By Elmira Bayrasli, Contributor
Arab literature is an oral rather than written tradition. Rich in prose and poetry families and communities would gather around the storyteller to regale in fantastic tales. Modern times have made that more difficult. Amman-based computer engineer Ala Suleiman hopes to revive this custom. His two-year old company Masmoo3 produces and publishes audio books for the Arab world. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Elmira Bayrasli, Contributor Thunder and lightening bookmarked eTohum’s Startup Turkey’s annual gathering this past weekend. It fit. The congregation of Turkish and regional entrepreneurs (from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan) stormed Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast for two and a half days of pitches and panels – the usual rundown for these events. What did I take away? Five points. I’ve outlined them below and will detail over the week ahead. Get out of Silicon (insert here): After talking to 23-year old Ankara-based Ali Cevik, I realized the importance of finding new markets and getting outside mainstream tech centers. I met the Arab Jeff Bezos: He’s Ala Suleiman who gave up a career in computer engineering to put books on tape for the Arab world. Entrepreneurial financing in between angel and venture isn’t mezzanine: It’s angel heavy. The iLab Ventures story The Arab world isn’t a country Broadbandgaria: South Eastern Europe’s Internet hope? Startup Turkey Take Away #1 …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
