‘Coerced, not a hero’: How entrepreneurs in war-torn Gaza respond to collective exclusion

With speaker Dr Mona Itani (American University of Beirut)

Hosted by Will Green

This seminar aims to reconceptualise inclusive entrepreneurship at the level of place by explaining how community-level exclusion forms and escalates under chronic adversity and war, and by specifying how entrepreneurs move across states over time to re-enter exchange.

Most research on inclusive entrepreneurship emphasizes individual-level inclusion, often overlooking the collective exclusion experienced by entire communities, particularly in contexts marked by adversity and catastrophic events such as war. In these contexts, exclusion emerges as a systemic phenomenon, as forced migration and displacement interrupt economic activities and demolish institutional frameworks. In this framework, entrepreneurship serves as both a means of economic survival and a strategic adaptation mechanism that enhances institutional resilience and stability.

This study utilizes an inductive qualitative methodology, using comprehensive semi-structured interviews and extensive secondary public data to analyse the experiences of entrepreneurs who founded companies prior to and during the Gaza crisis. It examines the emergence of entrepreneurship as an adaptive reaction to institutional disintegration and prolonged conflict.

This study expands the understanding of inclusive entrepreneurship by illustrating how communities confront collective exclusion, providing fresh perspectives on entrepreneurship's role in fostering resilience in the face of systemic upheaval. Exclusion results from a persistent cycle where mobility and service shortages lead ventures to seek external programs. At the same time, selectivity and fragmented regulations reinforce these gaps. Under chronic adversity, this cycle worsens, creating a more complex loop that combines destruction, and liquidity freezes with fund shifting and trust decline, thereby maintaining exclusion. Entrepreneurial action involves moving between different states: from practical withholding to temporary avoidance, then to acts of defiance. This is expressed through three primary forms of re-entry: grassroots and diaspora crowdfunding, reconfiguring payments, teams, and infrastructure across borders, and making pivots to survive.

Bio

Mona Itani, PhD is an assistant professor at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut since 2021. Her research examines entrepreneurship within extreme contexts, with a specific focus on women's experiences, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and the evolution of leadership in challenging environments.

Beyond her primary research, she has extensive experience designing and managing startup incubation and acceleration programs across both academic and industry landscapes. She is a published author on entrepreneurship, women, ethics, and education. She is a renowned public speaker, award-winner, and expert on entrepreneurship and social innovation in the Arab world. She is a seasoned mentor and coach for women and young entrepreneurs in the MENA region.