Emerging Family Leaders 2025

00:00:11:23 - 00:00:38:00

Speaker 2

Hi. My name is, Unci Sawiris. I'm from Egypt, grew up in Egypt, and moved to the US about 15 years ago. I work in tech. I invest in technology companies through a firm that I co-founded in 2015. So it's 10th year anniversary now called Half Capital. And we invest in emerging technologies, and we want to take part in sort of the next 15 years of innovation and, backing these entrepreneurs that are going to shape the world in the future.

Title card

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs in navigating the challenges of starting and growing a business?

00:01:14:00 - 00:01:34:11

Speaker 2

Look, I think we we live in an era now where your phone is becoming a PhD, right? You, with all the the generative AI companies. So I would encourage people to learn and and be curious about what they don't know and how to how to start a companies, about, resilience and taking time to actually end up succeeding.

00:01:34:11 - 00:01:53:03

Speaker 2

You go through a lot of bumps, a lot of hiccups. You always ask yourself if you're doing the right thing or not, but if you don't try and you don't make mistakes, you won't learn. So it's about patience, but, you know, working hard about resilience and, taking your time to sort of get there and meet your goals.

Title card

How can emerging leaders leverage their networks to accelerate their growth?

00:02:04:02 - 00:02:29:08

Speaker 2

I think in this day and age, network building is core to what people do, sort of everyone's, with, the exposure to social media and the way media in general is changing. Everyone's becoming a persona. And I think to be able to leverage and, and, you know, speak out there to, to have your, your, you know, name and your what you're doing, become more relevant to people that are interested in whatever you're doing.

00:03:09:00 - 00:03:15:23

Speaker 2

And if you have an existing network through family or through your own work, definitely tap into that and don't be shy in doing so.

00:03:26:11 - 00:03:50:10

Speaker 2

It's always good to get different perspectives. So sometimes you're you're, you know, you're really in your own bubble and then you realize a someone else is in their own. And when you get to connect, you get to figure out what are the challenges that they faced, what are some success stories that they really learned from and have been able to sort of port over?

00:03:50:12 - 00:04:10:05

Speaker 2

And so, you know, events like, like today's event, you're gathering a lot of young, excited and hungry. You know, what you call emerging leaders? I think it's important for us to, get closer, to get to know what they're all doing, to get to understand what different cultures and how they have an impact on people's careers and what their goals and visions are.

Title card

How do you approach, innovation and ensure your business remains competitive?

00:04:29:04 - 00:04:52:11

Speaker 2

I'm lucky to be operating in a very, in the core of innovation. So we invest in what we call emerging technologies and frontier technologies that we hope that will shape, the future of our next 10 to 20 years. And so we're very up to speed with what's new and what's coming. I grew up always very curious about tech and about innovation and I grew up in a country that is slow to follow.

00:04:52:13 - 00:05:08:23

Speaker 2

I remember when the iPhone first came out, it was like the one mobile carrier in the US, and we had to find different ways of making them work in Egypt. And then six years later, the phone officially came out in Egypt. So I think innovation is very important, I think, to stay up to date with, with the ever changing world.

00:05:08:23 - 00:05:26:14

Speaker 2

And actually these days, given the I boom, things are changing, not just on a yearly basis or a monthly basis. They're changing every single day. And I think it's very important to keep very closely, up to speed and see how you can apply a lot of these things in your day to day, to sort of improve and stay relevant.

00:05:26:14 - 00:05:46:20

Speaker 2

And, and I would say in any business or any, you know, industry, it's quite, fascinating how technology can make a huge impact. And I'm seeing a lot of our next generation get really into the weeds of of that and how they can help their own, whether it's family, businesses or their own day to day jobs to, you know, take their next steps.

00:05:46:20 - 00:05:52:15

Speaker 2

And I think we're going to see a lot of different changes in the future.

Title card

You come from a well-known family. What advice would you give to someone who wants to transition away from a family business and create their own identity?

00:06:02:16 - 00:06:20:18

Speaker 2

I think it's always very tricky. You always think of the opportunity cost. I have my family, there's always a generational shift, but then people always want to sort of, you know, prove themselves out independently. And I feel, that's also very important. You build a very different characteristic for yourself, and you can prove that you're able to do things.

00:06:20:18 - 00:06:42:16

Speaker 2

Obviously, you leverage a lot of what, you know, your family has done, the network they've built, the reputation they have. But it's sort of the carve out on your own is to me, what I did. And, I feel like that's also very important. The advice I'd give is if you're always thinking of sort of your downside protection or you're always thinking of, okay, I might do this, but if it doesn't work out, I always have my family to go back to.

