Ranya Saadawi, CEO, Acasia Group: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Ranya Saadawi(LinkedIn), CEO at Acasia Group.

My name is Ranya Saadawi, CEO at Acasia Group. I’m Egyptian-American and grew up between New York and Cairo. I’ve been working in social entrepreneurship and impact investment for the past 15 years, with a focus on showing that we’re more similar than we are different. I think the best way to highlight how cultures, people, and geographies are similar is through economics and social businesses.

Acasia started in 2011 as a nonprofit organization. Following the revolution, it was a moment for a lot of Egyptians to see how they can contribute to the country’s economy through building the first ever angel investor network, getting individuals to invest in startups and SMEs in Egypt, help them grow, and create a community of like-minded people that want to not just provide funding for these startups but also provide mentorship and support to them.

We grew our team to 13 people across three countries, and we started implementing programs with the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, and different private-sector companies. That included capacity-building training for women entrepreneurs across the MENA region and other programs specifically for Egyptian startups.

Acasia is very focused on tech-driven companiessuch as fintech and agtech on the venture side of our business. On the angel and partnerships end, we develop very specific programs for different sectors. That mainly means tech, but one other area that we’re looking at, for example, is architecture and design startups. There’s not a lot of investment in these areas.

The other big area of focus for us is female-led startups. Globally there are very few female founders or female-led startups that receive investment, so we focus on really building up female-led startups, regardless of what sector they’re in.

I dedicate the first one or two hours every morning to me. That includes a workout, breakfast, and coffee, which are key for me. Don’t talk to me before my ice latte [laughs]. I also read Enterprise and I love it. I worked at Expo 2020 before and for a local nonprofit organization here in the UAE, and we used Enterprise because we were investing in social startups and ecosystems globally but with a focus on the region.

We are a startup, so each day looks a bit different though we try to put some certain basics into place. You always have to make room for the unexpected. After our daily team huddle, the day goes very quickly. I do daily or weekly calls with team members. About 30% of my day is focused on legal aspects, banking, and cashflow. My responsibilities also entail looking ahead at what we need to do in terms of restructuring as we look to build over the next couple of years.

I believe switching off is really important and it’s a philosophy we have at Acasia. My calendar ends at a certain time of the day, and I don’t have any notifications on my phone outside of that time.

The one constant in my day is my iced coffee. No joke. Anyone who knows me knows that. Anywhere I go in the world, I know where to get my coffee.

My calendar is a big part of me. I use a lot of checks and balances and my calendar is a big part of it. I have a quarterly plan. It helps me stay focused and organized, as it’s really easy to get lost in the weeds of everything.

My focus is on how we become a true regional player with projects across the African continent. I’m really committed to Acasia for the long term. I’ve worked in international development for 15 years, predominantly on the nonprofit, government, and funder sides. But I’ve never had the chance to work for a private-sector company like Acasia that is basically an impact investment firm.

Work-life balance happens at different stages. I always say there are certain times of the year when work is going to take priority and other times when life should take priority. I am very big on balance because I have been in leadership positions before where I burnt out and I didn’t have a good work-life balance.

I love books. I read everything. Fiction, biographies, a lot of books from the Middle East diaspora. One of the books that had a huge influence on my life is Edward Said’s Orientalism.

Podcasts are something I’ve really gotten into over the past eight years. One network that I love from the region is Kerning Cultures. They started as a volunteer organization and then decided to get investment. They were the first I encountered to originate in MENA, telling very unique stories from across the region.

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