Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy is the deputy chair and teaching professor of the Department of Management at the George Washington University School of Business.
Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy is the Deputy Chair and a Teaching Professor of Management at the George Washington University School of Business, where his work centers on entrepreneurship and humane, innovation-driven management. He also serves as President & CEO of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), the world’s oldest and largest nonprofit devoted to advancing small-business research and practice—a coalition of more than a dozen national organizations represented in over eighty countries. An award-winning author and teacher, he was named GW’s “Most Influential Faculty” in 2019. He pioneered the university’s first courses in Social Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Creativity and is currently the only GW Business faculty member teaching in two nationally ranked programs, continually balancing tradition with modernization in his pedagogy.
Dr. El Tarabishy is widely recognized for leading the creation and global promotion of the United Nations Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSME) Day. Working closely with the Permanent Mission of Argentina, he advanced a resolution—co-sponsored by 54 countries and representing 5.5 billion people—that the UN General Assembly approved, officially designating June 27 as UN MSME Day. In addition, he created and manages the Global Entrepreneurship Research and Policy Conference (GWOctober.org), hosted by George Washington University, which brings cutting-edge entrepreneurial research together with urgent national and international policy discussions to strengthen MSME ecosystems. Through these academic, policy, and convening roles, Dr. El Tarabishy continues to elevate the global conversation on entrepreneurship and the practical supports that help small businesses thrive.
Remembered as one of his greatest achievements, Dr. El Tarabishy played a central role in the creation and promotion of the United Nations Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day. Recognized by the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations, this Name Day is designated on specific dates to mark particular events or topics, in order to consciously and actively promote the objectives of the organization. With his novel idea, Dr. El Tarabishy managed to work closely with the Permanent Mission of Argentina to propose a resolution to dedicate a United Nations International Name Day to MSMEs. Approved by the United Nations General Assembly, the proposal was presented by the Permanent Mission of Argentina and 54 countries; thus, 5.5 billion people acted as co-signers of this resolution.
From that day forward, June 27th has been recognized as the official UN MSME Day.
Dr. El Tarabishy created and managed the Global Entrepreneurship Research and Policy Conference (GWOctober.org), an international conference hosted by George Washington University. This conference combines the latest and most cutting-edge entrepreneurial research with the most pressing and important intra- and international policies for the promotion of entrepreneurship and MSMEs. The conference’s modern intersections have brought the conference to high standings in regard to global development.
Having co-written the most downloaded article in 2015-2016, Dr. El Tarabishy’s article on Entrepreneurial Leadership was published in the Journal for Small Business Management. More recently, he has been quoted promoting small business and entrepreneurship through the means of Humane Entrepreneurship for the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations.
Dr. El Tarabishy previously worked for the World Bank’s Corporate Strategy Group. There, he assisted in developing and managing their technological strategy for the Developmental Marketplace Program. This program set out to identify and support the creation of cutting-edge solutions to the world’s most pressing social and economic concerns. To date, the Global Development Marketplace competition has successfully granted over the US $125 million in awards to 650 winning proposals.
While assisting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Dr. El Tarabishy aided in the development of effective methods to engage in business in Egypt. His created program, aimed to promote social development and business, was adopted by the largest U.S. delegation mission to Egypt.
Continuing to consult and conduct executive training for several national and international organizations, Dr. El Tarabishy’s clients include the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank, and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB).
Among Dr. El Tarabishy’s clients have been the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the National Federation of Small Business (NFIB), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the United States Association for Small Business (USASBE).
