Happy Norooz To All Persian Entrepreneurs
Happy Norooz to all my fellow Persian entrepreneurs. For those unfamiliar with the holiday, it is like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Easter rolled into one. Norooz begins annually on the vernal equinox and marks the start of the Iranian calendar. This year, Norooz falls on Monday, March 20.
Norooz is a 13-day celebration of renewal and rebirth. Much like New Year’s, it makes me pause and reflect upon life as an Iranian entrepreneur. Looking back over the past year, my fellow Persian entrepreneurs and I have had many opportunities and challenges.
From a political standpoint, I try to remain bipartisan. There have, however, been some significant events over the past year impacting Persian entrepreneurs, both in Iran and abroad. The Iran nuclear deal, for example, was a monumental beginning to improving three decades of a turbulent relationship between the U.S. and Iran. A more positive relationship between countries means more opportunities for entrepreneurs, including exposure to a greater number of investors and potential customers.
On the other hand, the current administration’s travel ban is creating controversy and new ill will. It is a step back and, for the entrepreneurs, stands to break down positive momentum.
What many people may not realize is that entrepreneurship is hot in Iran. More than 400 startups operate in Tehran alone. This generation of entrepreneurs are aggressive, collaborative, and vibrant. They go the extra mile to make it because, for most, that is their only ticket to the life of their dreams.
The universities like Sharif University of Technology (also known as MIT of Iran) are creating a good environment for startups, and a focus on inclusion. For example, over 70% of STEM students in Iran are women and, therefore, they are a major force to build new startups.
Around the world, the Persian entrepreneurs are creating startups that don’t have geographic borders and, to some extent, no cultural limitations. Their goal, like other entrepreneurs, is simple: they want access to resources and capital to build their ideas into companies.
One very special non-profit group, iBridges, is leading the charge to support Iranian entrepreneurs around the world. It holds an annual convention to help bridge the gap between the Iranian high-tech start-ups and the western investors. To date, it’s been held in Berkeley, California; Berlin, Germany; and Barcelona, Spain.
I attended the Berkeley event in 2014 and was very impressed. As I walked in, Kamran Elahian, chairman and co-founder of Global Catalyst Partners (an international, multistage, technology-oriented venture capital firm) was standing in the hallway surrounded by a throng of young entrepreneurs. They all wanted the answer to one question: “how do I make it?” Both Kamran and his wife, Zohre, very successful entrepreneurs who, after creating many exits, now dedicate their time to helping other entrepreneurs globally.
The event has continued to grow over the past few years. This past December, more than 1,000 participants came to hear more than 50 high-tech entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, social entrepreneurs, and academics speak in Barcelona about making it as a Persian entrepreneur. Among the speakers were luminaries like Susan Akbarpour, Founder and CEO of Mavatar Technologies; Alieh Yazdian, Entrepreneurship Officer Sharif University of Technology; Anousheh Ansari, CEO of Prodea and many more.
I am a glass half-full person. I think we have more challenges now than a year ago – and the non-stop doom and gloom in the news can make it seem like a scary world for entrepreneurs, but I am confident that things will positively change. With people like Elahian and his wife and organizations like iBridges working to bring together people of different countries and backgrounds, I believe we can overcome fear and support each other on the road to success. Democracy, care for others, entrepreneurship, and making a difference will win.
Happy Norooz to all of my fellow Persian entrepreneurs around the globe; from Tehran, Paris and Barcelona to New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver and every location between. Your energy and focus is our foundation and will carry us to new heights in this New Year.
