LebNet wishes our members and supporters a happy and successful 2023!  

In this final 2022 newsletter, please find: 

• New Year’s message from LebNet’s new Chairman, Habib Haddad
• 2022 Year in Review Video (embed Link here - link it to the statement before)
• 2022 Bireme Awards Recipients

New Year’s message from LebNet’s new Chairman, Habib Haddad

I am deeply honored to have been elected as the chairman of the board of LebNet. This opportunity is particularly meaningful to me, LebNet had a large role in helping me raise funding for my startup and navigate our exit to Yahoo, so I saw first hand how powerful the network is. Over the last few years, LebNet has expanded and instituted many programs, and now led by our ED, Jeanine Akiki, we are working around the clock to make this growth happen. Dozens of internships were facilitated, 19 startups were supported and ten awards have been celebrated. As LebNet continues to evolve, new board members from a diverse set of industries, geographies, ages and genders have been invited. New chapters have been launched and we are already seeing significant increased engagement from members. I cannot be any more excited to work with such an amazing group of people to serve our community at large. I also want to take the opportunity and thank the past chairpeople, in particular, George Kadifa, as well as past board members. LebNet was born and continues to exist thanks to them.

However, we have some serious challenges ahead of us. As you all know, Lebanon is passing through its most difficult times. In North America, we are expecting more economic turbulence that could lead to layoffs and a tough fundraising time for startups. 

In times like these, being part of a strong community can make all the difference. A strong community, driven by common goals and connected by concrete actions. To create a strong long lasting community with significant impact, we need to think and act big! We are excited for all the plans that we have for this year and would love to invite you to join us! More on that to come soon, but in the meantime please feel free to reach out to Jeanine or me directly, or to your local chapter leader. 

Looking forward to working with you to make LebNet and our community even stronger!

LebNet Congratulates its 2022 Bireme Award Recipients 

Fadel Adib, Lebanese Technologist of the Year 

Fadel is an Associate Professor at MIT and Founder of Cartesian Systems. He is one of the youngest professors to get tenure at MIT. Fadel's groundbreaking work centers around new technologies to interconnect, sense, and perceive the physical world in ways that were not possible before. Get to know him. 

Nadine Hachach-Haram, Entrepreneur of the Year 

Nadine is the CEO and Founder of Proximie and Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Director of Clinical Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She is also Co-Managing Partner of KHP Ventures. In 2016, she founded Proximie; a technology platform that uses a combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence and augmented reality to allow clinicians to virtually ‘scrub in’ and collaborate with each other from anywhere and be accessible to everyone in the world. To date, Proximie supported over 13,000 surgeries, and expanded their global footprint to 100 countries. Watch our interview with her here. 

Please stay tuned to more recipients' announcements in 2023!!