I own womena. Google me for more.

I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember, mainly as a writer and sometimes poet. I studied media and worked as a journalist and editor in Egypt for many years (co-founding a couple of media platforms along the way). When I joined Womena in 2018 I dove into the world of video and became a producer and director, and slowly pivoted the company toward a full-on regional media platform. Whether it’s a script, article, caption or headline, I obsess over the details of how we tell stories and how we convey nuanced, authentic narratives. I’ve always found a certain fluidity between journalism and creative writing, both as a way of documenting the memories of certain moments – be they historical or intimately personal – and as a way of processing the experiences we go through. In what feels like another life, I co-authored a book ("Tahrir Memoirs") with a group of writers and bloggers about Egypt’s 18-day uprising in 2011.

Photos, videos, and documentaries are my forms of speaking. While studying radio and TV production at Cairo University, I fell in love with the way the camera allowed me to express myself and see the world - mainly because I think I’m dyslexic. The world makes sense through a camera, don’t you think? If I'm not answering my phone, it’s because I am having a one-on-one therapy session with my dog.

You’ll find me where forgotten ideas go, with a garden of towering books over my head. Born in Sri Lanka and raised in the UAE, I share in the unique shapeshifting gifts of third culture kids.  I’m a silent and enthusiastic (sometimes) observer of the many ways in which humanity chooses to exist. Currently, I’m a Philosophy major at the University of London because I absolutely refuse to be palatable despite being adaptable - invite me to your dinner parties, I will bring the poets and Scorpios with me.

After 15 years in Canada (you can ask me about it later), I moved back home to Egypt in 2019. As a way to give back to the region, I set out to be a part of the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and found Womena. I started the journey as the program manager of the Womentum Accelerator and pivoted my career to become a producer when I understood the potential of storytelling. When I’m not supporting the Cairo team in making the magic happen, I go diving to disconnect from the chaos and noise of the surrounding world. I’m in my element when I’m underwater, taking part in a world you do not see above it.

I love stories and our ability to tell and hear stories that crush the perceptions that we form just by looking at someone. Having only one ear means that I have had to deal with many false perceptions, but it’s great because I can’t hear my haters either. Hailing from a family of matriarchs, I’m determined to keep pushing the narratives that empower women because it shows young women that there is more to aspire to than what we’re all taught.

Our data has a lot of stories to tell us, and that is why I studied data analytics and branding at NYU. I’m a huge fan of analyzing how data impacts our everyday lives. Alcoholic at heart (Kidding…ish). But if you ever want to sip whiskey and dance the night away to some House or Electronic music I’m your gal. I feel at peace near the water so I have a passion for diving and exploring the calmness ‘under the sea’ (as Sebastian from The Little Mermaid says.)

I love connecting deeply to people and things, but being someone who finds it difficult to express themselves using words, I grew to be deeply passionate about all forms of art, especially film. Studying media design at the German University in Cairo allowed me to touch the intangible worlds around us and learn about the magical process of creating films (it also made me discover the nerd in me). At the same time, I love movement and the joy it brings - sports, games, activities, sign me up! I also really love laughing, funny people are my favorite kind of people.

Though I am an architect by profession, I joined Womena because I believed in the cause. Anything I can do to make a difference and make the world a better place was worth my time. Today, I thoroughly enjoy being of service to the amazing people who work for Womena.