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She is an entrepreneur at heart. 25-year-old Chaymae Samir is the head of two companies based in London, where she settled down last summer. Born in Mohammedia to business-owning parents, she lived there until she turned 14 and moved to Agadir.
After graduating high school, Chaymae left for Paris to join the prestigious Sciences Po Paris school thanks to a scholarship granted to her by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). The businesswoman obtained a double master’s degree in both finance and strategy and got a degree in business law from Panthéon-Assas University.
Right after that, she enrolled in an exchange program at the Malaya University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The entrepreneurship-focused program allowed her to start a training at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
London, a world of opportunities
After finishing her studies, Chaymae returned to Morocco where she launched her first company «Educap’ Soutien Scolaire». «Going back to Morocco was the easiest way for me to start my first business. I started in tutoring because at the time, in Agadir, there was no competitor as there were in Casablanca and Rabat. After that, I invested in the restaurant industry : «I used to refurbish premises that I rented to restaurateurs. Then, after that, I sold everything and I came to England where I started another company», she explained.
This company, created in late 2018 and specialized in cosmetics, is called Sunday Ivy. «The goal is to market innovative products. We started selling a foundation sponge : it does not absorb the foundation and thus saves product», says Chaymae Samir. Her business seemed to work : next year, this product is expected to be marketed in 600 stores, both in Europe and the Middle East. «This sponge is our first product, it has a real competitive value. We have invested in others that are in the way but for now, I cannot talk too much about it», she said.
Chaymae Samir now heads two companies, beside the catering facilities she rents in Morocco. Her second company, the one she co-founded, is an application called «Rowith» that provides workout routines made by professional athletes.
«This entrepreneurial spirit has always been in me since childhood. My parents had their own businesses. To me, it was the only way to be successful in Morocco. I thought that by creating my own companies, I could have an impact on people, create jobs. Since baccalaureate, everything I did, I did it to learn how to run a business».
A public speaker
Her entrepreneurial passion has also led her to New York. In 2018, she spoke at the UN General Assembly on employment. «The work of young people in the region is a problem that I do care about, and I have published several articles on it for Forbes and the World Economic Forum. Young people are the engines and engineers of change in the world, and it is important to stress the urgency for governments to develop policies to support young people and to get them involved in the management of the future», she explained.
With her columns published in the prestigious Forbes magazine and for the World Economic Forum, the young woman has used it as a springboard. «I noticed there was a lot of talk about the generation of Millennials around the world, especially in Europe, but very little in Arab countries. I wanted to talk about it», she said.
It is precisely in the Arab countries, in this case the Middle East, that she participates in conferences, particularly in Saudi Arabia. «I spoke about how big companies in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, can be attractive to my generation, that's how I started a side career as a speaker», said Chaymae Samir.
For now, this young entrepreneur is determined to stay in London. «I want to develop my company, expand my footprint. That being said, I am not against the idea of developing other projects in Morocco, where I feel strong attachments. I do not know if we always realize our desires, but in any case, the ambition is there».
