Founding a Tech Empire While Breaking Expectations & Overcoming Self-Doubt with Rana el Kaliouby, Founder of Affectiva

Rana el Kaliouby is an Egyptian-American scientist, innovator,
author and CEO. She co-founded the artificial intelligence
company, Affectiva, and has pioneered a digital software that can
read & analyze human emotion in real time. Rana has
raised over $50 million in venture funding and was recognized on
Fortune’s 40 Under 40 List & as one of Forbes Top 50 Women in
Tech. 


Rana grew up in Cairo where she was raised, as she says, to be a
“nice Egyptian girl.” She defied cultural expectations in both
the tech world and in her native Middle Eastern heritage. She
earned her Ph.D. at Cambridge, postdoc at MIT and is working in a
field of technology that is still overwhelmingly white and
male. 


However, before she broke ground as a scientist and founded her
company, she broke the rules of what it meant to be an obedient
daughter and, later, an obedient wife to pursue her own daring
dream. Rana’s personal journey overcoming self-doubt and
embracing her ambition is an inspiration to all women to feel
empowered & be the leader of their own life. 


In this episode, we’ll talk to Rana about: 


* Rana’s childhood growing up in Egypt & how her family’s
conservative yet forward-thinking views impacted
her [2:24]  


* How she decided to go against the expectations of her culture
& pursue her own daring dreams [4:52]


* Rana discusses the early days of her company and its impact to
her marriage [7:47]


* Rana opens up about the immense fear she had moving to the US
while leaving her family behind [10:44] 


* Rana shares life after her divorce as a financially independent
woman [12:36]


* What it’s like to raise money from top-tier investors as a
scientist & first time entrepreneur [15:22]


* Why Rana thinks the idea of “balance” is a misnomer when it
comes to family and work  [21:49]


* Rana shares her journey to CEO & how she overcame her own
self doubt and self-imposed barriers [26:07]


* The importance of women self-advocating for themselves and
asking for what they deserve [30:15]


* The power of empathetic leadership when managing your team’s
culture and productivity during the pandemic [32:50]


* Rana’s personal journey in embracing her emotions &
overcoming her own fears and insecurities [38:10] 


Follow Rana:


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranaelkaliouby/


* Website: https://www.affectiva.com/


* Rana’s book - Girl Decoded:
https://ranaelkaliouby.com/girldecoded/


References:


* All Raise: https://www.allraise.org/


Follow Yasmin:


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/


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