WE Convention 2025: Dr. Muna Abusulayman, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, Media Icon, and Serial Entrepreneur "Chase things that excite you, that make you think, give yourself time to enjoy the little moments, and stop scrolling social media for inspiration of what your life should be like."

Muna Abusulayman has been a media pioneer, global philanthropist, UN goodwill ambassador, social entrepreneur, tech innovator, and venture capital partner, all while championing women's empowerment and inclusive development across the Arab world and beyond. When asked if she found each phase of her career enjoyable, she responds with a triumphant and resounding "Hell yes!"

The response shouldn't come as a surprise. AbuSulayman has, after all, embodied the roles of founding host of Kalam Nawaem, MBC's influential women-led talk show that broke taboos and tackled social justice issues; Secretary-General of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, where she managed a US$1 billion global philanthropic portfolio driving poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, and Islam-West dialogue; Saudi Arabia's first UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, advocating for global health and literacy; and Special Advisor to the UN's International Organization for Migration.

"Am I proud of what I have accomplished? Yes, I am quite proud of what I have built on the global media and philanthropy is still unmatched," she says.

Additionally, AbuSulayman, a seasoned entrepreneur, has also co-founded Glowork, the MENA region's pioneering platform for women's employment. She went on to establish tech ventures including ADRI, an AI platform for Arabic knowledge; HealthKey Tech, a platform focused on blockchain-based health passports; and Niya, a socially driven corporate social responsibility app. Currently, she serves as a Partner at Transform VC, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm backing deep tech innovations and underrepresented founders across the MENA region.

But in an acute display of inner strength and emotional intelligence, the serial entrepreneur and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador concurrently notes that no one decision comes without some sacrifice. "Today, I realize I could have done things differently," she says. "The price I paid for my personal life, finding love, having a healthy lifestyle, etc. was not worth what I put myself through. I could have paced myself a bit more. Take more time to enjoy smaller moments of life. It is that epiphany that she hopes to pass on as an honest nugget of wisdom to other women who are balancing career, money and life.

"For the majority of us, there is no way you can do all three at the same time without paying both a physical and mental health price," she shares. "I think it is important to understand that success is different for each stage of life. Things that are very important in the mid-30s like having "me time" because of trying to balance kids, spouse, and work are simply not there in your 50's. So my advice is to sit down with yourself, and map out each stage of life up to 90, and where you want to see yourself on a personal and professional level, and try to build that life."

"But more importantly," she continues "once you try to do things, enjoy the journey, don't waste too much time being upset at things that did not work out, learn the lesson, assess the situation and move on. The joy is in the journey and not the actual result. Chase things that excite you, that make you think, give yourself time to enjoy the little moments, and stop scrolling social media for inspiration of what your life should be like. Life is not about instagrammable moments and posts, but about the neuron connections you create as you let those experiences you go through shift you, move you, change you!"

CAREER "At that time, I felt I had to go all in my career because in the late 90's there were not many interesting and non-traditional work opportunities for women. I did not want to lose out on those interesting challenges that came my way and used such different skill sets and parts of my brain and personality. I lived an intensely exciting and challenging life. The diversity of my educational work, TV show, and strategic philanthropy position, learning and climbing in all three at the same time, was probably my steepest learning curve."

MONEY "Shutting down my Fashion business, which was draining my savings which then was going to impact my wiggle room. Having a wiggle room is very important. It is about being able to walk away from a bad situation, or when there are moral conflicts, without having a major impact on daily life. If you don't have money saved or invested, then you are always a slave to your work place. I have always lived simply, or a lot simpler than many of my media colleagues, because as I was building my networth, I did not want to be reliant on a job for income."

LIFE "Everyone's life is different. So giving advice that is sage and applicable for everyone is impossible. But for women who are like me, who love work, who can't imagine a day without being professionally productive, who are always chasing a challenge, I will say take your time, seek mentors, look at the full picture of where you want to go. And make sure you don't lose out on your personal life. But whatever happens, life is a journey, enjoy whatever happens, just try to be smart and compassionate."

SUCCESS "Live a more simple life, invest your money, and think about liberating yourself from needing a pay check to survive. This means you have to fight against peer pressure and others expectations. Be strong, you can do it."