Ramez Maher

Ramez Amasis Maher is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Helm Foundation, a pioneering non-profit organization focused on empowering persons with disabilities and breaking down barriers to their full participation in all aspects of life. Helm, which translates to "dream" in English, has experienced exponential growth under Ramez's leadership, engaging over 20 million community members and providing support to more than 5,000 persons with disabilities.

In recognition of Helm's groundbreaking work, the organization was awarded a top 10 business hero award in Africa in 2023 from more than 22,000 companies participating in the prestigious African Business Heroes competition. This accolade builds upon Helm's previous successes, including being named "Best" by the Zero Project at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna for three years from 2017,2018 and 2020 for its employment, accessibility, and training practices. 

Ramez's own achievements have also been widely recognized. In 2019, he was selected as one of the American University in Cairo's Alumni of the Century, and in 2016, he was certified by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in "Improvement of Accessibility of Social Inclusion – Barrier Free Environment." Additionally, Ramez was awarded the Total Start-Upper of the Year for Helm Consulting in 2016, a company he co-founded with Amena El Saie in December 2016, which has since served over 300 companies in Egypt, helping them become more inclusive.

Ramez's commitment to driving systemic change extends beyond Helm's direct initiatives. From 2017 to 2021, he oversaw the establishment and enhancement of Disability Service Center Units in five of the largest public universities in Egypt, including Ain Shams University and Cairo University. This project has now been extended until 2025 to cover all public universities across the country.

Ramez's expertise and leadership in the field of disability inclusion have also been recognized by the International Labor Organization (ILO), which certified him as an Elite Disability Equality Facilitator in 2015. Since then, he has been personally coaching 20+ directors and vice directors in career centers of public universities in Egypt on disability-related topics.

Academically, Ramez holds a Bachelor's degree with high honors in Integrated Marketing Communications with a Minor in Anthropology from the American University in Cairo, and he is currently enrolled in a Master's program in Public Policy, which he began in 2023.