Moderated by Eithne Treanor<\/a>, CEO and founder of E Treanor Media, the session hosted three inspiring women from the MENA region namely,Marriam Mossali<\/em><\/strong><\/a>,<\/em><\/strong> founder of Niche Arabia, a premier luxury consulting agency in Saudi Arabia;Aya Toukan<\/strong>, founder of <\/em>The ART Trove<\/em><\/a>, a fusion of artisan-made products and contemporary, handcrafted home-d\u00e9cor; and Canon ambassador in the region, <\/em>Tasneem Alsultan<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Canon has always advocated for women empowerment and believes that women play a major role in the development of all industries as well as the society. Women have been a driving force during the COVID-19 pandemic, showing resilience and patience in the face of unprecedented crisis. During the first session, the discussion took viewers on a journey as the guest speakers reflected on what it meant to be a woman entrepreneur in the creative industry.<\/p>\n Aya reflected on the importance of financial freedom and growth for women these days. \u201cIt is no longer considered a taboo if women decide to showcase their creative side and make a living out of it as this is one of the most important changes we have seen in our society over the years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The speakers also shared their stories and experiences as well as the challenges that plague the industry. Aya said that there are women with huge potential just waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves. \u201cHence, I wanted to take the initiative to bring these artisans women forward and provide them the boost they need to get into the job sector,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Marriamadded that it is never too late for women to achieve their dreams and strive for independence as they work towards realizing them. \u201cI launched Saudi Style Council just this year to help champion local creatives and connect them with international brands and companies\u201d she said, while adding the country has collectively shown growth in the creative sector and that the COVID-19 pandemic brought people even closer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is high time that women find their voice and discover their love and passion for storytelling. Earlier, women were not given many opportunities to educate themselves or explore their creativity. There was fear of being criticized but now, things are changing,\u201d added Tasneem.<\/p>\n Marriamsaid the country\u2019s younger generation will reap the benefits of these changes.\u201cThey can look forward to an aspirational future with abundant resources to succeed in the creative industry,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Since its launch in 2016, the Frontiers of Innovation panel discussion has aimed to provide a platform to bring together visionary speakers and trailblazers, driving innovation and ideas, gain insights and experiences, and generate solutions.<\/p>\n Mai Youssef,\u00a0Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Director\u00a0of Canon Middle East said: <\/strong>\u201cAs we celebrated International Women\u2019s Day this year, it is only fitting to host women entrepreneurs from the MENA region for our first session of \u2018Frontiers of Innovation\u2019. The speakers we hosted are an inspiration for other women to break the glass ceiling. The discussion offers a platform for industry experts to share anecdotes and experiences and contributes to large-scale knowledge transfer. We aspire to continue to host such stimulating conversations in the upcoming panels that will continue to influence our audience.\u201d<\/p>\n This year\u2019s edition of \u2018Frontiers of Innovation\u2019 will be held as a monthly series with new topics for each session, discussing key evolving aspects on the latest trends in the region\u2019s leading\u00a0industries. The upcoming sessions will cover a diverse range of topics including future cities and the healthcare industry. Visit Canon EMEA\u2019s LinkedIn page to find out more and stay up to date with our programming schedule (https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/canon-emea\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n
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