Shereen Mitwalli lives in Dubai but she’s often on the move—interviewing celebrities, working as a motivational speaker or managing her marketing and talent agency.
The self-made Egyptian-Australian entrepreneur is about to add another layer to her multihyphenate career: tech founder. By year’s end, Mitwalli plans to launch Naqqe, an online platform matching therapists with people seeking help.
The idea for Naqqe stemmed from a phone call Mitwalli received from a CEO friend who was seeking advice on how to find a therapist. Mitwalli was shocked to learn how hard that was: The average person waits more than 21 days for mental health counseling, Naqqe research has found. Mitwalli said she has turned down funding offers for Naqqe “because we know it’s going to be huge” and doesn’t want to give up ownership. Now she’s traveling again to onboard therapists around the world.
“Everything I have built has come out of being inspired by somebody I have met or interviewed,” she said. “They’ve inspired me to take risks.”
Mitwalli’s entrepreneurial spirit is what led Forbes and Courtyard by Marriott to invite her to join a panel discussion that explored how travel fuels passion and opens new opportunities. You can view event highlights and watch it in full by visiting our recap page.
In this Q&A interview, Mitwalli discusses balancing work and pleasure when traveling, immersing herself in foreign cultures and using generative AI to plan trips.
READ MORE FROM THIS SERIES:
Fisayo Longe
CEO, Kai Collective
Mario Maher
Cofounder & Chief
Merchandising Officer, HEAT
Presenter &
Entrepreneur
Shereen
Mitwalli
Mitwalli joined contemporary travel and lifestyle entrepreneurs at the stylish Courtyard London Heathrow Airport for an inspiring discussion on how travel ignites personal and professional development. She founded Naqqe, an online therapy platform expected to launch in late 2023, and says she travels widely for motivational speaking engagements. Her journeys have inspired her charitable efforts to improve access to safe drinking water.
