Architect · Entrepreneur · Business & Design Consultant

MARTINE J. ZAAROUR

Designing ventures, programs, and brands where architecture, business innovation, Lebanese heritage, and women’s economic empowerment meet.

Founder & CEO: Jar Thuraya · SEAEO · YAC Embassy of the Netherlands · BOD GINI Lebanon Chapter

Work with Martine Download CV View Full Profile

Profile

Architect, entrepreneur, and business & design consultant

Martine J. Zaarour is an architect, entrepreneur, and business development professional with international experience across Beirut, Madrid, Washington DC, San Francisco, Amsterdam, and Riyadh. Her work combines architecture, design innovation, entrepreneurship training, curriculum design, monitoring and evaluation, women’s economic empowerment, and social enterprise development.

BaseBeirut, Lebanon

LanguagesArabic · English · French · Spanish Level 1

CompaniesSEAEO · Jar Thuraya

FocusDesign · Business Development · Training · Social Enterprise

Architecture

Design discipline, spatial thinking, implementation details.

Business development

From idea to model, validation, market access, growth.

Training & curricula

Entrepreneurship, WPS, GCED, branded and applied learning.

Social enterprise

Women-led production, heritage, income generation, community impact.

Generative AI design

Creative automation, visual systems, animation, and branding curricula.

Companies

Companies & Initiatives

Jar Thuraya

A women-led social enterprise preserving Lebanese culinary heritage through handcrafted delicacies, traditional preserves, culinary entrepreneurship, training, market access, and income-generating opportunities for women in underserved communities.

Website Instagram

Jar Thuraya countryside and heritage mood

SEAEO

A consultancy and training company specializing in design and business development. SEAEO provides tailored programs and advisory services to entrepreneurs, creatives, startups, and women-led initiatives across business, design, sustainability, and Women, Peace, and Security themes.

she.seaeo@gmail.com Martine

20+Programs / roles

12International delegations

10Awards & accelerators

7+Global cities

4Languages

Experience

Professional Experience

Current roles, consultancies, education, certificates, architecture work, international delegations, accelerators, and awards.

2025Current roles

External Consultant

Global Affairs Service Center - LAU GASC | Abaad, Center for Gender Equality

Design and business development, report design, animation, reports, toolkits, and curriculum design.

2025Current roles

Entrepreneurship Trainer and Coach

Bedayati NGO, Beirut, Lebanon

Delivered entrepreneurship training and mentorship to aspiring entrepreneurs, guiding ideation, business model development, market validation, culinary entrepreneurship, branding, market outreach, and pitch preparation.

2024Current roles

Board of Directors / Business Innovation

Global Innovation Institute, GINI Lebanon Chapter

Developing business innovation curricula that integrate business, entrepreneurship, and design.

2025Consultancies

Monitoring and Evaluation

Forsa II - 360 Consulting, Mercy Corps, Beirut

Conducted data collection as an M&E enumerator for impact assessment and analysis, including focus discussion groups with youth beneficiaries.

2025Consultancies

Women, Peace, and Security Trainer

Leadership for Sustainable Development NGO, Beirut

Developed and delivered a WPS curriculum integrating gender perspectives, conflict resolution, and policy advocacy.

2024Consultancies

Design and Generative AI Consultant

Saudi Films, Riyadh, KSA

Generative AI project integrating creative design, automation, animation, and visual experimentation.

2024Consultancies

Entrepreneurship Trainer and Mentor

YEP, Farah Social Foundation, Beirut

Designed and trained the YEP Entrepreneurship Program for marginalized youth in Lebanon, including tailored mentoring, pitching practice, and reporting.

2024Consultancies

Youth Mentor

Education for Employment, EFE, Beirut

Mentored MENA youth for employment through guidance, readiness support, and professional development.

2023Consultancies

Business Coach

The Rural Initiative, GIZ, Beirut

Provided one-on-one personalized support to program participants, including monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.

2022Consultancies

Business Advisor

Centro Community Partners, San Francisco, California

Delivered entrepreneurship programs for BIPOC and Latinx women in Northern California, with one-on-one support, impact monitoring, reporting, and site visits in Oakland and San Francisco.

2021 / 2023Consultancies

Business Coach

Jusoor Agri-Accelerator, Beirut

Conducted one-on-one support calls and tailored pitching training for agri-accelerator participants.

2019Consultancies

Communication Fellow

Hungry, Arlington, Washington DC

Assessed program impact through community kitchen visits in Virginia and Washington DC.

2014Education & certificates

Bachelor of Architecture with Honors

Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon

Architecture and design foundation with honors.

2019Education & certificates

Fellowship in Economic Empowerment

Virginia Tech, U.S. Department of State, Washington DC

Policy exchange, leadership development, and best practices in entrepreneurship support.

2019 / 2022Education & certificates

Fellowship in Community Solutions

George Mason University, U.S. Department of State

Inclusive entrepreneurship, community leadership, social innovation, U.S. placement, leadership training, and implementation of a local action project.

2026Education & certificates

Fellowship in Female Leadership and Circular Economy

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands

Female leadership and circular economy fellowship track.

