associate Fellow (AFHEA) at Murdoch University in Dubai and leads its Digital Newsroom course unit. In addition, Megha serves as a United Nations Women mentor to support equal opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and supports various other programs including TIE Women, 60 Day Startups, and the Watt Inc. Business Incubator.

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