Hasoub

Hasan founded Hasoub to empower young Arab entrepreneurs and technology specialists by equipping them with technical skills and providing them with community support. More than 12,000 people have attended Hasoub lectures, workshops and festivals to date. A further 200 people have developed their technological skills through attending regular training courses. Beginning in his parents’ basement, Hasan wanted to create a community of tech entrepreneurs that could foster innovation and creativity amongst young Arabs. Hasoub has hosted more than 300 events, activities and projects since its inception.

Israel is often referred to as the ‘Startup Nation’, however Arab Israelis are often underrepresented in this space. Arab Israelis comprise only 1.4% of all people working in Israeli high-tech, despite making up 17% of the country’s workforce1 . Hasoub runs specialist tech events in Arabic, with a level of cultural awareness and inclusivity that makes these events accessible. The organisation has two main strands of programming: Hasoub on Campus and Hasoub in Town. Hasoub on Campus works with university students to create campus based chapters. Five Hasoub chapters have been established across five different universities so far. Hasoub in Town runs regular discussions and annual festivals for people in the local community to become more involved with tech entrepreneurship.

Hasoub also works to develop an appetite for investment amongst young Arab business owners. Through guidance workshops and networking events, Hasoub opens up new avenues of funding for potential emerging tech entrepreneurs by connecting them with second generation business owners interested in new ways of investing. This approach compliments the Hasoub Startup School, which teaches budding entrepreneurs the basics of starting a business. These two groups are then connected to facilitate both an appetite for funding and opportunities for investment in Arab communities across Israel. Hasoub also has plans to open an innovation centre that will service 250,000 people, consisting of a coworking space, educational programmes for children and support for budding entrepreneurs.