Bita Diomande is a social entrepreneur and current MBA candidate / Legatum Fellow at MIT Sloan School of Management. Having spent her childhood in Côte d'Ivoire, Pakistan, and India, Bita grew up having her clothing made by local artisans, exploring fabric stores and coming up with new designs for her own wardrobe. During her travels to Bangladesh, she witnessed a riot amongst workers in the garment industry, which inspired her to found her own fair wage boutique. Sarafina, also an eco-friendly line, works with designers in India, Kenya, Madagascar, Liberia, and Uganda.

Previously, Bita led a team of grant writers at La Pierre Angulaire, a local HIV/AIDS non-profit in Cote d’Ivoire. She also worked for the Academy for Educational Development to implement child nutrition projects in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Ethiopia. While believing strongly in that work, she came to realize that her interest was more in directly providing jobs in low-income countries. Prior to MIT, Bita double-majored in Political Science and Spanish at the University of Michigan.

What is a typical day like for you?

I spend most of my days in class and meetings for extracurricular activities. These days I'm in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire launching a private label line for a company. On a regular day I'm in town looking for fabrics and suppliers to manufacture the clothing line.

What is your ethnicity?

I'm biracial, my mother is white and my father black from west Africa.

Has there been a time in your life when your ethnicity or gender has had an impact on your choices or opportunities? 

To be honest I've never really thought about that as I've never seen my gender or ethnicity as a barrier to opportunities. I've been fortunate to do all I've set my heart to. What has defined me the most is my origins in developing countries. I strongly identify as an Ivorian and also feel strongly at home in India. I continue to work in areas that maintain this connection. There are so many opportunities in developing countries and I believe that through the private sector we can use these opportunities to develop our economies and empower people by providing jobs and access to capital.

What are your strongest skill sets?

Working with people of diverse backgrounds. I learned at an early age how to navigate in different countries and this has helped me tremendously in social and professional settings.

Who inspires you?

My mother. She is an amazing woman who has achieved so much in her life, a real go getter. All the while she raised two daughters on her own, provided opportunities to countless people, whether helping them financial or giving them employment opportunities. In addition to her professional success, she continues to challenge herself spiritually by always seeking knowledge, new ways to grow and live a balanced life. She is my inspiration to live a life of continuous self improvement.

What is a challenge that you're currently working through?

It's challenging to balance efforts between growing my start up and taking advantage of learning opportunities that have opened up since I started my grad school program. I feel that there are many ways to grow as an entrepreneur. I need to find the right balance between learning on my own and learning from others who have already gone through what I'm doing at scale.

To learn more about Bita:

LinkedIn Profile

Twitter: @bdiomande123

Sarafina Website

Sarafina on Facebook

Nada Sabet is an Egyptian theatre director, creative entrepreneur, and educator based in Cairo. She is the founder of Noon Creative Enterprise, a limited liability company focused on connecting and supporting the performing arts network and its community-wide impact throughout the country. Nada is also the founder of Meetphool, an online networking hub for performing artists.

A natural collaborator, her theatre directing skills allow her to facilitate organic processes of improvisation, interaction, editing, and performance. Nada is a pioneer in her field, using authentic programming and educational outreach to engage the diverse range of ethnic groups, religions, and languages found in Egypt.

Within a few years, she hopes that at least half the youth of Egypt will have participated in at least one theatrical experience, which they will cherish and remember forever.

What led you to a career in the performing arts?

I actually tried to convince my parents to just give me the money they planned to invest in my college education, instead of actually going to college, but they insisted that I get a proper degree. I studied Psychology at the American University in Cairo but stumbled upon Theatre, which I loved. I ended up getting a double major in both fields, which included theatre directing. After directing and acting for a few years, I went to London to study for my MA in Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths', University of London, although I always intended to return to Egypt to start my company. I came back in 2011 which, politically, was an interesting time start a project.

What is a typical day like for you?

I usually start with a lot of administrative work, like working on budgets and making phone calls. I'm multi-lingual, so I often find myself taking a Skype call in English and then answering my phone in Arabic or French. I used to work from home but recently made the decision to move to an office. In the evening, I usually have a rehearsal for a performance or workshop.

What is a challenge that you're working through right now?

I've had my company for a few years now and I've been very lucky to have started while there has been huge demand for educational youth programs. I've had a small team but am thinking about how to grow while keeping the versatility that comes with our size. At the same time, I wonder if we even need to grow, or if that is just an inherited phantom -- does it need to grow or can it stay happy and small?

What are your three strongest skill sets?

I am able to laugh easily, which is helpful for diffusing potentially stressful situations quickly. I'm also a strong communicator, especially verbal, which helps when working with a human element to explain and also understand others. And, my spontaneity, although it depends upon my comfort level. People might assume that I'm not shy but sometimes I can be, just like I can be very spontaneous. 

Has there been a time in your life when your ethnicity or gender impacted your choices or opportunities?

I'm from Egypt, which is a bit of Arabic and Mediterranean, mixed with global influences from colonization by the English and French. I try not to box myself into categories but I also deliberately choose to work in places where I look completely different from the people. Even in a patriarchal community, I can be found leading groups of artists, laughing loudly, wearing pants. In my experience, this has led more to curiosity than violence. It's important that they see more examples of people accepting and connecting with different people -- it's not about me trying to create more "me's".

What advice do you have for your 18-year-old self?