While technological inventions are often developed and adopted by advanced countries, they are often a much needed solution for underserved communities. This has proven to be true in agriculture. Advances in technology have introduced modern irrigation and farming methods that have saved cost and enabled efficiency in crop production for many farmers. Technology and holistic solutions to improve farming methods have unfortunately not been implemented equally at the global level. Jehane and her team are driving to fix this in Lebanon.

In 2018, Lebanese social entrepreneur Jehane Akiki conducted a field trip to Zahle in Lebanon to identify farmers’ needs and challenges. She came back to New York and formed a team of designers, engineers, architects and farmers from different organizations and started designing Farms Not Arms, a modern farm targeting to address three main issues: food security, climate change and social cohesion.

Solving food security through technology 

Farms Not Arms officially started operating in the Beqaa area in May 2021. The current team in Lebanon consists of five members, mostly women and young individuals, who manage the entire process from installing the equipment to sourcing and planting seeds, irrigating and harvesting. “It’s a women-led farm. This was not planned but we’re glad it is,” Jehane added. 

The actual farm - ‘Turba’ which means soil in Arabic - is an integrated model that uses regenerative agriculture and low tech hydroponics to yield more produce in a smaller area. Regenerative agriculture is a dense hybrid multiple cropping system that incorporates different plants on different levels and rotates different crops, explains Jehane. Farmers can plant more and diversify their crops. 

“In our model, you can plant 3.5 times more food in any given area, making farms more productive and enriching soil health while bringing carbon back into the soil, hence combating climate change. In traditional agriculture, the carbon isn’t going back to the soil compounding the issue of soil degradation because of pesticides,” she said. “If we don’t take care of the soil, we won’t have anything left to plant by 2075 and our food system will be jeopardized.”

Jehane believes that if the Farms Not Arms model spreads on 3% of Lebanon's lands then it can feed every person in the country their entire yearly dietary needs. 

Currently, her organization is relying on a grant received from a food competition it took part in last year, organized by the Rockefeller Foundation and design agency IDEO. Farms Not Arms came in the top 14 and won $25,000 to cover its first year of operation. In order to become more financially independent, the team is planning to sell a part of their harvest to end consumers and donate a percentage of it to NGOs and individuals working with the organizations. They will also run an educational program in the summer to teach unemployed individuals innovative farming techniques. The program will be offered for free to those who can’t afford it. 

(A futuristic sketch of Farms Not Arms)

Jehane’s passion for helping communities extends beyond Farms Not Arms. She has been involved in founding many startups focused on driving social change and serving underserved communities.  She is also the founder and CEO of Learning Blocks, an education technology startup that creates a skill-based education certification system powered by blockchain. Its main goal is to provide certification for underserved communities in developing countries. In addition,  Jehane is the founder of IOI Strategic Design, a consulting agency that fuses design and development to target social and governance problems. Jehane is a Global Shaper, an initiative by the World Economic Forum to create a network of young people in their 20s who are driving social change.

Her biggest concern remains “the current state of the world and what is going to happen to the planet,” she said. “The climate crisis is not just about the environment but also a mix of all the things we’re doing! All of our systems are broken in some form and this is contributing to the state of the planet.” 

Despite leaving Lebanon to pursue her college studies in Boston and New York, double majoring in International Studies and Business Management, Jehane remains passionate about giving back to her country and to underserved communities. 

One can only hope that with more people like Jehane, Lebanon will witness a rise in community-geared agriculture initiatives that can put a stop to food scarcity and help Lebanon become self-sufficient.  

30-year-old Fadia always wanted a family. A naturally loving and nurturing individual, she never thought motherhood would be so fraught with trials. She and her husband, a member of the Lebanese army, are parents to a four-year-old girl who has thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, and a two-year-old boy with congenital problems. 

Fadia, a high school diploma holder, used to work as an esthetician. But the wave of crises that has recently hit Lebanon, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and concomitant closures, has left her without a job. Her modest home is in poor condition. The children’s treatments are not covered by the insurance extended to military personnel and their families. And Fadia’s faith in nothing short of a miracle continues to wane.

Since October 2019, Lebanon has been reeling from devaluation of its currency as the lira lost more than 80% of its value against the US dollar. The majority of the population has slumped into poverty in what the World Bank describes as a “deliberate depression” due to the inaction and failed policies of political and financial authorities. Apart from economic stagnation, hyperinflation and the pandemic, Beirut was marred by a massive port blast in August 2020 that killed more than 200 people and wiped out swathes of the Mediterranean capital.

