Zigzag

?? A Transformative Experience at the Youth Impact Studio Pre-Selection Day! ?? Last month, I had the privilege of participating in the Youth Impact Studio pre-selection event in Cairo—a day filled with innovation, collaboration, and purpose-driven conversations on sustainability. I explored learning more about my filed as I graduated from Agriculture science University.. ?The 3 pillars of ESG ?Benefits and challenges of sustainable practices ?Roles and responsibilities in sustainability careers. I had the exciting opportunity to present project, AgriCycle – Recycling Agricultural Waste into Sustainable Products, and received invaluable feedback from experts and peers. The energy, passion, and shared commitment to building a greener future were truly inspiring! A heartfelt thank you to PepsiCo Middle East PepsiCo Foundation Zigzag , and the Youth Impact Studio team for curating such a powerful experience. This journey has only just begun, and I’m excited for what’s ahead! ??? A Huge Thank You to the Organizers and Our Amazing Trainer! Rachel El Hayek Charlene Nawar Your energy, expertise, and enthusiasm made the experience even more energetic?? I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Youth Impact Studio team for organizing such an insightful and inspiring pre-selection event. The effort and dedication put into making this day a success were truly remarkable! Looking forward to the next steps on this exciting journey! ???? #YouthImpactStudio #Sustainability #Innovation #AgriCycle #GreenEntrepreneurship #Leadership #SustainableFuture #MakingAnImpact

As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, I reflect on a fulfilling week dedicated to empowering youth and promoting sustainability across the MENA region. I'm honored to have contributed to the following initiatives representing MEA Sustainability Studio: ??- ?????????? ???????????? ???????????? (??????) ???????????????? ????????????: Collaborated with PepsiCo Middle East, the PepsiCo Foundation, and Zigzag to mentor 60 young leaders from the UAE, KSA, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. Together, we focused on cultivating sustainability leadership within our communities. ??- ?????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????? (??????) ??????????: Participated in the region's largest youth forum under the patronage of the President of Egypt. The event aimed to inspire youth to actively contribute to building empathetic, socially responsible, and sustainable communities. 3- Participant in the Consultative Meeting on the Environmental Dimension of the Sustainable Development Agenda: Engaged in discussions organized by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the League of Arab States - General Secretariat, focusing on integrating environmental considerations into sustainable development strategies with EC4SDF. I hope Ramadan serves as a reminder to us to reaffirm our commitment to promoting positive change and sustainability in our region. I wish everyone a peaceful and blessed Ramadan. #YouthEmpowerment #SustainableDevelopment #Ramadan2025

I am incredibly honored to have been invited by?PepsiCo Middle East?as a speaker and mentor at the?Youth Impact Studio (YIS) in El Gouna, a transformative initiative by PepsiCo Middle East and the PepsiCo Foundation in collaboration with?Zigzag Venture. The program was recently featured on?Forbes?by?Tarun Galagali:? https://lnkd.in/dfiqj9Ye During the program, I had the privilege of delivering a session titled?“ESG in Entrepreneurship: Building Impact-Driven Ventures”?and mentoring the brilliant youth who made it to the finals. These young leaders from across the MENA region showcased exceptional talent, passion, and a deep commitment to driving sustainability in their communities. To all the amazing participants:?Congratulations!?Reaching the finals is a testament to your hard work, creativity, and dedication. Each of you brought incredible energy and ideas to the table, and I have no doubt that you have a bright future ahead. Remember, every milestone in life is an opportunity to learn and grow. Keep pushing boundaries, embracing challenges, and taking lessons from every experience. The world needs your innovative thinking and passion to create a more sustainable future. A huge thank you to?PepsiCo Middle East, the?PepsiCo Foundation, and?Zigzag Venture?for organizing such an impactful program and for giving me the opportunity to contribute. Special thanks to Dina Dabbous Sami Abou Saab Charlene Nawar Edmond Khoury Rachel El Hayek and everyone who made this initiative possible. And, of course, to all the talented youth who participated—you are the future! Here’s to the future leaders of sustainability! ?? #Sustainability #YouthEmpowerment #MENA #PepsiCo #YouthImpactStudio #ESG #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #ImpactDriven

