Episode 26: Building Communications and Community with Maha Abouelenein
Communications are an integral part of building a community. As a global communications expert, Maha Abouelenein has experienced various changes in digital communications and marketing. She made her way into the NFT space and has played an integral role in organizing Gary Vaynerchuk’s VeeCon. Learn how you can leverage communication to build a strong experience for your community. If you’re new to NFTs and web3, listen in as Maha gives her advice to be humble and think about the value you can bring.
Maha is the founder of Digital & Savvy, a strategic communication consulting firm with offices in the USA and Dubai. She manages the personal brand PR for Serial Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. In addition, she consults for other high-profile individuals and companies, including author and alternative medicine advocate Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dubai Entrepreneur Karen Wazen, and many more. Maha also served the Dubai Future Foundation to build their brand on TikTok. She is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Now Gaming (an esports consulting firm) and is an Executive Coach for PepTalk.
Maha has a reputation for delivering results and the ability to manage projects from inception to execution with creative, strategic, and analytical drive. Raised and educated in the USA to Egyptian parents, she is home in both West and Arab worlds. Maha is about relationships – building, nurturing, and serving them. She thrives on storytelling, creating scalable campaigns, and thought leadership.
She helped some of the world’s largest tech companies launch into the Middle East market from a comms, policy, and business development perspective – from Netflix and Udacity to Careem (Uber / Middle East) and much more. She also served as the Head of Global Communications and Public Policy for Google MENA. Maha was the Founding Managing Director of Promoseven Weber Shandwick, setting up 19 PR offices in the Middle East and launching more than 14 mobile networks across the region and Africa at Orascom Telecom. She supported the largest IPO in the history of Egypt and the largest acquisition in Egypt while serving Orascom Telecom and Naguib Sawiris. In addition, she built sports marketing programs and strategic partnerships for the Olympics, NASCAR, the NBA, ATP Tennis, Golf, and the NFL.
Today, Maha is stepping in to help brands and IP owners find their voice in Web3.0, helping them grow their communities through effective communication and learning how to create long-term value through launching successful and strategic NFT projects. Maha serves as the Executive Vice President for Strategy and Communications of Bedu, a pioneering metaverse and blockchain firm in Dubai, and serves on their advisory board. Maha is also a member of Web3MSP in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Maha led communications for some of the world’s leading NFT projects helping brands and IP owners navigate the world of Web3.0 to tell their stories and build their own narratives. Maha combines her passion for storytelling with her dedication to educating and advising on everything related to communications in Web3.0. Maha is a featured keynote speaker at global and US based industry events including most recently VeeCon, NFT.NYC, SALT, and Rise Up Summit. She also is a frequent guest on several blockchain, Web3 and NFT podcasts.
Maha led the press engine and brand partnerships for VeeCon 2022, the mega-conference hosted by VeeFriends. She was responsible for driving revenue, building a press strategy around the event, and supporting and securing some of the notable and high-profile speakers.
