Mohamed Ali Kanzari

Mohamed Ali is a passionate and versatile professional with a background in engineering, business intelligence, and branding. He thrives on fusing technical expertise with creative thinking to deliver exceptional branding solutions that make businesses stand out. As an accredited entrepreneurship trainer, he empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and foster a culture of innovation. With a thirst for knowledge and a drive for success, he is constantly pushing boundaries to create a positive impact. Let’s connect and explore how we can make a difference together.

Ahmed Allam

Ahmed Allam holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hebrew Language from Alexandria University.

He discovered his passion for developmental work early on. During his engagement with the Y-PEER initiative, he progressed from participant to coordinator, empowering youth and raising awareness of societal issues. Later on, in Care Egypt, he contributed to the refugees’ integration into Egyptian society.

Also, Ahmed served as Deputy Coordinator for the Fadelia Foundation, coordinating programs promoting peace values. In addition, he worked with the Addiction Treatment Fund and led the Volunteer Unit, as he is committed to drug awareness.

His success in national debate championships led to coaching roles and the title of Best Coach in Debates Club 2030.

Ahmed’s diverse engagements included coordinating the YV program with Thinking Academy and the British Council, while contributing to Plan International’s Youth Integration and Employment project.

Currently, he is involved in entrepreneurial initiatives. His volunteering experience positioned him as a mentor and trainer, showcasing his dedication to positive societal impact.

Menna Hefny

Fact: we are all part of something bigger than us. You decide what you do with that. Two revelations have shaped Menna’s life: One. The complexity of the human experience is fascinating. Two. All these people are connected in the intricate labyrinth of the community, some take that as it is, and others decide to take action.

The first made her delve into the social sciences in a pursuit of learning about society and humans, and she obtained a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University. Her inquisitive nature and exceptional diligence earned her a scholarship at the University of Chicago in the US where she spent one academic year of endless knowledge and self-discovery. Her biggest interest and experiences shaped throughout this journey is in research, and she found her calling especially in gender studies and ethnography.

The second revelation made her recognize her position in her community, her privileges, limitations, and potential. This guided her toward the development sector very early on, and she began her journey by volunteering with her school’s charitable initiative and then during college with different initiatives targeting people with disabilities such as Et3lmo Eshara, and Mashroo3 Matar.

On a more personal side, Menna’s passion for writing encouraged her to join different student activities such as Catcher in the Rhyme and MESE. During her internship at the Art for Vulnerable Road Users Program, she learned about how art can be integrated into social change which she found inspiring. Menna’s biggest comfort and drive has been this awareness of where she fits in her community. Her dream is to write a book about, for, and by her community. She wants to walk inside her city, walk up to strangers, to document their experiences. As a listener, reader, writer, and storyteller, she believes in the power of the narrative. She wants to show people that sometimes they have much more in common than they think and that they are part of something bigger than they are. Menna believes that this will make them question the role they have in their society and hopes this will encourage them to become changemakers and be more involved.

Ahmed Oueslati

Ahmed’s background consists of a magical mix of civil society, business advisory and some politics. He has an academic background in finances and management sciences that is complemented by his volunteering and continuous civil society work, and mixed in with his professional work experiences. Ahmed always puts to good use his skills, his professional and academic background, and his energy for all international and national opportunities, allowing him to build a solid career.

Mohamed Kahna

Mohamed Kahna is a surgical technologist and research developer in digital health with experience managing global teams and medical innovation consulting. His research focuses on the intersection of technology, healthcare, and society.

Kahna is fueled by his passion for understanding the nuances of medical innovation and technology. He considers himself a ‘forever student,’ eager to both build on his academic foundations in technology and health science and stay in tune with the latest digital innovation strategies through continued coursework and professional development. He believes mindfulness in the workplace and sharing knowledge is the key to success, which is why he is also a content creator on LinkedIn through his interests in medical technology and innovation.

After graduating from the Lazord Fellowship and improving his skills, he was invited by the general direction of military health in Tunisia to lead a digital health project during the pandemic COVID. He vastly improved the productivity of his department by implementing strategic project management methods and ensuring a work-life balance for his team.

