Mona Ghazi, a PhD candidate in Neuro-Entrepreneurship and founder of Neuropreneur Institute, shares her inspiring journey that began in her teens. Her story exemplifies how passion, continuous learning, and personal growth can fuel entrepreneurial success.
Early Beginnings
Mona’s first company was founded when she was just 16 years old. It was a time management app designed for students and entrepreneurs. This early venture showcases Mona’s entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, as well as her ability to identify and address practical needs in the market. The app likely drew from her own experiences as a student who was accelerating her education, having skipped two grades and started university studies early. This early experience laid the groundwork for Mona’s future entrepreneurial endeavours and her passion for solving problems through technology and innovation.
Mona’s Educational Path
Mona’s academic journey was far from conventional. She simultaneously pursued degrees in economics and computer science. This dual-degree approach allowed her to gain a comprehensive understanding of both the business and technological aspects of entrepreneurship. While juggling her studies, Mona also continued to develop and grow her entrepreneurial ventures, applying classroom knowledge directly to real-world business scenarios.
This unique combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience proved invaluable in shaping Mona’s future endeavours. Her economics background provided her with a solid foundation in market dynamics, financial management, and strategic planning. Simultaneously, her computer science studies equipped her with technical skills crucial for developing innovative digital solutions. The synergy between these two disciplines, coupled with her hands-on entrepreneurial experience, gave Mona a distinctive edge in the business world, enabling her to approach problems from multiple perspectives and create more comprehensive, technologically-driven solutions.
Optimo: A Learning Revolution in Logistics
After her bachelor’s degrees, Mona launched Optimo, an innovative learning app for the logistics industry. This app was specifically designed to address a critical need in the logistics industry – the efficient onboarding and training of blue-collar workers, particularly seasonal employees. The app’s user-friendly platform quickly brought new workers up to speed on essential job functions and safety protocols. By streamlining the learning process and making it more accessible, Optimo significantly reduced training time and resources.
Gaining traction in the logistics sector, Optimo’s success in improving worker productivity and reducing onboarding times led to its acquisition by a prominent logistics company. This marked a significant milestone in Mona’s entrepreneurial journey, validating her innovative approach to solving real-world business challenges.
The Shift to Neuro-Entrepreneurship
Mona’s journey into neuroscience and entrepreneurship stemmed from a personal need for better emotional regulation. Despite therapy and coaching, she struggled with managing the high-pressure demands of entrepreneurship. The intense nature of running a business required emotional resilience that Mona felt she had not developed yet. Traditional personal development methods were not providing the specific tools she needed for entrepreneurial stressors.
This led Mona to explore hypnosis and neuro-coaching, which focus on reprogramming subconscious patterns. These methods offered a new perspective on emotional regulation and mental resilience. Mona found these approaches remarkably helpful. Hypnosis techniques addressed deep-seated fears, while neuro-coaching provided practical strategies to manage stress and maintain focus in high-stakes situations.
Current Focus: Neuropreneur Institute
Mona’s latest venture, Neuropreneur Institute, represents a culmination of her diverse experiences and passions. This innovative platform seamlessly blends her expertise in personal development with her deep understanding of entrepreneurship. At its core, the institute aims to address the unique challenges faced by high-achieving business leaders who struggle to find balance in their lives. The institute offers a range of services, with one-on-one coaching as its cornerstone.
Mona leverages her background in neuroscience and entrepreneurship to provide tailored guidance to each client, helping them navigate the complex interplay between personal growth and business success. These coaching sessions often incorporate cutting-edge techniques from neuroscience, such as neuro-linguistic programming and mindfulness practices, to help entrepreneurs rewire their thought patterns and behaviours. Beyond individual coaching, Mona is actively building a vibrant community of like-minded individuals. This community serves as a support network, allowing members to share experiences, challenges, and solutions. Regular workshops, webinars, and networking events foster an environment of continuous learning and mutual growth. The institute’s target clientele primarily consists of entrepreneurs and leaders in their 30s and 40s, often self-described as “workaholics who want to relax”. These individuals typically have achieved significant professional success but find themselves grappling with burnout, stress, or a sense of imbalance in their lives. Mona’s approach helps them develop strategies to maintain their high performance while also prioritising personal well-being and emotional health.
Looking ahead, Mona envisions Neuropreneur Institute becoming a globally recognized brand in the field of entrepreneur wellness and performance optimization. She aims to expand the institute’s reach through online courses, a mobile app, and potentially, a series of retreat programs designed to provide immersive experiences in neuro-entrepreneurship techniques.
