Teaching Note: A brand at a crossroads: Creativito’s journey from survival to significance Available to Purchase

Miray Rashad Barsoum is based at UGSM-Monarch Business School Switzerland GmbH, Hagendorn-Zug, Switzerland. Miray Rashad Barsoum is a pracademic specializing in entrepreneurship, strategic marketing and higher education. She serves as dean of educational development at Monarch Business School, Switzerland, where she leads curriculum design and academic development. She also serves as senior director of ecosystem development and director of general educational requirements at Zewail City of Science and Technology, Egypt. She is a professor of entrepreneurship and strategic marketing at Monarch Business School, an adjunct professor at Acacia University (USA) and a visiting professor at STADIO Higher Education (South Africa). She also holds adjunct faculty roles at Nile University, Zewail City, ESLSCA and the American University in Cairo. Miray serves as an associate editor at the Emerging Markets Case Studies (EMCS) journal and is a reviewer for leading international journals. Her work bridges academic research and applied ecosystem development, with a focus on entrepreneurship in emerging markets. Her PhD research at Monarch Business School led to the development of the WEMPOWERMENT model for women entrepreneurs in developing economies. This model underpins several initiatives she leads and contributes to, including her role as a founding member of the Women Entrepreneurs Network (WEN) and an Advisory Board Member of the G100 MSME Wing. She is also actively engaged in global entrepreneurship support through the WEMPOWER program and mentorship initiatives with UNESCO, United Leaders Global (ULG), the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) and the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative (AWEC). Miray holds master’s degrees from Maastricht School of Management and the London School of Business & Finance, along with executive certifications from Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. She has received several awards recognizing her contributions to business education, including the ACBSP Student Leadership Award and the Most Impactful Professor Award at Nile University.