Sara Hammoud

Experience

• 

  MIT Media Lab

  Sept 2017 - Nov 2018

  Product Developer

  - Among 30 teams selected to participate in the MIT Media Lab Refugee Learning Accelerator and attend live webinars on education technologies, Human Centered Design, refugee needs.- Only undergrad team selected among 14 teams attending a one-week workshop in Amman, Jordan, to develop a prototype, do field visits, discuss idea with tech and business experts and pitch to potential investors. - Only exclusively female team selected among six finalists receiving funding to incubate and test product.- Developed Augmented-Reality based application that aims to build refugee students’ literacy skills and support their learning in foreign languages given that language is a barrier hindering their educational experience. Show less

• 

  MaktabaTech

  Jan 2018 - Dec 2018

  Co-Founder

  - Developed an AR application that reinstates the love of reading in children by bringing to life their favorite books. Application developed using Unity and C, overlaying educational animation, text and audio in the mother language of the child and the language he/she wants to learn. Aim of application is to improve students’ vocab, spelling and translation skills.- Closed agreements with five schools and summer camps to give sessions at their centers.- Managed the team, volunteers and sessions given to 100 students. - Participated in the INJAZ Company Program and received the 2018 'Most Innovative Product Award'.- Marketed the start-up in Mexico at the entrepreneurs’ fair of the Junior Achievement Global Youth Forum gathering 600 participants from 50 countries and selected among 10 participants to become a Gather Ambassador. Show less

• 

  Benzinati

  Jun 2019 - Dec 2020

  Founder

  - Founded a startup that aims to incentivize urban citizens to adopt sustainable transportation means by offering a ground transportation application allowing users to explore the different modes of transportation, compare affordability and ride duration, and collect higher points on greener means.- Won the two national competitions of the UNDP Youth Leadership Program (YLP), competed regionally in Jordan, and was among the two finalists invited at the UN HQ in NYC. Completed the YLP Incubator and was among the 23 selected startups out of 146 applicants accepted in the Berytech Cleanergy accelerator unlocking $30K.- Recruited product developer and media coordinator to join the team.- Conducted 20 stakeholder interviews, worked on market sizing and business model, attracted advisors and global consultants.- Promoted the startup by appearing on local media and being featured in global podcasts and webinars. Show less

• 

  Bridge for Billions

  Aug 2019 - Apr 2022

  Startup Mentor

  Mentored early stage startups based in Africa and America on the following topics: market research, market sizing, competitive analysis, business model selection, pricing strategy and financial planning, stakeholder mapping, MVP development, pilot phase planning and execution, pitching.

• 

  INCO

  Jan 2021 - Oct 2021

  Startup Mentor

  Mentored remotely from Beirut 5 startups based in Lebanon and Armenia on themes including market sizing, pricing strategy, financial projections, competitive analysis, customer persona analysis, MVP design and pilot phase planning. SPRINT program is dedicated to green startups contributing to achieving the major transformation towards a decarbonized economy in 8 countries. The startups that won the SPRINT prize for Lebanon and Armenia were among the 5 teams I mentored.

• 

  Engineering Group Contractors

  Apr 2021 - Jun 2022

  Business Development Consultant

  - Led the implementation of a quality management system to receive ISO 9001 certification. Worked closely with ISO consultant to develop quality assurance and quality control processes for company’s departments, gave training in English and Arabic to company staff, performed internal audit, and oversaw official audit.- Implemented 3rd party enterprise resource planning (ERP) system as part of company’s digital transformation. Prepared required hardware, installed systems, prepared sheets with main functions to guide system users. System reduced equipment loss and theft, risk of re-ordering in-stock items or selling out of stock items, and enhanced internal processes efficiency by automating documentation. Show less

• 

  Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom

  Aug 2021 - Aug 2021

  Technical Trainer

  Gave a series of technical workshops for the FNF Revolutionizing Politics through the Lens of Technology 4 day event in collaboration with Riyada for Social Innovation. During the technical workshops, the participants learned about Augmented and Virtual Reality, the technology's history and applications, and worked on a technical case to build their first AR app using unity and applying the agile framework.

• 

  IED - Institute of Entrepreneurship Development

  May 2022 - Oct 2023

  Startup Mentor

  - In 2022, I mentored early stage startups in the Cultural & Creative Industries (CCI) on topics including: CCI sector insights, concept design and prototyping, company formation, and pitching.- In 2023, I gave training to early stage startups in the Cultural & Creative Industries (CCI) on topics including: founding team formation, company registration, pricing strategy, business model, financial statements and projections, startup funding, KPI formulation, and data privacy.

• 

  IE Business School

  Aug 2022 - Jul 2023

  MBA Student

  - Awarded 100% merit scholarship as winner of the 2021 Women Empowerment Challenge out of a pool of over 600 applicants. Chosen challenge track: technology, innovation, data, and communication.- Invited to join the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society as top 20% MBA student.- Winner of the Microsoft challenge of the Digital Transformation track.

• 

  Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

  Nov 2023 - now

  Technology Consultant