Fostering Social Change Through Entrepreneurship in Jordan

Social Entrepreneurship program which falls under the Daring to Shift Project. 

Being an entrepreneur today requires confidence, knowledge, and an appetite for taking risks. It indeed can only be successfully achieved by overcoming many challenges. The path to innovating and starting a new business can be riddled with obstacles that often lead to high-stress levels and sometimes even quitting. To name a few of these challenges, aspiring entrepreneurs may grapple with the daunting task of finding a product that is needed in the market, attracting customers, learning and applying correct financial practices, and discovering a suitable business model, among many other hurdles. Tackling these challenges is the main focus of the Social Entrepreneurship Program pillar of the Daring to Shift Project. 

In partnership with Global Affairs Canada, Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) empowered over 1,000 local youth since 2019 and to this day. During the project’s duration, it reached over 40,000 community beneficiaries, with 70% of them being women. The project focuses on equipping youth with vital skills, including digital literacy, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. 

The Social Entrepreneurship Program pillar within this project assists youth in unleashing their talents to enhance their communities and transform their business ideas into successful ventures that address substantial social, environmental, educational, and other challenges. Participants progress through stages such as social entrepreneurship training, coaching, seed funding, and incubation, which provide them with the tools and support needed to launch their businesses or initiatives.

There are numerous remarkable outcomes of this pillar, most notably the evident growth in the social innovation and entrepreneurial skills of youth. In addition, assistance in the launching phase and maintaining sustainable growth for the business, and lastly, the ripple effect of these youth-led initiatives positively impacts communities, fostering social change and economic growth. 

After completing the Social Entrepreneurship Program, DOT Jordan celebrated the achievements of 127 male and female entrepreneurs who had been trained. The most promising 30 participants (startups or small businesses) were selected for the coaching phase to bring their initiatives to fruition. Later, an evaluation session was held to choose 6 projects to receive financial prizes. Several partners of DOT Jordan, including Injaz and The Tank, participated as jurors, evaluating the projects and announcing the financial prize winners. Furthermore, partnerships were formed with 4 prominent business incubators in Jordan to offer growth opportunities for the ideas presented by program participants.

Financial grants were awarded to the winners in two categories:

Small Business Track:

First place: Code Like a Girl project, Shaima Al-Hanaketeh

Second place: The Tai Project, Suhaib Al-Mashni

Third place: Wahj Al Shams, Maysam Nasser

Startup Track:

First place: Solvillion Infinite Engineering Solutions, Aia Abu Al-Hajj

Second place: Paperazzi Company, Fadi Zubeidi

Third place: Neurogarden, Faris Aksha

Aia Abul Haj, the first-place winner in the Startup Track, expressed, “Thanks to DOT for offering their entrepreneurship program and the pre-seed funding, which helped us develop our capacities in financial, team management, and pitching skills.“

Maysam Nasser, a third-place winner in the Small Business Track, shared, “I was one of the participants in the entrepreneurship program, which falls under the Daring to Shift Project. We received numerous intensive technical and practical training, and after completion, I received a financial grant from DOT Jordan, which boosted my project and kept it grounded in reality.”

The Social Entrepreneurship Program under Daring to Shift has achieved remarkable success in Jordan, with 127 participants, 72 females, and 55 males, completing the prototype phase. 29 of these participants completed the MVP launch phase, fostering positive change in their communities and creating a ripple effect of progress and innovation. This program serves as a testament to the power of youth in driving social change, economic growth, and community transformation.