Steps Interview.

DjazairUP : Interview Startup Steps.

Portrait of an entrepreneur: Oumaima Bendjama, Founder of the startup Steps

 

• Hello Mme Bendjama, first of all, can you introduce yourself and tell us about Steps?

My name is Oumaima, I’m 25 yo and I’m a medical interne, a futur social entrepreneur I hope, Steps is a project that was created in 2017, it was a project that aim to create a generation of innovative scientist and ingeneer and technologicly literate by offering kids that edge between 10 and 15 a fun and meaninglfull experience. We do that by designing and offering workshops in robotics, ardwino, coding, biology experiment and other various of science.

• We say that : ” All the achievements, all the wealth acquired, started with an idea ”, what about Steps?

The idea “Steps” started in 2016 when I was participating in US exchange program for social entrepreneurship during our time there we were ask about social problem that we care about and little by a little, and I chose education in Algeria, I started to create my solution, and write a short business plan for this project, at the end of my stay in the united states, steps was born.

• How would you describe a typical Steps founder day?

My day would start by contacting the teacher and the mentors, and asking them to stend a workshop plan and where to start, after that I will check the social media to post for the event, then I will go through the needed material from the teacher or the mentors and then ask the team member to buy the material to start the workhop. After the event, I will talk to the parents and ask them for feedbacks.

• Why did you choose entrepreneurship?

I choose entrepreneurship because it’s the best way to ensure that my social impact last.

• What advice would you give to those who wish to create their startup?

I advice them to take risk, to not think a lot about plans and therefore leave in their mind and to always remember that it’s okey to fail.

• What are your wishes for the coming years?

For the next year, I wish to be able to gain more clients and to help as many kids as possible.

• Define your philosophy in few words?

Curiosity is the way to grows.

• What do you think is the most important factor (s) to the success of a business?

A good market research, a good marketing plan and a good communication of the project, also between you and the client and the take-holder.

• What difficulty have you encountered during your entrepreneurial life?

The main difficulty is : the management of the team, how to communicate with team member, how to motivate them to work, how to solve conflit between them, how to negociate their salary and how to keep them attached to the company goals and vision.

• Can you define the word “innovation” for us? What is your vision as an entrepreneur?

For me innovation is thinking differently about already existing ressources and using them to solve a problem effectively.