On March 20, LebNet’s Early in Career community hosted an engaging webinar on entrepreneurship, featuring Lebanese technology professionals who shared their experiences, challenges, and insights into launching and scaling startups.

Key Highlights

The event opened with a warm welcome, acknowledging the panelists, moderator, and attendees. The host introduced LebNet’s mission, highlighting its 25-year journey in building a thriving community that supports Lebanese professionals in technology.

Panel Discussion: From Idea to Startup

Moderated by Karim Tabaja, the discussion featured insights from four successful Lebanese entrepreneurs:

• Patrick Obeid – Co-founder of Tracera, focused on ESG reporting

• Aceil Halabi – Co-founder of Bloomer Tech, leveraging AI for women’s healthcare

• Alice Nawfal – Co-founder of Notabene, a fintech compliance platform

• Anthony Tayoun – Co-founder of Dexai Robotics, a startup serving the food industry

Key Insights from the Panelists

• Aceil Halabi: Inspired by personal family health challenges, she founded Bloomer Tech to improve cardiovascular health solutions for women

• Alice Nawfal: Emphasized optimism and resilience, noting that early-stage entrepreneurs often don’t realize the challenges ahead

• Patrick Obeid: Transitioned from consulting to entrepreneurship building on his passion for sustainability

• Anthony Tayoun: Highlighted the critical role of customer feedback in refining product development

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

Building a Strong Foundation

✅ Idea Validation – Conduct customer interviews to assess market demand
✅ Building an MVP – Start with a simple prototype before full-scale development

Mindset & Resilience

✅ Iterative Process – Entrepreneurship is non-linear—adapt, persist, and refine
✅ Focusing on Inputs – Control what you can; don’t stress over uncertain outcomes
✅ Emotional Flexibility – Adjust to different situations, from pitching to leading a team
✅ Celebrating Small Wins – Acknowledge milestones to maintain motivation

Giving Back to the Community

The panelists emphasized the importance of supporting Lebanese talent by:

• Hiring and mentoring individuals from Lebanon
• Utilizing Lebanese resources for business operations
• Engaging in entrepreneurial initiatives to foster growth and funding opportunities

Gratitude

A huge thank you to our panelists for generously sharing their expertise and time with the LebNet community. We’d also like to express our gratitude to LebNet’s Early in Career community and Karim Tabaja for hosting this insightful discussion. The webinar offered invaluable strategies for navigating the early stages of entrepreneurship, highlighting the power of community, mentorship, and resilience in building successful businesses

You can catch a recording of the full event here.

Stay connected with LebNet for more opportunities to engage with Lebanese entrepreneurs and industry leaders!