Hend Riad, co-founder of Reform studio.

Launching with initial boost by Egyptian accelerator Flat6Labs, Riad and her partner Mariam Hazem turned a university project into a profitable business that not only pushes the boundaries of statement furniture, but also offers a sustainable solution to the problem of plastic waste in Cairo. What started out as a simple university initiative expanded into a design studio, which was awarded in 2013 in Milan. The entrepreneurs have also opened their own workshop, where they work in partnership with NGOs to collect plastic bags for re-use. "Plastic bags are the second most wasted material in Egypt and it takes a thousand years for a plastic bag to degrade," they said in an interview . The winner of international awards, their designs are responsible products that benefit the environment, have a positive impact on the society, and satisfy a user need.