Bader and AltCity: Common spaces to help youth entrepreneurs to launch their projects

Al Hayat newspaper published the day before yesterday a report on the joint working spaces in Lebanon which provide youth entrepreneurs a starting point in their businesses.  According to the report, at a time when the idea of business pioneering appears risky in Lebanon and especially with the absence of state support for small and medium enterprises, this may gradually change through initiatives committed to the concept of entrepreneurship and based on the idea of creating joint spaces.  Such spaces are specialized for youth entrepreneurs for whom they secure basic services and offices at a nominal fee in addition to advice and guidance via continuous workshops.  These spaces also provide opportunities to meet business people and key pioneers in the field in addition to exchanging knowledge and experience amongst small projects holders thus enabling them to find solutions to improve their businesses.
The report highlighted two successful initiatives in Beirut notably Coworking 961 launched by Bader.  This initiative is located on Sursock Street and hosts a number of projects.  It provides youth with the opportunity to set up their own businesses which strengthens their productivity and professional capacity.  Other special initiatives which have spun out of the Forum are the Se77ati (My health) and Unusa (Femininity) websites which have become highly competitive on the net.  The founder of both sites, Elsa Aoun, noted that the Coworking 961 provided a big opportunity to the team and allowed them to grow and develop.  The second example is AltCity which is located in the Hamra district and hosts a number of youth pioneer talents including the Fade In project created by cinematography specialist Nadia Tabbara who produces films and writes scenarios and who noted that AltCity helped her realize her ambition not only through providing an ideal space but also through the support of the team from whom she learns a lot.
Source: Al-Hayat 17 November 2014