The four-month program supports 12 female founders through a curriculum of leadership training, investor access, and venture building.
Publicis Groupe Middle East has signed a partnership with the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) to serve as the exclusive media partner for a fellowship aimed at scaling women-led startups in the region.
The collaboration, announced Monday, will see the global marketing communications giant provide technical training and mentorship to participants of the Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship (SWIF). The four-month program supports 12 female founders through a curriculum of leadership training, investor access, and venture building.
As the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem matures, the partnership signals a push to move beyond traditional funding by providing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the high-level agency expertise usually reserved for multinational corporations.
Under the agreement, Publicis Groupe will lead an executive learning journey for the founders, highlighted by an immersive artificial intelligence workshop.
Developed by the Groupe’s Innovation & Growth practice, the session is designed to strip away the jargon surrounding AI, offering practical applications for business scaling and operational efficiency.
“Our partnership with Sheraa builds on a shared belief in the power of empowering others,” said Bassel Kakish, CEO of Publicis Groupe Middle East and Turkey.
“By supporting Sheraa’s mission, we hope to give women founders the tools, confidence, and community they need to succeed.”
Beyond technology, the program will grant founders access to Publicis’ internal learning and development ecosystem. Participants will engage in curated paths focusing on brand storytelling, media strategy, and content development—the same professional training modules used to upskill the agency’s own staff.
The fellowship operates under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sheraa, and aims to position Sharjah as a regional hub for “purposeful enterprise.”
“The women in SWIF are advancing ventures that already create meaningful value for our communities and our economy,” said Sara Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa. “By connecting them with industry experts and future-focused learning pathways, we are empowering them to strengthen their leadership.”
To ensure long-term impact, the partnership includes a mentorship component that pairs each founder with subject matter experts from across the Publicis network. These mentors will provide one-on-one guidance tailored to the specific growth goals of each startup, ranging from retail tech to social impact ventures.
The initiative comes at a time when regional governments are increasingly looking to the private sector to bridge the gender gap in venture capital and executive leadership. By integrating “Power of One” resources into the Sharjah startup scene, the partners aim to build a more resilient, future-ready class of female entrepreneurs.
