Aline is the Co-Founder and CEO of NaTakallam, an award-winning social enterprise that hires refugees and displaced persons and their host community members as online tutors, teachers, and translators. With a background in journalism, Aline is working to disrupt the ways in which we typically think of humanitarian aid, and leverage the digital economy to promote sustainable solutions to major crises such as forced migration.
Under Aline’s leadership, NaTakallam has distributed $1,700,000+ in self-earned income to conflict-affected populations, notably refugees and their host communities, by connecting them to 12,000+ learners and clients worldwide. Along the way, NaTakallam has fostered intercultural exchange and raised awareness of the daily challenges in conflict zones, notably through academic partnerships and B2B services offered to both private and public sector organizations, such as the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and Ben&Jerrys. While originally conceived to support Syrians teaching Arabic, NaTakallam’s language sessions are currently offered in eight different Arabic dialects, French (with refugees from Congo DRC, Burundi, Guinea), Persian (with Iranians and Afghans), Spanish (with Venezuelans and Central Americans), and most recently, Ukrainian and Russian with teachers affected by the invasion of Ukraine.
Aline is a Cartier Women’s Initiative Summit; Halcyon fellow and has been a speaker at numerous high-level events, including TechCrunch Berlin; as well as several OECD, UN, and World Bank events. She was named ‘Woman Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Elle Impact Awards, winner of the World Bank Youth Summit, and regional winner of the MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge (Asia). She is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and intercultural exchange.