-
Laura Jardine Paterson started running a technology company full-time in Lebanon in 2021.
-
But she left on October 2 amid escalating air raids, heeding British government calls for nationals to leave.
-
She said tech workers want to continue working there to distract themselves.
This as told essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Laura Jardine Paterson, CEO of a web development company operating in Lebanon. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I went to first Lebanon in 2017 on holiday with my best friend.
I vividly remember lying in bed that first night and thinking: “This is the best place in the world.” I had never been to a place where everyone was so generous, especially compared to London, where people are super cold.
In 2019, I returned to Lebanon to volunteer in a refugee camp as a 26 year old. Then I got a job at an NGO that taught programming to marginalized youth. It exposed me to the amount of tech talent in the region.
I met two refugees in Lebanon, a Palestinian girl and a Syrian boy, and together we started a company called CONCAT. The goal was to connect the two with friends in Europe and Britain who needed web developers.
It soon became a larger project, bringing work to developers in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan, with an emphasis on women and refugee developers. I have been working full-time as CEO since 2021 and spend about nine to ten months a year in Lebanon.
But on October 2, I left Lebanon on a charter flight for British nationals to escape the escalating violence.
I felt guilty about leaving my team behind, but I am determined to continue to platform tech talent in Lebanon and support the people who want to continue working.
I hope to return to Lebanon as soon as it is safe, but I don’t know when that will be.
Many people don’t know that Lebanon has a vibrant technology scene
In recent years, the technical sector in Lebanon has grown explosively.
Tech workers in Lebanon are often deployed remotely for companies in Lebanon the UAEwhere there is a demand for Arabic speakers, or in Europe. There is so much talent. Nearly all the college students I meet are studying computer science or engineering, and many are women.
There is an incredible community. So many people helped me build CONCAT and welcome me to the industry.
There have been some problems running a business here.
Instability in Lebanonespecially during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond Explosion of a fertilizer factory in Beiruthas taken its toll on the mental health of our team. In the past we have also had problems with access to electricity and 3G.
CONCAT has a team of 10 full-timers and we have worked with approximately 150 clients from all over the world. Earlier this year, we launched a recruitment department that vets talent and matched approximately 20 employees to companies.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon moved at a frightening pace
In Lebanon there was a lot of solidarity with the Palestinians after the war October 7 attack. Several people I spoke to at the time referred to the 2006 war, when Israel invaded Lebanon. But I don’t think people generally expected to come for us this time – until the pager attack on September 17.
I was at the gym downtown Beirut when I heard sirens everywhere. At the end of my gym session, I looked at my phone and realized an attack had occurred.
During my stay in Lebanon, the country experienced several crises. There is always unconscious tension because of these events.
I cycled home and there were ambulances everywhere. When I got home, I had missed calls from my team and others and wondered if everything was okay. I immediately checked in with my entire team.
After that, everything was running at a super terrifying pace. Air raids in the south Lebanon became more intense and finally on the way to Beirutwhere I stayed during my entire time in Lebanon. Now there is one ground offensive.
The air raids were traumatizing, but I didn’t feel like my life was in danger. My biggest concern every night, when the air raids would start, was for the team, their families and their safety.
Several times I left Beirut to stay overnight with friends in the mountains. I could hear the bombardment all night long. The first thing I would do was check where they were going to hit and see if everyone on my team and my friends was okay.
I haven’t received any bad news about my friends yet, but I’m very worried.
I decided to leave Lebanon, but I feel guilty about leaving my team behind
Managing my team during this time is probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my career. I don’t think any of us on the team expected things to escalate so quickly.
Our team has always worked remotely, some from refugee camps or poor cities, and we still function remotely today.
During a team discussion, one of our developers mentioned that her best friend was buried with her family under the rubble after an airstrike in southern Lebanon. She waited to see if they were alive or not.
My eyes filled with tears and I had no idea what to say.
I tried to maintain a strong sense of humanity and told my team to take time off whenever they wanted, but everyone said, “No. We have to keep working. We can’t let them win or stop our lives.” .”
I didn’t want to to leave Lebanon and my team, but the British government does Urging British nationals to leave. My parents were also concerned. They said if Britain sent an evacuation plane, I should get on it.
On October 2, I boarded a chartered flight back to Britain.
The people of Lebanon are determined to continue living their lives
Now that I’m back in the UK, I still watch the news every five minutes, but I can think more clearly and continue to promote the talent that exists in Lebanon.
I’ve been connecting with business leaders and activists and thinking about how I can get more projects.
The entire company is working as hard as ever. We have plans in place to pay team members in the event that banks close and have ensured that everyone on the team has backup power sources.
I have had to make these kinds of plans from day one as CEO in Lebanon. The country has been struggling with electricity and banks for years, so I’m used to it.
I want to return to Lebanon as soon as it is safe. I hope that this conflict will not affect the technology scene in Lebanon too much and that countries will continue to hire people from Lebanon and not be deterred by the media.
One of our key developers has requested more work to have something to distract her. Those who have been displaced are now looking for new opportunities, and people still living in their homes or who have moved to safer areas want to continue working.
They are forced to be resilient and want to move forward no matter what.
Have a story you’d like to share with Business Insider? E-mail ccheong@businessinsider.com
Read the original article Business insider