Iman Oubou

Iman Oubou is a Moroccan-American entrepreneur, beauty pageant winner, author, and keynote speaker covering topics at the intersection of content marketing, strategy and GenAI. She is widely acknowledged as first being the founder and visionary behind SWAAY Media, a mediatech platform dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices through storytelling and content creation.
She’s also advised and consulted many startups on their content strategy and execution and led GenAI workshops and sessions at MindValley, Mercedes, and ImpactAI before launching building another venture and launching her second company, Vocable.ai, where she leveraged all her learnings, expertise, and network in the content and marketing space as well as her deep knowledge and experience in GenAI to build an AI-powered content marketing Saas platform, designed to streamline and automate the content development cycle for creators and teams.
Having claimed the title of Miss New York US in 2015 and achieving the 2nd runner-up position at the Miss United States pageant, Oubou is also recognized for her involvement in beauty pageants and was part of numerous judge panels including Miss New York USA, Miss New Jersey USA, Miss Earth USA, and the first ever female judge panel at Miss Universe 2018.
Oubou is sought-after as a keynote speaker and spoke at various conferences and corporate events including Harvard Women in Business, MIT Stem Conference, Forbes Content Marketing Summit, Mindvalley University, Mercedes-Benz, Unilever, Benefit Cosmetics, Nissan Women in Circle, TBWA Disruptor series, to name a few.
In 2022, Oubou authored her debut self-help book, "The Glass Ledge: How to Breakthrough Self-Sabotage, Embrace Your Power, and Create Your Success." where she shares her vulnerable struggles and journey of going from an immigrant teenager from Morocco to finding her voice and building a strong personal brand across different industries, while staying authentic and true to her purpose.
Her contributions have garnered recognition from reputable publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Inc., Fortune, Vogue Arabia, and The Huffington Post, etc.
==Early life and education==
Oubou was born and raised in Morocco before relocating to the United States at age 15. Despite facing challenges, she excelled academically. She graduated from Colorado State University with degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, then joined a Master's program in bioengineering at the University of Colorado Denver.
==Career==
===Research Scientist===
Following her education, Oubou became a published cancer research scientist and engaged in medical missions with 'Mission To Heal,' aiding underserved communities in South Sudan, Kenya, Ecuador, and her native Morocco. In 2013, she moved to New York, working as a science communication specialist for pharmaceutical and startup biotech companies.
===Beauty Pageant Winner===
Oubou's career took an unexpected turn when she participated in a beauty pageant at her mother's encouragement. This decision resulted in her winning the title of Miss New York in 2015 and achieving the 2nd runner-up position at the Miss United States pageant.
Oubou launched the podcast "Women Who SWAAY," which later evolved into the prominent media platform SWAAY Media. The podcast spotlighted the career paths of accomplished female leaders, celebrating their accomplishments and multifaceted stories. Notably, the podcast gained recognition, achieving a high iTunes ranking of #2 and being acknowledged as one of the top five podcasts for women entrepreneurs by Inc. Magazine.
===SWAAY: Empowering Women's Voices===
In 2017, Oubou established SWAAY Media, assuming the roles of founder and CEO. Her leadership has been instrumental in leading SWAAY Media as a platform for women's voices and fostering the advancement of female thought leadership. The platform offers editorial guidance, writing support, and a supportive community for women. SWAAY is a media technology platform that equips underrepresented voices and thought leaders with content creation assistance and editorial tools. This comprehensive publishing platform amplifies the voices of women who are driving change through compelling storytelling.
===Vocable.ai: AI-powered content marketing Saas===
In 2023, after immersing herself in the world of GenAI and teaching many workshops on the power of GenAI models in the content creation process, Oubou joined forces with her brother, Adil, to co-found and build a Saas platform (www.vocable.ai) that leveraged the latest advancements in GenAI to power and streamline content marketing processes for creators and teams.
Oubou actively engages as a keynote speaker at esteemed conferences, such as the Harvard Women In Business Conference and the MIT STEM Conference. She also shares her insights at corporate events hosted by entities including Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Benefit Cosmetics, and Unilever.
Additionally, Oubou has launched a skincare line called Moroccan Heritage and authored her debut book, "The Glass Ledge: How to Breakthrough Self-Sabotage, Embrace Your Power, and Create Your Success." This book challenges societal norms and guides women toward success by embracing authenticity, vulnerability, and empowerment. Oubou's influence also extends to initiatives like the "Pitch Academy" series, designed to empower female entrepreneurs by imparting the skills of pitching ideas effectively.
Her multifaceted impact and expertise have garnered her recognition in respected publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Inc., Fortune, Vogue Arabia, and The Huffington Post.
==Awards and recognitions==
* She was crowned Miss New York 2015 and 2nd Runner Up at the 2015 Miss United States pageant.
* Named CIO’s number one "Female Entrepreneur to Watch" in 2018.
* Winner of the top investment prize at the Million Dollar Women Summit's focal pitch contest.
* Recognized as the "Face of Morocco" or "Visage Du Maroc" in 2018.
* Recipient of the "International Women Advocate of the Year Award 2019" at the Xpedition Annual Gala Awards, Dubai.
* Part of the historic first-ever all-female judge panel at the Miss Universe Competition in 2018.
* Keynote Speaker at Harvard Women in Business
==Bibliography==
* The Glass Ledge: How to Breakthrough Self-Sabotage, Embrace Your Power, and Create Your Success (2022)
==In the media==
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==References==
==External links==
* SWAAY Media
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Category:American businesspeople
Category:American scientists
Category:American beauty pageant winners
Category:American authors
Category:Keynote Speakers
Category:Colorado State University alumni