This post was originally published on the blog of our partners at the Circlemena
Tamara Ghandour on why she founded Rama Impact to back women-owned social enterprises: after a journey from luxury retail in London to humanitarian work in Lebanon and social enterprise development across the MENA region, Tamara witnessed firsthand how women-led initiatives were driving real, lasting change in their communities – yet consistently lacked access to appropriate funding. Seeing a persistent gap between grant dependency and venture capital readiness, she launched Rama Impact in 2024 to provide catalytic, patient capital and strategic support to early-stage, women-led social enterprises focused on climate resilience and economic empowerment in underserved communities across Africa and the Middle East. By offering collateral-free, zero-interest loans, alongside tailored mentorship and technical assistance, Tamara is pioneering a new kind of investment model – one that prioritizes impact and shifts from charity to agency, enabling women to drive systemic change on their own terms.
Read full article here
