I believe that I make change by inspiring and challenging people to explore, experiment, and attempt things they never thought they could do. Right now, I do this mostly through SMEXbeirut, a Lebanese NGO/company that I founded and run with my husband Mohamad Najem. We build digital literacy for more effective civic participation in Arab society.
Since I was a child, I've always loved ruins. They are such a great reminder that we're only here for a short time so we better make it count. What will our digital ruins look like?
Agency for all!
I've been a writer since I was 6, when I wrote my first short story that was a rip-off of Star Wars. I was a magazine journalist for about 10 years, both writing and managing writers and editors--and unruly art directors too. I left commercial publishing to get a master's in media studies. During those two years, I moved to Lebanon, got married, abandoned print for online, and devoted myself to learning, especially learning that relates to being, networking, and making change online.
