Success Stories
About the Project
Omar’s invention, Sanda, is a specialized chair that supports worshippers who need physical assistance while praying. Five times a day, Muslims perform the act of worship, which involves standing, prostrating, and sitting. Those who are physically unable to stand for long periods of time, or are otherwise impaired, usually use chairs. Sanda is designed to support worshippers with assistive sitting and standing features. Omar’s reimagined chair could positively benefit the quality of life of millions of potential users around the world.
Beyond Stars of Science
After winning 2nd place at Stars of Science in 2015, Omar’s drive remained as bright as ever. He got accepted into the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) Accelerator Program. There he received expert help to refine his prototype, along with funding of $100,000. Through a recent partnership with an experienced product development firm, Omar has finalized a production-ready prototype of Sanda. He hopes to get it certified and manufactured in the near future.
His innovation has caught the eye of many. A popular online platform, UmmahWide.com, featured Sanda as one of the Islamic community’s 50 most innovative startups. He was also featured in Inc. Arabia magazine as one of the “new stars of the Islamic economy.”
Omar is the co-founder and chief design thinker behind LaunchGood, a crowdsourcing platform for Muslims worldwide. “Our team takes pride in the platform’s sustainable model of crowdsourcing. We have raised more than $50 million in funds for almost four thousand campaigns in 115 different countries,” Omar enthused. It supports a wide range of sectors, from education and technology to health, film, and fashion. I want to positively impact the collective consciousness of the global Muslim community. It is important to be proud of our past, but our work now is what defines our legacy for generations to come.”
He spends the precious little time he has on Alfenn, his Atlanta-based branding and design agency he founded in 2008. The agency provides high-end design solutions to clients across the globe. “If I put my time into something, it has to have an impact. Innovative, solution-oriented design is at the core of all my work, and it is what keeps me inspired.”
Omar is focused on sustainable growth of his projects, looking to continue creating dynamic and progressive solutions for his community. “I have a long list of ideas that I want to further explore and implement in the near future,” he said. “Ideas are 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration! I’ve set up a good base and want to keep growing it”
Personal Reflection
“I was so proud to participate in Stars of Science. I instantly felt that it was the unique opportunity I had to grasp with both hands to be able to do something useful for people,” said Omar. “Our generation faces many challenges – I say let’s take advantage of our incredible potential in order to become leaders in engineering, science, and design again. I hope that through my work, I can inspire a small percentage of the world.”
Follow Omar
Twitter: @omarehamid
Instagram: @omarehamid
Snapchat: omarehamid
LaunchGood Website: https://www.launchgood.com/#!/
