June 19, 2015
Newsletter – May 2015
Letter from the President
Dear Lebneters:
I just came back from a short trip to Lebanon accompanying my children during their spring break.
It was great to reconnect with some of the movers and shakers in the Entrepreneurship circle in Beirut who were good friends and partners during my assignment with Cisco there in 2008-2011.
Some of you know that, as part of my Corporate Social Responsibility duties with Cisco in Lebanon, we endeavored to help kick-start a then nascent startup ecosystem and we labored with our partners to stitch up a path for innovators and risk takers.
I don’t recognize the scene now in Lebanon, it has come a long way !!! It was so exciting to hear about all the new VC funds and accelerators opening shop in Beirut but what is amazing to me is the numerous players that want to connect with the LebNet group as it embodies the role of the High Tech Diaspora in the US.
We have a big responsibility to play an effective role in the success of Lebanese entrepreneurs and we’re solidifying our partnership with LFE (Lebanon for Entrepreneurs) with whom we’re collaborating on soon–to-be-announced new mentorship offerings that we believe could be game changers for Lebanese startups.
State-side, we continue to organize sold-out events with inspiring speakers and amazing panelists and to those of you who attended our last event planned by our Young Professionals, you surely felt the energy and passion in this new generation of young talented leaders.
Finally, we’ve been blessed with an outstanding board of directors whose members not only guide us wisely but are role models when it comes to volunteering their time to mentor and coach young entrepreneurs.
I hope to see you all soon at our upcoming events and remember that your feedback and involvement is always appreciated.
Yours truly,
George Akiki
LEBNET PROGRAMS
LSAB MEMBER TESTIMONY
Extracted form LSAB FB page, with authorization
Nicolas Nassar
April 23 at 12:01am
Thank you Christine for sharing the lebnet event. I went there and it was amazing. All the people are really helpful and friendly. So if anyone wants to be part of that Lebanese community to be helped in his/her career go on lebnet.us and register
Our network is growing every day, thank you!
Facts:
We have 500 contacts in our email list!
Only 375 are actual members!
Of these, only 31 are students!
55 are Friends of Lebnet!
367 members did not fill out their mentorship skills!
249 did not fill their bio field!
Quick reminder of membership criteria:
Origin: All members have to be of Lebanese descent.
Profession: Individuals have to be working in the high technology sector and related ecosystem.
Location: Individuals have to be resident of the US or Canada (submitting a valid address is mandatory).
Please note that, qualifying individuals can become friends of Lebanon if they are not Lebanese, and/or reside outside of the US.
Quick reminder of the benefits:
- Visit our website to learn more about your organization.
- Search the member directory for people you would like to connect with.
- Be the first to know about our upcoming events
- Be able to register to our members only events
- Read about past events you may have missed and check related pictures
- Access our newsletters
- Invite your qualifying friends and colleagues to join LebNet
- Engage with LebNet by reading the last news about our members, the technology sector in the US and in Lebanon. If you would like to share interesting news about your company, the region or the industry, please send us a link and we will gladly post it.
- Post your resume or your job/internship offers in the Forum section of our website. You just have to log-in. You can always send us an email for any inquiry you may have.
CALL FOR ACTION TO RECIPIENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER
A network is about the largest number of like-minded people working for the interest of the community.
– Update your membership status: If you are a student member and have changed your status recently, please update your profile and contacts. Only members with .edu emails can have the student status. If you are a Friend of LebNet, FOL, and qualify to become a member, please update your status. If you are receiving this newsletter and not a member, you are in our contact list because you came to at least one event. Please upgrade to professional member. IN ALL CASES, please Go to profile, add every missing field, and update your status as soon as possible.
– Like us on Facebook
– Start or join a discussion on LinkedIn
– Publish relevant white papers, YouTube presentations etc. on our website. Send your material to [email protected]
Mentorship
LebNet started its startup mentoring program in March 2014.
Success story: Roadie Tuner
Dedicated LebNet mentors, Ramzi Haidamous and Anthony Nassar have been mentoring Hassane Slaibi, co-founder of Band Industries, since March 2014. This startup has been identified by our partner LFE, who recommended we bring them to the next level. We are proud to announce that Band Industries was selected by our SV partner TechWadi, as one of 2 startups to benefit from batch1 of the TechWadi Sprint Acceleration program. Read more here
To date, we can count 59 available mentors among our members, with expertise in all technology industry sectors. Click here for details on some of our mentors. LebNet works with partners on the ground in Lebanon to identify the most promising start ups. Lebnet is open to receiving applications for Lebanese American startups, as well. Please send your request for application here.
Definition of our program
Lebanese and Lebanese American Startups in the technology, knowledge sharing and innovation business can connect with mentors in LebNet, through a targeted and needs-based approach. This is an ongoing open program. Connections include mentoring, strategic advice, and introductions to a variety of organizations and individuals in a number of fields. Our mentors work with entrepreneurs in addressing key business challenges through critical stages of growth, offering access to LebNet network of resources,
Lebnet has been instrumental in connecting us with its own members, who happen to be seasoned technology executives with a far reaching network of contacts, prospective customers, partners and institutional investors. Lebnet has simplified access to these individuals and continues to offer a platform for events and meetings that inspire entrepreneurs to leverage the Lebnet resources. Tarek Fadel
Selected mentees to date:
Fadi Mahmoud, a man with many hats: Lebnet member, mentor, and mentee.
“I have been a member of Lebnet for roughly a year now, I was introduced by a good friend of mine Desiree El-Chebeir. I have met some of the nicest and most professional folks during this period. I enjoy Lebnet events and meetings as I’m always able to connect and know more folks of the same professional background and heritage, and you can’t beat talking about and enjoying together some Lebanese food. It is surely satisfying to feel that we are all making a difference in our community and helping new and established businesses to succeed. And I look forward to contribute more and get more Lebanese and Arab technologies out there flourishing and growing. It is not a matter of doing it or not, it is a matter of survival in the new era and current phase our country and the whole region is going through. We owe it to our people and communities in the bay area and back in our homelands.
I was lucky in the early days of joining Lebnet that I struck a relationship with two folks whom I’m surely and truly grateful to – Najib Khouri-Haddad and Khaled Nasr
Partnerships
SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES
– Secure one or two Internship positions in your company or department.
Contact us: [email protected]
– Fund our programs: we accept donations on an ongoing basis. You can be a Cedar Elite/Platinum/Gold or Corporate Sponsor
Why do we partner?
Because one hand cannot clap alone, as the Lebanese saying goes…
Our partners help us reach out to more beneficiaries, and build on LebNet’s expertise and services to expand the offering.
How to become a LebNet partner?
If you think that your organization can either provide complementary services to our programs, fund them or spread the word about them, please contact us to start a conversation.
LebNet is also looking to grow existing Lebanese American community organizations, and nurture the next generation.
Who are our partners and sponsors to date?
