Under the shadow of the ancient wonders housed within the Grand Egyptian Museum, a new kind of energy buzzed on 13 and 14 December. It was not the echo of history that stirred the air, but the unfiltered voices of Generation Z – bold, candid, and ready to reshape the future on their own terms.
The Youth Summit: Unfiltered was not your standard motivational affair. There were no sugar-coated clichés or predictable success stories. Instead, 2,000 young attendees, alongside trailblazers in industries ranging from AI to fashion, gathered to share raw truths, confront challenges, and ignite conversations that matter. The message was clear: authenticity is not optional; it is essential.
The theme, “Unfiltered,” embodied more than honesty – it was a call to disrupt the status quo. Participants engaged, debated, and questioned.
Networking Without the Masks
In a world where professional networking often feels staged, the summit created spaces where connections felt genuine. From chance encounters in the halls to curated mentorship sessions, the emphasis was on real relationships rather than LinkedIn statistics.
For Amr Ibrahim, a university student with entrepreneurial aspirations, the summit was an opportunity to understand the path to success.
“I’m here as an entrepreneur wanna-be,” he shared with Egyptian Streets. “I just wanted to learn how to actually get started, like what steps to take, and how to not mess it up completely.” His candid curiosity captured the spirit of many young attendees eager for practical, unfiltered advice.
“I met people whom I consider to be my mentors here. Not because I was trying to impress them, but because we both cared about building success stories.”
Building with Purpose
Omar El-Sahy, General Manager of Amazon Egypt, provided a dose of wisdom that transcended business and touched on personal growth. He sent a clear message to the youth through Egyptian Streets: find motivation in the people around you and embrace the lessons failure offers.
“One of the important things to realize is the day you wake up and you’re not motivated is the day you should probably call it a day out,” El-Sahy advised. For him, the driving force behind his success is the team he works with daily – from frontline staff delivering packages to software engineers creating global solutions. “I genuinely have one of the luckiest jobs ever because my responsibilities allow me to interact with so many people.”
El-Sahy also emphasized the importance of resilience and learning from setbacks.
“The biggest reason I’ve been satisfied with my work is the series of failures and getting more comfortable with that early on,” he shared candidly.
His advice to young people? “Analyze what went right, what went wrong, and don’t beat yourself up. Those failures are the building blocks of success.”
For El-Sahy, mentorship is another cornerstone of growth. He urged attendees to seek guidance intentionally: “The importance of finding a good mentor cannot be overstated. I’ve been extremely purposeful in asking people to teach me, and that has made all the difference.”
Advice for the Bold Generation
While discussions centered on confronting industry realities, the summit also provided invaluable guidance for youth navigating their own paths. Adventurer and entrepreneur Omar Samra delivered advice that resonated deeply with the audience.
“The advice that I would give to the youth is to trust your heart, your intuition, your gut – whatever you want to call it – in every decision that you make,” Samra told Egyptian Streets.
“The big decisions in our life that take us really far are not meant to be made from your head; they’re meant to be made from your heart.”
In a world overwhelmed with choices, Samra’s reminder to “chill out” and not overthink every step provided a refreshing perspective. It was a call to embrace instinct, a counterbalance to the hyper-analytical pressures of modern life.
Where Authenticity Meets Action
The summit was an opportunity to turn ideas into action.
The Youth Brand of the Year competition was a testament to this drive, with local fashion innovators pitching their bold visions for the future. This year, Kato, an Egyptian brand inspired by the artistry of Nubian homes in Aswan, took home the prize of EGP 500,000 (USD 9,842).
Founded in 2019 by Halla Emara, Kato combines a love for fashion and design with a mission to empower underprivileged women. The brand collaborates with over 50 women from various regions in Egypt, reviving traditional crafts such as hand beading, crocheting, and fabric manipulation to create unique, handcrafted bags.
As the final session wrapped up and the last unfiltered words echoed through the halls, it was clear that the summit was a declaration. A declaration that Gen Z is ready to speak their truth, embrace their flaws, and shape a future where authenticity leads the way.
