Lina Annab

Jordanian economist leading youth economic empowerment through entrepreneurship education

Lina Annab is a Jordanian economist and social entrepreneur whose work with Injaz Jordan has equipped over 500,000 young people with financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills. As CEO of this non-profit, she developed the region's first nationally certified entrepreneurship curriculum taught in 350+ schools. Her programs have a 75% success rate in helping students launch viable businesses post-graduation, creating 12,000+ youth-led enterprises since 2018.

Annab's approach combines classroom training with real-world internships and business plan competitions. The flagship 'Entrepreneurship Education' program includes modules on digital marketing, crowdfunding, and sustainable business models tailored for Jordan's economy. Notable alumni include 2021 winner Zaid Al-Azraq who scaled his solar water purification startup to three regional countries.

Her research on youth unemployment solutions has influenced Jordan's national education policies, leading to entrepreneurship being made a mandatory subject in public schools. Annab also co-founded the Arab Women's Entrepreneurship Network (AWEN) which provides mentorship to 1,500+ female founders annually. Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2022, her TEDx talk "How to Turn Youth into Economic Powerhouses" has garnered 800,000+ views.

In 2023, she launched the MENA Youth Innovation Hub - a $2M seed fund supporting tech startups addressing regional challenges like water scarcity and renewable energy. Annab's holistic strategy of education + capital + policy change has positioned her as a leading voice in creating pathways for youth economic participation across the Middle East.