I leave for Beirut tomorrow, and will arrive late Monday night (Beirut time). As I do some last minute preparations, I would like to showcase two entrepreneurs and their enterprise.
2bdesign, founded by Benedicte de Blavous Moubarak and Raja Moubarak, is a business whose mission is to “Restore the unseen beauty of the broken- broken people, broken
heritage, broken environment.” 2bdesign salvages and reclaims elements of architecture from destroyed traditional houses (wrought iron window frames and balconies, railings etc..) and transforms them into unique pieces such as lamps, candle holders etc. They do this all the while, employing the unemployable, providing marginalized and disabled persons with training and employment opportunities.
2bdesign utilizes a hybrid business model, utilizing a for profit business for operations and marketing, and a non-profit for training of employees (which is often longer and more intense than with employees in better socioeconomic standing). Earlier this month when I spoke with Raja Moubarak, he told me that 2bdesign intentionally pays about 40% above the market wage rate to their employees. “The typical wage for these individuals, is simply unstainable,” I was told by Raja. “The marginalized have little options without adequate pay.”
I look forward to meeting Raja and his partner, and figuring out ways to support there tremendous work. Raja is an accomplished executive and entrepreneur in the region, with a wealth of experience in for profit and not for profit organizations.
Keep me in your thoughts as I travel, and please comment on what you would like to see from Lebanon and social impact investing in Beirut!!