LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Nahdet Misr Publishing House, EdVentures, Ta'heal for VET Skills Excellence, a group of businesses empowering through learning
Dalia Ibrahim is an accomplished business leader, angel investor, mentor, and mother of three children. She is the CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House, a prominent learning company in Egypt; the founder and CEO of EdVentures, MENA's first CVC specializing in Edtech; and the founder of Ta'heal, which offers vocational education solutions. Dalia began her career at Nahdet Misr in 1994, a family business founded by her grandfather as a small publishing house in 1938. Over the past 28 years, she has transformed Nahdet Misr into one of MENA’s leading learning and capacity-building companies. Dalia has received recognition for her entrepreneurial journey several times, including being a finalist in the "Leadership" category of the AMBA & BGA Excellence Award, a finalist in the "Lifetime Achievement" category of the AWIEF Awards, acknowledgment as one of the "Top 50" most influential women in Egypt, and receiving the "Corporate Social Responsibility Award" for Arab Women.
Lioness Weekender spoke to the impact-focused Dalia Ibrahim about her passion for education and learning as a driver of positive human capital growth in society.
When did your start your business?:
Nahdet Misr Publishing House was established by my grandfather in 1938, I founded EdVentures in 2017, and founded Ta'heal in 2021. Today, we have 2500 employees.
What does your company do?
Nahdet Misr Publishing House is a subsidiary of Nahdet Misr Group, a globally recognized provider of learning and capacity-building solutions for the past 85 years. The company's mission is to empower individuals by providing valuable education, knowledge and skills to enhance their capabilities, improve their quality of life, and help them achieve their goals.
Nahdet Misr offers a diverse range of services that include content and curriculum development, professional development for educators, digital learning, software development, animation production, vocational education solutions, publishing cultural books and magazines, and investment in Edtech startups.
EdVentures, the group's investment arm, specializes in Edtech and capacity building, incubating, accelerating, and investing in startups to promote innovative solutions in education.
Ta’heal for VET Skills Excellence offers solutions in vocational education to improve the quality of the available and future workforce.
What inspired you to start your company?
As I mentioned earlier, I have many roles, but I would like to share the inspiration behind the establishment of both EdVentures and Ta'heal.
The idea for EdVentures came to me in 2014, when I began mentoring young entrepreneurs. Through my work with these talented individuals, I saw their immense potential and the innovative ideas they brought to various business sectors. Helping them plan and launch their own businesses brought me great joy.
Instead of simply mentoring or judging entrepreneurs, I felt compelled to bring their ideas to life in an institutional way. Thus, the concept of EdVentures was born.
As a member of Nahdet Misr and an entrepreneur who has worked in the education sector my whole life, I recognized the private sector's need to invest significantly in education and EdTech to foster innovation in this vital sector. I proposed the idea to Nahdet Misr's board of directors, who embraced it and encouraged me to implement it. As a result, I founded EdVentures in 2017.
I believe that investments should have a positive impact on society, and since education plays a vital role in the advancement of societies and economies, we will continue to invest in startups working in this field. This is a significant sector, and we want to help make a positive impact on society through our investments."
As for Ta'heal for VET Skills Excellence, I founded it in 2021 in response to the unemployment challenge in MENA countries. We focus on education and excellence training to reduce skill mismatches, enhance labour market flexibility, and maintain sustainability based on demand-driven solutions to create a significant positive impact in our communities.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Nahdet Misr's unique business model sets it apart by offering diverse yet fully integrated learning and capacity-building solutions. This makes it an educational hub for learners, educators, educational organizations, and governments.
Our wide spectrum of solutions enables us to serve around 16 million K–12 students. We produce 140 million educational books annually, and we also produce various mobile applications used by millions of students, teachers, and parents.
Over the past eight decades, we have published thousands of cultural books for adults and children and introduced the Arabic version of renowned international series and books such as Disney, National Geographic, DK, Smurfs, and many others.
