Naseem Raad, a professor of underwater archaeology and a spice company founder, illustrates how his academic work influences his entrepreneurial efforts. Amid Lebanon's economic crisis, he adjusted his teaching on maritime economic history to connect historical trade principles with modern-day implications. Realizing Lebanon's challenges with exports, Raad aimed to find a high-value product for export, ultimately launching Beirut Spice Co. to capitalize on the U.S. market, thereby intertwining his scholarly and entrepreneurial pursuits to contribute to Lebanon’s economic revival.
"We've never really been able to get on our feet in terms of exporting products on a wider scale," he said. "... In the midst of an economic crisis and all the stuff that was going on in Lebanon, I started to adjust the courses to also incorporate a modern element."
"The world wasn't created in 10 years," Raad said. "Our current climate around the entire world is the result of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of development."
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