On November 30th, the LebNet Toronto community hosted a webinar titled ‘The Web Journey to Web 3.0’. 

Panelists Marleine Saliba Delaurier, Director at BMO Wealth Management, Chadi Habib, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Business Solutions at WSP, Jamil Mina, Chief Architect at Red Hat and Fadwa Mohanna, CEO at One37 ID discussed the journey of the web from infancy to the emergence of Web 3.0.  This webinar explored the co-existence of Web 2.0 and 3.0, the promise of Web 3.0 and its implication on data ownership, data sharing, privacy, security and trust and its impacts on organizational and societal level. The panel was moderated by Fram Akiki, President at Joun Technologies. 

“Thank you for all the interactions and valuable input and for having us. It is definitely worth a follow-up,” said Mohanna.  “It was fun and informative” added Mina, “Thanks for the great exchange everyone” , commented Habib and “I’m very grateful to be part of this team,” concluded Saliba. 

If you missed the webinar, you can watch it on our YouTube channel by clicking on the below link:

On November 3rd, the LebNet Montreal community hosted an evening of networking to discuss the digital skill gaps and the future of work in the tech industry. The community invited special guests Steve Harvey, Chief Learning Officer at SuccessFinder and Zouheir Mansourati, CTO at Cogeco Communications to weigh in on the subject and share their expertise with a crowd of around 40 people. 

The discussion covered the future of teamwork and collaboration, the investment in upskilling and reskilling the workforce, the adaptability of employees, and turnover challenges. 

“A panel I particularly enjoyed where I had the chance to discuss the future of work and the changing skills with two brilliant minds. Thank you Zouheir Mansourati and Steve Harvey CLO for the gems you shared with us and for engaging beautifully with the audience,” said Rania Afiouni Monla, researcher in job transformation with AI - PhD candidate at McGill University, who moderated the discussion. “Last but certainly not least, thank you IBM for hosting and LebNet for a flawless organization.” 

“It was a pleasure participating in this conversation, and gaining insights from everyone,” added Steve Harvey. 

Participants were equally eager to take part in this event, which marked the first in-person event for the community since the pandemic, and excited to finally meet in person and connect with the community. 

“It was a very interesting session. The panelists brought important insights to the Future of Work, and many interactions with the attendees. Looking forward to your next event,” said Bassem Monla, Practice Leader & AI - Analytics Subject Matter Expert at LGS, an IBM Company. 

“I was happy to attend the panel discussion on ‘the future of work and skills’ which discussed important topics with tremendous value and gave insightful ideas! As well as, an encouragement to invite us to hone our skills over the years & sooner than later, to catch-up with rapidly moving technologies & robotics,” said Lama El-Kouche, Wealth Associate at RBC Dominion Securities. 

We look forward to upcoming events and activities for the community for 2023 so stay tuned to not miss a thing. 

On October 27th, the LebNet Mid Atlantic/DC community hosted its first event. The goal of this activity was to introduce the new steering committee members, meet the community and offer them the chance to mingle and form new connections. (Scroll down for photos)

The evening drew 84 participants from different backgrounds and industries, technology, engineering, health care and more. Thanks to the outdoor patio at Wilson Hardware and the positive vibes, the event was a success. “The vibe was chill and positive and people mingled freely. Several people asked me about upcoming events and fundraisers and some had an interest in mentoring, internships and joining the steering committee,” said Wissam Yafi, founder at TIDWIT and steering committee member. 

“It was a great Event. Positive vibes only. A lot of people asked how they can help the community in future events and Wissam did a great brief explaining LebNet and keeping the audience all ears at all times,” added Jean Claude Dagher, Sales Engineer at FTC & Founder at Munkimedia and steering committee member. 

Special thanks to Wilson Hardware for the beautiful and cozy venue and to Munkimedia for the check-in support. We are also very grateful to our new LebNet Mid Atlantic Leadership team for launching this event and community!  Great things are yet to come!

Excited crowds joined LebNet Pacific Northwest’s first community gathering on October 20th for the chance to meet other fellow Lebanese professionals in the area, network and get a closer look at what plans the community’s steering committee has in place. 

The evening also featured an inspiring talk given by Wissam Tabbara, founder and CEO at Truebase, a B2B sales intelligence platform. Tabbara shared his entrepreneurship journey with an audience of 30 people, explaining how he built and grew three businesses from the ground up and made them successful. 

"What a way to kick off the LebNet PNW community! I want to thank the committee for putting this event together, Wissam Tabbara for sharing his story, and all the attendees for the rich conversations. It was a pleasure to meet all of you and I cannot wait to see you in our future events and collaborate with you on initiatives to support our members,” said Omar Kahil, LebNet PNW Steering Committee Member and Senior Product Manager at Amazon. 

The goal of this newly formed PNW community is to grow the network, create a platform for individuals to share their knowledge and expertise, give back to others and celebrate being Lebanese. This is the first of many events lined up so if you’re living in the area and interested in being part of this growing and vibrant community, or if you’re interested in helping support its mission, connect with us by visiting this page. 

On August 25th, around 40 people gathered outside at the cozy Fieldworking Brewing venue for a vibrant networking session with other fellow Lebanese living in the area. 

The event was organized by the Bay Area steering committee and was very well received and a much needed get-together. 