Featured on Forbes: https://lnkd.in/dfiqj9Ye Jet lag and smiles with Angeli Patel and Tarun Galagali. Enjoyed an intense couple of days at Cairo Airport and the rest in El Gouna, Egypt, representing the UAE at the Youth Impact Studio amongst 60 leaders across the Middle East (10 from the UAE). A week later, I look back on the great people and young leaders I was lucky enough to share the stage with, studying pressing global problems bigger than ourselves and the role of the private sector in building a circular sustainable economy. Thank you to PepsiCo Middle East, PepsiCo Foundation and Zigzag for having me. I am proud to be selected for Berkeley Center for Law and Business “Sustainable Capatalism in Practice” course from Angeli. The 3-days in El Gouna was an eye-opener on the unsolved problems and unanswered questions society asks of our generation and I look forward to deeply engaging in conversations with experts on long-term resilience and sustainable corporate strategy. Thank you Sami Abou Saab Sammy Kayed Charlene Nawar Hatim Khan Kareem A. Monem Yaseen Abdel-Ghaffar Rachel El Hayek Dina Dabbous Noha Faltas Mohamed Tarek Edmond Khoury Took a deep breath before writing this one Tarun ;) #leadership #business #sustainable #strategy #berkeley #law #longtermism

A bittersweet moment indeed! Thank you so much Charlene Nawar for the stellar work you have done for Zigzag and the Youth Impact Studio, without which the whole program wouldn’t have come to life! Your dedication, passion, and in-depth expertise made this a huge success. You ability to customize the training material based on the market and the audience speaks volumes about your agility in navigating through different environments. Also, your capacity to adapt the delivery on the fly was impressive given the various unknowns someone in your shoes would encounter. Looking first to collaborating on future initiatives! ????

Forbes' feature alert! ?????? Zigzag and our AI platform (gozigzag.com) are on Forbes. Thank you Tarun Galagali for dedicating a piece and for sharing your perspective and takeaways on Gen Z's definition of leadership!

From insights to action—three days of ESG strategy & innovation in El Gouna, Egypt! ?? Grateful to have been selected to represent Lebanon among 60 talented youth from six countries at the Youth Impact Studio Bootcamp in Egypt. Through immersive workshops and high-energy competitions, we tackled real-world challenges and pitched creative solutions. This experience expanded my knowledge of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) business models and showcased the power of cross-sector collaboration in driving change. A major highlight? Winning a spot in the "Sustainable Capitalism in Practice" course provided by Berkeley Law Executive Education! Excited to build a deeper understanding of sustainable business strategy, corporate responsibility, and ESG regulations—exploring how businesses can balance profitability with long-term impact, adapt to evolving sustainability standards, and navigate stakeholder expectations. A big thank you to PepsiCo Middle East, PepsiCo Foundation, Zigzag, and all the mentors, speakers, and organizers for curating such an enriching experience. Special appreciation to our trainers and mentors for leading insightful workshops and discussions: ?? Tarun Galagali – Leadership Begins Within ?? Charlene Nawar – Climate Fresk Workshop; SDGs for Impact ?? Angeli Patel – Why ESG Matters Today; Sustainable Innovation ?? Sami Abou Saab – Leveraging AI & Innovation ?? Mohamed Tarek – ESG in Entrepreneurship ?? Hatim Khan, Kareem A. Monem, and Yaseen Abdel-Ghaffar – ESG in Action Panel And to the incredible organizing team who brought this program to life: Rachel El Hayek, Dina Dabbous, Noha Faltas, and Sammy Kayed. Beyond the learning, what truly made this trip special was this year's cohort. Some experiences leave you with knowledge, but the best ones leave you with a community. This bootcamp brought together an inspiring group of changemakers, and I’m grateful to have been part of it. Looking forward to seeing where this journey takes us all! Onward to more innovation, collaboration, and impact! #ESG #Sustainability #Leadership #SustainableInvesting #BusinessInnovation #Entrepreneurship

My time at Youth Impact Studio has been an incredible learning experience, especially in #social_enterprise and #business_development. I had the opportunity to dive deep into #innovative tools and #strategies that can drive meaningful impact. One of the most fascinating discoveries was the Zigzag platform which is a powerful tool that enables building a full business model in just minutes! I’m beyond grateful for the insights gained from amazing mentors like Tarun Galagali the founder of Mandala which helps me back to my knowledge in feelings and Psycho social support, and the amazing Angeli Patel who shared their expertise and vision. This journey has reinforced my commitment to continuous learning, development, and sustainability. The more I learn, the more I can contribute to creating lasting change. #YouthImpactStudio #SocialEnterprise #BusinessDevelopment #Innovation #Sustainability #ContinuousLearning

