NYUAD Entrepreneurship Program – New

NYUADEP Fall AY26-27 is your entry point into entrepreneurial thinking at NYUAD: three standalone themes to explore, validate, and build your first venture, no experience needed.

About NYUAD Entrepreneurship Program

The NYUAD Entrepreneurship Program (NYUADEP) by startAD, the innovation and entrepreneurship hub anchored in NYUAD, fosters entrepreneurial thinking and innovation across the NYUAD community by offering transformative learning experiences, mentorship, and exposure. Over 5 editions, the program has grown 90 NYUAD student-led startups with close to 500 NYUAD Community members benefitting from the workshops, bootcamps and an incubator program.

NYUADEP cultivates a dynamic environment where ideas can take root and grow. Whether participants are just beginning their entrepreneurial journey or advancing an existing venture, NYUADEP equips them to turn ambition into real-world impact.

The most venture-ready participants of NYUADEP Fall AY26-27 can continue their growth with startAD’s NYUAD Entrepreneurship Incubator Program in Spring, through advanced workshops and a chance to win grants up to AED 20,000.

FALL AY26-27 EDITION | THREE THEMES, ONE JOURNEY:
EXPLORE, VALIDATE, BUILD.

Google support

FALL AY26-27 EDITION | THREE THEMES, ONE JOURNEY: EXPLORE, VALIDATE, BUILD.

Program Themes

EXPLORE

EXPLORE

Experience what entrepreneurship actually feels like, with no prior knowledge required.

Sep 17 + Sep 30
Open for Registration

validate

VALIDATE

Walk away with two concrete, transferable skills: Customer Discovery and the Business Model Canvas.

Oct 10
Registration opens Oct 1

BUILD

Leave with something real: the first tangible artefact of a venture, not just a plan.

Early Nov
Details Coming Soon

Who It’s For

Open to the whole NYUAD Community: students, staff, faculty, and researchers. Register for each theme separately and pick whichever one (or two, or all three) fits where you’re at in your founder journey.

A launchpad for growth in the UAE for global tech startups

What You’ll Gain

Gain Entrepreneurial Skills

problem-solving, business modeling, pitching, and customer discovery

GAIN PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE

Connect with Founders, Mentors,
and Peers

across NYUAD who are curious about or actively building ventures

Access Curated Resources and Frameworks

that support the journey

Collect a Physical Badge

at the close of each theme you complete

Earn a Recognized Credential

a LinkedIn-verified certificate for completing all three themes

Calendar

Discovery Program

Thu, Sep 10

Campus Centre · D2 Cafetaria

NYUAD Entrepreneurship Program Meet the Team and Learn More (Campus Centre and D2)

Thu, Sep 17 

startAD Central, A6 Building

Explore Session 1 | Founders Unfiltered. Join a group of founders as they talk through what building a startup actually looks like, from the first idea to the moments that don’t go as planned. The panel is moderated by an NYUAD student, so you’ll hear direct answers on what founding a company really takes.

Timing: 5:30 – 7:00 PM

Speakers:
Yousef Tuqan
Startup Advisor & Mentor,
Mohamed Amine Belarbi
Founder & CEO of Cypherleak,
Jeremy Hodara
Co-founder of Jumia,
Jane Glavan
Co-Founder & CEO of Distant Imagery Solutions

Moderator: Kali Hailegiorgis, Stern NYUAD MBA’26.

Wed, Sep 30

startAD Central, A6 Building

Explore Session 2 | Zero to Founder. Team up for a hands-on challenge that puts you in a founder’s seat for one evening. You’ll spot a real problem, test it against real customers, and figure out how to build something with next to no resources, then pitch it for a shot at a prize.

Timing: 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Facilitators:
Hana Barakat
Senior Associate Director, startAD
Qamar Rabah
Program Coordinator, startAD

Sat, Oct 10

startAD Central, A6 Building

Validate. In this hands-on Saturday session, you’ll test your idea through customer discovery and turn what you learn into a working business model using the Business Model Canvas.

Timing: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM

Facilitator:
Dr. Cintia Külzer Sacilotto
Assistant Professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, UAE University (UAEU).

Early Nov

Build

Build your first prototype with AI and modern tools across two modules: Human-Centered Design and Prototyping with AI.

 

Gallery

Speakers

Yousef Tuqan
Yousef Tuqan
Startup Advisor & Mentor
Mohamed Amine Belarbi
Mohamed Amine Belarbi
Founder & CEO of Cypherleak
Jeremy Hodara
Jeremy Hodara
Co-founder of Jumia
Jane Glavan
Jane Glavan
Co-Founder & CEO of Distant Imagery Solutions

Moderator

Kali Hailegiorgis
Stern NYUAD MBA’26

Facilitators

Hana Barakat
Senior Associate Director, startAD
Qamar Rabah
Program Coordinator, startAD
Dr. Cintia Külzer Sacilotto
Assistant Professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, UAE University (UAEU)

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

NYUD CDC
Learning and organizational development

Register for Explore Sessions

Fill out the form below to lock in your spot for both Explore sessions, Sep 17th and Sep 30th.

Lars Kolind
Lars Kolind
Lars Kolind
Mona Ataya
Mona Ataya
Founder of Mumz World
Neil
Neil Hammond
Senior Operations Manager, NYUAD Student Life
Mohamed
Mohamed Amine Berlabi
Founder & CEO, Cypherleak
Tina
Tina Kamel
Program Coordinator, startAD
Adnan
Adnan Dekedek
Program Lead
,
startAD at NYUAD

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