The Growth Strategist: Candice El Khoury on Scaling Tech Ventures and Empowering Women in LeadershipThe science and technology industry is revolutionizing the way people live and work, bringing groundbreaking advancements in health tech, fintech, e-commerce, and Web3. Leaders in this space are dedicated to improving healthcare access, streamlining financial services, and enhancing digital experiences, all while developing innovative products, forging strategic partnerships, and addressing real-world challenges. By staying ahead of trends and pushing the boundaries of technology, they are shaping a future where innovation is more accessible and impactful for everyone.
Candice El Khoury, Chief Growth Officer at Medad Holding, has played a key role in the company’s expansion across health tech, fintech, e-commerce, and Web3, driving strategic initiatives, product development, and global market growth. As the Middle East’s top innovator, Medad Holding holds over 560 patents and has earned the highest ranking in the US Patent Office for patents from the region. Its subsidiaries continue to push boundaries – Medad Technology has advanced ultrasonic inhalation technology, Ayshei’s Web3 marketplace is redefining e-commerce and auctions, and Boom Health UAE is enhancing healthcare service facilitation.
Strategic partnerships, including one with Franklin Templeton for a Yieldcoin project under its sub-holding MH3, further strengthen Medad Holding’s position as it leads the way in AI and OTC platform projects. With a culture built on innovation, efficiency, and accountability, the company remains at the forefront of technological advancements across multiple industries.
Building a Career on Merit and Capability
Candice has built her leadership journey in the UAE, a country that has made significant strides in gender equality, creating an environment where women in business are valued and encouraged. In this progressive landscape, she has risen through merit, capability, and strategic vision. While navigating professional challenges—including the dynamics of strong personalities—she has found support and openness within her organization, allowing her to gain the recognition she deserves.
To Candice, strong leadership is about balancing empathy with boldness, fairness with respect, and always working toward a meaningful purpose. Above all, she believes constructive honesty is essential—it builds trust, earns respect, and lays the foundation for lasting success, whether within teams or across entire industries.
For her, feminism is about orchestrating strength and vulnerability in harmony—striving for more, achieving success, and staying true to oneself with authenticity and passion. It’s about balancing power with empathy and ambition with sincerity. However, she has never seen gender as the main challenge in her career. Instead, her focus has always been on driving business growth, supporting innovation, and delivering real results in a fast-paced market.
Beyond her success, Candice El Khoury is committed to empowering the next generation of women leaders. She actively mentors and supports women, ensuring they have the encouragement and opportunities to step into leadership roles and thrive in their journeys.
Self-Belief and Growth
Candice El Khoury encourages aspiring women entrepreneurs to let go of fear, as it often holds them back from reaching their full potential. Whether in a corporate role or running a business, she believes that setbacks and failures are part of the journey and should be embraced with confidence. Instead of dwelling on uncertainties, she urges women to trust their abilities, focus on self-improvement, and take bold steps forward.
This perspective was reinforced during a leadership course in Italy, where participants were asked a simple yet profound question: “Draw what or who inspires you.” While others depicted mentors, icons, or pivotal life moments, Candice sketched an imperfect reflection of herself in a mirror—a powerful representation of her belief that personal growth is the greatest source of inspiration.
Rather than seeking validation through comparison, she believes that success comes from striving to become a better version of oneself every day. To Candice El Khoury, true achievement lies in self-awareness, continuous improvement, and unlocking one’s full potential. She carries this philosophy into both her personal and professional life, cultivating a culture where individuals are empowered to evolve, take ownership of their growth, and lead with authenticity.
From Challenge to Opportunity
Medad Holding is part of Al Hail Holding, a group with a strong portfolio of successful businesses. While these businesses are stable, they are not mainly focused on technology. Medad Holding is working to change that by shifting towards a more tech-driven approach. This means balancing business growth with long-term investment in innovation. Since developing new technology takes time—especially in complex industries—the process requires patience and persistence.
Despite these challenges, the journey has been rewarding and full of learning experiences. The company has worked on strengthening its operations with clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and improving efficiency. Along the way, it has built a strong company culture and brought together a talented team focused on creating real value in every venture.
Shaping the Future Through Science & Technology
Medad Holding is at the forefront of technological innovation, harnessing the power of science and cutting-edge advancements to redefine industries and create meaningful value. As a leader in venture capital expansion, the company strategically invests in disruptive technologies across multiple sectors – health tech, fintech, e-commerce, and Web3. Through its subsidiaries, Medad Holding drives impactful solutions that transform businesses, improve efficiency, and contribute to a more connected world.
The company’s efforts are guided by its:
| Vision: Harness science and technology to create value for stakeholders and contribute to a better future. | Mission: Lead as a global innovator, delivering impactful solutions and driving progress. |
Strategic Growth
Taking a company to the next level in products and services requires strategic foresight, market analysis, and continuous innovation. Medad Holding prioritizes customer feedback and industry trends, constantly monitoring the market to identify emerging opportunities and unmet needs. Data analytics plays a key role in decision-making, helping to optimize performance and understand market behaviors to ensure targeted and effective solutions. The company also invests heavily in research, development, and technology to stay ahead of the curve. By evaluating existing offerings, refining them based on evolving demands, and exploring innovative solutions, Medad Holding aligns its growth with a long-term vision for sustained success.
