OUR FOUNDER OF THE WEEK- Every Tuesday, Founder of the Week looks at how asuccessful member of Egypt’s startup community got their big break, asks about their experiences running a business, and gets their advice for budding entrepreneurs. Speaking to us this week is Dina Aboughazala (LinkedIn), founder and CEO of Egab.

My name is Dina Aboughazala, and I am the founder and CEO of Egab. I received my bachelors from the faculty of Economics and Political Sciences at Cairo University and later got my masters degree in interactive journalism from City, University of London.

My introduction to journalism happened at a very young age, since my father worked as a journalist for Al Ahram. I had always thought his job was so unique because none of my friends at school had journalist parents. I even had my own little newspaper at 10 years old, which I had named “Life.”

I was raised in a family that truly values writing. We were always surrounded by books and my mom had always been an avid reader. Intellectual debates were a major part of our day-to-day casual conversation, which developed my journalistic passion even further.

When the time came for me to decide on my university studies, I knew I was drawn to journalism. However, my father had always said that you didn’t need to study journalism to become a journalist, he called it “a profession of practice.” So, I ended up studying politics, which was another passion of mine. But in the back of my mind, I knew journalism was my calling.

Finding a job. It took a bit of moving around for me to get to a stable point in my career. I worked for the State Information Service for a while, where I was involved in the presidential elections of 2005. Then I shifted to the Ministry of Trade and Industry where I worked closely with Dr. Samiha Fawzy and had more political exposure. During these two jobs, I had been constantly applying to the BBC.

Third time’s the charm. My third application to BBC was when I finally heard back. The position I had applied for required five years of relevant work experience, which I definitely did not have. But I was given a test, then called in for an interview, and 10 months later I began my journey there.

The need to start my own business started when my father passed away. I got the sudden realization that life is too short — I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with it. I was writing for a huge organization…but that was it. I thought about what I was getting back from my job — the legacy I would leave behind — and I wasn’t satisfied. It was never about money, if it were I probably would have stayed at BBC. It was about giving back to the community and making the most out of my time here on earth.

I was introduced to Solutions Journalism Network, which is essentially a shift in journalismto rigorous, evidence-based reporting of response to societal problems. It reminds people of the problem in a more positive light. I immediately fell in love with the concept and realized I had been unknowingly adopting the concept into my work.

During my 14 years there, I would receive so many messages from strangers asking how they could start writing for the BBC, so I knew there was a gap. I also realized how difficult it was to get a job at a big organization. And then it dawned on me: You have so much local talent but they don’t know where to go or where to start.

I was also frustrated with small lens reporting, where news would often cover a superficial side of the news. I had noticed that when covering events in Egypt, international news organizations would send foreign correspondents, claiming that it was for the purpose of objectivity. But then I’d find British correspondents covering British news, and that’s when I realized it was never about bias, it was a colonial legacy.

I understand that it’s impractical to have correspondents all around the world, but it doesn’t make sense to have foreign reporters who know nothing about the language, culture, or background, reporting from their small, limited lens.

The solution seemed obvious: Local talent plus genuine reporting, this was when Egab was born. I created a platform where any journalist can pitch stories and they get circulated around international media as pitches. And then when commissioned, the writer completes the piece and it gets published under their name with Egab’s name. We didn’t need to fly anyone. We relied on the wide range of local talents in different areas of different countries. We now have 700 journalists from 45 countries, as well as 45 media outlets including The Guardian, CNN, and Al Jazeera English.

It’s very rewarding. The messages I receive from journalists after they see their names on the huge publications never fails to make me proud. We’re leveling the playing field and giving people opportunities they never knew how to approach.

In five years time,I hope to see Egab become the go-to platform for any journalistacross the global south wishing to kick start their international journalism career and that we’re able to accomplish our vision of building a world where the news is the trusted source for accurate and holistic representation of events and communities.

If I were to change three things about the industry, I would push for better pay, achieve diversity in the big organizations by ending Western dominance, and have more solution-focused reporting.

My experience has taught me that everyone’s journey is different. One of the biggest problems entrepreneurs face is the pressure that exists on social media to always do more. Definitely learn and surround yourself with good advisors, but working at your own pace and not comparing yourself to those around you is important. I was hesitant at first but looking back, I wish I could’ve told my younger self to just go for it.

I’m grateful to have always been surrounded by so much support. Both my family growing up, and then later my husband, have always encouraged me to chase after what I wanted. And it truly is a blessing to have been given such a strong support system.

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