Ethics and Entrepreneurship: Facing the Crisis with Principles #TheBoardroom

With big pharma companies racing to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, many questions are being raised about the ethical implications that come from selling it for profit. The discussion will engage the attendees in an intriguing discussion to set an ethical framework for startup founders. So how could startup founders ensure that their ethics and values are set right from the start? And what type of due diligence could be done so that a startup’s mission and vision match those of the investors, consumers, and employees? When hard times strike, founders need to know that the work they're doing really matters.

The first episode brought Pakiza Abdulrahman (Head of Startups at Bahrain Economic Development Board) and Ayman Ismail (Associate Professor, Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship, and Founding Director of AUC Venture Lab).

The discussion went over:

-Startups’ social responsibility during times of crises
-Values, principles, and culture acting as a company's moral compass and decision-making process
-How to convince investors of the importance of ethics and impact, besides term sheets and revenue numbers
-University accelerators’ role in educating early-stage student entrepreneurs for ethical businesses

Watch as Ayman Ismail and Pakiza Abdulrahman discuss corporate, startups, investors, and consumer responsibility within an ethical framework that guarantees businesses having a moral credo they abide with.

Ayman Ismail is an international expert in entrepreneurship and economic development. He is currently the Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor at AUC School of Business and the founding director of AUC Venture Lab and AUC Angels. He is a co-founder, angel investor or board member of several fast-growing startups in fintech, microfinance, and logistics. Previously, he was a research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, a consultant in McKinsey & Company’s New York office, and a co-founder and managing partner at Enovio Consulting. In 2012, he was selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum (WEF). He received his Ph.D. in International Economic Development from MIT.

The next episode of The Boardroom Webinar Series goes live on June 4 starting at 5 PM Beirut time with Dr. Khalil Ramadi of MIT Hack Medicine and Rami Deeb from MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab. Register now to attend Healthtech and Healthcare: What the future looks like. #TheBoardroom #MITEFArab