Founder, Xplorealms
Reedah El-Saie
“FFA’s expert speakers provided inspiration, with honest, relatable, accounts of success, failure, and being a female entrepreneur”
Serial entrepreneur and mum-of-three, Reedah El-Saie made massive strides on the Female Founders’ Accelerator with her business: Xplorealms, an education platform offering the National Curriculum through gamification and augmented/ virtual reality immersive technology.
While on the programme, Reedah refined her strategy, operational and business model, developed her pitch, forged strategic partnerships, recruited Curriculum Innovators, and established an international children’s ‘Board of Brilliant Brains’, providing advice and feedback on the concept.
Reedah’s main challenge was her lack of tech knowledge about scaling, as well as small- business HR, were all barriers to growth, “I’d develop great ideas, and secure extensive media coverage, but I couldn’t go from start- up to acceleration and stabilised growth”.
FFA provided dedicated time to focus on Xplorealms and specialist expertise, resulting in rapid business development. Tailored advice from experts, sessions with specialists, and the diverse skills and experience of other participants helped Reedah build her knowledge and shift her business mindset. As a result, Xplorealms now has three full-time staff, supported by a team of 6 freelancers, who are building the platform one module at a time.
Thanks to our mentoring programme, Reedah’s now using an operational style that better meets her needs as a small business, “it’s not an approach that I would have ever considered [but it’s] a practical tool that’s really helped me to focus and move along.”
“Women in business and in professional lives have different experiences and challenges to men in these arenas. The FFA plays a vital role in meeting and nurturing the needs of female entrepreneurs. FFA’s expert speakers provided inspiration, with honest, relatable accounts of success, failure and being a female entrepreneur.“
Since the end of the programme, We have been awarded membership of Google for Startups new Campus, a place on the Natwest Pre-Accelerator and last week I was approached by 2 EdTech VC funds on Linked In even though I am not actively seeking funding right now.”