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Ramadan Top 30 Illuminator: Yasmine Mustafa

Each Ramadan, Hayat Life honors 30 extraordinary Cultural Muslims who have been an integral part of shaping and improving our society in the last year, unveiling one Ramadan Top 30 Illuminator each day of the holiday. Some are global pop cultural icons, while others are unsung heroes making extraordinary contributions outside the limelight.

As we approach the end of a harrowing pandemic, we at Hayat salute those innovators these Illuminators who have provided much-needed sparks of light during a dark and difficult time.

In that spirit, we are honored to present:

Yasmine Mustafa: “Roar for Good” Refugee Founder Designs Wearable Panic Button to Protect Women

A refugee from Kuwait of Palestinian heritage, Yasmine Mustafa lived in the US undocumented for a decade before eventually becoming a citizen. The serial entrepreneur celebrated by taking her passport on a solo adventure through South America. There, she was struck by the number of women she spoke to who had experienced sexual harassment and violence while traveling.

After returning home, Mustafa founded the Philadelphia-based start-up ROAR for Good to produce “AlwaysOn” workplace panic buttons for women working in housekeeping and hospitality. Last month, ROAR for Good closed a funding round that will enable them to branch out into more markets.

Hayat spoke with Mustafa about the future of ROAR for Good, working in the intersection of tech and business, and more.

Yasmine Mustafa founded ROAR for Good to protect women

Traveling in South America, Mustafa heard countless stories of sexual harassment and violence from fellow female travelers. Shortly after she returned home, her neighbor was sexually assaulted. These events culminated in a desire to help women protect themselves.

So, Mustafa founded ROAR for Good. After tossing around a few ideas – including a pepper spray bracelet – ROAR settled on the “AlwaysOn” button. The small, versatile, wearable device can call for help with the press of a button. It then sends the wearer’s location to security, managers, or whoever else receives the alerts.

Yasmine Mustafa talks tech and equality

In addition to her work as founder and CEO of ROAR, Mustafa has involved herself in several other tech-focused projects.

“It’s a little funny, because I don’t code,” she explains. “But I’m involved in ROAR for Good, Girl Code It, and Coded By Kids. Because I believe in the birth lottery. That means we don’t control where we’re born, the circumstances we’re born into, but for me me technology and education can provide access as a pathway to allow someone to change their life.”

Mustafa goes on to explain how she sees tech, especially coding, as a potential equalizer. “Coded By Kids is a way to get kids get into tech, it’s mostly kids of color and kids living in poverty. It’s also a way for them to see it as a viable career path.”

She adds that she hopes to see these kinds of programs offer more economic empowerment for impoverished communities.

The future of ROAR for Good

ROAR has focused its efforts in hotels up until now. “US hotels are committed to having location-based panic buttons in locations,” Mustafa explains. These commitments come from changing local and state laws, unions, and increasingly the hotel brands themselves putting the safety of their workers at the forefront.

However, with another round of funding under their belt, ROAR is also looking to branch out. Mustafa has set up a pilot program for bringing AlwaysOn into the healthcare industry, noting that nurses and hospital workers face some of the most difficult conditions. “People spit on them, attack them—they’re seeing people at their worst,” Mustafa explains.

But with ROAR for Good, she also hopes to see these working conditions improve, offering peace of mind to workers around the world. As she says in her TedTalk, “No one should be afraid while trying to earn a living wage.”

 

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