Your journey from being an engineer to a successful entrepreneur is fascinating. Could you share the pivotal moments that ignited your passion for startups and venture capitalists, turning your career into a remarkable adventure?
Indeed my career path was not planned nor the way I embraced the changes in high-tech and telecom industry .
I have left my native country Algeria with a French baccalaureate in maths and sciences back in the seventies to the UK …. Atypical move as most Algerian students tend to be Francophile and hence carry their higher education in France .
Landed in a typical British family on the beautiful shores of Brighton to learn English during a whole summer . Apparently I was good at it due to my early love of the UK MUSIC scene … the Beatles , Rod Stewart , Urithmics …
I moved on to Portsmouth Polytechnics to study Applied electronics in Hampshire .
After three years I have managed to get a technical consultancy gig and started as a development engineer with the various local tech companies such as Plessey Marconi in satellite imagery , hardware and software engineering with IBM .
It was during my work experience at Big Blue on a customer technical support visit with a sales guy , that truly I got inspired by sales and biz development in an international arena .
I moved on to leaving IBM in late 80’s and taking a risk to loose a comfortable salary and Perks …. First appetite to taking risk to join an awesome IBM
plug and play competitor called Telex Memorex ( Mainframe storage backup ) based in Tulsa Okhlahoma .
I will never forget such journey to winning my first Multi M$ Purchase order after an intense 6 months POC with Nixdorf Germany .
In reflecting back , Telex Memorex was a well established listed US company and truly wanted to take a new dive in the unknown by targeting a series of early stage US startup whereas I was convinced to work hard against a fair share of Equity …. Never looked back since once I joined Quantum , ANDREW NETWORKS , PLURIS , ASCEND communications acquired by lucent 21 B$ , Corvis , Airespace acquired by Cisco systems in 2005 prior to my leave in 2013 after 8 years of intrapreneurship there and becoming a business angel since then .
You've been a bridge between startups and investors, opening doors across continents. Can you dive into the exciting challenges and golden opportunities you uncovered while connecting the innovative spirit of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with the venture capital pulse?
After joining my first favorite club of business angels , Sophia Business Angels in Nice , France back in 2013 , I became their President for two years and proud of the fact I launched them more on the international scene to invest across EMEA . We co founded and trained many BANs such as Maghreb Diaspora BAN , Mediterranean BAN .
I have joined the European Business Angels Network that federate most BAN across the EU and encourages cross border early stage investment.
One recollect many awesome cross border deals but one stand in mind as it was my first major deal as a lead investor : FAVEEO a Swiss based Business intelligence powered by AI gig whereas both SBA in Nice France , GALATA BAN in Istanbul and the local canton of Lausanne co invested to boost such disruptive founder .
Your success stories with Quantum and Ascend Communications reflect your knack for spotting trends ahead of the curve. Could you share your secret to staying ahead in the ever-changing world of technology and startups?
This statement truly resonate with me as truly , thanks to my technical and business background , intellectual curiosity I have manage to transition my career from Mainframe , PC , server , local networking , telecom, satellite , and AI currently ….. passion and people networking are my two key attributes to ride such changing wave .
From Intrapreneur at Cisco Systems to co-founding startups like CyberFlowAnalytics and AIRESPACE, you've walked diverse entrepreneurial paths. How did your corporate journey ignite your entrepreneurial fire, and how did you bring that spirit to your ventures?
My journey inside Cisco after the Airespace acquisition was trailblazing as I have managed many internal change making projects from hardware focused to software virtualization such NMS and Software Defined network .
My wake up call was going through an amazing internal framework training called VSEM :
Vision , Strategy, Execution and Metrics .
The idea of cross-border collaborations ignites curiosity. Could you weave a tale of a remarkable partnership between Europe and the GCC regions that exemplifies the magic that happens when cultures collide and ideas intertwine?
I am actively mentoring startups and participate in various programs to nurture the emerging startup ecosystem in the GCC region. My optimism is fueled by the region’s unique characteristics, such as the vibrant coexistence of locals and expatriates and abundant capital in certain countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. I aim always to encourage startups in the GCC region to think beyond their local markets and explore global opportunities. I tend to highlight the importance of cross-border collaborations and investments between Europe and GCC regions.
Currently I am discussing my plans to create a GCC Business Angel Network and organise expeditions to Europe for startup cohorts. I also mention my involvement with Business Angel Network in Doha, which invests globally, showcasing the potential for deal flow exchange between Europe and the MENA region. I am passionate about fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the region and leveraging my global network and expertise to facilitate collaborations and investments across borders. I do envision a brighter future for entrepreneurship in the MENA region, driven by its unique opportunities, cross-border collaborations, and diverse and dynamic startup ecosystem. With the right support and commitment from investors and stakeholders, the region can become a global powerhouse for innovation.
Your advocacy for gender equality adds an inspiring layer to your journey. What unique strategies have you championed to weave a more inclusive narrative into the tapestry of entrepreneurship, empowering women entrepreneurs and investors to rise?
A father of three girls and married to a lady working in the Venture Capital , one does have much choices but champion the gender equality and diversity both in the investment community and entrepreneurship ecosystem .
One of my pride is the fact that I have trained a small group of ladies wannabe Business Angels : Tye Angels based in Cairo , Egypt and DAMYA angels based in Tunis , Tunisia … from first day all the way to their first dealflow of awesome led by women founders .
Currently mentoring on a regular basis women founders and giving them some advices on GTM strategy.
“I am passionate about promoting women’s participation in the investment and entrepreneurship community. Women’s empowerment is crucial for gender equality, and I have been involved in several initiatives to support women entrepreneurs.”
The success story of Sophia Business Angels (SBA) shines bright as a beacon of trust and unique identity. Could you paint a picture of a moment when SBA's DNA and the power of trust transformed a startup's destiny, showcasing the spirit of your club?
Sophia Business Angels have just celebrated 20 years anniversary.
We are north of 50 international successful entrepreneurs and industry veterans from 11 nationalities that are driven by passion , giving back spirit , mentoring that truly believe in impacting our society locally and cross the globe .
A great example of a successful investment and founder journey that I led is FAVEEO a Swiss based Business intelligence powered by AI gig whereas both SBA in Nice France , GALATA BAN in Istanbul and the local canton of Lausanne co invested to boost such disruptive founder .
In conclusion, could you reflect on a specific instance or accomplishment that stands out to you as the most rewarding or impactful in your journey, and what lessons you've learned from it?
My best and first accomplishment in my journey is the fact that life has given me four beautiful children that went that extra mile to finish their university degrees and went to get their best career path whereas they are doing what make them happy , content and fulfilled … and blessed when meeting one of the best good person , smart and beautiful human person that I have ever met during my love , family quest : MY WIFE 👌.. excellent coincidence that we are in the same early stage and VC ecosystem enabling disruptive entrepreneurs towards their success !
On the most rewarding impactful things I have done in my life is truly my capacity to learn from others , be it younger or older than me , embracing change , enabling many and diverse entrepreneurs to be successful… from early stage till exits !
Finally I can write a book about one topic that followed me all the way : Empathy and generosity towards others without expecting anything in return …. As such Life gave me back more than I gave !
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