Marwa Mabrouk is an entrepreneur and technologist with a passion for innovation and personal growth. Over the past 20+ years, she has worked in the tech industry, including nine years at Google, where she led products such as YouTube Revenue Share and the Android Camera Platform. Currently, she is working on founding a startup in Silicon Valley.

Alongside her work in tech, she served on the boards of two nonprofits and engage as a career coach, speaker, writer, and artist.

She obtained a a diverse set of degrees in different fields: Bachelor of Engineering in Telecom and Electronics; Masters of Science in Computer Science and Masters in Business Administration.

Marwa moved to the U.S. in her early twenties, driven by a desire to contribute to the global software industry.

She moved alone to start working in a tech job after earning her first master’s degree from an American university remotely. She began engineering school at the age of 15 and quickly advanced to obtaining a master’s in computer science from an American university, which opened up the opportunity for her to obtain a work visa.

Initially, she thought she was gaining international experience for a better career in Egypt and planned to stay for one or two years. At the end of the first year, she received a promotion that would allow her to travel all around the world, so she decided to stay and see where things would lead.

Marwa said one of her biggest challenges during the transition was navigating the unexpected cultural differences. Despite her exposure to American culture through media and education, she found it to be incredibly diverse and regionally variable. She also realized that her own culture was often misunderstood, and building meaningful connections required more effort than in Egypt, where relationships formed more naturally and quickly.

Marwa believes it’s important to maintain the Egyptian culture and identity. She keeps an Egyptian artifact on her desk at work, and she decorates her home with many Egyptian artifacts.

“I still practice praying and fasting. I go to the mosque during Ramadan for Taraweeh and Eid prayers.! I cook Egyptian food at home all the time. I take note of all Egyptian holidays, even if I don’t take time off from work. Some holidays are usually worth time off like Eid.”

Not only Marwa enjoys cooking Egyptian dishes, she also buys Egyptian food from the speciality store, like Southern Egyptian Molasses and Tahini, halawa, and many other Egyptian goodie snacks.

She also supports local events and important happenings related to Egyptian culture in her area. “I keep thinking we need to share more of the Egyptian way of thinking more vocally, since sometimes Egyptians are dismissed as hard to understand based on stereotypes of other identities and cultures.”

Among her many accomplishments and successes in the USA, Marwa is most proud of the life she has built in the U.S. since moving there alone. When she first arrived, she didn’t know anyone and came with just two large bags and a job offer from a tech company.

She is proud of her work in product management at Google, where she launched high-profile products reaching millions globally. Initially a software engineer, she transitioned into product management, a path few Egyptians pursue. This journey led her to become an entrepreneur, starting a tech company in Silicon Valley, and also engaging in coaching and speaking roles. “I hope to continue venturing into new spaces where we don’t often see Egyptians, and I pray that I can make a meaningful impact in those areas,” she adds.

Marwa encountered many stereotypes or misconceptions about Egyptian women. “In the US people don’t know much about Egyptian women, so they put them in the same boat with stereotypes they hear about, like for example women under the rule of Taliban.

When I get asked if it’s normal for Egyptian Women to speak out and have strong opinions, I smile and say, yes in Egyptian culture women speak up their minds, even in the rural countryside.”

Marwa believes it’s very important for new immigrants to integrate into society and contribute to it directly and indirectly. “Many Egyptians who immigrate will visit the local mosque, but not have voices in city councils and local organizations,” she says.

And for Egyptian women who are considering moving to the USA she tells them, “Don’t make assumptions about American culture, and don’t pay a lot of attention to negative voices. Lean in into Egyptian wisdom, it’s empowering in environments with many unknowns like the US.”