Rama applies 25 years of technical and communications experience to her passion: social development for Arab Youth. She runs VIP.fund with her co-founder Brian David, a venture philanthropy fund investing in youth programs and technology startups. In addition to running the VIP.fund, Rama is a principal with Turn8, a Tech Venture Capital Fund.
Prior to the VIP.fund Rama ran Baraka Ventures, investing in a portfolio of social impact and tech startups. Among the portfolio were BarakaBits, the first Middle East social publisher and news media focused on a positive narrative from the Middle East and Baraka Advisors, a communications agency managing PR for causes in the Middle East.
In 2000 Rama co-founded a startup that received $60,000 in funding to buildout data-centers. Prior to that Rama served as a director of product development at Cable and Wireless serving fortune 100 clients.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and a Master’s in Engineering Management from George Washington University.
Rama served on the board of TechWadi, PCRF, PACES, The Impact HUB – UAE , Challenge to Change and Nakhweh. She advises other non-profits and social-impact businesses. She’s a founding member of Arab Women in Computing and the first regional Women Angel investment Network – WAIN. She currently serves on the board of the Syrian International Business Association.
- Rama was featured in Forbes Middle East and Arab Women Rising, a Wharton School of Business Publication.
t: @rchakaki
Linked-in – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rchakaki
Slideshare – slideshare.com/rchakaki
Notable Projects
- Social Impact Strategy Advisor – World Cup Bid 2022 – Qatar
- Communications Advisor – World Bank Group, UAE Ministry of Labor, Kuwait Ministry of Finance
- Content Strategy Advisor – Etisalat UAE
Seminars, Training Programs, Workshops
- University of Dubai – Women’s business entrepreneurship
- American University of Dubai – Guest lecturing for Online Communities Media Course
- Knowledge Village – Social Media 101 Seminar
- Zayed University – Women’s entrepreneurship seminar
- UAE Eco club – Environmental after-school Club
- Dubai 4 Acumen – Business Plan Competition
- Women & Social Enterprise – A GCC Opportunity
- Hani Qaddumi Scholarship Foundation – Ideathon
- Building a Social Publishing Platform
- Crowdfunding for Education
- Mentor Accreditation Program
Events & Collaborations:
- Open Diversity Workshop Series @shelterdxb – UAE
- UNWIRED Technology Radio Show – UAE
- Pangea Day – www.pangeaday.org – UAE
- TEDxDubai Sponsorship – UAE
- TEDxRamallah Sponsorship – Palestine
- 4site Forum Sponsorship – Lebanon
- Tawasul Stakeholder Engagement workshop (Adopt a Reef) – UAE
- Dubai4Acumen Business Plan Competition – UAE
- C3 – Speed Consulting for Social Entrepreneurs – UAE
- Center of Excellence Startup Training Program Development – Palestine
- OSANA Hackathon for Social Good – Lebanon
- Online Training Webinar Series Development – TechWadi – SF-USA
Speaking Engagements:
- UNICEF – Lebanon
- UN – MIT SOLVE – USA
- Rutgers University – USA
- Jusoor – Entrepreneurship Startup Competition – Lebanon
- Jusoor – Entrepreneurship Annual Conference – LA – USA
- Endeavor Jordan Annual Forum – Jordan
- Arab Women in Computing Annual Conference – Algeria
- VISA – Innovation Lab – SF – USA
- George Washington University – WDC – USA
- TechWadi Annual Forum – SF – USA
- Harvard University – MA – USA
- George Washington University – WDC – USA
- Abu Dhabi Khalifa Fund – Forum on Entrepreneurship – UAE
- Open Diversity – Social Entrepreneurship – UAE
- Global Forum Technology & Innovation –
- Ashoka Arab World Social Innovation Forum – Egypt
- Dubai School of Government – Best Practice in Entrepreneurship – UAE
- POMED – Project on Middle East Democracy – voices from the middle east – WDC – USA
- Injaz-alarab – UAE
- 4site forum – Lebanon
- Young Arab Leaders – UAE
- NYU – Abu Dhabi Sustainability Workshop – UAE
- INSEAD – Celebrating Women – Abu Dhabi
- 4th World Congress for Muslim Philanthropists – Dubai
- Leadership Bridge Program – Bahrain
- Zayed University – Women in Technology & Social Enterprise – UAE
- Dubai University – Continuing Education – Business Planning Workshop – UAE
- NYU – Abu Dhabi International Hackathon – UAE
- The Creative Commons – Regional Meeting – Tunis
- ITC Forum – Qatar
- Dubai 4 Acumen – Social Entrepreneurship Forum – UAE
- IFC – International Fundraising Conference – Netherlands
- GCC Entrepreneurship Forum – Bahrain
Portfolio of Startups
- BarakaBits
- Baraka Advisors
- Baraka Ventures
Notable mentions
- Arab Women Rising
- Forbes Middle East – The Triple Bottom Line
-
16 Women Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing The Way Business Is Done In The Arab World