Alumni of The Month

1.    Introduce yourself?

I'm Laith, a dentist turned tech entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. In 1997 I founded Jeeran.com while attending the School of Dentistry at the University of Jordan. Inspired by the dot com boom in the U.S., My vision was to bring more people and businesses in the Arab World on to the internet. I used all his spare time between lectures and on holidays to learn coding and build Jeeran. By the time I graduated, I had five full time employees working with him, and Jeeran became one of the first startups to enter the first startup incubator in Jordan, iPark, which was set up at the Royal Scientific Society.

 Over the following 12 years Jeeran grew to over 7 million active users and managed to attract funding from regional and global VC's including ATH, Intel Capital and 500 Startups. During that time I served as a judge and mentor in many technology competitions and startup bootcamps, most notably the Queen Rania Entrepreneurship Center for Entrepreneurship, and Oasis 500. It was through those engagements that he developed a passion for mentoring and teaching other entrepreneurs.

In 2012 I moved on to work with other startups as Chief Technology Officer, and advisor, most notably OpenSooq, Akhtaboot, HelloWorldKids, and MunchOn.

In 2015, capitalizing on his long startup experience to serve the wider MENA ecosystem, he decided to move to the investment side and joined Arzan Venture Capital where he became Senior Partner. For nearly eight years he led investments in many early stage technology companies in the region, North America, and the UK. Among his most notable investments are Mejuri, Trukker, and Zid, which are today valued at over $2 Billion dollars. Over the years My investment portfolio grew to over 40 startups in 10 countries, including Careem, POSRocket, Tamatem Games, Carseer, Repzo, Citron, GameBall, Merit, Hala, Lucky, MoneyFellows, and NearPay.

I'm a self taught technologist who enjoys learning new technologies and still codes to this day.

With my entrepreneurial background, I founded my first startup in 1997 to bring more people and businesses in Jordan onto the World Wide Web. Three years later that pivoted into what became one of the most notable startups in the Arab World; Jeeran.com. As Co-founder of Jeeran from 2000, I served many roles while shaping and executing the company's product vision, and growing its user base from a handful of friends to nearly 7M users. In 2012 as Jeeran matured he decided to take a step back. After Jeeran, I took on advisory and consulting roles with startups such as TasmeemME, OpenSooq, Akhtaboot, MunchOn, and HelloWorldKids.

A self taught technologist and a geek at heart, I enjoy working closely with passionate developers and designers on new and bold ideas. I still codes almost daily, and speaks fluent Arabic, English, Objective-C, PHP, C#, JavaScript, SQL, CSS, HTML, and a little bit of Python. I hold a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Jordan.

2.    Share your fondest memory from your time at Jordan University?

I have several fond memories at the university. The first was when her Majesy Queen Rania launched the “1,000 PC" project to establish state-of-the-art computer labs with high speed internet across all universities in Jordan. This was the first time I and most students at the time got access to high speed internet which we couldn't afford at home. This allowed me to spend more time between classes learning how to code and build my website.

I also fondly remember Dr. Ghazi Baqain and Dr. Awni Al Kayed, who were both the Deans of the School of Dentistry during my time there. They were very supportive of my extracurricular interest and, at times, allowed me to take a leave from classes and exams in order to travel and attend conferences. ​​

Another memory was when a journalist from a local English newspaper “The Arab Daily" found out about jeeran.com and came to the university to interview me. I had to skip a class in order to meet with him and give the interview. This was the first time I felt I was building a real business.

3.    In one word, how would you describe Jordan University?

Home.​

4.    Explain how your experiences at UJ shaped you?

The University of Jordan brings together a wide spectrum of social and cultural background from across the country and the region. This created a good environment for developing appreciation for the diversity of people and ideas. On the technical side, the computer facilities at the time allowed me to explore the internet freely and to learn the skills I would use later in my career.

5.    Discuss what fascinated you about your chosen course of study?

My course of study ended up being very different from my career path. I wanted to have an impact in a field where I could apply scientific knowledge using technical skills and talent. Midway through it, in the late 90's, I realized that the internet would change the world and that I needed to explore this new technology, which eventually took me on this journey of entrepreneurship.

6.    Offer advice to graduating students preparing to enter the workforce?

University should teach you about yourself and prepare you for life. It is not about preparing you for a job. The time you spend there is your opportunity to experiment and learn, develop new skills. It is the time you can push your mind and body beyond their limits so discover your potential.

7.    Reflect on what you wish you had known during your time as a student?

Mentors and mentorship are key requirements to accelerate growth and learning. Going through that journey would have been much easier had I understood the importance of seeking mentors.

8.    Identify the person who has had the greatest impact on your career?

The exposure my parents gave me during my early upbringing helped me develop my own world view of the things around me. Growing up in a military family, I lived in 6 cities in 3 countries, and went to 10 different schools. I met people from diverse cultures, and made many friends, most of whom have very little in common. This taught me that great people can come from any city, country, color, race, or family.