Believe in yourself, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something because of your gender.

When I decided to become a female entrepreneur working in the construction industry of the Middle East, I knew from the get-go that I had to bring something different to the table. After all, this is an industry traditionally dominated by men, with very few women working in it.

That said, let me confess here that I had no idea about construction when I was joining my startup, WakeCap. Indeed, embarking on a construction-centric venture was uncharted territory for me. I felt uncertain about my value and contribution; yet, I took a leap of faith by teaming up with Dr. Hassan Albalawi as a co-founder at WakeCap. While many would shy away from a job offer without immediate monetary compensation, I decided to take a risk, and chose to embrace equity opportunities. As it so happens, the company wasn't even formalized until months later.

But it was by joining WakeCap that I discovered technology's potential for revolutionizing traditional construction processes. By addressing digitization challenges in construction sites, the industry can benefit from increased productivity and efficiency, improved safety, and saved time and costs– all of which are extremely important factors in a thriving business environment. While Hassan, along with our three senior engineers, Roy Gilsing, Rene Wassenburg, and Rami Nassouh, leveraged their technical expertise for WakeCap, I took charge of the operations, business management, as well as sales and distribution. Together, we formed a strong unit poised for success.

Indeed, what started as a little spark of an idea has now grown into a company with 82 employees contributing to changes in construction. WakeCap sustained its growth momentum with a steady increase of around 28% from 2020 to 2021, and approximately 23% from 2021 to 2022. The most notable leap occurred in 2023 (which also marks our sixth-year anniversary) with a remarkable growth rate of nearly 500% after owners started mandating WakeCap. And that's not all- we're thrilled about our expansion in Saudi Arabia. With a presence in over 12 projects across the Kingdom, we are rapidly expanding to cover all major developments.

While I hope that my journey with WakeCap demonstrates that digital transformation is beneficial for businesses, I also wish that it leads to the provision of more opportunities for women, as well as the creation of pathways for more diverse leadership positions within traditionally male-dominated industries. My career has seen me successfully break into the male-dominated construction industry in the Middle East, and I believe strongly that female entrepreneurs can achieve success in fields like mine, despite traditional gender roles and expectations.