Enroot Development recently concluded a successful five-day Design Thinking Retreat and Investor Study Tour, marking a pivotal step toward fostering a thriving impact investment ecosystem in Upper Egypt. The retreat brought together a diverse group of Upper Egyptian businesses, Cairo-based investors, and ecosystem enablers to exchange insights and formulate actionable strategies for growth.

Ideating Innovative Solutions Through Design Thinking

The retreat, titled “Innovation to Action: Setting the Roadmap for a Strong Social Economy in Upper Egypt,” implemented the design thinking innovation tool—a structured framework for solving complex challenges by putting the needs of end users at the center. Led by Dr. Mona Al-Arishi, an innovation and design thinking expert, the workshop featured sessions on persona profiling, empathy mapping, ideation, and pain point identification. Over the course of the retreat, attendees progressed through three phases of Design Thinking: Understanding, Exploring, and Defining.

By utilizing these methods, participants—including Upper Egyptian entrepreneurs and Cairo investors—developed a comprehensive action plan to strengthen Upper Egypt’s social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Investor Study Tour: Understanding the Local Ecosystem

Prior to sitting down together for action planning, Investors went on a tour of Upper Egypt’s entrepreneurship scene, which provided them with a first-hand view of Upper Egypt’s investment potential. The tour took participants to the MASAAR incubator at Luxor University and the Qeft industrial zone in Qena. Investors visited a range of local enterprises, including a wheat mill, beauty products factory, and medicinal gloves manufacturer, gaining critical insights into the operational and growth challenges these businesses face.

Collaborative Action Planning for a Strong Social Economy

During the workshop, investors, business owners, and social economy support organizations (SESOs) collaborated in persona-based groups to identify key challenges and opportunities. This approach allowed participants to design tailored solutions to pressing issues, focusing on both immediate and long-term needs. At the end of the retreat, five persona-based action plans were developed, setting clear short-, medium-, and long-term goals for fostering a strong impact investment ecosystem in Upper Egypt.

The Path Forward

The retreat concluded with a strong commitment from all stakeholders to move these action plans forward. The strategies informed the interventions Enroot Impact Catalyst will implement (including an investment-readiness focused acceleration programme),  as it continues to support Upper Egyptian businesses in scaling and attracting investment.

About Enroot Impact Catalyst

Enroot Impact Catalyst is an impact investment program implemented by Enroot Development as part of Impact Europe’s MENA region initiative Impact Together!, funded by the European Union. The program focuses on creating sustainable impact ecosystems by supporting businesses in Upper Egypt through tailored investment and growth strategies.