Business News
Building in Web3: Lessons, Strategies, and Startup Insights
What follows is our story from inception to launch, building a Web3 startup while navigating fundraising, product development and community growth.
Sharene Lee is the co-founder of TAKADAO, a Shariah-compliant takaful insurance-alternative built as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) on the blockchain. Previously, she was the co-founder and COO of Melltoo, a peer-to-peer transactional marketplace for second-hand items, which was acquired by fellow UAE-born startup, Cartlow, in 2022. Sharene is a serial entrepreneur with two prior exits in the analog economy and one in web2. She was born and raised in Singapore, but she lived in the United States prior to moving to the Middle East; she now lives in Riyadh. Her passions include Islamic finance and Web3; in particular, how blockchains and crypto are a fertile ground for the growth of new financial paradigms. Sharene also enjoys mentoring and working with fellow female entrepreneurs. She is a mother of seven.
More From Sharene Lee
Business News
The Startup Rollercoaster: An Entrepreneurial Story; From Inception To Exit
Melltoo co-founder Sharene Lee reflects on her entrepreneurial journey, all the way from its inception to its recent acquisition by UAE-based reverse logistics platform Cartlow.
Business News
How To Create An Effective Advisory Board
To get the most out of mentorship, startups should formalize these relationships into advisory roles compensated with equity in the company.
Business News
Crowdsourcing Customer Acquisition: A Cost-Effective Way To Gain Customers For Your Startup
For most early-stage startups, such as Melltoo, devoting resources to brand marketing is a luxury we cannot yet afford.
Business News
How Our Startup Is Stepping Forward On The Path To Revenue
Selling on Melltoo begins with taking pictures of your stuff and posting them on the app. In a matter of seconds, your ad is live.
Business News
Married To The (Startup) Mob: Couples As Co-Founders
In the MENA region, women account for 35% of all startups, and married co-founding couples are the new demographic to watch.
Business News
Seeing Dollar Signs: My Startup Got Funded In Dubai… And It Was Much Harder Than You’d Think
Raising funds is something almost every startup has to contend with at some time. Even a successful and profitable startup needs to raise funds to grow faster than what their revenue would allow.
Business News
Keeping ‘Treps In Post Secondary: How Colleges Can Stay Relevant In Today’s Startup World
In the Gulf, governments are anxious to encourage and foster entrepreneurship, but colleges are struggling to keep up. Melltoo co-founder Sharene Lee explains what colleges in the region can do to stay relevant in today's startup world.
Business News
Bootstrapping Startups In Dubai
The co-founders of Melltoo, a social network for buyers and sellers in the UAE, share their tips on how to start up in Dubai for cheap.
