My name is Elissa Freiha, named after Elissar, a Phoenician queen and founder of Carthage. Like her, I founded my own queendom, womena® - the Middle East’s largest platform for Women Empowerment. My last name, Freiha, comes from the Arabic word “Farah” meaning joy. And this is how I choose to live: joyful.
We do a lot at womena®. We’re a media company that creates original content around women change makers, we have our own acceleration program for women-led businesses called Womentum, and we have an exclusive online community of womena®Bossladies. We do a lot because there’s a lot to be done... and it’s about time someone does it.
So call me an activist, call me an advocate or call me a feminist: all are correct, all I am proud of, and yet all of those carry a slightly negative connotation in this part of the world. They say I “fight “ for women’s rights. But I’m a lover, not a fighter. I find no need to fight for something that should come so naturally to us as humans. So I love, I lead with compassion and work to understand why our system is built as it is. I use positivity to change perceptions of women and create an understanding of women’s potential. I advocate for respect for women and celebrate their achievements in the face of adversity. Every human is deserving of respect, equal opportunity and rights - this is what drives me.
If the former titles make you uncomfortable, you can call me an entrepreneur or an angel investor: I’ve won awards for both. You can also call me a Poet, a mentor, an executive producer, a host, an influencer. I don’t fit into one box in any aspect of my life- and I like it that way.
I am an Emirati, born and raised in Paris, France. My Father is originally Lebanese and my mother is American. Not confusing enough? I studied in the French, British and American systems growing up. I speak 4 languages. I am all these things and they all can be respected in their own way.
I guess this is how I ended up here, though- dedicating my life to ensuring respect of all people. I never expected to do this with my life. I didn’t even know if one could do this with their life. When I was graduating university in Paris I spent my last semester studying oil painting and philosophy and working as a barista and baker in my free time. Again, I couldn’t just be one thing. I had to be many.
Its no wonder though, that when I announced I would be moving to Dubai to launch an investment platform at the age of 23 with 0 experience of knowledge of finance, everyone questioned its legitimacy. Despite the naysayers, I founded womena® in 2013 with my best friend as an angel investment platform for women in the Gulf. 3 years later womena® had won multiple awards and countless praise for its work but the business model and the friendship failed. I was disheartened and scared and found myself alone, with a small team of 3 waiting to hear the next move...and I was clueless. I had lost myself in founding this company.
Since the beginning I have had to prove and reprove myself to those around me- so I decided to stop: Stop trying to prove anything to anyone and just live authentically and passionately. That was the best decision I have ever made, it led me back to purpose and creativity and that is what helped me create a complex business model that made womena® what it is today. A womena® that has told the stories of change-making women to millions of people around the world and has helped MILLIONS of dollars go into women-led businesses. A womena® that is as complex as its founder and that spreads as much joy. The proof is there regardless of if those around me care to see it- and 6 years later, whether they want to accept it or not - womena® is not a project, it’s a business.
Founder womena®
Angel Investor 35+ Portfolio Companies
Executive Producer Womentum
Speaker 150+ Events
Host Television & Events