About
June 19, 2020 2021-12-14 10:19About
About Douar Tech
Digital divide to tech bridges
Digital divide to tech bridges
Our mission
Douar Tech is a Moroccan organization that contributes to strengthening the resilience of vulnerable youth, especially women, from precarious backgrounds in rural and peri-urban areas, through training in innovative entrepreneurship and web development skills.
Our Approach
Tailored Format
Our participants have access to multiple sources of instruction, utilizing assessment and diagnostic tools to help direct the pace and format of their learning.
Blended
Learning
We combine face-to-face instruction through workshops, mentorship by professionals and online learning activities on our multilingual learning platform to make content accessible offline in case of connectivity disruption.
Hands-on Approach
We empower our youth to leverage knowledge from the tech entrepreneurship ecosystem and reframe this know-how to make it useful and effective in rural contexts.
They believe in our mission
Our Partners
The guys behind the curtain
Our Team
We are a dynamic group that has dedicated itself to the service of vulnerable youth in the pursuit of excellence through the digital space.
Leadership Board
Ismail Amri
Hanae Bezad
Said Abu Sheleih
Ghita Benessahraoui
Suzanne Moyer
Operational Team
Fay Cowper
Oumaima Farik
Thanae Benanni
Afrae Tatari El Otmani
Ahmed Haouaria
Ismail Amri
Vice President
Ismail has always been interested in computer science, especially the gaming and video-game industry. After a few years as a Strategy Consultant, he launched his own company in eSports and competitive gaming with the aim of contributing to the emergence of an ecosystem in the gaming industry in Morocco. With a keen understanding of the financial aspects of social inclusion, Ismail has been involved in multiple local labor inclusion initiatives in Morocco. Ismail holds an MSc in Computer Science from INSA Lyon in France (2010) and an MBA from ESSEC Business School (2012). He is one of the founding members of Douar Tech along with the president Hanae Bezad and now acts as the treasurer.
Hanae Bezad
FOUNDER / President
Hanae leads the work at the pan-African organization Smart Africa on Startups and Innovation Ecosystems, in order to support member countries to create favorable conditions to leverage the startup momentum in the continent.
Hanae is also founder of Douar Tech, an inclusive tech hub and platform that contributes to raise the resilience of vulnerable youth, especially rural women in Morocco and other countries in Africa. Her areas of interest and expertise are at the intersection of technology, inclusion, entrepreneurship and international development.
Prior to launching Douar Tech, Hanae was founder and CEO of the tech hub Le Wagon in Morocco, a campus part of the worldwide network of coding schools and tech hubs Le Wagon.
Prior to founding Le Wagon Casablanca and the social initiative Douar Tech, Hanae worked as a digital strategy consultant at Eleven in Paris, participating in setting up one of the first Parisian startup studios. She also took part in the board of Led By HER, a social incubator that helps women entrepreneurs that have suffered violence.
Hanae is a member of the pan-African Taskforce of i4policy, a member of the board of the Emerging Business Factory Foundation, a member of the Responsible Leadership Network of the BMW Foundation and a member of the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders network and a resident of the House of Beautiful Business.
Hanae holds a Bachelor in Sciences and Social Sciences from SciencesPo Paris, a Bachelor in Science and Technology from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, a Bachelor of Law from Panthéon Paris Sorbonne, a Master in Management from HEC Paris and a Master in Public Administration from SciencesPo Paris.
Said Abu Sheleih
Treasurer
Said Abu Sheleih is a research consultant and team coach, holding a Doctorate in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of Rabat (1993), an MBA from ENPC Paris obtained at EHTP Casablanca (2001) and executive certification in Corporate Professional Coaching (Transformance Pro, Paris, 2012). Said has contributed during his professional life to several business development and strategic transformation projects. Aware of the contribution of cognitive and social sciences in the creation of corporate and collective intelligence, he is attentive to the evolution of Human-Computer Interfaces. Additionally, he is passion about the study and analysis of the emotional foundations of human behavior that may act as catalysts to the dynamics of business adaptation and corporate transformation.
Ghita Benessahraoui
general secretary
Ghita Benessahraoui is a passionate international development professional and consultant, specializing in the research, analysis, and implementation of development policies and projects. With more than 15 years of experience in the management, implementation and evaluation of development projects financed by international donors and partners, she has proven experience in various development sectors, including sustainable energy development, human rights and civil society, poverty alleviation, private sector development, governance, and policy reforms. Founder, manager and consultant at a Rabat-based international development consulting entity, People In Action, since 2014, she has been consulted to tackle diverse areas of the wide sustainable development field, from research and evaluation missions to high-level government institutional capacity building missions. Fields and areas of intervention have included: entrepreneurship for sustainable economic development (research and initial operational phases of the set up of the auto- entrepreneur status and regime in Morocco), private sector development and improvement of the business environment, civil society and human rights analysis, renewable energy options for poverty alleviation, the support of socio-economic and political reforms in Morocco, to only cite these. Prior to that, she had worked as a dedicated professional within international organizations in Morocco, and abroad, including the GIZ (in Rabat), the UN HQ (in New York City) and the Global Sustainable Electricity partnership -former e8- (in Montreal). Ghita has been actively engaged in various initiatives, both as a professional and volunteer, to promote inclusive models of development in Morocco and abroad.
