Ignite 2025: Building Global, From Elsewhere
Beyond Valuation: The Mindset Powering Lebanese Founders Building Global Companies
Endeavor Lebanon brought Ignite back to Beirut with Ignite 2025: The Lebanese Founders Forum, reaffirming a core belief: Lebanese entrepreneurship is no longer defined by geography; it is global, interconnected, and thriving from everywhere.
Organized in partnership with Beirut Digital District and Offshore, and with the support of LebNet, Ignite 2025 welcomed 300+ founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem builders for an afternoon defined not just by scale, but by substance.
In her opening remarks, Christina Chehade, Managing Director of Endeavor Lebanon, captured the spirit of the forum:
“Lebanese entrepreneurship is no longer bound by geography ; it spans the globe. Our role is to bridge local and global founders, so experience, capital, and opportunity can move freely between them.”
This belief lies at the heart of Endeavor’s global mission and its conviction in the Multiplier Effect: when entrepreneurs succeed and remain connected across borders and generations, they don’t grow alone. They reinvest, mentor, and open doors for others, creating impact that compounds far beyond a single company or market; this is how thriving ecosystems are built.
Opening the Conversation: Building Connected Ecosystems
The forum opened with reflections on the importance of connection, collaboration, and long-term ecosystem building.
Mouhamad Rabah, CEO of Beirut Digital District, emphasized the role of Beirut as a platform for convening founders and enabling cross-border opportunity, while H.E. Dr. Kamal Shehade, Lebanon’s Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence, highlighted the importance of global partnerships in accelerating Lebanon’s digital and AI ecosystem.
Panel I: Brains Abroad — Building Global Companies from Day One
The first panel, moderated by Habib Haddad, spotlighted Endeavor Entrepreneurs behind unicorn companies building category-defining businesses across global markets, including Oyster, Kitopi, Huspy, and JumpCloud.
Across sectors, from foodtech and proptech to HR tech and enterprise software, founders shared unfiltered lessons on scaling internationally while staying grounded in the resourcefulness, adaptability, and grit that define Lebanese entrepreneurship. A clear message echoed across the discussion: thinking global from day one is not optional — it is essential.
Fireside Chat: Leading Through Hyper-Growth
Midway through the forum, the conversation shifted to leadership at scale with a candid fireside chat between Anthony Ghosn and Tarek Mansour, Co-Founder & CEO of Kalshi.
Mansour shared rare, behind-the-scenes insights into building a regulated, hyper-growth company; reflecting on the resilience required to lead through uncertainty, the importance of conviction in long-term vision, and the reality that Kalshi came close to shutting down more than 25 times before becoming a decacorn. His reflections resonated deeply with founders navigating growth amid complexity and constraint.
Panel II: Scaling from Lebanon — Grit, Resilience, and Execution
The second panel, moderated by Endeavor alum Omar Christidis, brought the focus back home, spotlighting Endeavor Entrepreneurs behind Toters and Toothpick, alongside founders from Multilane and Siren Analytics; all scaling their companies from Lebanon itself.
Speakers shared how operating in a volatile environment sharpens execution, strengthens problem-solving capabilities, and fosters a mindset built on adaptability and ingenuity, turning constraint into a competitive advantage.
The discussion reinforced a powerful truth: founders building from Lebanon are developing a way of thinking that travels across markets and stages, enabling them to navigate complexity and create value wherever they build.
A Collective Takeaway
Ignite 2025 reaffirmed Endeavor’s belief that entrepreneurship thrives in connected ecosystems, where knowledge is shared, success is paid forward, and impact multiplies.
Lebanese founders are building from Beirut, from the region, and from across the globe. What connects them is not location, but mindset, and a shared commitment to building companies that create lasting impact.
The future is global.
The future is connected.
The future is being built — from elsewhere.