Bold move: It takes a special kind of entrepreneur to raise $11million for a start-up venture, but that’s exactly what Joy accomplished when she launched Fetchr, an Uber-like GPS-tracked parcel delivery app. “That’s my biggest achievement, not just as an Arab woman but as a woman period. Only 1 per cent of all women have ever achieved that. I can’t believe I have done that sometimes. I feel like I’m going to wake up and it’s all been a dream.”

Work ethic: Joy began her career in retail, working in the changing room of a clothing store (“Not fun at all”), before working her way up to head buyer. She went on to open her own New York fashion store before founding e-commerce company Bonfaie, a platform for undiscovered brands. Since launching her “baby” Fetchr in Dubai, she’s been hands on, around the clock. “Everything that is Fetchr that is seen by the outside world goes through me. In reality, I do everything from washing the dishes to wearing a baseball cap in the warehouse training the drivers on customer service. When you are in a start up, you do everything you need to do to get the job done.”

Future goals: After successfully selling Bonfaie in an acquisition deal with Moda Operandi, Joy has similar plans to monetise Fetchr. “My ultimate goal is a sweet acquisition or an IPO (stock market launch) whichever comes first.”

Be inspired: “I am the daughter of a Palestinian refuge and my mother gave me my survival instinct. She made me tough. Fear is a waste of time. Instead, I focus on and create positive energy.”