Conversation with Nadine Zidani – MasterMinds

Today on MasterMinds, we meet a purpose-driven leader who is reshaping how sustainability, governance, and innovation come together to create real, measurable change in the Middle East. Nadine Zidani, Founder of MENA Impact, is at the forefront of a regional movement turning impact from theory into action — and from action into long-term transformation.

With over 15 years of experience spanning corporate governance, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, Nadine has built a career rooted in systems thinking, strategy, and powerful storytelling. From leading audit, risk, and governance functions across Europe and the Middle East, to building a certified B Corporation in Dubai, her journey reflects a commitment to connecting business performance with meaningful social and environmental outcomes.

Through MENA Impact, she is accelerating the growth of the region’s impact ecosystem — empowering founders, startups, and organizations to build mission-driven solutions for the MENA region’s most urgent challenges. From digital tools and curated content, to tailored programs, research, and her widely followed Impact Talk podcast, Nadine champions a future where businesses use their power for good, backed by community, clarity, and measurable progress.

Her mindset is simple and bold: impact must be practical, inclusive, and deeply rooted in local realities — and the right story can spark the right change.

A one year introspection during the COVID-19 pandemic. After more than a decade in the corporate world, I took a sabbatical at a moment where we all had to face our own shadow.

It was not the sabbatical I would have dreamed of, traveling the world, but one that forced me to ask myself difficult questions: What has been my impact so far? Do I see myself doing the same thing for another decade? What really drives me?

That period marked the beginning of my journey in sustainability and impact, and shaped my conviction that business can be an incredible force for good when we are ready to do what it takes.

It helped me a lot, especially in understanding frameworks, risks, and opportunities, and knowing how to embed them across different business contexts.

But more importantly, my leadership and corporate experience taught me how companies think, what drives their decisions, and how to navigate their culture. This allows me to design initiatives and strategies that truly balance purpose and profit, and to speak a language that business leaders understand.

One major challenge is the misconception that impact-work is simply charity. There is a lot of confusion between “doing good” and non-profit activity.

The concept of an impact business—built around a purpose and making profit—is still nascent in the region. That means funding and commercial pathways are harder to access, and it demands awareness at every level: investors, businesses and government each need to see the opportunity.

For example, McKinsey estimates that technologies supporting climate resilience and adaptation could represent a $600 billion to $1 trillion private-market opportunity by 2030. This shows that the opportunity is very real—and investors who recognize that can be part of the solution.

So many, and that is the beauty of this work. We are focused on growing our community and forging long term partnerships with private and public organizations across the region. We are also preparing a series of in person events, which truly excites me.

These gatherings are where ideas turn into collaborations, and where the ecosystem becomes real.

When I started seeing the growing number of scandals and public backlash around the environmental and social practices of major brands.

The gap between the image they sell and the non ethical practices they try to hide was too big to ignore. It made me realize that the very purpose of a company, and why it exists in the first place, must be understood from the start. I always come back to one simple question: Is the world better with my business in it?

The concept resonates deeply with them. A 2024 report shows that 34% of youth in MENA are familiar with the UN SDGs, compared to 23 percent globally, according to the World Economic Forum.

They have been exposed early on and educated about the environmental and social challenges facing the region. They are more aware than we think, and also more selective about the kind of companies they want to work for.

Both, but from different angles. The public sector understands that they cannot carry all social and environmental challenges alone. They increasingly see the value of businesses that generate positive impact while creating jobs.

Impact-driven companies become an economic, social, and environmental force that supports national priorities and accelerates progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. The private sector, on the other hand, needs practical solutions to speed up their sustainability transformation.

This is where impact-driven businesses fill a clear gap, offering innovation, agility, and on-the-ground solutions that large organizations often cannot build internally.

I see growing attention and momentum, especially with Gulf countries playing a central role. We will see more dedicated hubs to support impact entrepreneurship, clearer regulations and incentives, and stronger financing opportunities with investors focused on this space.

As an ecosystem, we have so much to build and define in our own way. We have the opportunity to create a regional playbook for impact. And personally, I want our region to have at least one green unicorn. We need visible success stories of impact founders across multiple industries. I am very hopeful that we can make it happen.

MENA Impact was born in the UAE and fully rooted in our regional context. Our impact model is shaped by the realities, priorities, and opportunities of the Arab world.

For example, we prioritise offering job opportunities to youth from underserved communities and countries in the region. We have exceptional talent, but access to meaningful work remains a challenge. For me, impact must be local.