It is exactly these circumstances, threatening to debilitate hard-working yet misfortune-stricken folks like Fadia, which spawned the birth of Aleb. Literally translating to “heart” in Arabic, Aleb is an initiative incubated by LebNet in partnership with Lebanon-based NGO Al Majmoua in the wake of the Beirut explosions. LebNet, a North American nonprofit organization, enables tech entrepreneurs and professionals of Lebanese descent to thrive through education and networking, with a special emphasis on women in leadership roles. Aleb, perhaps a metaphor for the collective heart of the diaspora beating in sync with that of Lebanese locals, aims to provide sustained remittances from international donors to needy families in Lebanon.

(Taken from the house of one of the Aleb sponsored families. Photo credit: Dalia Khamissy)

"This is an extremely important initiative for us", said Sarjoun Skaff, cofounder of Aleb. "As expatriates, we feel powerless watching from afar as Lebanon's economy collapses dramatically with no obvious way to help. That's why we wanted to build a vehicle for our diaspora to actively and meaningfully support the homeland. Cash assistance is a very effective form of support, and complements existing in-kind programs, so we are excited to make it available to the world."

Here’s how it works. Aleb coordinates with Al Majmoua, originally founded in 1997, to source and pinpoint indigent families. In the pilot program, 39 candidate families were on-boarded on the Aleb website. Donors can review these details and decide which family to support directly through monthly contributions of US$ 200, plus a service fee of US$ 30, for a period of six months. Donors receive program updates and an impact report on how their funds are disbursed.

Now in the second phase of the program, Aleb has identified 36 additional families for immediate assistance. The US$ 200 monthly aid package is estimated as the minimal amount for a family to procure food, clothing and medication. Here are some testimonials by recipients on how Aleb has affected their lives.

• “The first time I received money from Aleb, I used half of it to cover a previous debt. With the other half, I bought milk, medication for the kid, diapers and home essentials. Next month, I need to repair my refrigerator and the washing machine.” (Father of two children who resides with his wife, mother and sister in Aley. The father used to operate a school bus but is presently out of work.)

• “My husband recently started working as a security guard. At home, the kitchen is incomplete, and we barely have any furniture. Some rooms lack electricity. With the second remittance, we paid off debts and bought sugar, milk, rice, beans, and baby diapers.” (Mother of two children who resides with her husband in Ain el Tineh. The couple previously ran a hair salon but was unable to renew the rent.)

Often, Lebanon comes under the critical lens of the media for the pain afflicting its denizens at the hands of a feckless government. As citizens of the world, we watch in horror and grieve as we witness just a fraction of their immeasurable hurt. Distance may render us powerless to come to their succor, but thanks to Aleb, our hearts can now beat as one in a gesture as modest as a few hundred dollars. By supporting one of these disadvantaged families, we – via Aleb – can make a huge dent in their lives and help them provide for their posterity.

[Disclamer: The name has been changed to protect the privacy of the featured individual.]

Author: Danielle Issa is a Lebanese-American writer, blogger and strategy consultant who has called Lebanon home for the past ten years. A native of southern California, she worked for seven years in strategic development at a leading Lebanese bank. Today, she resides in the suburbs of Beirut with her husband and two little boys, juggling motherhood and writing, while managing her internationally acclaimed culture and lifestyle blog Beirutista.co, founded in 2012. Ms. Issa holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT (Boston) and an MBA from Collège des Ingénieurs (Paris).

Didier Moretti is an entrepreneur who thrives on creating and scaling new businesses. Most  recently he was VP/GM at Atlassian, where he led the development of Jira, Confluence, and the creation of Service Desk, a major growth business for the  company. Prior to Atlassian, Moretti was a VP/GM at Cisco, where he led the creation of significant new businesses in video and the Internet of Things. Before that, he led several startups as CEO, and was the founder and CEO of Annuncio Software, an internet marketing company acquired by Oracle.  

Moretti recently took a sabbatical from tech to explore other areas of interest. He is a water sport enthusiast – swimming, kitesurfing, and scuba diving. Didier has a passion for visual arts, when not in the water he can often be found in his art studio. If curious, you can check some of his work here. Moretti holds two Master of Science degrees from MIT, and an “Ingenieur” degree from Ecole Polytechnique in France.

