Impact Through Technology | Ibrahim Aburajab | TEDxAmman GIS

The speaker discusses the impact of technology on local communities, sharing a personal journey that led to the creation of a business called "VV". Initially, the speaker's family was skeptical about their entrepreneurial endeavors. The speaker was working on a corporate-focused startup with good income and also exploring Jordan, meeting locals and discovering the country. This sparked an idea: how to support local communities and benefit them. A year later, with two business partners who shared the same vision, they founded VV. Their launch coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, which initially seemed to halt their progress. However, they pivoted and created "virtual experiences," connecting people globally with local businesses through technology. They experimented with various communication tools to build impact, reaching countries like Thailand, India, Europe, and Japan. This allowed people to virtually explore places from their homes, preparing them for post-lockdown travel. As lockdowns eased, VV shifted its focus back to local communities in Jordan. They engaged deeply with the communities, not just by asking about problems, but by living and interacting with them. This led to the creation of experiences that connected local communities to the global world, transforming from a global-to-local approach to a local-to-global one. Two stories highlight this impact. The first is about Om Ahmed from Al Karak, a mother who cooks delicious mansaf. VV helped her share her cooking and story globally. People from around the world visited her kitchen, not just to eat, but to cook with her and share stories, turning her kitchen into a hub for cultural exchange. The second story features a woman in Aelon who offers bread-baking experiences with a view. VV designed and distributed this experience globally, which became one of the most popular cultural offerings on their platform. The journey wasn't without challenges, particularly concerning regulations and payment systems, where they sometimes had to use creative workarounds. Despite these hurdles, the results have been significant: a 40% increase in income for local communities, with women-led businesses attracting the most attention. Travelers felt safer and experienced a more authentic connection, feeling like locals and returning home with memorable stories. For the local communities, VV helped them achieve their dreams. The speaker concludes by emphasizing that everyone can build impact using their own tools and in their chosen destinations. The core idea is to find your equation for building impact, using technology as a tool to benefit local communities.