The MENA region’s population is one of the youngest in the world, with an estimated 60% of the total 381 million inhabitants under the age of 30. In this regard, Forbes ME sought to recognize the aspiring talent from the region, in its latest index, ‘Middle East 30 under 30’ for 2019. The listing sheds light on movers and shakers, either hailing from the MENA region, or breaking boundaries here.
These young professionals all under the age of 30, nominated themselves, and were assessed based on their number of achievements and the turnover of their respective companies. However, their impact does not stop there. Many of them have founded companies that disrupted once traditional industries and showcase exceptional prospects for future growth.
The rapid evolution in innovative and entrepreneurial ventures over the past decade, are no coincidence in the MENA region. Public and private institutions have taken it upon themselves to inspire innovation and encourage entrepreneurship amongst the youth. Governments are transforming budding talent and potential into a self-powered growth engine. In addition, numerous entities are creating tailored programs and increasing their investments in upskilling the youth, in all fields and industries.
In Lebanon, communities such as BDD are harnessing this talent and giving companies enough room to disrupt their respective industries. One entrepreneur on the list, Audrey Nakad, is leading her company, Synkers, from the heart of BDD.
These six Lebanese entrepreneurs made it onto the ‘Middle East 30 under 30’ list:
Ralph Masri, Founder & Director
Organization: Ralph Masri
Age: 29
Category: Art & Style
Residing in: Lebanon
Marwan Aboudib, CEO & Founder
Organization: Tekuma Inc. & Tekuma Frenchman LLC
Age: 28
Category: Science
Residing in: USA & UAE
Jawad Fares, Postdoctoral Fellow
Organization: Northwestern University
Age: 27
Category: Healthcare
Residing in: USA
Audrey Nakad, CEO & Co-Founder
Organization: Synkers
Age: 27
Category: Social entrepreneurship
Residing in: Lebanon
Charlie El Khoury, CEO & Co-Founder
Organization: Next Automated Robot (NAR)
Age: 27
Category: Technology
Residing in: Lebanon
Stefano Fallaha, CEO & Founder
Organization: Fallound
Age: 20
Category: Technology
Residing in: Lebanon
