Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development Hub (ESDH)
The AUIB-CEID-ESDH is a dynamic platform for innovation and impact. This hub brings together training, incubation, mentorship, and consultancy to support ideas from concept to execution. Built in collaboration with local and international partners, it empowers individuals and organizations to drive sustainable change across Iraq.
Our Story
Our team at CEID-ESDH carries years of experience in the entrepreneurship world, not just in Iraq, but across the MENA region and beyond. When we first started working at the CEID and looked out at the AUIB campus, we didn’t just see a university—we saw a movement.
We looked at the students and saw a mindset that was truly astonishing. We observed how they think about financial independence, how they want to make wise life decisions, and how they are obsessed with solving community problems through business. We found it incredibly cool that they weren’t just looking for jobs; they were looking to produce solutions.
At the same time, we sat in endless meetings with our partners in the government, the private sector, and NGOs. We saw a massive community of youth, 61% of our population, and realized this is a giant engine for investment. We observed that while everyone has been working hard in this sector for 20 years, something was still missing.
We wanted to know exactly what, so we launched a “20-year gap assessment” to look at everything that happened from 2003 to 2023. We found some fascinating gaps that others had missed. We took those interesting findings, got together with our experts, and built the AUIB Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Development Hub (ESDH) to fill those exact holes.
Our Objectives
We created this hub to:
- Engage the government in the growth of the local entrepreneurial market, emphasizing policy influence to foster a supportive environment.
- Raise awareness among the young generation about entrepreneurship, enhancing the start-up culture in Baghdad.
- Provide Iraqi entrepreneurs with opportunities to learn and develop globally.
- Develop a platform where entrepreneurs can form a supportive community.
- Assist youth in ideating their start-up concepts, offering incubation opportunities to bring these start-ups to life.
- Import Silicon Valley expertise, competitions, and accelerators to Iraq.
- Build a pioneering data hub focused on entrepreneurship in Iraq.
- Help existing start-ups identify areas for improvement and facilitate their growth through competent experts with local insights.
Our Approach
We believe that for any national economy to thrive, people must talk to each other. We saw that the public sector, private companies, and NGOs often live in different worlds. Because our partners trust the AUIB-CEID, we’ve become the “meeting point” for brilliant ideas and changing management.
We’ve spent time listening to everyone’s perspective and have become a gateway connecting Baghdad’s local scene to the world. We’re already talking to partners in Qatar, UAE, Lebanon, USA, Spain, France, Switzerland, Tunisia, Jordan, and KSA. We truly believe that in this world, collaboration isn’t just a nice idea; it’s the only way to survive and the best way to thrive.
Hub Units
Training & Development
Ideation, Incubation & Acceleration
Mentorship & Consultancy
Networking & Community Engagement
Data & Research
Our Programs
- Certified Start-Up Executive Program
- Sustainability and Problem-Solving Program
- Start-Up Financial Success Program
- Start-Up Marketing & Sales
- Ideation; AUIB Start-Up Competition
- Incubator; TBA
- Acceleration; TBA
- Angel Investment Rounds
- Mentorship Services Upon Request for all administrative fields within a start-up.
- Executive Coaching for Entrepreneur Leaders.
- Start-Up performance Evaluation & Growth support
- General Business Consultations
- Government Engagement and Policy Influence
- Events, meet-ups, conferences, celebrations, and game nights.
- Data Hub (original, partnerships, and global data)
- Blogpost
- Research with Regional and International Academics
