Co-Founder’s message

At an annual general meeting of a Silicon Valley Venture Capital Firm, four of the VIP.fund alumni took to the stage to share their journey, introduce panels, and moderate others. They are graduates of Computer Engineering, AI, Finance, and Accounting. Three young men and two young women from the VIP.fund had been interns and fellows for the past year at the firm.

Participating in our Work4Education program had similar experiences with other technology, science, engineering, tech, and media organizations in the USA, Europe, Japan, GCC, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey.

We believe in learning by doing, and we strongly believe in the promise of technology. By the time a student graduates with VIP.fund support, they have volunteered thousands of hours and earned an income from projects within our organizations and among our community of partners.

In 2024, the number of students who ran our operations, communications, book-keeping, analytics, and technology platforms grew by 125%. They were supported by 49 volunteers from our community. Students acquired practical skills that will serve them well with future employers. More importantly, they collaborated across borders working as one entity spanning different countries, ethnicities, and religious denominations.

Looking forward—collaboration, curiosity, and self-reliance will continue to be core to our work. We will further integrate technology in our student journeys and build more paths to employment and entrepreneurship in disruptive fields.

We are grateful to those of you who shared your skills on webinars, volunteered your time to mentor our students, created job opportunities, and donated to student campaigns. We look forward to continuing the journey in 2025 and bringing you along with us!

What We Do

Experiential Learning

Our “sandbox” model relies on the students’ commitment to engage, learn, and support others. Students featured below volunteered to run our programs from A to Z. They lead our technology platform support, communications, brand management, and webinar series management. We are grateful for their participation. 

Fund

In 2024 edSeed continued to be a cornerstone of our fundraising efforts:

• Campaign Support: Students with active edSeed campaigns supported incoming students in every phase of the fundraising process, fostering a culture of peer mentorship.

   

• New Collaborations: We established relationships with educational organizations such as Guilford College in NC USA, expanding our network of support.

   

Seed Funds

Our seed funds provide initial capital to students, often sponsoring entire campaigns. Managed by individuals and organizations committed to education and supporting conflict-impacted youth, these endowments have collectively raised $631,144 since 2018. We currently have six established, targeted funds.

Educate

Education remains at the heart of our mission:

• Graduates: Eight students in AI, data science, computer engineering and medicine.
• Active Campaigns: Thirty students launched campaigns, collectively raising $185,000.
• Webinars and Assemblies: Hosted 13 webinars and 10 student assemblies, fostering continuous learning and community engagement.
• Our webinars centered on four themes addressing students’ mental well-being, practical needs and building skills for the AI & digital world ahead of them:
• Technology & AI
• Digital communication 
• Migration and mapping a future
• Psychology & healing

Employ

We expanded the “Work for Education” program, designed to create internship opportunities for students with companies offering digital engagement programs. Students worked on AI data-annotation projects, Venture Capital operations and deal assessments, grant applications for an audio book publishing platform, and more. 

Engage 

Our community thrives on collaboration. 

• Global Teamwork: Students and volunteers from various countries, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds worked together seamlessly. 
• Volunteer Support: Forty volunteers dedicated their time and expertise to mentor students, lead webinars, and create job opportunities.
• Connections: Students traveling to study abroad visit volunteers and participate in local community events.

Blogs

Impact

VIP.fund 2024 Webinars

VIP.Fund 2024 Youtube Statstics

Program Highlights

Operations

Our community of students and volunteers collaborate across 5 time zones. To do this effectively, they rely heavily on SLACK, a communications tool that is home to 348 members, 34 communication channels and a busy Zoom call schedule.  

On a weekly “Operation” call, students and volunteers share updates and receive guidance from board members and advisors. Students and supporting volunteers conduct weekly meetings to address communications, IT, accounting and student onboarding. They use other tools to design and publish social media posts, update our proprietary systems and maintain program content on google docs. All this is communicated in two languages: Arabic and English.

Gratitude

We are deeply grateful to our supporters:

• Mentors and Speakers: Thank you for sharing your expertise through webinars and mentoring sessions.
• Donors: Your generous contributions have directly impacted students’ lives and futures.
• Partners: Our collaborations with various organizations have expanded opportunities for our students.
• Board members: Your commitment to the organization and the time and effort spent volunteering with students and partners is key to our success.
  
• Volunteers: You supported the VIP.fund and edSeed operations throughout 2024, and showed tremendous dedication to helping students in our community.

Financials

In 2024, we raised a modest $182,939 through various campaigns and initiatives. Barring platform fees, these funds were allocated to students—funding campaigns and fellowship stipends.

As we reflect on 2024, we are grateful to our donors who believe in our mission and continue to support it. Together, we are building a community where learning and collaboration pave the way for a brighter future.

Students share lessons learned 

“In 2024, I learned that life won’t last forever, so I express my love and gratitude more openly and capture every moment with those around me.” – Sama Almasri.

“I learned to appreciate the moment and live it in its details, to appreciate small wins, to laugh from my heart with my loved ones, and to create beautiful memories and leave a good impression” – Ahmed Alyacoubi.

“Todays, I look at Yusra with pride. Everything I endured has shaped me into the woman I am today—strong, wise, responsible, and generous. I am ready to give back and be a source of goodness” – Yusra Abu Kwaik 

“One important lesson I learned last year was the importance of staying positive during difficult times. Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes things don’t go as planned. However, maintaining a positive mindset has helped me stay focused and resilient. So always try to look for the silver lining, even when things seem tough. This mindset not only helps in overcoming challenges but also in appreciating the small wins along the way.” – Khadija Alyan