I had an early vision for creating a positive impact on people’s lives and I have the ability to find doors in places where others only see walls. Born in a refugee camp and living most of my adult life in a conflict zone has led me to want to leverage my successful entrepreneurial experience and my technical background to have a bigger impact on the world. I have a proven track record for creating digital technology opportunities for underprivileged & underemployed people.
In 2007, when I received a degree in Computer Engineering, it became clear to me that if more members of my community could have access to technology skills, we could improve the quality of life for many. I was determined to make a difference and I took action. The companies I founded and led have been dedicated to creating economic development opportunities for women & youth. In the last 10 years, I was able to create meaningful opportunities in the technology industry for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, resulting in the creation of jobs for more than 700 women & young people. These roles included software engineering, data science, digital transformation, design, data labeling, translation. By focusing our training on needed digital skills, we were able to support a diverse range of industries. More than 3000 graduates were trained, enabling them to work online and compete in the global market.
The digital technology solutions developed by the talent we nurtured allowed us to raise the average salaries of tech talent in our local market by almost 45%. Our approach included developing trusted relationships with more than 60 clients ranging from large corporations to small startups. These clients were located in the US, UK, Europe and the Gulf. Despite the challenges that came not only from normal business cycles but from the disruption brought on by conflict, our company revenue increased by 300%.
As a result of my efforts in facilitating the capacity and economic development opportunities for women and youth using innovative technology, I have been recognized as the “first high-tech woman entrepreneur” in Palestine and as “One of the Most Powerful Arabs Under 40. I received the “Best Technology Enabler and Facilitator” award from MEA women, and my business received the “100 Meaningful Business in the World” award.
My international experience consists of working with international clients, donors, and organizations. As an expert in entrepreneurship and employment in the MENA region, I have been invited to speak in many conferences and summits around the world.
Abeer’s LinkedIn page.