1- If you had a rewind button, what would you change about your journey? 

Make time for yourself a priority – to exercise, to learn, and to nourish your spirit. Put these activities on your schedule, and make them mandatory, just like important meetings. Your biggest asset is your own human capital; and just like financial assets, it pays to start good habits early, as there is magic in compounding! 

2- What are your 3 biggest accomplishments?  

Repeat success in creating disruptive products and scaling new businesses. Creating great work environments and seeing so many people flourish. A loving family and making time to pursue new passions. 

3- What’s the best lesson you learned? 

It’s OK to make mistakes, as long as you are responsible and learn quickly. 

4- Who is your role model?

I do not buy into having “a” role model as no two situations are the same. You should learn from many people, dealing with many different contexts. 

5- How did surrounding yourself with a good support system help you advance in your career? 

The thing I valued most was having moral support to help me stay true to my values as a leader, especially through the most challenging times. I am grateful to my wife first and foremost, and to some great advisers along the way! 

6- What is one habit you worked hard on breaking to improve your life or career? 

As an introvert, I hated public speaking. I worked hard at it until it became something I truly enjoyed. 

7- What characteristics do you look for in people you choose to work with?
People who are driven, creative, and humble. 

8- What skills did you work so hard on acquiring?

People skills. I was poor at it but had to learn out of necessity. Eventually something clicked, and later on it became a forte (you could say that I am a late bloomer!). 

9- What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?  

Articulate your personal values early in life, so you can lean forward and live life on your own terms. 

10- What excites you and what worries you about the impact of technology on the future? 

I am most excited about our ability to learn, experiment, and innovate at scales that were unimaginable even 20 years ago. I worry about our impact on climate, and the burden we are leaving for the next generations. 

In the second part of LebNet’s Women in Tech video series, sponsored by Joun Technologies, we hosted a one-on-one interview with Hala Ballouz, President of Electric Power Engineers Inc. and Founder of GridNEXT.

Ballouz is a leader in the energy industry and is currently building an innovative energy management software platform to enable the integration of technology and renewable resources into electric grids. She has over 25 years of experience in energy market studies, utility grid planning and renewable resource development and received the 2020 Women in Power Award during the virtual event Experience POWER held last September. In the below interview, Ballouz advised young tech leaders to be socially responsible and think about tech implications, and shared life lessons, future vision among other insights.

At the young age of 17, Ra’ed Elmurib left Lebanon and moved to the US by himself to pursue a career in Engineering. For six months, he slept on a couch at a friend’s place until he secured a couple of jobs to sustain himself and his education. 

 With extensive experience in building startups, corporate M&A, and Strategic Venture, he held the CEO position of Shoof Technologies in 2016, developing the Wireless technology that aims to change the world of Industrial IoT connectivity. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Corporate and Business Development for PMC-Sierra, leading the company’s non-organic growth, venture investment and strategic partnership. Elmurib led the $2.5 billion Dollar sale transaction of PMC to MicroSemi and executed over $4 billion in transaction value. He also served as the GM of the Microprocessor Division and VP of WW Sales. Ra’ed was the CEO and founder of Unitec Sale, a Manufacturer Representative of STMicroelectronics, Microchip, and other component suppliers.  

1- If you had a rewind button, what would you change about your journey? 

I would make sure I start my career working for a startup with a vision of changing the world by innovating a leading edge technology. New innovations are the most powerful initiatives that human can create to impact our quality of life.

2- What are your 3 biggest accomplishments?  

1. Raising three healthy and happy kids, with “work hard, play hard” instilled in them. Having grown up away from family since I was 17 years old, it was a challenge to raise kids in a foreign land without the support system we are accustomed to in Lebanon. Striking a balance between the two cultures requires an open mind and a vision for the future generation challenges as they become model contributing citizens. 

2. Starting my first company, Unitec Sales, at the age of 30 years old. It was a goal I set for myself when I graduated from College. It was an awesome way to learn and grow both financially and mentally. 

3. Leading the exit of PMC-Sierra, as we struggled to reinvent ourselves after the bubble bursting in 2000. It took us many years to rebuild the company and change the direction and it was almost like coming back from the dead.

3- What’s the best lesson you learned? 

