Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh, Muhammad Rijal
Age: 26; 24;25
Occupation: Co-founders of The Concept
Nationality: Sri Lankan; Lebanese-Canadian; Indonesian
Residence: U.A.E.
Category: Creative
Mahendran, Sobh, and Rijal co-founded product development and design company The Concept in their senior year of university after winning a competition backed by Emirates Airline. The company has raised around $400,000 in total from companies like Mubadala and ADQ. It has launched its first product and is currently in tender with four airlines for a joint contract value of $10 million. The company has signed a partnership agreement with Etihad Airways to develop a sustainable food tray.