?? Winning the Youth Impact Studio was a moment I’ll never forget! ???? From 180 changemakers across six countries to 60 bootcamp participants, and finally securing a place among the top 12 winners in MENA—this journey has been nothing short of extraordinary! And to top it off, earning a spot in University of California, Berkeley - School of Law "Sustainable Capitalism in Practice" course feels like the beginning of something even bigger! ??? PepsiCo Middle East, PepsiCo Foundation, Zigzag Hosting this incredible experience in Egypt made it even more special. Welcoming brilliant minds from across the region, exchanging ideas, and showcasing our commitment to sustainability and innovation was an honor. We didn’t compete—we collaborated, learned, and built something bigger than ourselves. ?? Key Highlights That Made This Experience Unforgettable: ?? Impact Shark Tank – Pitching sustainability-driven ideas that could create real impact in front of an inspiring panel of sharks: Yaseen Abdel-Ghaffar, Sami Abou Saab, Hatim Khan ?? Climate Fresk Workshops, with the incredible?Charlene Nawar – Understanding the bigger picture of climate change and our role in tackling it. ?? Effective Storytelling & Leadership Begins Within with Tarun Galagali – Learning how to inspire change through powerful narratives. ?? Why ESG Matters & Sustainable Innovation with Angeli Patel – Exploring how businesses can drive real, measurable impact. But beyond the sessions, it was the #people who made this experience truly special. The collaboration, the energy, and the shared mission to create impact. Three days of intense learning and growth, and now, it’s time to turn insights into action. Special thanks to PepsiCo team who went above & beyond to make it the best Youth program with the best vibes: Noha Faltas, Dina Dabbous, Rachel El Hayek, Mariam Ghamrawy , Edmond Khoury, Kareem A. Monem, Kareem Mohamed. To the Zigzag team, who made this experience smooth, seamless, and fair: Sami Abou Saab, Sammy Kayed, Nadeen Hossam, Mirna, Liz. Not to mention, my trip started with a very fortunate encounter with Mr. Tamer Elhamy, to whom I’m grateful for all the guidance and advice. #YouthImpactStudio #PepsiCo #Sustainability #Leadership #SharkTank #TopWinner #ClimateAction #ESG #SDGs #Innovation #UCberkeley #SustainableCapitalism #MENA

Being selected as one of the 10 participants chosen to represent Egypt at the Youth Impact Studio Bootcamp in El Gouna was an incredible honor. Over three days, I had the opportunity to collaborate with 60 inspiring individuals from Egypt, Lebanon, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq, each bringing unique perspectives on sustainability, leadership, and innovation. Through hands-on workshops, mentorship sessions, and real-world challenges, we explored ESG strategies, purpose-driven leadership, and sustainable business models. But what stood out the most was the power of collaboration—every discussion and challenge reinforced how diverse perspectives drive meaningful impact. One of the most defining moments was the Impact Shark Tank Challenge, where we worked intensively to refine our ideas, shape our pitch, and present real-world solutions to industry leaders. It was an invaluable experience that emphasized turning ideas into actionable change. The mentorship and training we received throughout the bootcamp made all the difference. Angeli Patel’s session on ESG broke down complex concepts into clear, actionable insights. Tarun Galagali’s leadership session was a powerful reminder that real change starts from within. Mohamed Tarek highlighted the strong connection between ESG and entrepreneurship, showing how sustainability and business success go hand in hand. Charlene Nawar’s Climate Fresk session was a crucial wake-up call to the urgency of climate action. Sami Abou Saab’s session on AI and innovation provided eye-opening insights into how technology can accelerate innovation. During the Shark Tank pitch, the feedback from Kareem A. Monem, Hatim Khan and Yaseen Abdel-Ghaffar was invaluable in refining our ideas and approach. I also had the privilege of receiving Ali Abdo’s valuable feedback on my resume, helping me sharpen my professional profile. A huge thank you to PepsiCo Middle East, PepsiCo Foundation and Zigzag for making this experience possible. I am incredibly grateful to the organizing team—Rachel El Hayek, Dina Dabbous, Sami Abou Saab, Sammy Kayed, and Noha Faltas for their dedication and hard work in bringing this vision to life. Also, a big thank you to Edmond Khoury for capturing the event so beautifully! Beyond the knowledge and skills gained, the friendships built over these days have been just as meaningful. Being surrounded by such driven and passionate individuals reinforced that leadership and impact thrive through collaboration. I’m excited to apply everything we’ve learned and continue this journey toward real change.