“Yesterday’s Bay Area Happy Hour event was a refreshing change after COVID-19. I can’t tell you how proud it made us feel that this new generation is energized and self-motivated. As early founders,we were looking at each other feeling reassured that our 23-year old LebNet is in good hands,” said George Akiki, LebNet president. 

This is one of many Bay Area events that the community is planning for its members so if you’re a member of a Lebanese tech professional living in the Bay area or in neighboring areas, do not hesitate to subscribe to LebNet to stay updated about any upcoming events! 

On August 18th, the LebNet New York community ended its three summer community huddle series. The goal of these huddles was to grow the community in New York and neighboring areas, enable partnerships and collaborate on future plans and activities.

Hosted at Vig Bar, the August 18 huddle attracted around 35 participants and many new faces. Although this is the last huddle for this summer, the community has plans for other types of events. If you’re interested in joining their community and receiving their upcoming events, please send an email to [email protected]

On August 8th, the LebNet Arizona community hosted a Dine & Network event at Mijana Lebanese restaurant.

Members and friends living in the area joined for a fun casual dinner to meet the community. Discussions around women in tech and plans for growing the community got everyone very excited and energized.

Drawing from the success of this event, the community is planning another one in the fall with a different format and a much larger group so stay tuned!

On June 26th, 2022, the LebNet Bay Area community hosted a gathering event to meet with the Lebanese community in the tech industry and facilitate making new friendships, share ideas and collect feedback and thoughts for the upcoming year.

The event, which was the first in-person event in two years, drew around 50 people who gathered to network, get to know each other and brainstorm ideas to collaborate and grow the Bay Area community.

Images via LebNet. Check out all the event's photos here. 

“We had a great time and met fantastic people. I’m certainly energized by the community and look forward to growing it!,” said Moussa Zeid, a LebNet Bay Area steering committee member.

“It was a great event. We got to meet amazing people in the community. I’m really excited for what’s to come!,” said Jeffrey Akiki, a Bay Area steering committee member.

“We got a great turnout and many new faces! Everyone was very excited about LebNet and the upcoming events. I heard a lot of requests for more casual happy hours. Some people were looking for connections for a job and funding as well,” added Nathalie Saade, who is also a steering committee member.

This event is one of many future events to come. If you are living in the Bay Area or in the neighboring areas and interested in attending our future events and joining the community, please visit this page for more information.

Because we all need a little pause every once in a while, LebNet’s Women in Tech community hosted an online session on May 26th 2022 titled ‘Network and Take a Creative Pause’, to offer a space to reflect on the positive things to hang on to and the negative ones to let go. To do so, the session featured a fun drawing activity where the attendees artistically expressed their best and worst moments from the last two years and discussed them together.  

The session was moderated by Karine Sarkissian, LebNet WiT Community Co-lead & Networking and Startup Program Lead, and Founding Partner at Tamar Capital. Thanks to the relaxed format, participants enjoyed taking the time to reflect, share their thoughts and live in the moment. 

“Thank you so much for not rushing us through the activities and for providing a space to share,” said Aya Mouallem, WiT Outreach Program Lead, Electrical Engineering PHD Student at Stanford University, and Co-founder of All Girls Code. 

This event is a great reminder that everyone needs time to relax, take a deep breath and think despite their hectic work and life schedules. It is one of many events organized by the LebNet Women in Tech community. If you are a Lebanese woman in tech based in the US or Canada and interested in joining this community, make sure you visit this page and stay tuned for more future events. 

On May 12th, 2022, the LebNet San Diego community hosted an event titled ‘Shine and Dine’, in sponsorship with Joun Technologies. 

The event - which was hosted at the University of California San Diego - drew 41 attendees with many newcomers to the tech talent pool in San Diego. You can check out the photos (courtesy of Aziz Gholmieh) by visiting this link. 

After a chance to mingle with San Diego residents and enjoy tasty Lebanese food, the evening was kicked off by the community leader Shadi Dayeh and steering committee member Andrew Tebsherani.  

A presentation followed by LebNet’s Executive Director Jeanine Akiki featuring an update on LebNet’s latest initiatives, dwelling on its mission and vision to enable tech entrepreneurs and professionals of Lebanese descent succeed on a global scale. Layal Rouhana, Women in Tech community lead also presented her community's achievements, initiatives and upcoming events. Below are some of LebNet’s 2021 accomplishments: 

• 23 internships and 10 students hired
• Over 40 new jobs created in Lebanon
• 6 webinars
  
• 4 networking events
  
• 5 expert articles
  
• 7 interviews with Women in Tech leaders
• New partnerships with universities like LAU and AUB 
• LebNet’s support of Lemonade Fashion, a LebNet Ignite graduate startup 

Akiki also highlighted the recruitment of LebNet steering committee members for the following communities: Women in Tech, Early in Career, Biotech, Bay Area,Arizona, New York, Pacific Northwest and San Diego. 

Lastly, Akiki highlighted the importance of becoming an engaged and subscribed LebNet member to help the organization grow its reach and impact and become financially sustainable. Subscribed members pay a yearly subscription fee, you can find more information on how to subscribe or join LebNet by visiting this page. To conclude the day, the San Diego steering committee members were keen on soliciting feedback from the attendees on LebNet's initiatives and how it can better cater to the San Diego constituents. San Diego’s upcoming event is planned for September and we look forward to more activities to keep the community engaged and energized. 

Images via Aziz Gholmieh