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A community-centric approach to empowering the Palestinian tech ecosystem

By uMake

We are uMake…The number one destination for aspiring entrepreneurs, promising founders, and emerging startups. We are an authentically entrepreneur-centric movement of visionaries, innovative changemakers, and the home of a truly diverse community and a space of endless inspiration, creation, and growth. We embrace the growth mindset, we work hard, and we learn from our mistakes as we continuously thrust ourselves forward on the quest for lasting social impact. Housing everything from  inspiring talks to coworking spaces and acceleration – we are the leading space for entrepreneurship and innovation in Palestine.
The space of infinite possibilities where changemakers inspire, create, and growRooted in a steadfast vision of uniting entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers in a strong, collaborative community, uMake has come a long way. Founded by Daoud Ghannam in 2017, uMake had its humble beginnings as a coworking space, located in Ramallah Hisbeh, hosting 20 members.Since then uMake has come a long way, and what started out as an ambiguous concept for the local community has since solidified. Now uMake has not only outgrown the tiny space surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city center, but also challenged and propelled forward the concept of a community-centric innovation hub.An innovation hub rooted in local changemakersIt’s safe to say that uMake is different from most other innovation hubs and tech-ecosystem players in Palestine. Rooted in its community members, uMake is a commercial initiative by Palestinians for Palestinians – on a mission to challenge the status quo of an aid-funded tech sector. In doing so, uMake is attempting to break the cycle of the short-term, repetitive interventions that dominate the development sector. Instead, uMake puts the community first, and we believe strongly in creating actual, viable solutions with longevity based on the needs of our community members.

“uMake is just different. The community here is simply amazing. All the members, the uMakers, are high-profile individuals who are making waves in their respective industries.”

– Community Member, Ashraf Awawda

The alternative? Inspire, create, and grow!

So what does being community-centric mean? For uMake it means putting our community of founders, innovators, and changemakers first. “Community” is an integral part of uMake’s DNA, and the uMake community has been a driving force behind the development and growth of uMake over the years. Their contributions to building a sustainable tech ecosystem have been the building block of everything that is uMake today:

SPACE: in every sense of the word. Whether you’re in need of a desk in our coworking space, a private office – or perhaps you want to rent a meeting or conference room: we have you covered!

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: not only is uMake home to some of Palestine’s most promising startups – through our three-tiered training programs we offer support to all aspiring entrepreneurs, promising founders, and emerging startups.

Open office culture breaks down walls, literally and figuratively.

COMMUNITY: a place of safety that encourages growth, enables learning, and empowers. uMake makes for the ideal playground for founders, innovators, and changemakers to come together and learn and grow from each other’s experiences.

Socializing is an essential part of the uMake culture.

Our programs: a defined pathway for founders

Establishing a self-sustaining tech ecosystem with a mantra of “paying it forward” is a fundamental pillar upon which uMake as an innovation hub is built. In addition to providing a physical space for community members to inspire, create, and grow, uMake wanted to go the extra mile by laying out a clear pathway to success for any budding founders – regardless of the stage of their journey!

Through our three levels of entrepreneurship training we aim to support:

Aspiring founders curious to learn more about
entrepreneurship → through Startup Weekends

Promising founders hustling to validate their business
idea → through the acclaimed Founder Institute

Emerging startups looking for funding in order to scale and
grow → through the IGNITE investment readiness program

These three levels of training have been developed and implemented in collaboration with internationally renowned organisations like Techstars, the Founder Institute, and the World Bank. By doing so uMake not only provides entrepreneurs and innovators access to world-class training resources with a proven track record – we facilitate border-transitioning networking opportunities with world-class professionals and mentors.

“uMake is a place where we can expand our networking, enrich our knowledge, learn how to set plans, and know exactly how to build the business we’re dreaming of. It is invaluable to be surrounded  by ideators, changemakers who are all ready and willing to help the second you ask for it!”

– Community Member and Founder of Flowless, Baker Bozeyeh

How can you get involved?

If you’re looking for new CSR opportunities, uMake has a proposition for you: rather than viewing CSR as Corporate Social Responsibility, we suggest renaming it Corporate Startup Reciprocity. By reshaping your approach to innovation and embracing rather than avoiding the fast-paced startup scene, your company doesn’t just stay relevant – you directly position yourself  in the context of the tech innovation scene in Palestine. By supporting uMake you gain access to an already existing structure (with a proven track record), a thriving community of innovators, and a global network of experts – all without having to create your own costly interventions.

So what are some ways for you to get involved? You can:

–  Sponsor our space or one of our programs

–  Offer your services as business service providers

–  Rent space: from from desks to meeting rooms and conference rooms

–  Co-create events, trainings, or other activities

–  Provide offers or benefits exclusive to the uMake community members

In short: supporting uMake is the best way for you to support the Palestinian technology and innovation community – and ultimately leave your mark on the future of the Palestine startup ecosystem.

Get in touch with us!

– Visit our space: we’re located on the fourth and fifth floors at Burj Amaar.

– Call 02 242 1435: for questions regarding memberships and space rental.

– Check out our website: www.umake.space.

– Follow us on social media: https://bit.ly/40jERmI

– Book a meeting with Daoud Ghannam to explore sponsorship options via QR code.

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