Laila Abudahi

Wildcard
DISC Type : sci

Board Member at Manara

San Francisco Bay Area, United States

Overview

Laila Abudahi is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and the co-founder of Manara (YC W21), a social impact startup connecting MENAs tech talent with global opportunities. A Fulbright Scholar with a Masters from the University of Washington and a background at NVIDIA, she is described as energetic, professional, and a capable leader with a sharp business mindset.

Born and raised in a refugee camp in Gaza, Laila is passionate about creating opportunities for talent in underserved regions, with a particular focus on empowering women in STEM. As a speaker and startup mentor, she actively champions talent from the Middle East and North Africa, working to diversify the global tech sector.

She co-authored a research paper, "No Free Charge Theorem, " on a covert channel security vulnerability involving mobile device USB charging cables.

Personality Overview

Requires Proof

Friendly But Slow

ROI Driven

They typically tend to be late adopters even when they seem friendly and excited about what you have to sell  They are often friendly and nice, but can sometimes suprise you with their piercing questions  They are unlikely to ever become strong champions even when the conversations are going well; you should focus on cultivating other champions

Topics They Care About

MENA Tech Talent
Co-founded Manara to connect vetted software engineers from the Middle East and North Africa with global companies like Google and Meta.
Women in STEM
Focuses Manara's mission on elevating women from the MENA region, helping them overcome barriers to enter the global tech industry.
Startup Mentorship
Actively works as a startup mentor and angel investor, supporting early-stage companies and founders in the tech ecosystem.

Media Appearances

Laila has no verified media appearances

Work History

12-2025
Board Member at Manara
5-2025 - 12-2025
Chief Product Officer at Manara
8-2020 - 5-2025
CTO, Co-Founder and President at Manara
6-2020
Senior System Software Engineer at NVIDIA
7-2018 - 6-2020
System Software Engineer at NVIDIA

Education

2014 - 2016
Master’s Degree from University of Washington
2013 - 2013
Non-degree program from University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : San Francisco Bay Area, United States Job Level : Middle Designation : Board Member at Manara
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Insights For Selling To Laila

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Help them realize that there is no personal risk in making this decision
  • Share testimonials from known people and give multiple examples of product value
  • Be prepared for a lot of questions, answer them objectively

DONT's

  • Avoid phrases like ‘trust me’, ‘you will just love it’ etc.
  • Don’t overhype the product/pitch, keep it measured
  • Avoid winging it with them particularly, answer a question only if you know the answer well

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Laila is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Laila

  • They are likely to give you a clear answer without taking you around in circles. However, if you share a good relationship, they might not be so forthcoming.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Laila move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Laila take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Laila

Personality Compatibility


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