Longo Faculty of Business Lead the Development of Digital Business Components
Humber College’s Entrepreneurship + Digital Livelihoods + Creative Arts Socio-economic empowerment of women refugees in Kenya (EDC-Kenya) has been selected for innovation testing with a total value of $198,692 CAD. Supported by the Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT), Humber will work in collaboration with local partner, CAP-Youth Empowerment Institute (CAPYEI) for 12 months to address women’s access to livelihoods and entrepreneurship opportunities and opportunities to commercialize artistic talents.
Humber’s Longo Faculty of Business and a multidisciplinary team of students from the Digital Business Management, Professional Writing & Communications, Fashion Arts and Business, and Bachelor of Creative Advertising will support Humber’s International Development Institute (IDI) and CAP Youth Empowerment Institute (CAPYEI) throughout the testing of this innovation. The multidisciplinary team will adapt the existing entrepreneurship-training program currently implemented through CAPYEI, to include a digital business component to entrepreneurship and further mentorship to support urban-based refugees in Nairobi to launch their online enterprises.
Hanadi Alnawab, Humber’s Bachelor of Commerce - Digital Business Management Program Coordinator combines her previous international development experience working with refugees, current experience as a Professor and Program Coordinator, and experience working with small businesses through HumberOnline.Solutions, to lead the development of digital business management components and integration to the existing entrepreneurship training program for EDC-Kenya.
Alnawab has recruited 10 students from the following academic faculties: Longo Faculty of Business, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Innovative Learning, and Faculty of Media & Creative Arts to bring different talents and strengths to the team and innovation testing.
“I am passionate about supporting refugees (anywhere in the world) and have previous experience working with the Palestinian refugees in the Shatila camp in Beirut, Lebanon, teaching the youth digital and computer skills,”
- Hanadi Alnawab
“Before this project, Hanadi recruited me and some of the brilliant ladies on this team for a paid work opportunity where we had developed an e-commerce and social media strategy for a small business. Having taught us in the web-development course and supervised us in our work with the small business, we were trusted and granted the opportunity to develop this digital business curriculum and apply our learnings in a meaningful way.”
- Tabassum Mili Hawlader, Third year, Digital Business Management (Bachelor of Commerce)
“Working on this project has helped me improve my communication skills with my team members and polish my plain language writing. I’ve learned a lot about how long-term projects can shift their goals and expectations as they progress and how to adapt to that by ensuring everyone has a clear understanding of the tasks they have to complete.”
- Caroline Poon, Professional Writing and Communications, Graduate Certificate Student
