Qadreya Al Awadhi

Bumblebee

: Founder & CEO

Qadreya Al Awadhi is the 27-year-old Emirati Founder and CEO of Bumblebee, a homegrown business of ready-made frozen meal plans for babies and toddlers, and has been selected to be part of a United Nations Women’s Program.

The idea of her business began when she babysat her friend’s son who was being weaned and realized they couldn’t find any healthy or nutritious meals for him at the supermarket or local grocery. The only options available at the time were meals that lacked flavour, colour, and nutrition. Qadreya identified this gap in the market and was determined to help mothers provide a healthy alternative for their babies. Thus, was born Bumblebee, a baby meal plan catering to the needs of new parents providing nutritious and delicious meals for babies and toddlers.

With a mission to ensure babies develop a healthy and sustainable relationship with food, Qadreya kickstarted her business with an initial self-investment of AED 150K. In order to understand a meal’s macronutrients and nutritional value, she onboarded a pediatric nutritionist and a chef to help develop a menu selection to suit a child’s dietary standards. By utilizing natural and high-quality ingredients, they developed recipes that were not only nutritive but also delicious. All of Bumblebee’s meals are cooked from scratch, including the sauces, and offer various new flavours and textures for every meal.

Born and raised in Dubai, Qadreya studied Finance at Zayed University followed by a master’s from The University of Wollongong in International Business. She currently also manages a full-time job working with one of the biggest financial institutions in the world.

Qadreya is passionate about voluntary work to help and educate young people, especially in the financial field, and has successfully won multiple awards for her company. She also received a certification in culinary school before establishing Bumblebee.

Qadreya would be open to speak about the following topics: