AMMAN — The United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (
UNIDO) and Changelabs announced the launch of the
LevelUp Accelerator on Tuesday.
اضافة اعلان
The 7 to 8 month long program aims to support
Jordanian entrepreneurs and give them access to global markets while
sustainably advancing Jordanian industries.
“We want to encourage young and other
entrepreneurs in Jordan to become makers … to contribute to their economy and
to the competitiveness of Jordan,” said Karim Samra, CEO and founder of
Changelabs, in a webinar announcing the launch of the program.
“We want to help you makers launch your
projects and bring them to the market,” he added.
He believes that these efforts will help the
economy and competitiveness of Jordan as a country, which is critical for both
Jordan and the MENA region at large.
The program emphasizes the need to boost job
creation for both youth and women.
Participants in the accelerator will be given
access to a “global network of people”, including regular mentors, coaches, and
experts.
The LevelUp Accelerator focuses on three
industries: fashion and garments, natural cosmetics, and phytopharmaceuticals
(herbal medicines).
It starts with a series of free master classes
that are open to the public and intended to “give (participants) a taste, to
get (them) started on this journey,” and to introduce general concepts relevant
to entrepreneurs, according to Samra.
One masterclass will focus on design thinking,
while another will address the circular economy.
The second stage is an e-learning program that
is open only to the top 50 applicants. This is made up of two cohorts:
incubators for start-ups and accelerators for small and medium-size enterprises
(SMEs).
Towards the end of the program, the top 10
applicants will be given access to Italian and other European markets as
“champions of digital change”.
Some speakers at Tuesday’s online event
included Lebanese nutritionist Dr Angie Kassabie, founder of nutrition
consultancy Angie’s; Dania Dahleh, founder of Amman-based sustainable clothing
brand Enorm World; and Zayna Hamarmeh, CEO and founder of Mode Marketing and
PR.
Applications for the
LevelUp Accelerator program will close
in mid-July.
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