Web Summit 2023: An Exhausting yet Elating Week
The DT4E team composed of Talent Beyond Boundaries UK+ Europe, IOM and Fragomen pose for a group photo at the Web Summit
An annual technology conference held in Lisbon, WebSummit sees the convening of 70,000 policymakers, heads of state, founders and CEOs of technology companies and start-ups to present and discuss the future in a tech-enabled world.
In November 2023, the EU-funded and International Organisation for Migration (IOM)-led Displaced Talent for Europe (DT4E) initiative was invited to participate in the 70,000-participant summit in Lisbon as a sponsored Community Partner.
We were privileged to speak on a distinguished fireside panel discussion as part of the Future Societies Series. The panel, titled "Tech for Hope: Revolutionizing Refugee Labor Mobility," featured our very own Marina Brizar, the UK & Europe Director of TBB, alongside Mónica Goracci, IOM’s Director of Programme Support and Migration Management. Together, they addressed an engaged audience of approximately 500 tech industry representatives, highlighting the depth of tech talent in refugee communities around the world and encouraging the private sector to hire displaced talent, partner with us, and, now more than ever, be a driving solution to the world’s growing displacement realities.
Over the four days, our project team was joined by four incredible TBB alumni, now living and working in the UK. Ammar, a full stack and salesforce developer; Dalir, a Senior .NET Full Stack Developer; and Shahla, a front end developer - We couldn't have asked for a better or more inspiring company.
Jana, alumnus and now a core part of the TBB UK team, said of the week:
“Participating in WebSummit, bridging my experiences as both an alumna and Talent Sourcing Lead at Talent Beyond Boundaries, was a fantastic journey. It allowed me to seamlessly integrate my background into engaging conversations with new employers, facilitating meaningful connections and onboarding opportunities. As for Lisbon, its sunny weather and delicious Pastéis de Nata have truly captured my heart.”
From Left to Right: TBB Alumni Shahla, Dalir and Ammar, with Jana Al Mawed, TBB’s Talent Sourcing Lead in the UK at the Web Summit.
With over 70,000 people in attendance, the opportunities to network and pitch our purpose were endless. Amongst such a technical and excited crowd, with companies pitching new products and topics such as machine learning, MedTech and AI, our pitch was not lost. In fact, delivering dozens of pitches, I’m proud to say our mission statement captured wide interest, and why wouldn’t it? Accessing this untapped talent pool of brilliant technologists, who happen to be displaced, is an incredibly motivating movement for a summit full of innovators.
What next? The outcomes will speak for themselves. New companies, new collaborators, and new destinations. Whilst no mean feat, our ambitious goals are coming to fruition.
For me, the Summit solidified our firm place in the future of a just and open society, where displaced people are seen for their skills and are part of the solution of a rapidly changing world. But perhaps most importantly, it was the opportunity to see and learn from our most essential ambassadors, the talent who have moved through the programme and are now steadfast agents of this movement, pitching the purpose from their experience. I am proud to be a small part of this journey and proud to be building lifelong friendships and memories along the way.