Randa Abdullatif

Pioneering Egyptian entrepreneur empowering women through tech and entrepreneurship

Randa Abdullatif is a visionary Egyptian entrepreneur and founder of Womena, a leading platform supporting women-led startups across the Middle East and North Africa. Born in 1982 in Cairo, her journey began with early exposure to tech through her father's engineering work. After completing a degree in computer science at the American University in Cairo, she worked in Silicon Valley before returning to Egypt in 2008 with a mission to bridge the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship.

Abdullatif co-founded Womena in 2013, which has since supported over 300 startups through mentorship programs, funding, and networking opportunities. The platform's website features success stories like Shezlong (a mattress startup) and HalalTrip (Islamic travel planning), demonstrating measurable impact in creating economic opportunities for women. Her work has been featured in Forbes and World Economic Forum reports.

Abdullatif also pioneered the Womena Accelerator, a 12-week program offering $50,000 equity-free grants. By 2020, Womena startups had raised over $30 million in funding and employed 1,500+ people. Her TEDx talk "Building Bridges for Women in Tech" has been viewed over 500,000 times. In 2019, she launched Womena Foundation, focusing on educational scholarships for STEM studies in underserved regions.

Abdullatif's impact extends beyond business: she co-authored 《Women in MENA Tech: A Decade of Progress》 and advises UN Women on digital inclusion strategies. Her initiatives have inspired regional policies like Egypt's 2021 Women's Entrepreneurship Act. Despite challenges like cultural resistance and funding barriers, her work continues to redefine opportunities for women in tech across 15+ countries.