Barbara Scheck, Clinical Associate Professor of Management with Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi

Barbara Constance Scheck, NYUAD Social Science

Barbara Scheck is a Clinical Associate Professor of Management with Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi and the co-founder of the European Center for Social Finance, a think tank and advisory for impact investors and banks across Europe.

Scheck’s interests lie in the intersection of business, society, and the public sector. In her work and teaching, this translates into the topic of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance, specifically social enterprises and their funding.

At Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi, Scheck teaches an applied course, the Stern Signature Project, in which students act as problem-solvers for companies in the UAE.

To Scheck, empowerment means the freedom to determine her own choices - personally as well as professionally. “Within my wider community, I have a voice, and I can positively influence social change for myself and others,” Scheck explained.

Women should work together, support, encourage, and promote each other. “It does not take away from you or diminish your power when you support another woman. In my experience, it has been quite the opposite,” Scheck said. Women can further foster a sense of personal empowerment by sharing knowledge and experiences with other women, or by actively creating opportunities for them, recommending them for projects, public appearances, or promotions, Scheck explained.

Scheck previously taught an undergraduate course at NYUAD titled Developing Women Leaders, where students learn specific leadership skills, meet role models, and workshop their dreams, skills, and personalities. One participant later told Scheck that the class had given her the confidence to look for, and secure, an internship in London.

Scheck also facilitated StartAD’s Emirati Women Achievers program for entrepreneurs, alongside others in leadership and entrepreneurship positions. “Experiences like that, through my work and skills, feels like the embodiment of empowerment and gives purpose to my professional life,” Scheck said.

While mentorship and role models are crucial in professional and personal settings, it is important to surround yourself with other empowering women. “You can't be what you can't see - and seeing others succeeding on their journey can give you a lot of motivation and confidence that you can do so too.”