Kaslik, Lebanon – Hack-A-Track, a national Safir EU hackathon, put thirteen startup ideas on the fast-track entrepreneurial journey. The hackathon was organized by the Asher Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACIE) and held at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik – USEK, on February 10, 11, 12, 2023.
The hackathon raised awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim to foster the creation of thirteen new startups and introduce thirty one young project leaders to entrepreneurship. Within the framework of the Safir EU program, the Hack-A-Track sought to reduce the negative impact on the environment within two tracks, a green track and a social one.
“Supportive institutions like Safir, the ACIE, and USEK are what investors and businessmen should look for; it’s not only the fund that they should seek but fostering the knowledge about entrepreneurship and managing the startup and most important building business relationships” said Lynda Achkouty, an international certified business coach at ActionCOACH who held a training workshop and mentoring sessions at the Hack-A-Track.
Seven workshops and more than fifty mentoring sessions implemented by 12 trainers and mentors during the 48-hour hackathon culminated in a final pitching event.
“This hackathon gave me hope that the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Lebanon, and that Lebanese businesses and investors have a lot to look forward to, especially when some sort of normality returns to the country” noted Raja Abdallah, a Managing Director at Symphony Business & Finance Consulting Sarl, who was on the panel of judges at the Hack-A-Track.
The winners of the green track were two first-time pitchers who founded CigaRise a startup that turns cigarette filters to thermal pipe insulations. “My passion is business, so this hackathon gave me, a first-year university student, the chance to work towards creating a social and an environmental impact”, said Ralph Omeira, a first-year USEK student majoring in Management and Entrepreneurship. With his colleague Elary Khoury, a first year USEK student majoring in Food Engineering, he gained the knowledge for the creation of CigaRise.
The first place of the social track at the Hack-A-Track was awarded to BuildUp, an online platform that connects skilled labor and customers with interior designers for a win-win situation. Lara Mortada and Claudine Awada, both interior architects, aged twenty-four years old, stated “the Hackathon had an immense positive impact over a variety of aspects in our lives, starting by our skills, knowledge, moving to our personal growth and more”.