BARKAT
Fostering Growth, Well-Being, and
Impact for Female Leaders in MENA
The BARKAT Program
What is BARKAT?
BARKAT is a transformative 4-month group coaching and peer-to-peer learning program designed to empower female entrepreneurs and organizational leaders. In cohorts of up to 12 participants, this program focuses on enhancing well-being, mastering self-leadership, and effectively leading teams. Join a diverse community of inspiring women to unlock your potential, build resilience, and drive your venture or organization to new heights.
How is the BARKAT Program different?
Unlike typical programs that focus solely on business growth strategies, BARKAT emphasizes holistic success. We understand that true leadership excellence comes from nurturing the human being behind the venture. Our program encourages participants to prioritize family, reconnect with creative hobbies, and take comprehensive care of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
By fostering well-being and self-awareness, BARKAT empowers you to lead without burning out, ensuring your personal and professional lives flourish in harmony. We offer this transformative program at a fraction of its true value, providing up to 90% scholarships for MENA leaders to ensure financial constraints do not hinder anyone from joining.
For the entire duration of the program, you'll will paired up with a Success Partner for added layer of support and accountability to help you make commitments and take actions towards the success you are aiming for.
Who is it for?
BARKAT is for female entrepreneurs and organizational leaders at any stage of their business journey and of any age. Past participants have ranged from their 20s to their 50s and have included consultants, agritech business owners, vineyard operators, virtual assistant agency founders, and biofuel venture leaders. Whether you run your own venture or lead within an organization, you are eligible to join. View the list of amazing past and present participants by visiting this page.
The Program Structure
Focus: Well-Being
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The program begins with an on-boarding session and setting intentions for your professional life and your well-being. You’ll learn the Weekly Resolution ® Planning Methodology for effective utilization of your time and focus. You will also build a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) practice for reducing stress and overwhelm and improve your mental clarity and resilience.
Focus: Self Mastery
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Self-mastery contributes to developing a strong leadership presence, which is essential for leading teams and influencing stakeholders effectively. Female leaders who master themselves can project confidence and clarity, inspiring trust and respect from their teams, peers and other key stakeholders and you'll lead teams with greater effectiveness. You’ll complete a 360 feedback to learn about your leadership blind spots and what you are great at, you'll learn about your self sabotaging behaviors and even find out about your financial limiting beliefs.
Focus: Community
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One of the key pillars of the BARKAT program is building and being part of a supportive community, both during and after the program. Throughout the course of the program, each participant is paired with a success partner—another participant with whom they will have regular contact to help accomplish the personal and professional goals they’ve set for themselves. In addition to this partnership, participants can bank on the entire cohort, as members are usually eager to share their skills and experiences to support one another’s growth. Beyond the program, the BARKAT alumni network continues to offer a powerful source of collaboration, mentorship, and learning. This lasting community creates lifelong connections that empower participants to thrive as leaders and changemakers in the MENA region
Mentoring Female Youth Locally
As part of our commitment to fostering leadership and community development, BARKAT invites participants to establish Femme Forward mentorship circles for female youth aged 18-25 yo in their communities. These circles can be run in person or virtually and aim to provide guidance, support, and inspiration to the next generation of female leaders.
This mentorship initiative not only benefits the youth by providing them with role models and a supportive network but also strengthens the leadership and community impact of our participants. We provide comprehensive guidance and documentation to help you set up and run these circles effectively.
Outcomes Participants Experience
Step Into Your Power
Leadership and Personal Growth
Participants experience significant improvements in leadership skills and personal well-being, enabling them to effectively balance professional responsibilities and personal life.
Empowerment and Confidence
The program empowers female leaders, enhancing their confidence to handle both personal and professional challenges, fostering self-discovery, and building resilience.
Holistic Development
Emphasizing a holistic approach, the program addresses the multifaceted needs of female leaders, helping them to thrive in all aspects of life and leadership.
Breakthroughs and Transformations
Alumni describe experiencing pivotal breakthroughs that have reshaped their professional trajectories, leading to substantial personal and business advancements.
Catalyst for Success
The BARKAT program serves as a catalyst, propelling female leaders towards the successful launch and execution of their initiatives, often turning aspirations into tangible successes.
Networking and Supportive Community
Participants gain access to a supportive network of like-minded leaders, beyond the duration of the program, enhancing opportunities for collaboration and continuous growth within the MENA region.
Ejide Akinbiyi
"Before joining the BARKAT program, I was at a point where I needed to hone my leadership skills and build myself outside of the business. It was a challenging time for me, as I was experiencing burnout and felt overwhelmed with everything that needed to be done. However, during the program, I experienced significant breakthroughs. My personal well-being improved dramatically, and I developed better leadership skills, which allowed me to create a balance between my personal life and business. As a result, we built a team that didn’t need titles to exhibit leadership. Team members showed more commitment and took on more responsibilities, leading to growth in our key performance metrics. I highly recommend the BARKAT program to female leaders. Juggling personal and professional roles can be incredibly tasking for women, but this program will help you with self-discovery, gaining confidence, and building a better business." -
Apply Now for Cohort 6 - Starts 19 Nov 2024
We are currently enrolling for Cohort 6, which begins in November 2024. The closing date for applications is 15 Oct 2024, followed by an interview process. Results will be shared within a week of your interview.
