April 7, 2025
Alexandra Kinias

Mai El-Darawy is an Egyptian entrepreneur with a background in agriculture, industry, and international trade. As the Founder and CEO of Lavender Life Group, she was the first Egyptian woman to introduce locally made lavender products to the European and Gulf markets. Through persistence and innovation, she has helped build a growing industry around lavender with a distinctly Egyptian identity.

Mai’s work goes beyond traditional uses like perfumes and oils—she has incorporated lavender into food, drinks, jewelry, car air filters, and scented leather accessories. She also successfully cultivated Spanish, French, and Italian lavender varieties in Egypt, demonstrating the country’s ability to grow what she describes as the new “Purple Gold.”

Today, her products are gaining recognition in the Egyptian market for their quality, design, and distinctive lavender-inspired fragrance and color. Alongside her role at Lavender Life Group, Mai is active in several industry organizations, including the Leather Industry Chamber, the Export Council for Leather and Footwear Industries, and the Businesswomen of Egypt 21 Association.

WoE: You started your career in the medical supplies industry before transitioning to lavender-based products. What inspired this shift? 
MD: I am still working in the medical sector and will continue to do so. However, the change and transition came from a plan I set for myself to, by the age of 35, work in my passion and interest, which is the field of fashion and design. I love drawing and have my own pencil sketches, which I utilized in my project. I wanted to do something specifically for women, driven by my support and love for them, offering unique products with the scent and color of lavender. 

Currently, I am working in both the medical and fashion sectors, as achieving this goal and passion requires substantial financial support, which my work in the medical supplies sector has provided.

WoE: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when introducing Egyptian lavender products to international markets?  
MD: The competition in the European market is very high, especially with their heavy reliance on importing from China. While price competition is tough, offering a new high-quality product made from 100% natural materials, including vegetable-tanned leather, adds a sense of quality and luxury, making it stand out. The difficulty was in entering the market and presenting the product to clients. However, once the product was showcased, customers were immediately convinced.

WoE: Lavender is often associated with perfumes and aromatherapy, but you’ve expanded its applications to food, fashion, and even car air fresheners. How do you come up with such innovative ideas?  
MD: I always like to think outside the box, as I did at the beginning of my academic journey. While my peers pursued teaching assistant roles after university, I chose to study for the American Board certification, an unfamiliar territory in pharmacy at the time. I excelled, and managed to create an opportunity for myself in the Gulf region; and during the “Saudization” period, I secured a rare exception to work in Saudi Arabia. There, I continued to create new opportunities by exploring emerging fields like Clinical Solutions, long before they gained recognition.

I always strive to seek out unique areas where others do not venture, allowing me to carve out a niche in the market without facing competition.

This approach led me to study lavender, where I discovered that lavender from each country has specific characteristics that I could utilize in a particular field. I imported lavender from other countries to grow it in Egypt and worked on soil treatment to achieve the same quality as the source country. The idea is to ensure that Egyptian lavender matches the quality of imported lavender.

WoE: Moving to Saudi Arabia and starting from scratch must have been challenging. What was the toughest moment during that period, and how did you push through?  
MD: The hardest part of being abroad was the distance from my family, especially since I grew up in a big family. The most challenging moment was when I was hospitalized to give birth to my second son, unable to move, and suffered a blood clot. I felt like I was going to die while my older son was crying. My newborn also faced health issues at birth, and I didn’t know if he was alive. I overcame this moment with faith and the determination to continue for my children’s sake. I returned to Egypt the day after giving birth, in a wheelchair, and started physical therapy and cortisone treatment, which caused significant weight gain. I managed to move past the illness by focusing on living for my children and pursuing my dream, despite the challenges.

WoE: How do you balance being a CEO with your personal life and family responsibilities?
MD: I balance my tasks by organizing my time with a weekly plan that includes daily activities. As for my home, I am a single mother, and my children are young and they live with me. To manage my responsibilities with them, I involve them in all work activities so they can understand the effort I put in and appreciate it. Each of them takes on a specific responsibility. They are my partners in housework. We dedicate time to study together, which builds a sense of teamwork, as if we are running a family business. I also avoid watching too much TV as it wastes time. Sometimes, I watch a series episode instead of a movie because it only takes an hour, or I catch up on the news to stay informed. When the kids are at practice, I use that time for my own exercise. In short, I avoid anything that wastes my time without benefit.

WoE: Your initiative to support university students in design and fashion is inspiring. What motivated you to create this center?  
MD: At university, I discovered the true student–teacher relationship through Dr. Hassan Rateb, my spiritual mentor. He inspired my passion for business, taught me entrepreneurship, and the art of managing multiple fields. His emphasis on training drove me to seek and create training opportunities for myself and my peers across hospitals, companies, and factories.

At the university, I served as Director of the Training Department, later transitioning to a part-time training consultant role. I believe true readiness for the market comes not from theory or memorization, but from practical real experiences. That’s why I opened a design center within my company, inviting experienced designers to mentor fashion and design students. We offer them the opportunity to gain experience and learn, helping them enter the market as confident, competitive designers. This initiative is part of our charitable community work to support students in their early careers.

WoE: What advice would you give to young Egyptian entrepreneurs, especially women, looking to break into international markets?  
MD: The advice I give to anyone looking to enter any market is to thoroughly study the market and determine whether the service or product you offer is suitable for that market or not, and to identify the most appropriate market for you, whether locally or internationally.

Focusing on quality is also essential because you are working to build your country’s reputation as well as your own. If you stand out and gain trust, it will help you become one of the leading suppliers in the country you operate in. You must also differentiate yourself in the market through your product.

WoE: What’s next for Lavender Life Group? Are there any new products or markets you’re looking to explore? 
MD: So far, we have not launched all our brands yet, as we introduce a new brand every three months gradually until the collection is complete. In the end, the true vision of “Lavender Life” will emerge after launching all the brands in the market. We also don’t forget our social role and our participation in the local economy for women, in addition to working on sustainable development, aligning with the country’s vision and global direction for 2030, and striving to achieve a clean environment free from pollutants.