Meet our founder of the week: Hadeer Shalaby, founder of Green Fashion
OUR FOUNDER OF THE WEEK– Every Tuesday, Founder of the Week looks at how a successful member of Egypt’s startup community got their big break, asks about their experiences running a business, and gets their advice for budding entrepreneurs. Speaking to us this week is Hadeer Shalaby (LinkedIn), founder of social enterprise Green Fashion.
My name is Hadeer Shalaby and I’m 28 years old. I’m an engineer who studied computer science before moving on to business administration. I worked as a web developer in a corporation for two years after graduating but quit to concentrate on Green Fashion. I've always been fascinated by the idea of sustainability — of creating a sustainable product while simultaneously empowering women. This is why I decided to launch a green fashion line.
I first came up with the idea for Green Fashion in 2018. I wanted to create a business model that is both socially and environmentally responsible. Growing up in Menoufia, where women's suffering is pervasive, I was inspired to empower them. I intended to provide them with financial freedom as well as training in an environmentally responsible skill so that they could support themselves and their families. In addition, I set up shop near their homes so that they wouldn't have to travel too far and set up a daycare inside the facility so they wouldn't have to leave their children at home while they went to work.
Green Fashion is a social enterprise that repurposes factory waste and textiles into garments using patchwork and other innovative methods, all while empowering women. We started with three founders and have now grown to a team of 15. We only had one line. We exclusively made vests, and we would sell them at open days and marketplaces and seek feedback from customers. By doing so, we were able to match our customers’ needs and expand to many lines, including pants, dresses, veiled women's clothing, and even formal apparel.
We take steps to ensure that our production process is entirely green with no chemical use, reduced carbon emissions, clean energy, 90% water preservation, 50% waste reduction, and the use of eco-friendly textiles. We also manufacture our own eco-dyes and use biodegradable fabric.
The best part about my job is witnessing how happy and prosperous the ladies we employed are, and how satisfied our clients are with our products. That added-value brightens my day. Also, observing how these women grow into better versions of themselves — more aware and proud of what they do — while customers are interested in learning and supporting our brand's vision, makes everything I do worthwhile.
The worst part about my job is the challenges I face while trying to expand or attain a certain license for the company. The process is very difficult. However, we were able to overcome some of the challenges and export to neighboring countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, and Morocco. Currently, we’re trying to expand to Europe as well.
When I have a problem at work, I don't go to one person in particular. Instead, I turn to people I work with. We all collaborate in the sense that if there is a problem, both the team and the board will discuss a solution. If the problem is beyond the capacity of the team and board, I turn to my mentors who work in the same industry and share the same goal and philosophy.
Starting your own business is not a lonely journey. To me, working in a corporation was lonely, given the nature of my work. However, now that I operate my own company, I never feel lonely. I'm always surrounded by people and good vibes. I have built and joined the environment that I believe is appropriate for my attitude. This is why I am never lonely.
At first, it was challenging persuading my family that my decision to leave a well-paid position with a reputable company and launch my own company was the best path for me. However, as time passed and they realized the positive impact Green Fashion was having on the community and our people, they grew extremely proud and are now actively supporting me and brainstorming with me.
Green Fashion has received numerous grants totaling USD 200k to date. Our biggest supporters included Switchmed, Safir EU, Sekem, Oxfam, Tanmia Wa Tatweer (TwT), MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab, and many more.
My short-term goals for Green Fashion are launching a solar-powered smart recycling bin, and establishing workshops in public and private institutions to increase awareness about sustainable fashion and green textiles. We aim to encourage students to donate their old clothes in exchange for price reductions on our website and other perks. We also intend to open a Green Fashion facility next to a textile factory in another governorate in order to benefit more women, improve our products, and distribute biodegradable fiber across Egypt.
My long-term goal is to build schools and create curriculums to teach future fashion designers about sustainable fashion and how to produce in accordance with environmental standards. We also intend to franchise Green Fashion to have a greater social and environmental impact.
If I were to exit my business, I would do it either through a large acquisition and stay as a founder with a stake in the company, or do it through an IPO. However, the latter approach is extremely difficult because it requires a lot of money, franchises, and massive expansion.
I just finished watching Our Planet. It's a documentary about climate change and its effects on living organisms and life. I'm also continuously reading the news and keeping up with the economy because it has a big impact on my business.
Currently, I am most inspired by laboratories, factories, and accelerators, particularly those of H&M. They give me ideas for ways to reinvent fabrics and dyes and encourage me to shorten the production cycle.
I lead a typical marital lifestyle in my spare time. I enjoy cooking a lot, going on daily walks with my husband, and riding my bike. I think moving my body keeps me grounded.
Breadfast is a startup that I believe is doing extremely well. They have accomplished so much in such a short period of time. I particularly like how they manage consumers and their services.
If I didn’t have Green Fashion, I still don’t think I would’ve been able to work in corporate. I would have eventually turned to something related to women’s empowerment and sustainability because I am truly very passionate about these two topics.
If I could give someone starting a business one piece of advice, it would be to work on themselves and surround themselves with the right people that share the same mindset and passion in order to grow and learn.