Reem Al-Mahfouz

Jordanian founder of Karma Group, empowering women entrepreneurs across MENA region since 2020 with funding and mentorship programs

Reem Al-Mahfouz: Transforming Women's Economic Participation in MENA

Reem Al-Mahfouz is a Jordanian entrepreneur and founder of Karma Group, established in 2020 to support women-led businesses in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Growing up in Amman, Al-Mahfouz witnessed systemic barriers facing female entrepreneurs and founded Karma Group to address this through venture capital, training programs, and advocacy work.

Karma Group's Holistic Approach

The organization operates three core programs: Karma Ventures (seed funding), Karma Academy (business training), and Karma Policy Lab (advocacy initiatives). By 2024, Karma Group had invested $35M in 180 startups across sectors like healthtech and education, with 80% of portfolio companies achieving profitability within two years. Notable investments include Sahel Health (Saudi Arabia) and EduJourney (Morocco).

Innovative Funding Models

Al-Mahfouz pioneered the Impact-Linked Financing model in 2022, where funding tranches are tied to social impact metrics like job creation for women and youth. This approach has attracted international investors like the IFC and UN Women, contributing to $20M in co-investment capital. Her TEDx Amman talk on 'Reimagining Capital for Women Entrepreneurs' has over 1.5 million views.

Policy and Advocacy Work

Al-Mahfouz co-authored the MENA Women's Entrepreneurship Index launched in 2023, a data-driven tool measuring national support systems for women entrepreneurs. This work directly influenced Jordan's 2024 Entrepreneurship Equality Law, requiring 30% of government tenders to go to women-led businesses. Karma Group's partnership with World Bank has created regional training hubs in six capitals.