Prominent Qatari businesswoman, Aisha Alfardan, Group Marketing Manager of Alfardan Group Holding and Vice Chairwoman of Qatari Businesswomen Forum has addressed a “Design Entrepreneurship Class” hosted by the Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. The event was organised as part of the university’s activities to develop an entrepreneurial culture among its students and the Qatari community. Aisha narrated how her family business flourished and expanded from jewellery and exchange in the early 50s to real estate and automobiles over a decade ago, and recently to include the marine and hospitality industries. She also recalled her initial days of her career, how she started and how she managed to overcome the challenges and the progress she made over the years. She also described the tremendous support she received from her father and husband which empowered her and enabled her to reach the position she holds today, and be named one of the region’s powerful businesswomen leaders. Alfardan gave the students several examples of how to overcome obstacles and elaborated on the cultural and economic challenges facing entrepreneurs today, while presenting many important recommendations to the participating students who enriched the session with their active participation and eager questions. “Everything starts with a dream, but with good education, ambition and dedication; you will make yourselves, your families and your country proud,” she said. “Our primary goal at VCUQr is to provide our students with a world-class design education,” said Matthew Woolman, Director of Design Entrepreneurship and Interim MFA Program Director at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. “Along with this, we encourage our students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset — to develop innovative ideas and transform them into sustainable business ventures that will contribute to Qatar and the region”, he said. Aisha Alfardan is a role model to our students in this regard. We appreciate her willingness to meet with our students, share her successes as a woman entrepreneur, and impart her wisdom on how women in Qatar are vital to the development of the economy and culture, Woolman added. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=November2009&file=Local_News2009111663048.xml

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