Mais

CEO

As a graduate with a competitive degree in electrical engineering, Mais Sawafta was sure she would find the job of her dreams in her field. Unfortunately, her professional ambitions hit a standstill when she faced the reality that jobs are too few and hard to come by in Palestine's underdeveloped employment ecosystem. Even more so, for a woman in the male-dominated field of engineering. “Being a woman made it impossible to pursue and succeed in a career in electrical engineering.” Mais was not discouraged and did not let her lack of job prospects stop her from achieving her professional ambitions. During this time, digital marketing was fast becoming a mainstay in markets in Palestine and across the region, which motivated Mais to shift gears and tap into this growing sector. “I was searching for a career path that would give me purpose and a sustainable income.” In 2013, EFE’s marketing program was gaining traction among youth. Mais soon joined this 2-month intensive program, where she learned the essential skills that put her on the right track in her newfound career in digital marketing. She worked and gained some experience before starting her own company. In 2015, Mais established Oyoun Media, the first digital marketing company in Ramallah, Palestine. Today, a successful digital marketing firm, it has since won marketing partner relationships with Google, Amazon, and other international as well as regional firms. Her company is the only digital agency in Palestine with the Google Guarantee badge. In 2020, she welcomed investment from the Arab Palestinian Investment Company investors and is now the only woman CEO in their investment portfolio of 20+ companies. Over the past seven years, she has grown her family and her company, proving that it is possible, to have it all. Even more, she pays it forward: her first employees were EFE-Palestine graduates and she still hires through EFE. Today she is going beyond her business needs to those of the community, setting up a digital academy with the objective to train more people with the technical skills they need to secure a job in digital.