Author
Vlad Tudorie
This story is part of our Business Insights Series, where I dive into real conversations with mission-driven founders working at the intersection of purpose, tech, and impact.
In a world obsessed with launching fast and scaling faster, some entrepreneurs are choosing a different path—one that begins long before code is written or an MVP is shipped. In my recent conversation with Mariam Chadii , it was clear: the work starts with belief. And it’s that unwavering conviction that makes her journey so powerful.
Mariam is on a mission to build a platform that empowers the hearing-impaired community with literacy and trade skills. But her journey isn’t just about technology. It’s about social transformation, visibility, and making systems more inclusive from the ground up.
“It’s more like a baby, and you want to do the best for them. And everything costs money,” she shared. Despite working two jobs, pursuing a master’s degree, and managing family obligations, she continues to push her vision forward.
The scale of the problem
Before we even talk about MVPs or funding rounds, it’s worth taking a hard look at the scale of the problem Mariam is tackling.
According to the African Union’s 2023 Ear Health & Hearing Loss Fact Sheet, more than 136 million people in Africa experience disabling hearing loss—and that number is expected to double to 234 million by 2050. Most of them live in regions with limited access to inclusive education or support services.
Globally, over 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss, and around 430 million of them need rehabilitation. Yet, in many countries, less than 10% of people who need hearing aids actually have access to them—and even fewer have access to formal sign language education or vocational training programs.
These numbers aren’t just statistics. They represent a vast, underserved population that is excluded from full participation in the economy, education, and digital society.
Mariam’s mission—building a platform that equips the hearing-impaired community with literacy and trade skills—isn’t just a worthy cause. It’s a high-leverage intervention that could help bridge this gap at scale.
Selling the vision before the product
During our strategy call, I offered this guiding principle: “The sale can and should begin long before the product is available.” My advice? Don’t just sell an MVP. Start by selling the problem, the human cost of inaction, and the social value of inclusion.
This resonated deeply with Mariam, and she’s already connecting with NGOs, technologists, and volunteers. But she was candid about her internal conflict when it comes to accepting unpaid help:
“They are doing it for me, not for the idea itself… I do want to use them wisely and use their time, not use them. There’s a difference.”
That nuance revealed a powerful part of her leadership—a deep sense of empathy and fairness, even at personal cost.
I reminded her not to underestimate the power of purpose-driven contribution: “They are not doing it for free. They are doing it for meaning.” In fact, excluding willing volunteers could hinder the very mission she’s trying to build.
Building with purpose, not pressure
Mariam’s path isn’t without its challenges. She’s questioning the balance between risk and readiness:
“Should I let go for now and start working on finding a fund in this phase? Or be patient a little more until I have this MVP and then start to let go?”
It’s a question many mission-driven founders face: When is the right time to leap? She’s not afraid of hard work—she’s been doing it for years. But she’s also wise enough to know that purpose alone doesn’t pay for studios, dev time, or outreach. She’s looking for the path that honors both her mission and the people who believe in it.
“I’m trying to minimise the risk, not avoid the risk, but to have like a risk management as much as I can,” she explained.
She’s also mindful of how hard life is for many people. Despite offers of help, she struggles with asking for free labor, especially from close friends. Her goal is long-term commitment, not one-time favors.
Funding through alignment, not just capital
While many startups chase venture capital as a first step, Mariam is building broader. I encouraged her to cast a wider net—one that includes social funds, NGOs, and partnerships with state actors.
In 2023, for example, a European organisation called Radel Stung raised €80,000 specifically for training programs supporting the impaired. I pointed out that institutions like Egypt’s Ministry of Solidarity could also be a match for Mariam’s mission.
She’s not just banking on traditional funding. She’s building a network of aligned supporters who care about the cause—not just the product.
Tech with a head start
Mariam’s vision also includes smart use of technology—but not from scratch. With guidance, she’s exploring how existing American Sign Language datasets can be adapted for Egyptian Sign Language using transfer learning.
“You are able to train a model based on one data set… and then leverage that to an extent to fine-tune an already trained model on another language,” I explained.
Mariam had already identified that sign languages vary significantly by region and culture. Egyptian Sign Language, for example, is different from American Sign Language—not just in vocabulary, but in grammar, gestures, and usage. She pointed out that one of her major challenges is the lack of datasets for localised sign languages, which limits the ability to build inclusive, multilingual educational content for the hearing-impaired community.
This is where AI holds immense promise.
Just as researchers are using artificial intelligence to help revive endangered and extinct languages—like the Akkadian language once used in Mesopotamia—by training models on multiple dialects and reconstructing linguistic structures, a similar approach could be applied to sign languages. Read the research here.
AI models trained on robust datasets from American Sign Language can be fine-tuned with smaller, region-specific datasets to generate educational content in local sign languages. This includes:
- Automatically generating localised video content or animations in regional sign languages
- Creating adaptive learning tools that respond to user progress using sign recognition
- Producing interactive learning modules that bridge multiple sign language systems
- Translating text and speech to sign language for better accessibility in real time
These applications could accelerate the development of educational tools that are not only accessible but culturally relevant—without requiring years of manual content production. It’s a strategy that turns a data limitation into an opportunity for innovation.
What comes next
As I reminded her, building a foundation is not just about finding money:
“Your responsibility inside your vision will be and is to focus on the points of maximum leverage.”
That means Mariam is now prioritising messaging, partnerships, and getting her voice heard. Her next steps, from white papers to conference speaking gigs, are all about traction before transaction.
She’s also beginning to shape her public presence—sharing her voice on LinkedIn, exploring recorded interviews, and using every conversation as a chance to scale her message.
“Speak once, have a thousand, 10 thousand, a million people hear your voice.”
And if her current momentum is any indicator, she’s well on her way.
This interview is part of our Business Insights Series, where we explore the strategies, mindset shifts, and real-life tradeoffs behind purpose-driven innovation.
