News
Pioneering Saudi caregiver is People’s Choice Entrepreneur of the
Year
16 November 2009
Female entrepreneur from Saudi Arabia is
general public's favourite in prestigious international competition
for young entrepreneurs
Ghadah Baaqil, a Saudi entrepreneur who runs
the first and only centre for autistic children in Medina, has been
voted by the general public to be the People's Choice winner in an
international competition for young entrepreneurs.
The 31 year old was named as the winner of the
People’s Choice Award, part of Youth Business International’s
Entrepreneur of the Year competition, at an event last night at St
James’s Palace. HRH The Prince of Wales hosted the event,
held to mark the first day of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Between 9-16 November, supporters of young
entrepreneurs all around the world were able to vote for their
favourite of 12 entrepreneurs shortlisted in the Youth Business
International Entrepreneur of the Year competition.
In a landslide victory, Ghadah won 16,000
votes – five times more than the second-place contender, Juan Ramón
Nuñez from Argentina, who garnered nearly 3,000 votes for his
audiovisual company. In third place was Jorge Alberto
Noverón, an eco-friendly architect from Mexico who came in just
short of 1,000 votes.
Ghadah fought great community resistance in
order to set up Ghadah Medina Autism Centre. In addition to
the misconceptions against autism – some parents refused to admit
that their child was autistic, so as not to be subjected to the
stigmas of having an abnormal child - Ghadah had to face up to
prejudices against young female entrepreneurs, as many people were
reluctant to do business with her.
Undeterred, Ghadah pushed on with the help of
The Centennial Fund, a Saudi based organisation that supports young
entrepreneurs, and she now runs a centre that employs 17 women and
is attended by over two dozen children, many of whom are partially
funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs. She now holds talks
at universities to encourage young women to open their own
businesses and gain a sense of independence.
In addition to winning the People’s Choice
Award, Ghadah was also among the finalists competing for the title
of Youth Business International Entrepreneur of the Year. A
high-profile judging panel named Juan Ramón Nuñez from Argentina as
the winner of this title.