For years, one of our LE·O students has been quietly doing the work.
Behind the scenes, he’s helped us with operations, systems, and day-to-day support. He showed up consistently. He offered his skills freely. He benefited from and believed in the mission and gave his time without ever asking for anything in return.
Like many Palestinians and especially ones with Palestinian-Lebanese travel document, his path after graduation hasn’t been straightforward. Despite strong qualifications and multiple job offers, visa restrictions kept closing doors just as they were about to open. Again and again.
What could have been the end of the road became a turning point.
Instead of giving up, he decided to build his own lane.
He’s now launching a small consultancy focused on supporting nonprofits with the exact services he’s been providing LE·O and other nonprofits for years: operational setup, systems support, and behind-the-scenes work that helps organizations run better and focus on impact. It’s work he knows deeply, and work nonprofits genuinely need.
We’re proud of him. Not just for the skills he’s developed, but for the resilience and creativity he’s shown in the face of obstacles that had nothing to do with talent or effort.
Stories like this are why LE·O exists. Sometimes success doesn’t look like a traditional job offer. Sometimes it looks like someone deciding to build something of their own when the system won’t make space for them.
If this story brings to mind a nonprofit, community group, or organizer who could benefit from this kind of support, we’d love to help make that connection or simply circulate HIS PITCH-DECK.
More than anything, we wanted to share this moment with you. It’s a reminder that barriers don’t get the final word, and that perseverance, when paired with opportunity, can turn setbacks into new beginnings.