The Story of Entrepreneurship and Technology in MENA

The Legatum Center, in collaboration with the MIT Sloan Office of External Relations, is hosting an insightful evening with Noor Sweid, MIT Sloan Alum '05, and Founder and Managing Partner of Global Ventures, as she discusses her latest book, Coming of Age, and shares her experiences in fostering entrepreneurship and technological innovation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Moderated by our executive director Dina H. Sherif, this conversation will explore Noor’s journey as a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and champion of the MENA region’s thriving innovation ecosystem.

With a career spanning biotech consulting, IPO leadership, venture capital, and startup growth, Noor has played a vital role in shaping the future of entrepreneurship in the Middle East and growth markets. Noor’s journey includes being the first woman to lead a successful IPO in the Middle East and investing in some of the most transformative startups in Fintech, Healthtech, and Agritech. She is recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech. Her latest book, Coming of Age How Technology and Entrepreneurship Are Changing the Face of MENA, charts the MENA region’s 25-year entrepreneurial transformation, highlighting the region’s dynamic leapfrogging technologies and its potential to reshape the global order.