Layalina's entrepreneurship reality series to premiere in primetime throughout Arab world on OSN

Generation Entrepreneur – harnessing the economic potential of Arab youth through INJAZ

WASHINGTON and AMMAN, Jordan, Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Layalina Productions, Inc., an American non-profit, announced today that the first season of its reality series Generation Entrepreneur will premiere tonight on OSN Yahala! Shabab, the premium paid satellite television network in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Generation Entrepreneur features the efforts of young Arab entrepreneurs competing for incubation funding to start companies as part of INJAZ Al-Arab's entrepreneurship program. The episodes follow teams in Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia as they launch their startups, elect officers, issue stock, market their product or service, and compete in their respective national competitions for a chance to advance to the regional competition in Doha, Qatar.

The episodes are character-driven, with a cast of enterprising students who believe in the promise of economic opportunity at a time when the surging youth population has led to record youth unemployment and underemployment throughout the region. Each episode reveals the cast members' personal and professional challenges. In the nail-biting finale, the winners from each episode compete head to head against twelve other Arab countries in the hopes of winning the title of Best Arab Company of the Year.

Generation Entrepreneur is a Layalina production, in association with INJAZ Al-Arab. It is directed by Shawn Thompson and created, written and executive produced by Leon Shahabian, Layalina's Executive Vice President.                                                                             

The Honorable Richard Bodman, Layalina's Chairman, stated: "This new series offers a great snapshot of the accomplishments possible for young, motivated Arabs striving to achieve their full potential. I believe this fast-paced and entertaining program is truly meaningful; it forecasts great hope for the future. And, we are extremely pleased to be working with Orbit Showtime Network (OSN) at a time when encouraging entrepreneurship is more important than ever."

Ambassador Paul Russo, Layalina's President, noted: "Our programs are designed to encourage entrepreneurship among young Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, and we are extremely proud of our newest series. Vividly capturing the creativity, determination, and spirit of a group of young Arab competitors, Generation Entrepreneur will inspire young viewers to pursue new ventures of their own as they confront the challenges of soaring unemployment and underemployment throughout the region."

Soraya Salti, CEO of INJAZ Al-Arab, added: "This televised reality competition will contribute to a more prosperous, economically empowered generation and strengthen the culture of entrepreneurship amongst Arab youth. By partnering with Layalina and OSN, INJAZ is showcasing exceptional young Arab entrepreneurs as they display their business acumen, talent and competitive spirit. Viewers can watch them compete in real time in a bid to win the INJAZ regional competition. We're excited to have Generation Entrepreneur and OSN as platforms to share these young entrepreneurs' efforts."

For more information about Layalina Productions, Inc., please visit www.layalina.tv.

For more information about INJAZ Al-Arab, please visit www.injazalarab.org/en.

Grid Schedule
OSN Yahala! Shabab
Episode 1: 10/2/13 at 22:00 KSA
Episode 2: 10/9/13 at 22:00 KSA
Episode 3: 10/16/13 at 22:00 KSA
Episode 4: 10/23/13 at 22:00 KSA

Repeat pattern for all episodes:
Thursdays at 05:00 & 10:00 & 15:00 (KSA)
Fridays at 01:00 (KSA)
Saturdays at 02:00 & 05:00 & 10:00 & 16:00 (KSA)

EPISODE SUMMARIES

Episode 1: Lebanon
Layan's micromanagement frustrates Ali, who repeatedly challenges her authority. The judges question PAW's mission of organizing activities that connect students from all sects and religious backgrounds. Nisrine endures many criticisms about her patriotic souvenir products and faces a coup the day of the competition. Gisele tries her best to turn around a failing company. They all think their hard work and determination will be enough to impress the judges.

Episode 2: Egypt
Ezz creates Wippy, an eyewear cleaner, and hopes to impress the judges with his polished product and sales figures. Lobna believes her t-shirt folder is a winner and is surprised to hear the judges' opinion. Mostafa tackles the issue of e-waste recycling and is confident his company, Recyclobekia, will make an international impact. All three expect to be rewarded for their hard work, but only one team can win 60,000 Egyptian pounds and earn bragging rights as Egypt's best startup.

Episode 3: Tunisia
Although pressured to be an entrepreneur by his parents, Ghassan has ambitions to run for political office one day. Mariem gets criticized for creating a smart phone application that advertises boutique sales, since not everyone in Tunisia has that kind of luxury. Marouan worries his technical college background will not measure up to the education of his competitors, but remains confident in his product. Each of them thinks they can win, but first have to grapple with the challenge of delivering presentations in Modern Standard Arabic.

Episode 4: Qatar
The winning startups from Lebanon, Egypt and Tunisia square off in the regional competition in Doha. They must compete against other Arab countries and deliver winning presentations. Nerves are at an all-time high for the young entrepreneurs as they prepare to battle it out on stage, but only one can win the highly coveted title of Best Arab Company of the Year.

SOURCE Layalina Productions, Inc.