There’s a proverb that goes, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. This was the driving force behind the creation of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a community for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs – purpose-built to help individual leaders go farther than they ever thought possible. Today, nearly 40 years later, EO is comprised of 17,535 business owners earning at least US$1 million annually in revenue across 224 chapters from 80 countries around the world, all helping each other to succeed.
“While our members might be from different backgrounds and have different needs, we unite under one common goal: supporting and unlocking each other’s full potential,” says Faizan S. Syed, an entrepreneur and the Regional Chair of EO’s Middle East Pakistan Africa (MEPA) Region. Currently, the region spans 73 countries and 20 chapters. It is home to 1,103 members operating across a vast range of industries and sectors, including oil and gas, construction and real estate, financial services, retail, agriculture, telecommunications and energy, among others.
“EO is uniquely positioned to support our members in the MEPA region in making a real impact in their communities and moving the world forward,” he shares. And Syed, himself, is proof.
When first introduced to the organization by a fellow member, he discovered others who were taking risks and weren’t sure of how this would pay off. “This was a comfort. And while I learnt from them that it was okay to fail, they also encouraged me to persevere. Now, over a decade later, I have built a business with a global footprint.”
Asked about how EO supports entrepreneurs, he explains that this is achieved through a variety of programs geared towards helping them connect, learn and grow. “These include Forum, Executive Education, and EO Mentorship, along with Global and Chapter Events – all of which are designed to enable personal and professional transformational growth in the lives of our members.”
The highest-rated EO membership benefit, Forum, fosters peer-to-peer sharing among small groups of fellow business owners from around the world within a trusted and confidential environment. This exchange of diverse insights – based on their real-life experiences – whether about navigating crises, expanding into new markets, or balancing work and family life, is invaluable.
As EO is committed to helping entrepreneurs learn and grow, Executive Education is offered to members wanting to reach the next level of leadership. Ranging from short courses to full-time programs, EO – in partnership with some of the world’s best business schools and organizations such as INSEAD, the London Business School, Harvard and Wharton – creates exclusive opportunities for members to expand their business knowledge and grow their leadership skills.
Entrepreneurs share a unique bond and understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with the territory. This is why one business owner mentoring another is key for helping them learn and grow while enabling smoother journeys and time savings.
EO brings the world’s leading speakers and visionaries to Global and Chapter Events, where members can learn from these brilliant business minds and network with like-minded peers while enjoying once-in-a-lifetime experiences in unique destinations. Connecting with peers worldwide fosters cross-border collaborations, market expansions, network exchanges, and resource sharing.
“The MEPA region, with its 1.8 billion people, is a land of opportunity for entrepreneurs. However, the path to sustainable entrepreneurial growth rests in the hands of communities like EO. Mutual support is the key to unlocking our full potential,” concludes Syed.
To find out more about becoming a member of the EO MEPA chapter or to sign up, go to https://hub.eonetwork.org