What we build should be built for the region and by people from the region. This is where our model differs from many global frameworks that do not always reflect our social, economic, and cultural nuances.

Build a solid business model where generating revenue is directly linked to the impact you create. At the end of the day, you are building a business first, so your model has to make sense and be financially sustainable.

And do not be afraid to pivot. Many founders start with an idealistic vision, until they realise that revenue is the engine that allows the impact to scale. Balancing purpose and profit is not a contradiction, it is a discipline.

Lack of funding, without a doubt. Social entrepreneurs need patient capital and, ideally, equity-free funding at the beginning of their journey.

This is where government and philanthropy can play a strong role, and where I see a clear gap in the region. Another challenge is storytelling. Many founders work on complex, science-backed solutions, but they struggle to articulate their impact in a way that resonates.

They often lose people in the narrative. Strengthening how they communicate their vision and impact is essential for visibility, funding, and partnerships.

I want us to walk the talk. You cannot support and advise organizations on sustainable business practices if you are not doing it yourself. I needed to experience the challenges first hand, to understand what it really takes to build a business that creates impact while remaining profitable.

This is why becoming a Certified B Corporation mattered so much. It is one of the most demanding certifications in the world, holding you to high social and environmental standards. For us, it was a way to hold ourselves accountable and to show that we are committed to the same principles we advocate for every day.

MENA Impact started as a consultancy working with startups, corporates, and governments on sustainability projects. But the more I worked across sectors, the more I saw a clear gap. There was no real impact ecosystem in the region.

No space for people working on social and environmental challenges to connect, collaborate, and grow together. I often felt isolated, joining global communities that did not reflect our realities in the Arab world. So I decided to build what I could not find. MENA Impact has become a community powered platform driving sustainability and innovation across the region.

At its core is a curated, founders first community, supported by impact enablers and partners who co create solutions for a more sustainable future. Our mission is simple: to build the impact ecosystem in the MENA region.

MENA Impact will be one of the architects of this future: an ecosystem builder, a connector, and a storyteller. We will continue collaborating through strong partnerships with organizations and people who believe in this vision, and there are many. MENA Impact will also evolve, taking on different roles as the ecosystem matures, which is both natural and healthy.

My journey has taught me not to be attached to the form of what we build, but to stay focused on the problem we solve and the impact we create. That mindset allows us to embrace change and continue bringing value.

Probably my discussion with Jalil Allabadi, the founder of Altibbi, the largest digital health platform in the MENA region. It started as an Arabic medical dictionary and has grown into a telehealth company providing 24/7 doctor access, AI powered health tools, and essential medical content to millions of people across the region.

What stayed with me was his relationship to impact. He did not want to be labelled a social entrepreneur because he is building a profitable company backed by VCs. It reinforced something I see often in the region: the misconception and confusion around the language of impact.

Jalil’s story captures that tension, while also showing what it looks like to build a truly impactful business at scale.

Both, from a different perspective! The public sector see that they cannnoy bare all the social and environmental challenges, and can now look into business that generate a posutive on society while creating jobs. It is an economic, social and environmental force that help them achieve the sustainable development goals.

The pivate sector on the other hand, need practical solutions to accelerate their sustainable transformation, this is where impact-driven businesses feel in a gap.

At MENA Impact, storytelling is at the heart of everything we do. We spend our time telling the stories of our community through social media, the Impact Talk podcast, and the way we introduce founders to investors, partners, or create new initiatives.

There is always a storytelling element in our work, and it is one of the reasons we stand out. One day, a team member told me: “I did not know we had people doing such great things in our region before working here.” It genuinely broke my heart.

Stories shift narratives, inspire action, and open new pathways. They are a powerful tool to redefine what success in business means in the Arab world, and we intend to use them to their full potential.

I am most proud of the community we are building. It brings together more than 100 impact founders who are working on tangible solutions to our environmental and social challenges. I am amazed every day by the work they do, the sacrifices it requires, and their incredible resilience and commitment to our region. They give me the energy to keep advocating for them and championing their work.

In my own journey, I was searching for stories of impact founders and businesses. I found many globally, but almost none from our region. That is when I realised our stories were not being told, and I decided to create Impact Talk. Through this platform I met incredible entrepreneurs who shaped my own perspective and eventually inspired me to launch the community. The more I spoke to them, the more I realised the ecosystem was not supporting them enough.

We needed a more tailored engine to help them scale and grow. Impact Talk has since evolved to feature voices from across the ecosystem, from investors to government leaders, so we can start painting a picture of the impact landscape that truly reflects our region.