Unlocking Emerging Impact Ecosystems: MENA and Other Frontiers

Note: This program is a Live Webinar and Q&A that is accessible from any web-enabled computer or mobile device. Premium members of Impact Entrepreneur get complimentary admission to all live and archived webinars, among other benefits. To RSVP for your spot as a Premium Member, visit the calendar.

Unlocking Emerging Impact Ecosystems: Lessons from MENA and Other Frontiers

Across the globe, new waves of entrepreneurial ambition are rising in regions where the supporting infrastructure remains fragile or incomplete. Nowhere is this tension more vivid than in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where youth-driven innovation is colliding with limited capital, weak institutions, and cultural and regulatory barriers. Yet from Palestine to Lebanon, Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs), pioneering investors, and policy advocates are proving that vibrant impact ecosystems can be built even under difficult conditions.

This webinar brings together ecosystem builders, investors, and thought leaders who are shaping the future of impact entrepreneurship in MENA and beyond. Panelists will share practical lessons on mobilizing capital, designing support structures, and creating enabling policies — as well as frameworks for translating these insights into other geographies. Participants will gain strategies that apply not only to emerging regions like MENA but also to underdeveloped entrepreneurial frontiers worldwide.

Our panel demonstrates that building an impact entrepreneurial ecosystem isn’t about transplanting Silicon Valley models, but about cultivating context-specific, locally grounded approaches. MENA provides a vivid case study — but the lessons we’ll explore today apply to any region seeking to harness entrepreneurial energy for systemic impact.

Featured Guests

Saoussen Ben Cheikh, an Impact Entrepreneur Correspondent, has spent over a decade working at the intersection of research and practice, championing human rights and leading development initiatives across the MENA region, particularly in contexts of conflict and extreme poverty. As a program designer, trainer, and community builder, she has led capacity-building efforts that nurture leadership, spark innovation, and drive community-centered change. Her field experience inspired her to found MENA-Can, an initiative that empowers changemakers through training, incubation, and the creation of social impact ecosystems.

Previously a PhD researcher on State and Conflict in the MENA region at the University of Nice, Saoussen deepened her understanding of systemic drivers of instability and resilience. Alongside her fieldwork, she is a committed writer and thought leader on human rights, media, social entrepreneurship, and social justice, blending rigorous research, bold advocacy, and practical action with a clear aim: fostering systemic change and inspiring the next generation of changemakers.

Jenny Kassan has nearly 30 years of experience as an attorney and advisor for small businesses. She is the author of the IE article The Power of Place in Impact Investing as well as the book Raise Capital on Your Own Terms: How to Fund Your Business without Selling Your Soul (Berrett-Koehler, 2017), president of the Crowdfunding Professional Association, and a longtime member and friend of Investors Circle.

Deepak Menon is the Chief Program Officer at Village Capital, where he leads the strategy for the organization’s global programmatic work. This includes designing and overseeing programs for both entrepreneurs and Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs), ensuring that Village Capital evolves alongside the changing needs of startup ecosystems and the founders they serve. Deepak joined Village Capital after five years with mDhil Health Info Services, a health startup based in Bangalore, India, where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, he worked with Quest Alliance, a nonprofit focused on education and vocational training, where he was involved in program evaluation and partnership management.

Earlier in his career, Deepak spent four years at Microsoft, where he worked on building partnerships and running programs with nonprofits and social enterprises focused on health, education, and financial inclusion. These initiatives explored how technology could improve mission outcomes for organizations across the social impact space. Deepak also brings experience from working in nonprofit and social impact roles in the early part of his career, which has shaped his strong commitment to inclusive and community-driven development. He holds a BA from Bangalore University and an MBA from T.A. Pai Management Institute in Manipal.

Selen Ucak, an Impact Entrepreneur Correspondent, is a social impact leader working at the intersection of the private sector, the impact economy, and global development. She serves as Strategy Lead at the Refugee Investment Network, the first impact investing and blended finance collaborative focused on solutions to forced displacement. In this role, she supports investors and international organizations, facilitates opportunities for refugee-led and refugee-supporting enterprises, and contributes thought leadership in refugee lens investing. Through her consulting practice, she also advises foundations, funds, and mission-driven organizations on inclusive entrepreneurship, impact investing, and market-based development strategies.

Previously, Selen directed programs for Building Markets in the Middle East, supporting small businesses and job creation in Turkey and Jordan, and served as Executive Director of The American Turkish Society, advancing U.S.–Turkey economic and cultural relations. She has authored publications on refugee entrepreneurship and economic inclusion, and her broader background spans social entrepreneurship, grantmaking, and economics research. Selen holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, where she was the first Tashman Fellow, and a B.A. in Economics and International Affairs from Colorado College.