Innovation at the Core
Medad Holding ensures its services align with evolving customer demands by prioritizing innovation, research and development, and continuous market analysis. Medad Technology, for instance, is built entirely on innovation, tackling challenges in inhalation technology that others have struggled to solve. Boom Health is designed to be flexible and scalable, developing digital solutions for B2B and B2G projects while continuously refining its app to keep up with the latest technological and healthcare advancements. Ayshei offers a unique auction experience, providing a differentiated platform that adapts to the shifting digital landscape.
Meanwhile, MH3 focuses on the future, driving Web3 and AI solutions that push the boundaries of innovation. By maintaining a strong pipeline of adaptable and forward-thinking projects, Medad Holding remains at the forefront of technological advancements, consistently meeting the evolving needs of its customers.
Pushing Boundaries
Medad Holding has a diverse portfolio of innovative ventures focused on technology, healthcare, and digital solutions:
- Medad Technology: A health tech pioneer in ultrasonic inhalation technology with 560+ patents, ranking first in the US for Middle Eastern patents. Key products include an ultrasonic e-cigarette, NRT solution, and smart inhaler for personalized drug delivery.
- Ayshei.com: A Web3-powered marketplace offering auction solutions and upcoming features like Ayshei Business.
- Boom Health UAE: A healthcare platform connecting individuals to in-home care while partnering with businesses and governments to enhance healthcare management.
- Emerging Platforms: Ongoing projects in crowdfunding, job marketplaces, and digital innovation.
- MH3 (Web3 & AI Division): Spearheading projects like Yieldcoin with Franklin Templeton, an AI lab, and an upcoming OTC trading platform.
Optimizing Operations
Technology is at the core of modern business, playing a vital role in building strong and scalable infrastructures that support Medad Holding’s products and services. Candice El Khoury leverages technology to develop advanced backend systems, streamline operations, and enhance user experiences. Beyond product development, technology is integrated into marketing strategies, utilizing analytics tools and automation to improve efficiency and optimize performance. From operations to customer engagement, it is embedded in every aspect of Medad Holding’s business, helping the company stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
A Commitment to Excellence
Candice El Khoury leads the company’s strategic growth across multiple sectors, overseeing product strategy, development, brand positioning, and commercialization efforts to ensure success in both local and global markets. She plays a pivotal role in navigating the complexities of Medad Technology, where developing a revolutionary ultrasonic inhalation delivery system requires cutting-edge R&D, regulatory alignment, and market adoption strategies.
With Ayshei, she leads commercialization strategies in a highly competitive and advanced market, ensuring the platform differentiates itself and achieves scalable traction. At Boom Health, she drives both brand and product strategies, positioning it as a key player within the healthcare and wellness space, while forging critical B2B and B2G partnerships.
Beyond these ventures, Candice El Khoury is deeply involved in early-stage startups, mapping out everything from ideation to feasibility, market validation, and go-to-market strategies. She also manages expansion initiatives and builds strategic partnerships to drive sustainable business growth. Alongside her work with startups, she provides guidance and support to established businesses within the company’s broader group, shaping their growth trajectories and ensuring long-term impact.
A key achievement in her career has been building products and brands from the ground up and managing their development across various aspects:
- Navigate regulations, market research, and go-to-market strategies for growth.
- Oversees financial expansion, creative processes, and marketing for strong brand positioning.
- Gains fulfillment scaling initiatives in FMCG and tech, showcasing expertise.
- Reaching a C-level role demonstrates integrity, perseverance, and success in dynamic environments.
Family-Like Team
Candice El Khoury believes that her team is an extension of herself and deeply values their well-being and success. Rather than managing people in a traditional sense, she cultivates a culture where individuals take ownership, driven by shared values and intrinsic motivation rather than obligation. Her approach to reverse empowerment creates an environment where team members maneuver tasks with the same intent, vision, and passion she holds because they believe in the mission, not because they have to.
She prioritizes accountability, seeing it as essential to achieving the best outcomes for both the team and the business. Her leadership style is built on trust, autonomy, and inspiration, creating a culture that balances kindness with accountability, flexibility with organization, and integrity with dedication. By emphasizing efficiency and cost-effective operations, she ensures that the team maximizes its impact while continuously growing and delivering meaningful results.
Recharging Through Passion
Candice El Khoury acknowledges that achieving a perfect work-life balance isn’t always possible. Some days, she feels like she can juggle everything effortlessly, while on others, she simply needs to rest and recharge. However, she makes a conscious effort to maintain balance by engaging in therapeutic activities. Painting is a form of therapy and an essential part of her life, as she expresses herself through abstract art. She also enjoys writing and collecting poems and thoughts. In addition, regular workouts help her stay physically and mentally strong. By staying consistent with her hobbies, she prioritizes her well-being and personal growth.
