Zain Group, a leading mobile innovator in eight markets in the Middle East and Africa, welcomed Mark Kawano and Timothy Donnelly, co-founders of popular social media app Storehouse Media, at the company’s main headquarters in Kuwait. Storehouse is a mobile app that turns a collection of photos and videos into a shareable story.
Group Vice Chairman, Bader Al Kharafi, Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer, and Head of the Organizational Committee of the Youth Empowerment Symposium, Ali Al Ebrahim, alongside a number of officials hosted the social media entrepreneurs. The occasion formed part of Zain’s strategic partnership with the fourth edition of the Youth Empowerment Symposium held in Kuwait.
Kawano and Donnelly are currently visiting Kuwait to participate in the Youth Empowerment Symposium, which is held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah. The symposium is considered an ideal opportunity for young people to gain invaluable insights from a series of internationally and locally renowned industry pioneers, academics, and experts who are set to share their experiences during the event.
The recent visit saw discussions between Al Kharafi and Gegenheimer with Kawano and Donnelly about the challenges faced by the telecommunications and information technology sectors, and how social media is quickly penetrating these markets. The executives also exchanged views on the amount of change social media pioneers and youth are bringing to entrepreneurship, and the role of leading companies and organizations in supporting this trend.
Al Kharafi and Gegenheimer took the Storehouse co-founders on a tour of Zain headquarters, offering them an insight into the nature of the company’s daily operations as a leading regional telecommunications operator. The guests expressed their admiration of the high standards of service quality they encountered within Zain’s various departments and divisions, and were particularly impressed by the company’s contact center.
Zain Group Vice Chairman Bader Al Kharafi commented: “We were delighted to welcome the masterminds behind one of social media’s most popular creative apps. Our meeting with Mark Kawano and Timothy Donnelly reconfirms our support and belief in the effects compelling social media platforms have on the way we look at the world and the way we communicate with one other.”
Al Kharafi continued: “These two entrepreneurs worked hard to transform an idea into a real platform on which millions of users find enjoyment and entertainment.”
Zain is exploring possibilities for future partnership with Storehouse Media, as Zain is confident cooperation between the two companies would fit into Zain’s strategic vision of becoming an integrated digital lifestyle operator.
Al Kharafi concluded: “Zain has sponsored the Youth Empowerment Symposium since its inception four years ago, and this is in line with our long-term strategy to provide the necessary support to national initiatives aimed at uplifting the capabilities and skills of Kuwaiti youth.”
During the discussions, Zain Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer said: “We realize information technology plays a key role in future business restructuring, and this is a key reason why Zain is increasing its investments in IT platforms. With the forecasted rise in smartphone and tablet usage, it is a necessity for any leading telecom operator to pursue a strategic vision that embraces technological innovation. Kawano and Donnelly’s work is a great example of how information technology and social media services can transform the digital world.”
Storehouse Media co-founder and CEO, Mark Kawano said: “We were delighted to visit Zain Group, which gave us a chance to learn about one of the leading telecommunications companies in the Middle East. Zain possesses a clear and ambitious vision to undergo a digital transformation program, which is the future of IT and telecom. The informative tour that we participated in showed us the huge potential and resource base Zain has available, and we were really impressed by the high service quality standards we found.”
Storehouse provides users with a fast and easy way to share a collection of photos from their iPhone or iPad by creating a collage, album or telling a story and sharing all of the moments that made the memory. Kawano’s passion for photography and innovative storytelling drove him to develop the app, which was awarded the Apple Design Award for the year 2014.
Kawano will be delivering an exclusive seminar for Zain employees, where he will be sharing his experience in following his dream and developing Storehouse to becoming one of the most successful social media applications.
Zain’s participation in the Youth Empowerment Symposium showcases the company’s dedication to empowering the entrepreneurial skills of youth in Kuwait. The symposium disseminates outstanding knowledge to talented young people to inspire them to progress in their fields of interest, as well as to spark the light of enthusiasm within them.
Source: Zain Group