Nas
Seeds of Peace Fellow, 2019
IMPACT: ECONOMIC
Supporting refugee communities through gastrodiplomacy.
Challenge
European governments find it difficult to integrate the large influx of refugees culturally and economically, which can result in marginalized communities becoming radicalized.
Solution
Establish a food community network that would provide resources for refugees to launch small food businesses.
Nas is a farmer from a small village in Palestine who, by a series of fortunate and some unfortunate events, found himself in New York City doing some cool and interesting things. Some of those things are impactful, and some are not. But they all tell a good story, and that’s what Nas is at the core: a storyteller who is trying to live life with purpose.
After completing his dual degree in finance and economics from Baruch College, he set forward on the path of entrepreneurship. In 2016, he co-founded Komeeda, a social-impact food enterprise created to tackle poverty in the refugee sector.
“Some believe that business can solve everything. That belief is nothing more than fiction. Business skills can help NGOs and governments solve problems but they are not the answer to everything.”