VSQ News: November 2020
Glad you’re here.
Here’s a monthly round up of updates, ecosystem-building, content and all that we have been up to at VSQ the past month. There’s much to share when things move fast!
Elevating Startups onto the Global Stage
In this Business Dubai reel, Sonia Gokhale, Founding Partner, shares her experience of building VentureSouq and the remarkable potential Dubai has to offer as a startup ecosystem.
“I often think it’s such a privilege to witness and learn about new and emerging technologies, meeting investors and startups. As a progressive and boundary-pushing city, Dubai makes our work easier”
Access the full video here.
Conscious Investor Fellowship
This October, we launched the first cohort of our Conscious Investor Fellowship (CIF) together with StartAD, KAUST, Sheraa and Hub71. The by-invite, pan-regional, 6-week program brought together 30 fellows from various professional backgrounds representing the next generation of mission-driven investors aligned in motives and purpose, a first for the MENA region.
Sonia Weymuller, Founding Partner, who leads our Conscious Investing mandate, delved into the Fellowship’s purpose in this interview with Emirates News.
Lola Fernandez, Investment Associate, sat down with SME10X to share details on CIF and what the future holds for conscious investing in the region.
The Economist: Mainstreaming Socially-Responsible Finance
Sonia Weymuller, Founding Partner and Partner Lead for the VSQ Conscious Collective, was invited to speak on The Economist’s “Investing for Impact” panel, supported by the Ministry of Finance Saudi Arabia and the G20 Saudi Secretariat. She was joined on the panel by Amit Bouri, CEO and Co-Founder of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) and Johnny El Hachem, CEO of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity and it was moderated by Daniel Franklin, Executive and Diplomatic Director at The Economist.
Sonia shared her reflections on the Conscious Collective journey and building the first regional Conscious Investor Fellowship, both launched this year. If you missed it you can watch the session here.
Ecosystem: GCC
The GCC entrepreneurship ecosystem has grown exponentially over the last decade and government efforts have played a key role in it. In this reel, Tammer Qaddumi, Founding Partner, discusses these dynamics with Al Waha Venture Capital Fund of Funds:
“In this region, every government will make your life easy from a regulatory standpoint—they will allow you to do what you want to do.”
Check it out here.
Events this month
FinTech Abu Dhabi
Sonia Gokhale, Founding Partner will be speaking on the 26th alongside other leading VCs including Frank Mehaan from SparkLabs, Shane Shin from Shorooq and Tala Al Jabri from HOF to discuss the secret ingredients to spot winning startups in the region.
You can register here.(Hurry, it’s almost here)
Angel Rising: Conscious Investing and Catalyzing Technology for Good
This year’s Angel Rising, in collaboration with KAUST and Sheraa, is focused on addressing Conscious Investing and Catalyzing Technology for Good.
Over the past two decades, Conscious investing has been growing exponentially and we now find ourselves at a pivotal point to drive it forward in order to reach widespread, global adoption. We were fortunate to have brought together a stellar line-up of speakers from leading firms including Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund,Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Atlantica Ventures alongside successful mission-driven entrepreneurs from across the globe including the founders of VSQ portfolio companies SupplyShift, Helium Health and Flare.
You can catch the live stream for Angel Rising 2020 (Day 1 | Day 2)
We wish you all a restful, and pleasant weekend,
Warmly,
Team VSQ