Eligibility: You are an entrepreneur or a senior leader in an organization based in the MENA region or an expat from the region now living elsewhere. You can speak and understand English, have a burning desire to learn and grow, and seek a deeply supportive community of like-minded women leaders.For any questions, email us at barkat@thegoddessolution.com
Fees & Scholarships
The full value of the program is $2,600 per person. If you are based in the MENA region (out with the UAE and Saudi) you are eligible to apply for up to 90% scholarship which brings your investment to only $260. And if for your set of circumstances the $260 is a challenge, please let us know when you submit the online application. We'll find a way to have you participate if the program is the right fit for you.
If you are in the UAE, Saudi or any of the western countries and are of MENA region heritage, you are eligible to apply for up to 40% scholarship. You can go through the testimonials of past participants below.
15% of the revenue is committed to the rebuilding of Palestine via the philanthropy arm of Alfanar Ventures.
Graduation
There are certain criteria for graduating from BARKAT and we have a wonderful Graduation Day ceremony!
You get to invite your friends and family, we invite some key stakeholders and supporters. It's a time for you to reflect back. To share your growth and your accomplishments and also acknowledge the strong bonds developed with your cohort members.
Each of you get dedicated time to shine a light on your Brilliance and your peers will add to that! It's a time for you to also acknowledge friends and family who have been supportive of your growth.
You then graduate from the program with a certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn profile and share on social media and you'll join the BARKAT Alumni group that meets once a quarter.
Participant Testimonials
"I had the privilege of participating in the Barakat Program, and I can wholeheartedly attest to the profound impact it has had on my life, both personally and professionally. This program has been nothing short of transformative. The knowledge gained through the program's workshops has enhanced my ability to lead, collaborate, and innovate in my field. The Barakat Program has been a life-changing journey that has empowered me to become a more effective leader, a more engaged community member, and a more resilient individual. I am deeply grateful for the experiences and opportunities it has offered me, and I wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone seeking personal and professional growth while making a positive impact on the world. " - Ghalia Al Awick
"Before joining the BARKAT program, I was at a point where I needed to hone my leadership skills and build myself outside of the business. It was a challenging time for me, as I was experiencing burnout and felt overwhelmed with everything that needed to be done. However, during the program, I experienced significant breakthroughs. My personal well-being improved dramatically, and I developed better leadership skills, which allowed me to create a balance between my personal life and business. As a result, we built a team that didn’t need titles to exhibit leadership. Team members showed more commitment and took on more responsibilities, leading to growth in our key performance metrics. I highly recommend the BARKAT program to female leaders. Juggling personal and professional roles can be incredibly tasking for women, but this program will help you with self-discovery, gaining confidence, and building a better business." - Ejide Akinbiyi
"I have gained more confidence through the support of my cohort mates and our coach, Puneet and all the sessions we’ve had so far. This has played a key role in enabling me pitch myself and my business to investors and for the first time managed to win a grant for my company" - Yvonne Mose
"During my 4 months in Barkat, I felt more empowered than ever. Since joining this program, I have grown on a personal and professional level. I embraced opportunities and started a social impact project called Femme Forward Lebanon. I learned to say No to things and to manage my stress levels. And I was introduced to amazing women in my cohort whom I have befriended now for life. I know that I'll always have a support system because of this program. I am especially grateful for Puneet for giving us this opportunity and being an incredible mentor to us all" - Zahra Sbeih
"The program helped me get in touch with myself and with other fellow women who share my scares and challenges and who helped lift me up as I was trying to lift them up. Every woman entrepreneur should be part of the barkat program if she wants to have a successful business." - Chantal Souaid
The Team That Will Support You Soar
Meet the team that will be supporting you on this journey. All of them are highly accomplished in their fields of work, are leaders who live very busy and impact oriented lives. All our facilitators are distinguished alumni of the the BARKAT program and so they understand the program structure, its unique value proposition and have experienced first hand transformation and are volunteering their time in your service.
Sponsor a Cohort
For those who believe in our vision and like to be early patrons
An embodied and fully self expressed woman is a force of nature wielding the power of transformation in our splintered world. Join us in making a profound impact on the lives of these incredible women. Your generous sponsorship will enable us to scale the transformation needed in society today. It means offering these resilient women the resources, skills, and opportunities they need to fulfil the measure of their creation and having a ripple effect in their families, on younger females as role models, the economy of their countries and the well-being of our world.
Our Supporters
"Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women"