In order to support and empower the youth around the world, World Economic Forum (WEF) invites 50 Global Shapers to represent their home countries. And this year, WEF selected 24-year old Saudi woman, Emon Abdul Shakoor.
Savvy businesswoman, Emon has already established herself as a technology entrepreneur, and is the founder of two startups:
- Blossom, an ecosystem and accelerator to connect the technology entrepreneurship community in Saudi
- EventFen, a mobile application that connects people through various events.
In addition to that, she is the VP of XS Conferences & Exhibitions. So, with a passion for scientific research and technology innovation, Emon was excited with the opportunity presented itself. This allowed her to network, learn, and bring back greater knowledge to enhance her community and the world.
In 2011, WEF conducted a study to see who are the main change-makers in our world today; they found that over half of the change makers are youngsters. This encouraged WEF to launch their own youth initiative called the Global Shapers Community, to empower and give a platform to youth all over the world.
The Global Shapers Community spans 376 city-based hubs in 156 countries, which aims to empower the youth in each city. In Saudi Arabia, there are 3 Global Shaper Hubs: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.