Ifrane – Al Akhawayn University is organizing the fourth edition of “Entrepreneurship Week” between November 16 and 17, dedicated to young Moroccan startups to explore their potential through “Speed Mentoring,” a one-on-one mentoring the startups receive from expert mentors from around the world, master classes and an angel round.
“We help our students discover their futures, which include futures in starting up businesses that create jobs and improve lives,” Deborah Bartlett, Chief Entrepreneurship Officer at Al Akhawayn University, told Morocco World News (MWN) in an interview.
Chief Entrepreneurship Officer at Al Akhawayn University, Deborah Bartlett
In her role as a mentor during the event, Bartlett identified three challenges that were common to the various startup projects in the room.
Bartlett spoke emphatically about the significance of mentoring, stressing that “mentoring is more important than money.”
The second challenge that the future start-ups could face is the need for customers. Consumers in Morocco and around the world, in general, are risk-averse when it comes to startups, yet every startup needs consumers, while the third challenge is the access to financing.
The “Entrepreneurship Week” at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane
When asked about the ideal method or strategy to adopt to address these challenges, Bartlett said that the young entrepreneurs need to have “incubators,” virtual or live, where mentors are connected to the start-up.
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Regarding the issue of access to finance, Bartlett said that Morocco is doing a great job of providing different access for start-ups. She added, however, that the business angel network is the key to solving the problem of access to finance.
“We are growing here at Al Akhawayn University, we have fifteen business angels so far and continue to grow,” she stated.
As Chief Employability and Entrepreneurship Officer, Bartlett has observed young entrepreneurs across Morocco.
Assessing the performance of these young entrepreneurs, Bartlett believes they are leading the tide of entrepreneurship compared to seven years ago and are “on the rise” thanks to increased awareness, mentorship, and funding availability.
Start-ups showcasing their projects to their mentors
Applauding the efforts Morocco has made in the realm of entrepreneurship, Moroccan entrepreneur and one of the mentors, Chaimae Boulahsen, told MWN that “Morocco has made many efforts to create a real climate for entrepreneurs.”
As more youth seek to open their own projects instead of hunting for jobs, Boulahsen stressed that Morocco needs the business ideas of aspiring entrepreneurs to succeed since these companies have the potential to improve Moroccans’ lives on a social and environmental level.
Impressed by the various and innovative start-up projects, mentor and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Hopla Mob, Aziz Benslimane, advised young Moroccan entrepreneurs not to be afraid of failure and to launch their projects once the opportunity comes.
“I think that the idea of launching and iterating one’s project is the new start-up concept, which is what we are currently mentoring,” Benslimane concluded.
