Ahmed Ben Mussa

I am a business development expert with 14 years of experience within the oil & gas industry at Halliburton, humanitarian aid at the UN World Food Programme, and technology with Tatweer Research & Raseed. Additionally, I founded three companies in fast-fashion and construction materials. A trained electrical engineer with an International MBA from IE Business School. I am strongly entrepreneurial with a relentless zest for overcoming my country’s (Libya) challenges through innovation.

How did IE help you get to where you are today?

It was during my MBA and my exposure to IE Business School, and more specifically during the Startup Lab, that I became inspired by the prospect of using my expertise and knowledge to help my country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – and soon after, I joined Tatweer Research to build Tatweer Entrepreneurship Campus (www.tec.ly), the country’s first fully-fledged ecosystem building program. The campus, the first of its kind in the country, opened in post-war Benghazi in 2018 and includes a 500 sqm coworking space, startup incubator, mentorship programs, and a fund that provides funding for startups to kickstart their businesses. The campus currently incubates 16 startups in different sectors. Additionally, I was featured as a key character in Start-Up Libya, a two-hour documentary that was aired on BBC World Services in 2018 for my key role in designing and running Enjazi Startup Competition, the first nationwide startup competition, which Tatweer launched in partnership with MIT Enterprise Forum. Finally, I have managed to restore my construction materials company, Majaal, from the effects of war, and turned it into a rapidly growing company and a well-recognized brand in the construction materials field in east Libya.

Which are your three most notable achievements in your professional life?

• Successfully designing and launching the first comprehensive entrepreneurship development program in war-torn Libya, helping young men and women realize their full potential and addressing local challenges by building their own startups. The program supported hundreds of entrepreneurs and reached out to thousands of young Libyans to promote entrepreneurial paths.
• Designing and running Enjazi startup competition, the first nationwide startup competition. The competition, which was documented on Start-Up Libya on BBC World Service, not only created the first entrepreneurial community in Libya, but also brought together young men and women from presumably opposing political and tribal backgrounds, helping to turn them into acquaintances and friends.
• Rebuilding my construction materials company, which was brought to its knees during the civil war. The company is currently witnessing rapid growth and is becoming of one of the most recognized finishing materials brands in east Libya.

Does success have a secret formula? If so, what is it?

I do what I enjoy. Everything else is just noise.