Resilience is the key to success. For us first generation Lebanese-American, we endured many difficult obstacles on our way to accomplish what we set out to do. New language, new culture, no network to speak of, and lacking all the necessary tools to make it happen. But with resilience and commitment to succeed, we plowed ahead and reached our goals.

4- Who is your role model? 

Every successful immigrant is my role model. I learn so much from their stories. 

5- How did surrounding yourself with a good support system help you advance in your career?

One thing I missed out on is having a mentor. It is so critical to maneuver your way through the different situations you run into during your career. My support system was my wife, Kim, as I was traveling and working 80-90 hours a week. She sacrificed her career to take care of all of us.

6- What is one habit you worked hard on breaking to improve your life or career? 

I had the bad habit of assuming that everybody had the same drive, intelligence, and ambitions as I do. Learning that we are all different at an early stage would have saved me lots of anger and lots of unnecessary disappointments. 

7- What characteristics do you look for in people you choose to work with? 

I like self-driven people, because I hate to micro manage, its a waste of time and inefficient. To succeed in life you need to surround yourself with a team that shares your vision and compliment your weaknesses. 

8- What skills did you work so hard on acquiring? 

Being patient and it is still a work in progress. I expect people to move fast, break things, learn from mistakes. I am getting a little better but I still have lots to go.

9- What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?  

Ask for help, get a mentor that you respect and leave our world better than you inherited it.

10- What excites you and what worries you about the impact of technology on the future?

Lots to be excited about. What technology has accomplished in the past 100 years is nothing short of an amazing miracle. I just wish we use it to always benefit humankind and improve lifestyles by lifting everybody up.

In 1973, when the civil war started, Daniel’s parents’ house was bombed, leaving the family wounded physically and emotionally. Trying to pick up the pieces and start a new life, the family moved to France a year later. 

Image via Daou Vineyards.

Daniel spent 8 years making wine at his garage, visiting wineries and studying the soil before launching Daou Vineyards with his brother. The family business is now operating in 50 states in the US and in 32 countries worldwide.

In the video below taken from his talk during LebNet’s Virtual Holiday event held on December 15, Daniel reminisces the small details of his journey as a kid and a young entrepreneur passionate about wine and family bonds, explains what makes a viral excellent wine and shares the inspiring story behind the name behind their best wine: ‘Soul of the Lion’.

Featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and being the cofounder and Chief of Product at Scopio, a tech-focused photo marketplace, Nour Chamoun keeps adding more bullets to her resume.

After graduating from the Lebanese American University with a BS in Graphic Design, Chamoun did her Masters in Design and Technology at Parsons School of Design in New York, where she met Christina Hawatmeh, the initial founder of Scopio.

“Christina had the idea of connecting citizen journalists to media outlets. She reached out to the Parsons program where I was doing my Masters at the time for design and development help. I loved the idea so, together and with some help, we built an AI-driven search engine that would allow media outlets to search for breaking news photos and videos on social media and license them,” explained Chamoun. 

nour

“When we first started building our search engine, we realized how much of a challenge it was to not only create a Google search equivalent for social media platforms that uses machine learning to find relevant content, but also how much of a complex system it was for customers to grasp, let alone to use as a service. So we eventually pivoted to a marketplace of over 200,000 photos submitted by photo creators from around the world on news and other topics that we sell to businesses.”

Today, Scopio’s mission is to make stock photography more diverse, authentic, and affordable. The platform identifies rising photo creators from over 150 countries, titles and tags their photos, then licenses them so they become easy to use anywhere. Today, Scopio has about 7,000 subscribers who use photos and around 13,000 artists who contribute to its library. It’s made up of a small dedicated team of 8 full-time engineers, designers, and editors and a part-time marketing team.

At Scopio, Chamoun leads the engineering and design teams. She has previously worked in design firms in New York and Beirut on a range of products including websites, web and mobile app design and development.

This young cofounder and LebNet member was recently featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and praised for her hard innovative work. She hopes this recognition will open doors for the cofounders in their future fundraising plans to scale the company. 

Looking back at her short yet fruitful career, Chamoun believes that to sell an idea successfully one must perfect their narrative. Founders tend to overlook the importance of storytelling when they are trying to get people’s support, she said, but “when you’re an early-stage startup with little traction in the beginning, I would say that the most essential parts of your business are the founders and the story. With the scarcity of data, you need to sell the idea and its potential,” she concluded.