Nayla Mejdalani
Compass Coworking Centre Officer
Build Growth Through Strategic Collaboration
Don’t just partner up – partner smarter!
Brought to you by the RAKEZ Growth Series
Growing an SME doesn’t always mean hiring more people or increasing spend. Often, the fastest and most sustainable growth comes from building the right partnerships. Yet many collaborations fail due to misalignment, lack of trust, or unclear structure.
In this practical workshop, Mark Hamill shares real-world insights from over a decade as an entrepreneur in the UAE. Through proven frameworks, real examples, and hard-earned lessons, attendees will learn how to create partnerships that deliver speed, impact, and long-term value.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SESSION
• Choosing the right partners matters: Successful SMEs focus on alignment and avoid costly mismatches.
• 1 + 1 should equal at least 3: Proven partnership models can drive growth without increasing headcount.
• Leveraging trusted brands: Strategic collaboration can amplify credibility and market reach.
• Structuring partnerships for speed and trust: Clear frameworks create mutual value and long-term success.
• Learning from real experiences: Case studies highlighted both successful collaborations and partnerships that failed – and why.
AGENDA
10:30 AM Networking
11:00 AM Welcome and Setting the Stage : Building and scaling successful partnerships for growth and credibility.
11:10 AM Core principles of effective partnerships: Value alignment, partner fit, and collaboration models that drive impact.
11:40 AM Real-world partnership case studies showcasing government collaborations, global communities, and RAKEZ successes.
12:00 PM Speaker shares proven methods to establish and sustain partnerships that accelerate business growth.
12:10 PM Q&A and Peer Exchange
12:30 PM End of Programme
🎟️ Attend, Earn, Win! 🎟️
Here’s why you can’t afford to miss this event!
Each time you attend a RAKEZ Growth Series event, you earn a virtual raffle ticket. The more events you attend, the more chances you have to win incredible prizes at the end of the year! The best part? You’re not just winning a prize – you’re winning knowledge, connections, and opportunities to grow your business.
T&Cs apply.
GS Next – Business Mastery Series
Designed for business professionals seeking to elevate their knowledge and remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.
This series explores strategies, trending topics, and applications across key areas of the business.
About the RAKEZ Growth Series Ecosystem
A comprehensive business development platform designed to empower companies and professionals at every stage of their growth journey. It brings together a suite of learning experiences – from foundational knowledge to advanced strategic insights – that help businesses stay informed, agile, and competitive.
At its core is the RAKEZ Growth Series, the flagship programme delivers essential strategies and expert-led guidance for overall business success. Complementing it are three specialized spinoffs:
- GS 101 – Business Foundations Series, introduces participants to essential subjects, tools, and emerging trends shaping the business landscape; and
- GS Next – Business Mastery Series, offers deeper, skill-enhancing sessions for professionals looking to refine and advance their existing expertise.
- GS Webinars – Live Insights Series, provides timely, focused business insights in an accessible online format – allowing professionals to stay informed and engaged from anywhere in the world.
Together, these interconnected programmes form a dynamic ecosystem that supports continuous learning, professional growth, and long-term business excellence across the RAKEZ community.
Speakers
Nayla Mejdalani is a Canadian Lebanese, Middle East–shaped professional with a passion for exceptional customer experience. With an educational background in Human Relations and Commerce, and a career spanning Customer Service, Finance and Sales, she has developed a strong ability to understand what people value, solve problems efficiently, and create experiences that genuinely matter. She thrives in fast-paced, people-driven environments where service isn’t just a function, it’s a feeling. Alongside her professional work, Nayla also serves as a corporate emcee, confidently hosting and guiding business events, opening sessions, and setting the tone for meaningful conversations. She is known for turning everyday interactions into memorable moments, building trust, and consistently raising the standard of how things should be done. Adaptable, well-traveled, and naturally curious, she brings energy, empathy, and a result-driven mindset to every challenge. For Nayla, great service isn’t a task, it’s a signature.
Margarita Hernandez
Centre Manager, Compass Coworking Centre - RAKEZ
Margarita is an experienced senior leader in business operations, procurement, and customer experience, with nearly two decades contributing to the growth of Ras Al Khaimah’s economic landscape. Throughout her career at RAK Economic Zone, she has helped cultivate a thriving environment for investors, entrepreneurs, and SMEs by driving high-impact initiatives and building strong, trusted relationships across the community. As Head of Compass Coworking Centre, Margarita oversees operations, community engagement, product development, marketing strategy, and a dynamic calendar of business, wellbeing, and entrepreneurship events that bring the Ras Al Khaimah community together and enable members to grow their businesses. Her background spans senior roles in value-added services, procurement, and center management, where she led complex initiatives, managed multimillion-dollar sourcing projects, enhanced service delivery, and supported major organizational developments. Margarita combines operational expertise with a genuine commitment to helping people succeed and advancing the emirate’s position as a leading global business hub.
Mark Hamill
CEO @ ARCET Global
Mark is the CEO of ARCET Global, and is a leader in creating engaging content-led events and Business Communities across the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Mark’s focus is on building more engaging Event concepts along with assisting clients on the next stage of their journey to excellence. His entire career has been centred on Customer Experience from being the Lead at the International CX Institute to becoming a successful serial entrepreneur.
Mike Hoff
Profit Acceleration Specialist & BNI RAK Founding Launch Director
Mike's goal is straightforward to help serious business owners scale up by generating more clients, close more sales and increase their overall revenue and profits quickly and inexpensively. Mike specializes in growth strategies for small business owners. Over the years, he has developed a keen understanding of the complex issues facing small business owners in the type of volatile economy we have today. His experience has helped him develop the skills to quickly and effectively teach business owners how to successfully apply the right strategies in the right order that allows them to grow their business to its maximum capacity. His team has spent more than 10 years and $2 million dollars developing the world’s first E-Learning Business Growth and Marketing System – currently being used by more than 5000 small business clients in 50 countries around the world to grow their business to multi-million dollar status and beyond.
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