Kahna is currently starting a new journey in Qatar as a project manager in digital health and is always interested in a challenge.

Nour Akileh

Nour received her BA from Hashemite University, majoring in Literature and Cultural Studies in English. She graduated at the top 3% of her class and was awarded a very prestigious opportunity to represent Jordan abroad in the Study of the U.S Institutes for Student Leaders program at Bard College, New York, becoming one of the International Exchange Alumni. While maintaining her academic excellence, Nour has always been keen on finding a balance between her studies and extracurricular activities and community work in an attempt to help those in need and to grow her personality. Hence, she has an extensive volunteering experience both locally and internationally.

Nour has a unique experience, just like her personality, resulting from the diverse knowledge and experiences she has acquired throughout her journey before, during and after the Lazord Fellowship. She has experience working in cross-cultural communications, further enriched by years of solid experiences in research, innovation and entrepreneurship. This has contributed to creating the cosmopolitan leader she has become.

Nour cares for others and is passionate about intercultural communication and its role in promoting peace and coexistence in communities. Therefore, she has a genuine belief that mutual understanding lead to more inclusive and tolerant societies and that small actions make a big difference.

Mostafa Shahin

Mostafa is a dedicated, proactive business graduate from Egypt with a passion for entrepreneurship and travel. He has had a long record of community engagement since 2012. After graduating, he travelled to Bangalore, India, where he became familiar with the entrepreneurial scene in India during his stay at Jagaa startup incubator.

Following this experience, Mostafa explored a banking career in multiple banks. Pursuing his passion, he quit his job at the bank and applied for the Lazord Fellowship for development studies. Shortly after, Mostafa joined AUC Venture Lab Startup accelerator, where he worked closely with entrepreneurs to refine and scale their business.

Currently, Mostafa is a Fulbright Scholar and a 2nd year MBA Student focusing on Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the University of Georgia.

Ahmed Shehata

Ahmed started his experience in the field of development at the American University in Cairo by becoming the president of the Students in Action for Refugees club and teaching English as a volunteer. After graduating with a B.S. in chemistry from the American University in Cairo, he wanted to continue growing in this field, so he joined the Lazord Fellowship, focusing on STEM fields and youth. He did his training at Misr El Kheir’s GESR incubator project, in partnership with EU research and innovation, and received a diploma in entrepreneurship from the Euro-Mediterranean University. Ahmed is currently working at AMIDEAST Egypt with the U.S.-Egypt Higher Education Initiative scholarship program for students coming from low socio-economic backgrounds. Through his work, he sends public university student scholars on short-term study abroad semesters at U.S. universities so that they can take classes relevant to their majors and be exposed to people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Abdel Rahman Alzubaidi

Architect by education and agritech entrepreneur by passion, PMP Certified, holding MBA from BSN with over 8 years of experience in entrepreneurship, innovation, MSMEs coaching and Project Management. Founded Ivvest in 2020, with aim at solving the problem of food security and sustainability in MENA region by leveraging in-house developed advanced indoor farming technology. Ivvest offers an innovative, scalable solution that promotes efficient, profitable, sustainable agriculture, and provides an attractive investment opportunity for individuals while eliminating operational risks in the horticulture.

Salma Karem

Salma has a bachelor’s degree in political science, and has a passion for making a positive impact on people’s lives, especially those who are in vulnerable situations or living on the margins of their societies. This is why she focuses mainly on refugee empowerment and providing access to quality education for all.

Her passion for civic engagement and education drove her to participate in many activities during her college years, including being a student union member and leading a team to design a mini-curriculum for a series of workshops that targeted first year university students, aiming to engage them with their new environment in college. After graduation, she joined the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to work on their educational projects funded by UNHCR to help refugee children have access to education in Egypt, and was highly involved with their projects regarding child protection.

Through the Lazord Fellowship, Salma was placed at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. She is working on their Employment Promotion Project, where she is continuing her passion in creating opportunities by helping technical and vocational graduates access the labor market.