Emil Abirascid, founder of Startupbusiness, discusses the network platform he is spearheading to build a vibrant startup ecosystem in Italy. Startupbusiness was launched in 2008 and boasts over 3,000 members including entrepreneurs, investors, and incubators.

The Startupbusiness network lives both on and offline, allowing members to participate in events and services available only to the community. Abirascid explains that as a journalist, he began writing about the startup ecosystem in Italy and saw a real need for a way to boost startup capacity and to create an environment for startups to grow. “We are in a situation where we can create a Mediterranean-wide ecosystem; what is happening in Italy is happening in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Spain,” he says.

Abirascid believes firmly that entrepreneurs in different regions face similar obstacles and must find ways to create an international startup ecosystem that not only facilitates profits, but does social good, “Creating value is not just making money, it’s transforming what we do to have a social impact.”