Omar Darwazah WG15

33; founder and general partner at Arab Angel Fund; serial entrepreneur and angel investor

Proudest professional accomplishment? I was director of investor relations at Orascom Construction Industries, Egypt’s largest publicly traded company by market capitalization, at the time. On January 25, 2011, the day of the Egyptian Revolution, while I conducted meetings with investors in London, the Egyptian state police clashed with protesters and the Egyptian equity index crumbled. For three weeks I operated in crisis management mode and conducted more than 70 on-site meetings in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. That year, I was recognized by the global buy-side and sell-side community for “Best Investor Relations in Egypt” and received an award from the Middle East Investor Relations Society. I was proud to have played an incredibly unique role during the revolution and to have been an ambassador for my country during an event that will be taught in history books.

Role model? Both my grandfathers spent their entire lives helping others. My mother’s father, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament and open-heart surgeon, taught me compassion and hard work. My father’s father, an astute businessman who helped sow the seeds for Jordan’s modern economy, taught me the importance of diligence and perseverance.