Social Action Award

Mohamed Owais is a senior financial advisor and Leeds MBA graduate, specializing in finance, investment, and economic development. He co-founded ECH, providing advisory services to SMEs and corporates. As an advisor for Pathfinder International/USAID, he pioneered behavioural strategies that empowered 57,000 underserved women to access formal and digital finance, setting new standards for inclusive growth and national impact.

Reem is a gender expert working across research, policy, and program management in the SWANA region. Her work addresses gender and intersectional marginalization in education, health, technology, environmental sustainability, and the economy. She is the former Executive Director of HarassMap, author of Negotiating the Power of NGOs, a Professor at AUC, founder of Basata W Batata, and an associate with Gender at Work.

Salah Ghanem is a social entrepreneur, Chevening Scholar, and LSE graduate, and the Co-Founder & CMO of Button Up Social Enterprise. His work bridges social innovation, market access, and long-term economic inclusion in Egypt, creating sustainable livelihoods for women and youth in underserved communities.