Sisters, classmates, business partners

Everybody has something in their lives that they truly cherish. And for sisters Jawaher and Hissa Al Mannai, this is being able to pursue their dream together, as classmates at HEC Paris in Qatar who will soon be among the graduates of cohort 2020 in December.

It all started when, as two young girls, they would sneak into their mother’s room to play with her jewelry. Jawaher and Hissa would pick out old accessories from her trinket box and rework them into new styles and designs.

“The root of our dream extends back to our childhood when we used to gather different types of material and items – from elastics, crystals, marbles, ropes and ribbons – and create fashionable necklaces and bracelets,” Jawaher says. And each time that she and her sister worked on a new selection of handmade accessories, they would excitedly share them with their family and friends.

Growing up, this became their passion, organically turning into a dream that one day they would design their own customized jewelry and have their unique brand.

“We seized every opportunity to visit different jewelry stores and exhibitions that were organized around the world. And we used to read stories about famous jewelers – their stories and journeys inspired us and fueled our passion to pursue our goal.”

With the support of their family, Jawaher and Hissa started their own business in fine jewelry with their brand “Ghand” in 2017.

And although they had embarked on their entrepreneurial journey, both Jawaher and Hissa wanted to excel in their skills. They decided to enroll in a master’s program that could give them the knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to run their enterprise successfully.

Being very close in age and sharing the same passion, they thought it would be smart to join the master’s program together, as they could support each other in their studies.

“We thought that was a great idea, and we eagerly started to look at the options we had, until we settled on HEC Paris in Qatar,” Hissa says. They chose the Entrepreneurship and Business Development track under the Specialized Master’s Degree program at the Qatar Foundation partner university.

During their classes, Jawaher and Hissa worked with different student groups where they had the opportunity to exchange knowledge and enrich their experiences. They feel that this investment in their capabilities had provided them with a solid base for their project and positioned them well to lead their business.

“When the pandemic broke out, I was skeptical about remote learning. But when I experienced it with HEC Paris and how the course was perfectly aligned with the university’s strategy, it changed my perception about learning completely; it even encouraged me to continue to apply for more online courses. This experience proved that nothing can stop us from learning, and that we can gain the same knowledge with the help of technology,” Jawaher says.

“As we gained more experience through our studies and had a better grip on our business, we started to promote our brand internationally. We participated in the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair as well as the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition in February this year,” Hissa says.

Jawaher and Hissa say that if there is something that they are grateful for, it would be their mother. Referring to her as reason behind each of their accomplishments, they highlight how she has always been a source of encouragement as she instilled perseverance and determination in them since a very young age. And now they dedicate all their successes to her.