Dr. Samar Baqer is being inducted as an ICSB Fellow in recognition of a decade of dedicated service and leadership within the global small business community. Since first partnering with ICSB in 2015, she has consistently elevated our mission through her scholarship, her voice, and her commitment to empowering entrepreneurs across the Middle East and beyond. A Fulbright scholar and assistant professor of marketing at Kuwait University, Dr. Baqer brings a rare combination of academic rigor and human-centered insight. Her work as a Certified High-Performance Coach further amplifies her influence, helping students, founders, and executives unlock their full potential. Her 2018 TEDx-Muscat talk—highlighting her journey as an Arab woman navigating challenges and success—continues to resonate across the region as a beacon of resilience and inspiration.
Beyond academia, Dr. Baqer has played a vital role in strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems through her consulting work with major institutions in Kuwait, including UNDP-Kuwait, the Ministry of Planning, the Kuwait National Fund for SME Development, KFAS Academy, and several private-sector organizations. Her ability to connect policy, practice, and people has made her a sought-after speaker at regional and global convenings, including ICSB conferences in Egypt and Washington, D.C., as well as events hosted by the American University in Bulgaria, Arabnet, and the Kuwait Ministry of Youth. Her long-standing dedication, her global impact, and her unwavering commitment to developing entrepreneurs make her a distinguished and deserving addition to the ICSB Fellows community.