Challenges, Growth, and the Power of Mentorship
Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Mona faced significant internal challenges, including self-doubt and perceived inexperience. However, her resilience proved to be her greatest asset. She attributes her success to unwavering perseverance, mastering emotional regulation, and crucially, seeking guidance from a diverse network of mentors and peers. Mona’s approach to mentorship is both strategic and comprehensive. This network includes experts in finance, law, emotional support, sales, fundraising, and product development. For each specific challenge she faces, Mona has someone to call upon, allowing her to make informed decisions and navigate the complex world of entrepreneurship more effectively.
This combination of internal strength and external support has helped Mona overcome obstacles with increasing confidence. Her experiences have shaped a growth-oriented mindset, viewing challenges as learning opportunities. This perspective, coupled with the wisdom gained from her mentors, has enhanced her resilience, problem-solving abilities, and innovative thinking, fueling her success in the competitive business world.
The ESCP Experience: Flexibility and Community
Mona’s decision to pursue her PhD at ESCP Business School was driven by several key factors that aligned perfectly with her academic and professional goals. The institution’s reputation for excellence in entrepreneurship education played a significant role in her choice, but it was the program’s unique structure that truly set it apart.
One of the primary attractions for Mona was the flexibility offered by ESCP’s PhD program. This flexibility allows her to balance her ongoing entrepreneurial ventures with her academic pursuits, creating a synergy between theory and practice. The program’s structure enables her to apply her research findings directly to her business endeavours, while simultaneously drawing real-world insights to inform her academic work. Equally important to Mona was the strong sense of community within the entrepreneurship department at ESCP. This collaborative environment fosters meaningful interactions between faculty members and students, creating a rich ecosystem for intellectual growth. The diverse backgrounds of her peers provide a wealth of perspectives, enhancing the learning experience and broadening her understanding of global entrepreneurship trends.
Academic Rigour and Supportive Environment
Mona particularly values the program’s emphasis on developing robust research skills. The focus on scientific writing has honed her ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively, a skill that proves invaluable both in academia and in the business world. Additionally, the rigorous training in research methods has equipped her with the tools to conduct thorough, evidence-based investigations into the field of neuro-entrepreneurship.
Perhaps most critically, Mona appreciates the supportive environment that ESCP cultivates. The culture of open dialogue and constructive feedback among peers and faculty members creates a safe space for intellectual exploration and growth. This environment encourages her to push the boundaries of her research, challenge existing paradigms, and contribute meaningfully to the field of entrepreneurship studies.
Looking Ahead: Bridging Neuroscience and Entrepreneurship
As Mona advances her PhD research, she aims to enhance the scientific credibility of hypnosis and neuro-entrepreneurship. Her goal is to help analytical entrepreneurs understand and benefit from these techniques, bridging the gap between neuroscience and business leadership. By developing evidence-based methodologies, Mona seeks to demonstrate the measurable impact of neuro-entrepreneurship practices on business performance and leadership effectiveness.
Mona’s journey showcases the evolving nature of entrepreneurship, emphasising personal development alongside business growth. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from neuroscience, psychology, and business management, inspiring entrepreneurs to embrace a holistic path to success that nurtures both mind and business. Through her work, Mona encourages entrepreneurs to view challenges as growth opportunities, seek diverse support, and commit to lifelong learning.
Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
Drawing from her diverse experiences, Mona offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Prioritise personal development alongside business skills. Invest time in understanding yourself, managing emotions, and building resilience. These soft skills are often as important as technical business knowledge in determining an entrepreneur’s success.
- Build a strong support network. Surround yourself with mentors, peers, and advisors who can provide guidance, support, and diverse perspectives. This network can be invaluable when facing challenges or seeking new opportunities.
- Stay curious and adaptable. The business landscape is constantly evolving, so remain open to new ideas, technologies, and approaches. This flexibility can help you stay ahead of the curve and identify innovative solutions to problems.
- Balance passion with practicality. While it’s important to be passionate about your venture, ensure your business idea addresses a real market need. Conduct thorough market research and be willing to pivot if necessary.
- Prioritise mental health and work-life balance. Entrepreneurship can be stressful, so incorporate stress-management techniques and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Remember that sustainable success requires taking care of yourself as well as your business.
Mona emphasises that entrepreneurship is a journey of continuous learning and personal growth. By focusing on these aspects, young entrepreneurs can build not just successful businesses, but also fulfilling careers and balanced lives. The key is to remain committed to self-improvement while staying adaptable in the face of challenges.
This article was written based on an interview conducted by Haein Min from the ESCP Blue Factory team.