(MENAFN- Gulf Times) HEC Paris, Doha, a partner university of Qatar Foundation (QF), is increasingly influencing Qatar's entrepreneurial landscape.

The rise of startups focusing on health and sustainability reflects more than just a shift in lifestyle trends, but rather a broader movement led by a new generation of purpose-driven entrepreneurs committed to building visionary, impact-oriented businesses.

Among them are three successful HEC Paris, Doha alumni – Layla al-Dorani, Nuwaid Pocker, and Ghanim al-Sulaiti – each defining what it means to lead with impact.

Al-Dorani, founder of Raw Middle East – a plant-based food and beverage factory – credits HEC Paris, Doha with transforming her approach to innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

“It gave me the confidence to take calculated risks and view challenges as opportunities for transformation,” she said.

Her journey in HEC Paris, Doha“wasn't just about learning frameworks, it was about building the mindset to create impact through business” not only in Qatar but in the Middle East.

Al-Dorani said that her network from the university has been instrumental to her growth and her business.

It's more than a professional network, she said,“it's a community of thinkers, innovators, and leaders who relentlessly inspire and support each other”.

As consumer awareness around health and sustainability grows in Qatar and the region, al-Dorani's company is increasingly emphasising on education, accessibility, and familiar flavours.

Sustainability is central to its operations, from food waste composting to a goal of 100% sustainable packaging by 2027, to exploring local farm partnerships to reduce carbon footprint, while strengthening local supply chains.

For Pocker, founder of Dieture – a leading diet centre in Qatar – and now the driving force behind FoodCare, which is a data-driven ecosystem that integrates meals, diagnostics, and guidance, HEC Paris, Doha transformed how he thinks about scale, innovation, and disciplined execution.

During his capstone project, he was challenged to design strategic paths to scale Dieture, which pushed him to move beyond good ideas into structured, testable business theses.

This structured approach helped transform Dieture from a meal subscription concept into FoodCare – a scalable ecosystem integrating clean food, diagnostics, and personalised health insights.

He pointed out that the HEC Paris, Doha network played a vital role in launching his career through mentorship, access to government and industry leaders, and early customer traction.

It also accelerated his company's evolution and helped him refine brand messaging, product validation, and market access.

Pocker stressed that HEC Paris, Doha's broader impact is raising the bar for entrepreneurship in Qatar.

“This is proof that the school is shaping leaders, not just teaching frameworks,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ghanim al-Sulaiti, founder of Evergreen Organics and Enbat Group, took a different path – one rooted in reconnecting people with real food.

“I realised how disconnected we've become from what nourishes us, especially the younger generation,” he said.

What started as Qatar's first fully plant-based café has since grown up into a movement, spanning sustainable packaging through Papercut, wellness with Botany, and global reforestation via the Forest Smoothie initiative.

Al-Sulaiti joined HEC Paris, Doha eight years after he had launched his business – a turning point that refined his mission.

“Before HEC Paris, Doha, I was driven purely by passion; and then after completing my programme at the business school, I learned how to sustain that passion through strategy,” he said Paris Doha

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