Co-Founder & CEO of Oreyeon

From reimagining airport safety to building AI-driven solutions for complex, high-stakes environments, Ziad Jreijiri’s journey since graduating from the LebNet Ignite program reflects the power of purpose-driven innovation. As Co-Founder and CEO of Oreyeon, Ziad is leading the development of a modern, low-impact, and cost-effective approach to airfield safety and security, leveraging artificial intelligence to reduce human error and improve operational awareness. In this alumni spotlight, we catch up with Ziad to reflect on his Ignite experience, the role of the Lebanese tech diaspora in his journey, and what lies ahead for Oreyeon.

At a Glance

Founder: Ziad Jreijiri

Company: Oreyeon

Role: Co-Founder & CEO

Industry: Aviation / AI / Safety Tech

LebNet Connection: LebNet Ignite Alum

Building Technology for One of Aviation’s Most Overlooked Risks

As an aerospace engineer, Ziad Jreijiri was repeatedly struck by how far behind the aviation industry remained in adopting new technologies. While the reasons were understandable in such a high-stakes and heavily regulated field, he saw an opportunity to build something meaningful in a space where innovation could have a direct operational and safety impact.

That vision eventually led to Oreyeon, a company focused on airside airport operations, where foreign object debris, or FOD, remains a silent but serious threat on runways. Despite the fact that airports conduct regulated inspections, the problem continues to cost the industry an estimated $23 billion each year. For Ziad, that gap between risk and response became the starting point for building a smarter, more modern solution.

A few months after launching Oreyeon, the world was hit by COVID-19. While the pandemic disrupted industries globally, it also accelerated structural change in aviation and created a moment of openness to technology that had previously been difficult to access.

Innovating in a Highly Regulated Environment

Building in aviation comes with a unique set of challenges. Airports are not traditionally startup-friendly environments, nor are they always attractive to venture capital, particularly when regulations, compliance requirements, and long adoption cycles shape the market.

For Oreyeon, that meant finding ways to build technology from the ground up that could either meet existing standards or work around barriers without compromising safety or value. As Ziad puts it, regulations can either act as a handbook for how to build or a barrier, depending on where you stand.

Beyond regulation itself, one of the biggest hurdles was helping decision-makers inside airports fully understand the value of data-driven and automated technology. Yet the pandemic also changed the conversation. In its aftermath, there has been a broader awareness across the industry that technology is not simply an operational enhancement, but an essential part of how airports can remain resilient in the face of future crises.

“Regulations are either a handbook on how to build, or a barrier, depending on where you sit.”

The LebNet Ignite Experience and the Power of Early Exposure

For Ziad, LebNet Ignite played a key role at a formative stage of Oreyeon’s journey. That opportunity was made possible through the early support of Speed, a Beirut-based tech accelerator and Oreyeon’s first investor, which backed the company early and sponsored its participation in the program. Speed has also helped prepare several startups for global exposure through LebNet Ignite.

Because the company was building in a niche that was far from common in the Middle East, the exposure that came through the program was especially valuable in the early days. Spending time in Silicon Valley and engaging with successful members of the Lebanese community gave him access not only to networks, but also to the kind of practical perspective and founder insight that can shape a company’s trajectory. He describes the experience as an injection of diverse knowledge at exactly the right time.

That impact extended well beyond the program itself. Through LebNet, Oreyeon was connected to Draper University, which Ziad describes as part of a broader “butterfly effect” that eventually helped the company land its first contract with the Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Navy. Some of the people he met during that period continue to mentor him today, and he sees those relationships as part of the reason Oreyeon was able to keep growing. Beyond the opportunities themselves, he also speaks warmly about the people behind the network, describing the LebNet community as genuinely kind and generous.

“LebNet helped us a lot. Through them, we got to Draper University and then, through the butterfly effect, landed our first contract with the Defense Innovation Unit and the Navy. Genuinely kind and generous people.”

Building with a Lebanese Mindset

As a Lebanese founder in the diaspora, Ziad sees his background as a defining part of how he approaches entrepreneurship. He describes the Lebanese experience as one that makes people comfortable with chaos, a quality that often becomes essential when building a company in uncertain conditions.

That mindset, he believes, was central to Oreyeon’s ability to survive first the economic crisis and then the global shock of COVID-19. But the influence of the Lebanese identity goes beyond resilience alone. It also shows up in the role of community, shared purpose, and the ability to keep moving forward even in difficult circumstances.

For Ziad, the Lebanese tech diaspora has been a backbone throughout the journey, offering mentorship, connection, and a sense of belonging. Just as importantly, he believes there is something deeply Lebanese about finding meaning in the process itself, not just in the outcome.

“I build with a mindset shaped by the Lebanese experience: comfortable with chaos, a prerequisite to being a founder.”

Looking Ahead: A Massive Shift in Aviation

When asked about the future, Ziad speaks about Oreyeon’s work as sitting at the intersection of two powerful forces: an industry that has looked and felt the same for decades, and a technology, computer vision, that is unlocking capabilities the sector has never fully had before.

That combination makes the future feel unusually open. For him, there is no clear ceiling to what can be built in this space, and that is exactly what makes it exciting.

His advice to founders building in complex, high-impact sectors is equally direct. Not all advice should be treated the same. Before taking guidance at face value, he believes founders should ask whether the person giving it has context, incentive, and skin in the game. If any of those are missing, the advice should be discounted, no matter who it comes from.

“Always check if the provider of the advice has context, incentive, and skin in the game. If any is missing, take it with a knockdown factor.”

Closing Reflection

Ziad Jreijiri’s journey reflects the kind of founder LebNet Ignite aims to support: ambitious, resilient, and committed to building solutions with real-world impact. From tackling one of aviation’s most overlooked safety challenges to navigating a highly regulated sector with an AI-driven approach, his story shows what it means to build boldly in a complex industry. It is also a reminder of the powerful role that mentorship, community, and the Lebanese tech diaspora can play in helping founders turn difficult environments into spaces for innovation.

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