Samah Abdullah
Cairo
Summary
Computer Engineer and Social Entrepreneur with 6+ years leading youth empowerment, community building, and donor-funded initiatives. Experienced in designing and facilitating safe, vibrant, and transformative youth spaces and passionate about human-to-human connections, facilitating impact, and scaling youth-led change globally.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Co-Founder
Meyahh
01.2023 - Current
- Digital platform automating water treatment procurement across MENA.
- Selected for Startupbootcamp (Amsterdam), #1 EU accelerator; represented Egypt in African Youth Climate Hub (Morocco) and was the contact point
- Secured recognition at COP29 (Baku) with the She Goes Green Silver Award.
- Led donor/investor communications, financial & technical reporting, and program partnerships.
- Build System and its human experience based on the operations team feedback
Youth Facilitator & Community Builder
Various
Cairo
06.2021 - Current
- Roles with Oxfam, FAO, YouThinkGreen, UNESCO, AUF, TEDx Cairo University
- Facilitated Oxfam youth summit activity for 100+ participants; remembered by youth years later.
- Co-led EU “Every Drop Counts” campaign workshop: 30+ participants (ages 10–50), led to community WhatsApp group.
- Led FAO awareness session for 100+ rural students, achieving 20%+ participation.
- Coached 10-member TEDx team, building lasting friendships & speaker growth.
- Served as MC & panelist at UN ESCWA REGEND (Tunis), speaking in Egyptian Arabic to connect authentically.
- Worked with Oxfam auditors & AUF donors to report on funded youth activities.
Founder
Water Money Saver
01.2019 - 01.2023
- First youth-led startup in Egypt focused on water-saving awareness and tools.
- Organized youth workshops (ages 17–23) with gamified activities & engaging 500+ participants.
- Designed educational content to promote sustainable practices.
Coaching & Research Executive
TEDx Cairo University
01.2019 - 01.2023
- Led speaker coaching, transferring knowledge across teams.
- Coached 10 Coaches to coach speakers
- Selected as TEDx speaker (2019) on personal leadership journey.
- Coached 2 C-level speakers - 2 University students to Be TEDx Speakers
Education
B.Sc. - Computer & Communication Engineering
Cairo University
Skills
- Youth Facilitation & Community Engagement (online & in-person)
- Program & Event Coordination (workshops, panels, training, summits)
- Donor & Grant Relations (EU, AUF, Oxfam, UNESCO)
- Startup Agility & Systems Building (Meyahh, Water Money Saver, TEDx)
- Public Speaking & Pitch Coaching (TEDx, UN, global events)
- Digital Community Platforms (Discord, Zoom, remote collaboration)
- Cross-Cultural & Intergenerational Leadership (EU, AUF, UN networks)
- Multilingual: Arabic (native), English (fluent), German & Turkish (basic)
Accomplishments
• Safir EU–Institut Français Acceleration Program (Paris, 2022–23) – Selected from top youth entrepreneurs.
• HSBC ROAR Program (UK/Egypt, 2022) – Selected among Egyptian female entrepreneurs for leadership training.
• She Goes Green Silver Award – COP29, Baku, Azerbaijan (2024)
• Top 25 Dell Graduation Project (MENA) – Mentored by Dell Technologies (2019)
• Multiple startup competition finalist & awardee (HSBC, British Council, IMC, EBI).
Affiliations
- EU Jeel Connector (Egypt) – Representing youth in EU–Southern Neighbourhood policy dialogues.
- African Youth Climate Hub Ambassador (AYCH, Morocco) – Regional youth climate advocacy and youth leadership.
- Safir – EU & Institut Français Ambassador for the Mediterranean (Paris) – Selected for acceleration program.
- British Council Climate Change Ambassador – Leading campaigns for climate and youth action.
- Taqaddam & Tatawwar Ambassador – Empowering youth (ages 15–18) to launch SDG-focused projects.
- TEDx License Holder – TEDx East Katameya – Organizing and curating TEDx events in Egypt.
- Startupbootcamp Alumni (Water & Infrastructure Cohort) – Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Languages
Arabic
English
Turkish
German
Timeline
Co-Founder
Meyahh
01.2023 - Current
Youth Facilitator & Community Builder
Various
06.2021 - Current
Founder
Water Money Saver
01.2019 - 01.2023
Coaching & Research Executive
TEDx Cairo University
01.2019 - 01.2023
B.Sc. - Computer & Communication Engineering
Cairo University
Why I’m a Fit for RIVET
- Proven record of youth facilitation & community building with impact lasting years.
- Direct donor engagement & grant management experience with EU, AUF, and Oxfam.
- Global leadership roles: EU Jeel Connector, AYCH, Safir, Climate Ambassador → strong cultural fluency & global youth network.
- Thrive in startup ambiguity, having co-founded and scaled ventures.
- Lead with H2H (human-to-human) values: joy, belonging, and transformation across youth and donors.
International Leadership & Ambassadorships
- EU Jeel Connector (Egypt) – Represented youth in EU–Southern Neighbourhood policy dialogues.
- African Youth Climate Hub Ambassador (Morocco, 2024) – Regional youth climate advocacy.
- Safir EU–Institut Français Acceleration Program (Paris, 2022–23) – Selected from top youth entrepreneurs.
- British Council Climate Change Ambassador (2021–Present) – Led campaigns on climate and youth action.
- Tatawwar & Taqaddam Ambassador (2019–Present) – Trained 500+ youth (ages 15–18) to become social entrepreneurs addressing SDGs.
- HSBC ROAR Program (UK/Egypt, 2022) – Selected among Egyptian female entrepreneurs for leadership training.
Awards
She Goes Green Silver Award – COP29, Baku, Azerbaijan (2024), Startupbootcamp Water & Infrastructure Cohort – Amsterdam, Netherlands (2025), Top 25 Dell Graduation Project (MENA) – Mentored by Dell Technologies (2019), Multiple startup competition finalist & awardee (HSBC, British Council, IMC, EBI).
Hobbies
• Languages & culture discovery (Turkish, French, German basics; accent practice)
• Creative writing & story Creations
• Public speaking & facilitation
• Music & arts exploration
• Community building and Group activities (with strangers)