00:06:42:18 - 00:07:03:09

Speaker 2

I think usually you stagnate very quickly, so you have to probably build a lot more hunger and commitment to getting whatever you want to do done, and not giving up on sort of the first take up. And and to be able to understand that it's a long, longer road ahead than you will probably face. You have advantages given sort of what your family has done, but you also face, challenges.

00:07:03:11 - 00:07:19:02

Speaker 2

Because you can, you know, you can be seen as more laid back or, you know, you have your less you have less to worry about if in case it doesn't go right. And, we tend to see sort of, successful entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs go through a much more difficult times to then come out as real winners and real innovators.

00:07:19:02 - 00:07:22:09

Speaker 2

And I think there's always a balance there.

Title card

Is there a piece of advice or values that you have learned from your family and implemented into your work in business ethics?

00:07:40:14 - 00:07:53:16

Speaker 2

I think to love what you're doing is going to be very important. It's going to get you have to go all out and you have to give it your all. And if you don't love what you're doing, you always feel like it's a burden or it's something that you have to do. But I actually I enjoy doing that as much as I enjoy watching my football.

00:07:53:16 - 00:08:17:19

Speaker 2

So, that gives you a lot more time and focus on your work. And I think hard work is is is really important. You might be smart, you might be lucky, and you make your own luck by working very hard, by surrounding yourself with smarter, hungrier people. And, you have to set yourself as an example. So, I also learned a lot from my grandfather, who had to restart his business three times.

00:08:17:19 - 00:08:21:16

Speaker 2

So it's never giving up is also very important.

00:00:24:17 - 00:00:30:17

Speaker 2

Hi. Enzo Ferrari part of the Ferrari family and the CEO of Royal Family Investments.

Title card

What made you want to participate in EFL?

00:00:45:18 - 00:01:19:19

Speaker 2

I mean, we're partner with J.P. Morgan and dealing on different areas. I mean, of course on wealth management and plus, they've been providing a lot of, insightful, advices on different companies. Also in the automotive business, but not all in that also in the disruptive technology. Therefore, I mean, when they call me to do to be one of the panelist here, of course said yes, and hopefully I can give you a couple of insights from a very short but intense experience, I'd say.

Title card

How can young entrepreneurs balance your foundation and innovation in their ventures?

00:01:29:09 - 00:01:48:16

Speaker 2

When you're in doubt. Always check the history when whether is of the history of your country, of your family, or of your hometown. I'm, personally deeply rooted in my hometown. We may you may name a country. Of course, with the family. And, when I look at financial you, I need to look from, from your past to learn for the future.

00:01:48:18 - 00:02:08:17

Speaker 2

But this should never stops you in looking on groundbreaking technology on and not be afraid of what's next, or being tech savvy and, or just being, into, new, ventures. I mean, you should never stop by. Always look over, look for the past, and they're always respected.

Title card

What strategies have been most effective in maintaining Ferrari's legacy while driving innovation?

00:02:19:06 - 00:02:41:17

Speaker 2

So basically, I'm a fourth generation. At the time, my great grandfather, Enzo Ferrari, just thought about doing one car, two race and then, almost eight years after we're still here. So which means that we were able to partner with the right people, doing the right products, and always be humble and always stay focus on target.

Title card

What advice would you give to family businesses in managing succession and ensuring the continuity of their legacy?

00:02:53:09 - 00:03:15:16

Speaker 2

Succession is one of the most difficult part of a family legacy, and it entails a lot of, efforts from everyone side. And on top of that, it doesn't mean that should should it must be a succession. A successor maybe is into something different, maybe doesn't want to do it, or maybe the family feels like more and more and more moving, moving away from the from the business.

00:03:15:18 - 00:03:38:04

Speaker 2

But if you are into the business and you want to keep it, you need to surround yourself with people better than you and advise that they do not know the best for you. And you can, they can you rely on their their loyal. And for sure, you need to openly discuss everything with the family. And, this takes time and effort and, a lot of patience.

Title card

What advice would you give to someone who wants to create their own identity?

00:03:44:20 - 00:04:02:09

Speaker 2

Always look for has what has been done. Always take the, the best thing that happen? The worst thing that happen, I mean, and take your own conclusion and then, go for it. I mean, always be cautious, because if you have a responsibility of your name is not just your namesake personally, it's also the family name.

00:04:02:09 - 00:04:19:05

Speaker 2

So you need always to be respectful and mindful for the rest of the family. And, be careful on what you do and never ask people to do something they would never do and always be an example meaning guide. For example, doing what you say and say what you do, frankly.