Miami, Florida, United States
Dr. Sara Alshareef is the Founder of Solu International, a Saudi-led, Miami-based advisory firm supporting international organizations seeking strategic, culturally grounded entry into the Saudi market. With lived experience across Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Sara advises global partners on engaging the Kingdom with long-term alignment, institutional credibility, and sustainable local value creation. Solu International works selectively with clients, focusing on market entry strategy, soft-landing execution, and high-trust relationship building. Previously, Dr. Alshareef served as a Growth Specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), supporting Florida-based companies in expansion, internationalization, and ecosystem engagement. She continues to advise organizations across multiple sectors on growth strategy, cross-border market entry, and capability building, drawing on a blended background in consulting, policy, and academic research to deliver insight that is both strategic and executable. Dr. Alshareef is a faculty member at Quantic School of Business & Technology and an Affiliate/Adjunct Professor at the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). She holds a Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from Royal Holloway, University of London, with research focused on women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia, daughters in family firms, and sustainability. She publishes articles, book chapters, and case studies and speaks at academic and practitioner forums. She is an Editorial Review Board of leading entrepreneurship journals- Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Entrepreneurship Regional Development, International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Sara is also the Co-Founder of MENAGEN, hosted by Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College for Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC), advancing gender and entrepreneurship research and executive dialogue across the MENA region. Her contributions have been recognized by NASBITE International and the GLOBE Project - Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness
Solu International is a Saudi-led, Miami-based advisory firm advising U.S. companies seeking to enter or expand within the Saudi market, providing curated strategic guidance rooted in cultural intelligence and executive alignment. In today’s global markets, capital flows where trust exists while aligning stakeholders across systems, and converting relationships into durable partnerships. What differentiates Solu International is our role as a strategic communication bridge.
MENAGEN focuses on supporting and enhancing gender and entrepreneurship scholarship in the MENA region. Sponsored by the Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (BGCEL- USA) Babson College, Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (UK) and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship (Saudi Arabia).
- College of Business at FAU -Collaborate with faculty and researchers within the institution on joint research projects. -Write and publish peer-reviewed articles in reputable academic journals, contributing to the field of entrepreneurship, international business, and management -Contribute chapters to textbooks, sharing insights and findings with a broader audience. -Develop and publish case studies that highlight practical applications of research findings or innovative practices the field of entrepreneurship, international business, and management. -Publishing a commentary and offer insights to the academic community as well as practitioners. - Review several journal articles in the filed of entrepreneurship. -Present at regional and international conferences or community events, promoting its research and educational initiatives.
-Create engaging and practical learning experiences that equip students with the essential skills and knowledge in entrepreneurship. This includes developing curricula that blend theoretical concepts with real-world applications, fostering critical thinking, and encouraging innovative problem-solving. -Regularly developing, reviewing and updating content to ensure relevance. This involve incorporating case studies, guest speakers, and experiential learning opportunities to enhance student engagement and understanding. -Guide students through their capstone projects, helping them apply their learning to real entrepreneurial challenges. This involves mentoring them on project planning, execution, and presentation, providing feedback to refine their ideas and strategies, and facilitating connections with industry professionals. -Continuously seek ways to enhance educational processes, whether through adopting new technologies, refining teaching methods, AI integration, improving assessment techniques.
-Liaison with private sectors, universities, colleges, think tanks, chambers of commerce, economic development, and government agencies- supporting clients from the Chilean SBDC Network (SERCOTEC) in navigating the soft-landing process to enter the Florida market in the United States. -Partnership with key stakeholders including banks (lenders), VCs, accelerators, incubators, and tech hubs. - Access to capital assistance. -Consulting business owners in government contracts (APEX), capital access (SBA Loan), commercialization (SBIR/STTR), and international trade. -Developing and delivering entrepreneurship programs and training workshops for business owners across the USA. -Importing/ exporting assistance.