From MENA to the World
Over the past decade, the MENA region has been silently building an ecosystem while the world wasn't watching. The mission of this show is to share those stories from those that are contributing to this change, the investors, founders, and operators. We'll be interviewing guests to talk openly about their journeys, starting with their childhood and going all the way through to the Why? How? What? of their entrepreneurial journeys. Showcasing these stories is vital for people to connect, learn and get inspired. Join our host Amir Farha, Founder of COTU Ventures, as he explores the human side to entrepreneurship in the Middle East from the narratives of people who have the courage to drive change, overcome barriers, and build lasting companies despite all the difficulties along the way.
From MENA to the World
Sonia Weymuller (VentureSouq) - How VentureSouq came to be, why she describes herself as an accidental outlier in everything, and what her own philosophy of impact investing is
In this episode, we're having a chat with Sonia Weymuller, Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a GCC-based Venture Capital firm. Launched in 2013, VSQ is active in the MENA region with a global portfolio of 200+ companies, as well as developing rich educational content around venture investing.
Sonia is the most conscious investor in the MENA region. Arriving into the world of VC from an unconventional path, I wanted to share with you her life story and adventures that brought her to Dubai and to backing entrepreneurs in the region.
We talked about:
- Sonia's unconventional path to becoming an established VC
- How VentureSouq started as an informal gathering of interested investors
- Sonia's philosophy on conscious investing and what you need to know
- The traits you need to be a founder worth investing in
Enjoy!
Timestamps:
- 2:15 Sonia's childhood, and being an accidental outlier in everything
- 7:57 Joining Microsoft, Viacom, and Sonia's experience with headhunters
- 11:02 The number 1 skill Sonia learned with these companies
- 11:44 What prompted Sonia to move to Dubai
- 12:56 Getting confronted with mortality
- 13:42 How VentureSouq started with a birthday party
- 16:00 How a team of 4 different personalities made VentureSouq thrive
- 19:24 How The Five Languages of Love helped Sonia become a better investor
- 20:46 Conscious Collective: What it is and why it started
- 23:34 What are some misconceptions around impact?
- 26:05 The 1 trait that made Sonia a successful venture capitalist
- 31:00 The attributes to a good founder that's worth investing in
- 34:50 Sonia's relationship with imposter syndrome
- 37:19 How Sonia thinks about fundraising: Alignment is key
- 38:39 Sonia's general thoughts on the fundraising ecosystem
- 41:38 What one thing would Sonia change about this region
- 43:50 Sonia's Legacy and what she wants the next generation to strive towards
- 46:16 The book that Sonia carries everywhere with her
- 48:09 Stay motivated by being centered
Links:
- Sonia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/soniawey
- Sonia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniaweymuller/
- About VentureSouq: https://www.venturesouq.com/
- VentureSouq's Twitter: https://twitter.com/venturesouq
About the Host