Reem Haddad

Jordanian tech entrepreneur driving gender equality in Middle Eastern tech sectors through mentorship and venture capital initiatives.

Reem Haddad is a leading force in promoting women's participation in the Middle East's tech industry. Born in Amman in 1985, she began her career in Silicon Valley before returning to Jordan to address the region's gender gap in tech. In 2017, she founded TechWadi Middle East, a network connecting 5,000+ tech professionals with a focus on supporting female founders. Her 2020 initiative Women in Tech ME has trained over 10,000 women in coding and entrepreneurship.

Haddad's most impactful work comes through her venture capital firm RISE VC, launched in 2019. The fund specifically targets startups led by women and minorities, having invested $50 million in 35 companies by 2023. Notable portfolio companies include Momint (social commerce) and Souqalmal (financial services). In 2022, RISE's Jordanian portfolio companies achieved a 42% revenue growth rate compared to regional averages.

Haddad's advocacy extends to policy change - she advises the UN Women on digital economy strategies and co-authored the 2021 World Economic Forum report Closing the Gender Gap in MENA's Tech Sector. Her TEDx talk How to Build a Tech Ecosystem That Works for All (2020) has been translated into 15 languages.

In 2024, Haddad launched the Tech Future Fund, a $200 million initiative to support Arab women in AI and blockchain startups. Her work has increased female founder representation in MENA's tech sector from 7% (2018) to 19% (2023), according to McKinsey research. She is frequently cited as a model for inclusive entrepreneurship in emerging markets.