As for EdVentures, what makes it different is the fact that it’s the first and only specialized EdTech CVC in the MENA region. We help young entrepreneurs in education, EdTech, and capacity building launch their businesses and foster their innovative ideas. Since its inception, EdVentures has supported over 66 startups and entrepreneurs and invested in 14 companies recognized as being among the most impactful startups in EdTech and capacity building in the MENA region.
Tell us a little about your team
Our team comprises over 2500 professionals with diverse experiences, all working together harmoniously to achieve our common goal of empowering people and unlocking their potential. Our team is dedicated to their work and continually strives to improve their capacities. We believe in working together and growing together.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I joined Nahdet Misr Publishing House in 1994 as a publishing executive for the family business my grandfather, Ahmed Ibrahim, founded in 1938. It quickly became apparent to me that providing new services and solutions to support education and learning in Egypt and the Arab world was critical.
Over the past two decades, I have worked tirelessly to transform Nahdet Misr from a traditional publisher into a globally renowned provider of comprehensive and innovative educational, digital, and publishing solutions. During this time, I co-founded several enterprises, including Nahdet Misr Digital Solutions in 1998, Nahdet Misr Advertising in 1998, and Nahdet Misr Periodicals in 2004.
In 2011, despite several male siblings, I was nominated to be the CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House after being assessed by the board of directors with the help of an external consultant. Being a female CEO in a male-dominated industry was a significant challenge for me.
Since my appointment, I have strived to make revolutionary changes on the business and organizational levels. I ensured that continuous learning and innovation became core values of Nahdet Misr and initiated continuous development programs for employees. I made strategic business expansion decisions, establishing new business divisions and enhancing existing functions that support the digitization of education.
Furthermore, I was able to increase the company's revenues by 20 times and grow our human capital from 800 to 2,500 employees. We have also successfully executed national projects, like developing new curricula and interactive digital curricula (K-12), in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Education and Technical Education for the Education Reform System 2.0. Additionally, we are working with the Egyptian Ministry of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs on the "Etakelm Arabi (Speak Arabic)" initiative, which aims to preserve the identity of young Egyptians living abroad and educate them about their culture and traditions. We created a mobile application that provides an edutainment atmosphere to teach youngsters the Arabic language, and it has been utilized in 43 different countries worldwide since its release in May 2021.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Regarding EdVentures, the goal is to expand its reach throughout the Middle East and Africa while providing more support to young entrepreneurs. By doing so, we hope to create a more dynamic education industry that can contribute to the growth of these regions.
As for Nahdet Misr, the aim is to expand its global presence and empower individuals to create a better future for themselves and their communities.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Generally, I find inspiration in challenges and enjoy seeking ways to address gaps in the market. The process of building something from scratch and seeing it grow, succeed, and positively impact the lives of numerous individuals brings me great joy. Additionally, I take pleasure in motivating other team leaders to strive for personal and business growth, enabling us all to reach new heights in life. In essence, I believe that true joy lies in the journey itself.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
When I advise women who aspire to start their own business, I stress that the journey is never easy. However, it's important to remain persistent and strive to balance work with personal life, even though it can be challenging. Family should always come first, as they provide the support and peace of mind needed to keep going.
Empowering your team and trusting them to expand their capabilities is crucial, as it's impossible to achieve everything alone. It's also important to remember that life will throw obstacles at you, but it's crucial not to give up. Instead, use these moments as opportunities to grow and step out of your comfort zone to achieve great things. While it may be difficult, the journey is truly worth every moment.
To learn more about Dalia Ibrahim’s work and her businesses, send an email to: dalia@nahdetmisr.com or visit her company websites and social media platforms:
YouTube or Vimeo Video: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empoweredbytaheal/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nahdet-misr-publishing-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/edventuress/
Websites: https://nahdetmisr.com/
https://empoweredbytaheal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NMGeducation/
https://www.facebook.com/NahdetMisrPublishingHouse/?locale=ar_AR
https://www.facebook.com/NMEdVentures/about/
https://www.facebook.com/empoweredbytaheal/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nahdet-misr-publishing-group/
