Iman Bibars

Biography

A visionary for social entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment, Iman Bibars is the founder of Ashoka Arab World and the Regional Director for AAW since 2003. She is the Vice President of Ashoka Global since 2009.

With her direction, Ashoka Arab World has expanded to 11 countries in the MENA region, identifying and supporting more than 110 leading social entrepreneurs.

Dr. Bibars has and continues to be a pioneer in the field of social entrepreneurship and women empowerment. She is the founder and global leader of the Women’s Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship (WISE) since 2011. She co-founded Egypt’s first microfinance organization, the Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women (ADEW), which supports impoverished female heads of household. In addition, Dr. Bibars is also the founder and leader of AWSIF, the Arab World Social Innovation Forum since 2009. She has also founded Ibtikar Khana, the first and only school for social entrepreneurs in Egypt and the Arab region.

With an international career spanning from UNICEF to the World Bank, she is a renowned social development expert, with experience working with women organizations and social entrepreneurs in MENA, Europe, and other regions around the globe. Dr. Bibars is a sought-after trainer and consultant, and the author of several regional and international books.

Dr. Bibars holds a PhD in Development Studies from Sussex University and a BA and MA in Political Science from The American University in Cairo. She was a Peace Fellow at Georgetown University and a Parvin Fellow at Princeton University.