Startups Without Borders, a global platform for refugee and migrant entrepreneurs, has partnered with Facebook to launch ‘Boost with Facebook’ – a training programme to support 1550 entrepreneurs and business owners on the move to recover from the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme will offer training on digital marketing to business owners from the MENA region who have left their country of origin in search of a better life and have started a business or an initiative in the Middle East or Europe.
The ‘Boost with Facebook’ programme, designed to help small businesses grow by expanding their digital skills, will provide virtual learning sessions to upskill startups and SMBs, helping them advance the marketing aspects of their respective businesses. The scope of its curriculum includes crucial modules to support SMBs in addressing business challenges caused by the pandemic.
Featuring a ‘Hyperboost’ series, and live sessions at the Startups Without Borders Summit, ‘Boost with Facebook Without Borders,’ will take startups and SMBs through a journey to not only acquire new skills in digital marketing, but also build and grow their network, access role models, and get mentorship and guidance opportunities to solve the challenging scenario posed by the COVID-19 crisis.
“If there is one lesson that the global pandemic taught us entrepreneurs, it’s that mastering digital marketing is no longer an option in today’s world. We want to support the brave entrepreneurs who venture into new businesses while rebuilding their lives, by providing the tools and skills for them to face the challenges posed by the pandemic. We believe the Boost with Facebook programme has the perfect tools to give a voice to the entrepreneurs that will undoubtedly become the legends of the future,” says Valentina Primo, founder and CEO of Startups Without Borders.
Ramez Shehadi, Managing Director for MENA at Facebook, commented, “We know that small businesses are experiencing unexpected challenges during the outbreak of COVID-19 and we’re committed to providing as much support as possible. We have an important role to provide the necessary digital skills for startups and SMBs to survive, recover, and pivot online.”
The last phase of the training sessions will take place during the Startups Without Borders Summit 2020, at the Facebook MENA influencer Room, where influential businessmen and businesswomen will share their journey to building and monetizing a massive audience.
Running under the theme “Brave New World,” the Startups Without Borders Summit 2020 will be a hybrid online-offline event that will take place on November 14th, with 3 stages live-streaming from Cairo, Amsterdam, and SIlicon Valley.
The programme will launch on September 1st and is open to entrepreneurs based in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, UK, and the Netherlands.
