Entrepreneurs from Syria, Libya, Iraq, Gaza participate in Israeli program to develop startups and social initiatives
A group of young entrepreneurs from Arab countries is participating in weekly zoom meetings as part of a unique Israeli program for the development of startups and social initiatives.
Anti BDS Hackathon 2017 in Haifa’s Technion Israel Institute of Technology. Hackathon is a design sprint-like event in which computer programmers collaborate intensively on software projects, the goal is to create usable software. The Anti-BDS Hackathon participants were presented with the challenge of creating an app to dispel myths about Israel. Mar 23, 2017. Photo by Adi Gefen/TPS
The group includes young men and women from Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority (PA), who promote high-tech projects and receive training and practical tools on how to realize their dreams in meetings hosted by leading figures in the Israeli innovation industry.
This multicultural and inter-sectorial program is the first of its kind and aims to make the entrance to the ecosystem of the Israeli start-up nation accessible.
Among the projects promoted under the program: an organization that promotes acceptance of youth and adults towards LGBTQ+ people in Arab countries, an organization connecting children from different ethnic backgrounds to encourage social diversity, and a site establishing a regional nature museum.
The training is shared by Israelis and people from the PA.
Some 40% of the program participants are women.
The program encompasses all stages of the construction of new ventures, including market research, construction of a plan and business model, development and connection to an array of potential partners and investors in Israel and around the world.
The unique Starting Up Together program is a collaboration between the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, the eBay Israel Development Center, and the Center for Smart Cities at Bar Ilan University and funded by the Edmond de Rothschild Israel Foundation.
TFS
