Laith Kassis

About

Building innovation ecosystems where others see only obstacles. For over 20 years, I've been pioneering Palestine's startup ecosystem—proving that transformative innovation can thrive even under the toughest constraints. As an Australian-Palestinian consultant, I bring global perspective to local challenges and ground truth to international development. My impact so far: 70+ startups supported, $12M+ in capital mobilized, and a methodology (CLIP Framework) now used across the MENA region. How I work—the CLIP Framework: I developed this systematic approach to building innovation ecosystems under constraint: Capital – I've structured investments from USAID, Cisco and Paltel Group into Palestinian tech ventures, facilitating everything from seed funding to R&D partnerships and software outsourcing deals. Linkages – I connect Palestinian founders to global/regional value chains through market research, trade delegations, and FDI promotion. I launched ExpoTech conference and Multinational Days to break down barriers between local talent and international opportunities. Infrastructure – From developing the Palestine-India Technopark at Birzeit University to advocating for 4G broadband li

Experience

Education