How Problem Obsession and Service Mindset Fuels Your Innovation and Sales Engine

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January 26, 2023 • 51 mins

In this episode of Cascading Leadership, Dr. Jim welcomes Ali Al Jabry, the founder of Kwema, to discuss the most important thing to consider as a founder of a startup and why building lifelong relationships is critical to startup success.

Ali explains that he is Kenyan and Saudi and has lived in five different continents, mainly the Middle East and Africa, for about 10 years.He provides insight into why having strong relationships is essential for success and emphasizes that the US isn’t as safe as some may think.

Ali highlights the importance of understanding the local market and culture in order to succeed. He advises that founders should be patient and persistent in order to succeed. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the local market, the local culture and the need to build relationships with people who have a good understanding of the region. Finally, he advises founders to always be learning and to stay current.

Ali is a tech founder motivated by his experience in two very different worlds, the Middle East and Kenya. He and his co-founders came up with the idea of Kwema, after one of their network friends was kidnapped on her way from the airport to her house. Through his journey with Kwema Ali has learned about safety and security, having lived all over Latin America and the US.

Kwema, a safety technology company that has developed a badge reel device with a hidden panic button. When pressed, it notifies a user's security team, corporate security team, emergency management team, or 911 of their situation. He shared his story of how the company evolved from an idea that was sparked from an experience of being in a dangerous situation.

Ali has lived in many places throughout his life - this has allowed him to talk to people about their safety and has opened his eyes to the need for safety technology. He has received a lot of traction for Kwema in different industries in the US. Ali's story of innovation is rooted in a terrifying experience, .

His immigrant background has helped him stay open minded and venture out of his own community. He believes in investing in cultures and being as local as possible.

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