Laila Abudahi in

Laila Abudahi

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Board Member at Manara
📍 San Francisco Bay Area, United States

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.

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Experience
9 Years
Current Role
Board Member
Job Level
Middle
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Personality Overview

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Communication Style
Decision Approach
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Priorities

Topics Laila cares 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.
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Career

Work history

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

Media appearances

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Education
2014 - 2016
Master’s Degree
University of Washington
2013 - 2013
Non-degree program
University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Social presence
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Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

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