Berytech to manage the Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award

Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award Launch
This project is a project of hope for people who believe in this country. I believe in this country and this is my contribution to its rise and flourishment.

Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award Launch
The Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award – conceived to stimulate, recognize and reward technology innovation and excellence in sports in Lebanon – was officially launched on October 11, 2018 during a press conference held at Le Gray Hotel in the presence of several ministers and their representatives as well as members of parliament and senior government officials, officials from the Lebanon National Olympic Committee and the National Sports Federations of Taekwondo, Fencing and Swimming, as well as members of the award’s judging panel and selection committees, colleagues, family, and friends of Mr. Chammas.

On a yearly basis, and for the next ten years, Maroun N. Chammas – a successful Lebanese entrepreneur with activities ranging from Oil and Gas to Telecom, to F&B, to  Technology and Innovation – has committed the following funding for the award: US$50,000 to recognize and reward excellence in technology innovation and US$25,000 to recognize and reward excellence in sporting accomplishments, under the auspices of the Lebanese Olympic Committee.

The Award Committee granted the management of this award to Berytech, the ecosystem for entrepreneurs in Lebanon.

By creating a forum of this nature, I hope to inspire others who could use it as a framework to follow in order to drive broader and deeper innovation and excellence in Lebanon,” explained Maroun N. Chammas.

This project is a project of hope for people who believe in this country. I believe in this country and this is my contribution to its rise and flourishment,” adds Chammas.

Maroun Chammas, Ramzi Haidamus, and Jihad Salameh speaking at the launch of the Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award.

Maroun Chammas, Ramzi Haidamus, and Jihad Salameh speaking at the event. 

The Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award for Technology Innovation

The Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award for Technology Innovation aims to encourage, recognize, and reward people who have truly created groundbreaking technology products using technology. The award aims to solicit submissions of leading technology innovation, from individuals or companies, whereby their efforts have been realized into, ideally, a product that is in the market with customers.

Participants and partners would aim to create economic growth in Lebanon by incorporating companies, creating jobs, creating manufacturing infrastructure, services, and other vehicles.

The most important part of this award is that the winner will have Maroun Chammas as a mentor… An opportunity to be mentored that many wish for. Giving back is the way that this country will move forward,” comments Ramzi Haidamus, heading the judges for this award.

Haidamus continued, “Entrepreneurship in Lebanon sits in the middle of who we are as a people. No matter what we do with this Award it is to the benefit of Lebanon.

The Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award for Sports Excellence

The Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award for Sports Excellence aims to be in harmony with the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. The Olympic Games being the ultimate sports event worldwide, the MNC Recognition Award hope to assist a Lebanese athlete to reach his or her full potential and not only represent Lebanon at the Games but at international competitions as well.

The Award for Sports Excellence will be under the auspices of the Lebanese Olympic Committee as well as the Lebanese Sports Federations for Taekwondo, Fencing, and Swimming. The candidates must be affiliated to one of the federations to be able to apply.

This award is meant to give a push to athletes to compete internationally and hopefully get to the Olympics. We are aiming for gold,” explained Jihad Salameh on behalf of the jury of the excellence in sports award.

Judging Panel and Finals

The finalists of each category will be evaluated by a judging panel consisting of prominent Lebanese business men and women as well as renowned sports figures. One of the voting voices will be given collectively to Maroun Chammas’ children. Ramzi Haidamus, Alain Bejjani, Maxime Chaaya, Jihad Salameh, Antoine Fadel, and Roula Zaarour will, therefore, serve two years on the judging panel.

My inspiration to become a judge on the MNC Recognition Awards panel was Maroun himself, pure and simple,” explains Ramzi Haidamus. “Since he was a child and long before he took on larger responsibilities Maroun was an entrepreneur at heart. He has continuously pushed the limits around him to achieve new levels of creative success in his professional and personal life.  His generosity and kindness are rare to find in today’s world and Lebanon is lucky to have him looking out for young talent.

I wish I had access to such awards programs when I was younger. I am glad that these young Lebanese athletes now have an opportunity to show results on the international sports scene thanks to the generosity of Mr. Chammas and his 10-year commitment to sports excellence,” commented Maxime Chaaya.

On being on the judging panel for the Tech Innovation award, Roula Zaarour comments, “I am inspired by Maroun’s efforts to give back to the young Lebanese. I was honored when he asked me to join the judging panel for the MNC Recognition Awards, as this noble program will recognize top entrepreneurs and athletes and help them to push further with their dreams.”

I hope that this award will inspire athletes in the future years and give them the opportunities to achieve their goals, because if they work hard and are confident then nothing can stop them from fulfilling their dreams,” adds Jihad Salameh.

Antoine Fadel explains, “It is definitely a great privilege for me to take part of this truly inspiring philanthropic initiative. To sustain a robust future, Lebanon needs to develop and bolster its knowledge economy.  One of the fundamental pillars is innovation in both technology and creative sectors, so this program’s contribution should not only be seen as supporting individuals, but also as valuing the potential massive ripple effect it can have on the future of our country.

Alain Bejjani comments, “The MNC Recognition Award is unique to the region. Bringing together some of our brightest talents, the award offers an unparalleled opportunity to celebrate the advancement of innovation and excellence. I was humbled by Maroun’s request to join the award judging panel and the opportunity to contribute to Lebanon’s entrepreneurship and innovative ecosystem. Maroun is an exceptional leader and a role model for entrepreneurs that inspires an entire generation. By creating platforms dedicated to furthering our regional talent, he has enabled Lebanon to not only glimpse at the fresh thinking and innovation that set tomorrow’s horizon, but also to contribute and support future generations of thinkers, leaders, and creators.”

The results will be announced during an exclusive VIP dinner held in February 2019.

Learn more and Apply

To learn more about the award’s application process and criteria visit the the Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Award website. Deadline to apply is December 11, 2018.

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