Fay Cowper
National Coordinator
Fay has a passion for innovative design and information management that has propelled the growth of Douar Tech programs and the skill development of its students. Previously, she served with the US Peace Corps in a rural village in the south of Morocco facilitating grassroots technology & entrepreneurship initiatives. Fay has collaborated with organizations across Morocco on entrepreneurship workshops and technology education initiatives. Prior to Morocco, she worked in Washington DC with the US Department of State managing logistics for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Fay has a B.A. in Conflict Analysis & Resolution from George Mason University, where she began her love for work with social enterprises as a student consultant for 180 Degrees Consulting.
Oumaima Farik
Program Coordinator
Oumaima Farik had worked for several years as program coordinator for an international organization before she joined Douar Teach operational team. Her professional experience in international higher education and program development has contributed to expanding opportunities for more inclusive perspectives and experiential learning in programs, advising and student services. Oumaima has a strong interest in event planning, program development, and management, community service, intercultural mediation and international education. She received her Master’s degree in pedagogy of cultural mediation of arts and sciences in 2014 through the faculty of Educational Sciences in Rabat. She is committed to ensure access and engagement to inclusive meaningful experiences for our program participants.
Thanae Bennani
Executive Director
Thanae Bennani is our Executive Director overseeing operational and financial management, rolling out the strategic vision of Douar Tech in line with the operational excellence of its programs, and leading multi-level partnerships development with Douar Tech’s stakeholders.
Thanae is an experienced professional in Government Affairs, with a demonstrated history of leading Public Relations in international trade, bilateral cooperation, as well as the renewables and environment industry. She is also an expert in Sustainable Development public policies, a Circular Economy enthusiast and a Strong Communities advocate. Thanae is a Fulbright alumni and holds a Master of Science in Finance (MSF) from The George Washington University – School of Business.
Afrae Tatari El Otmani
Community Associate
Afrae Tatari El Otmani is our Community Associate leading Douar Tech’s social media and external communication strategy and content creation. She is a Digital Marketing Strategist and Social Media Specialist with work experience in Content Creation, SMM & SEO. She is certified in SEO Inbound Marketing, and Content Marketing. Afrae helps companies and organizations grow their online presence by building and nourishing relationships with their Ideal audiences through valuable content. Most recently she has worked with companies on new product launches, crowdfunding campaigns, and e-commerce websites.
Afrae graduated from Istanbul Sehir University with High Honors in International Trade and Management. She’s an avid baker and cook and enjoys reading books in her free time.
Ahmed Haouaria
Entrepreneurship Facilitator
After 19 years working with the private sector holding various management and training roles in airlines and tourism, Ahmed founded and developed his first training academy mainly dedicated to airlines and tourism sector.
In 2015, he co founded Human Capital Connect HCC, a consultancy firm dedicated to social entrepreneurship with a focus on rural cooperatives and startups in the region of Béni Mellal Khénifra. Passionate about entrepreneurship and social economy. Ahmed strives to support social economy and inclusive entrepreneurship as vital sources of inclusive job creation and concrete support for those furthest from the labor market.
Suzanne Moyer
spokesperson
Suzanne is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and non-profit leader with extensive experience in Morocco and North Africa. Suzanne is the co-founder of Nevo Technologies, a leading provider of innovative cybersecurity and government security solutions. She is also a founding partner of AmeriSource Consulting, a boutique consulting firm providing a broad range of business, trade, and development consulting services in the North African market. Prior to launching her own enterprises in the region, Suzanne was awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to research the implementation of the Morocco-US Free-Trade Agreement.
In addition to her private sector work, Suzanne is passionate about education and economic empowerment, especially of women and girls. She is currently President of the Board of Trustees of the Rabat American School, an officer of the Executive Committee of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) Morocco, and a Board Member of the High Atlas Foundation. Suzanne is the former Executive Director of the African Studies Association, a global network of more than 3,000 multi-disciplinary professors and researchers focused on Africa. She is also the former Director of AIESEC in the United States, where she expanded programs to provide youth with international internship and leadership opportunities, working in collaboration with leading multi-national companies such as MasterCard, Google, Kraft Foods International, Cisco, and Delphi. Suzanne has contributed as a trade and development consultant on key projects in the MENA region, including trade missions organized in collaboration with the US Dept of Commerce, USAID- funded economic growth programs, and several projects for women’s empowerment, such as a regional initiative to build Breast Cancer awareness among Arab women in collaboration with Vital Voices and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Suzanne graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Honors College of the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University, with degrees in International Business and Accounting. She was honored as the Most Outstanding Female Graduate of the Ohio State Fisher College of Business. She also completed advanced Arabic language studies at the Arabic Language Institute of Fes (ALIF.) Suzanne holds several professional certifications, including a professional certificate in Cybersecurity from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Suzanne speaks fluent French, Moroccan, and classical Arabic and is a published author on business and development in the Maghreb. She currently lives between Princeton, New Jersey and Rabat, Morocco with her husband and three children.
- Suzanne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannem1/
