Syrians Fleeing War Taste Sweet Success

Sometimes, the greatest success stories are the most unexpected…even in the least likely moments. That’s what happened to a Syrian entrepreneur named Moe.

In Syrians Fleeing War Taste Sweet Success, you’ll meet Moe, who was forced to shut down his tech business when frequent blackouts made it impossible to work. He fled his home in war-torn Aleppo for Jordan to participate in a startup competition. He thought it would be for just five days. He never imagined he would stay for five years. The e-commerce startup he founded created jobs for Syrians and Jordanians in the capital of Amman and his know-how helped develop the country’s nascent entrepreneurial ecosystem. You’ll meet Moe and some of the thousands of entrepreneurs inside Jordan’s largest refugee camp generating millions of dollars in revenue each month.

That’s because even in a refugee camp – a place where unexpected entrepreneurs are thriving – people require necessities and crave flavors from home. You’ll hear from Abdul, whose family’s baklava, with its thin layers of pastry, nuts and hot syrup is so popular inside and outside the camp, that he’s expanded to five shops. Every week, cars line up outside the gates to collect boxes of his pastry for Jordanians.  You’ll tour a part of Amman once an empty strip mall and now a flourishing foodie hub for restaurants from Damascus with a loyal following beyond Syrian borders…like a 100-year-old ice cream shop where workers create an impromptu orchestra as they scoop extra-milky ice cream before rolling it in cashews, pistachios and honey. You’ll understand the close ties that bind Syrians and Jordanians and how Syria’s food culture has played an important role between these neighbors.

In Syrians Fleeing War Taste Sweet Success, you’ll discover how Syrian refugees in Jordan are contributing their entrepreneurial know-how, generating revenues and jobs and sharing their rich cuisine.