2024Education & certificates

Business Innovation

Global Innovation Institute, GINI

Business innovation studies connected to curriculum development, entrepreneurship, and design.

2024Education & certificates

Curriculum Development for GCED

Asia-Pacific Centre for Education for International Understanding

Global Citizenship Education capacity building.

2024Education & certificates

Food and Beverage Management

Università Bocconi

Food and beverage management training.

2021Education & certificates

UN Women Training Curriculum

UN Women MENA

Women, Peace and Security; women’s economic empowerment; women’s leadership and decision-making; gender equality and education; sexual violence and gender diversity; violence against women and girls.

2021Education & certificates

Google Project Management Scholarship

Google

Agile project management, project planning, foundations of project management, foundations of UX, digital marketing, and e-commerce.

2017 / 2018Architecture & design

On-site Architect

Mayne Group, Jounieh, Lebanon

Led architectural design and on-site excavation for large-scale projects including a zoo, outlet mall, resort, and theme park; oversaw concept development, spatial planning, and coordination with engineering and construction teams.

2015Architecture & design

Concept and Design Architect

RHA, Jounieh, Lebanon

Prepared Bills of Quantities, construction documentation, and precise construction details for residential, venue, and public space projects.

2014Architecture & design

Visiting Architect

Touza Arquitectos, Madrid, Spain

Worked on F&B outlets, hotels, and high-end residential villas in a Spanish-speaking architectural team; contributed to design development, technical detailing, and site coordination.

2024International delegations

ASME Rowad 2024 Country Representative

ESCWA MENA, Doha, Qatar

Country representation in regional entrepreneurship and development context.

2022International delegations

ADIFE Exhibition for SMEs

GIZ, Abu Dhabi, UAE

SME exhibition participation.

2022International delegations

Women Innovators Program Country Representative

UNDP Arab States - MWC / 4YFN Program, Barcelona, Spain

Participated in Mobile World Congress with 4YFN in Barcelona.

2021International delegations

Gender Innovation Agora Country Representative

UN Women MENA Region

Regional country representation around gender innovation.

2021International delegations

Peace Ambassador, Country Representative

Global Peace Chain

Country representation in peace-focused youth leadership.

2021International delegations

Dubai Expo Lebanese Pavilion Country Representative

UNDP Lebanon, Dubai, UAE

Lebanon representation at the Dubai Expo pavilion.

2019International delegations

Arab Young Professional Forum Country Representative

UNESCO, Tunis, Tunisia

Regional professional forum participation.

2019International delegations

International Youth Forum IYF3

UNESCO, Beijing, Changsha, Nanjing, China

International youth forum participation across multiple Chinese cities.

2018International delegations

Regional Forum on Gender Country Representative

UNDP Arab States, Tunis, Tunisia

Gender-focused regional forum representation.

2016International delegations

European Youth Event EYE16 Country Representative

European Parliament, Strasbourg, France

Country representation at the European Youth Event.

2015International delegations

5th UNESCO Youth Forum Country Representative

UNESCO HQ, Paris, France

Youth forum representation and GoUNESCO country research team involvement.

2015International delegations

Meeting of Design Students MEDS

Urban Network, ODDD, Byblos, Lebanon

Program delegate for logistics and operations.

2025Recognition

Giving Joy Awards

Giving Joy Organization, Boston, USA

First Lebanese selected among six women entrepreneurs worldwide, recognizing women-led impact and business growth.

2025Recognition

Aspire VP SEED

Alfanar, Beirut, Lebanon

Received funding and support for rehabilitation of the community kitchen, improving infrastructure and expanding impact.

2023Recognition

Impact Accelerator

Seed Spot, California, USA

Completed accelerator training in scaling mission-driven ventures and refining business models for social impact.

2023Recognition

Impact Accelerator | People’s Choice Award

Because Organization, Idaho, USA

Completed accelerator training and received mentorship from CPG consultants to develop the California expansion plan.

2021Recognition

Startup Roadshow | Pitch Winner: 1st Prize

Spark, Jusoor, Beirut, Lebanon

Completed entrepreneurship training from ideation to business development; won the pitch competition and received seed money to launch the business.

2021Recognition

Ten Outstanding Young People of Lebanon Award

JCI, Beirut, Lebanon

Recognition of leadership, entrepreneurship, and community impact.

2020Recognition

Shaping Tripoli - Badael

Tripoli Entrepreneurs Club, Tripoli, Lebanon

Entrepreneurship and innovation program participation.

2020Recognition

Culinary Diplomacy Program

U.S. Embassy Beirut, Lebanon

Food entrepreneurship program with mentorship from international chefs and cross-cultural culinary business model development across the MENA region.

2019Recognition

Youth Leadership Program YLP4 | 1st Prize Winner

UNDP Lebanon, Injaz, Beirut, Lebanon

Pitch winner within youth leadership and entrepreneurship programming.

2019Recognition

Fellowship Pitch Competition | Best in Category

Legacy, U.S. Department of State, Washington DC

Best in Category for Cultural and Environmental Preservation, recognizing sustainable community-driven solutions.

Competencies

Global Footprint

Experience across cities, institutions, sectors, and forms of impact.

Languages

Arabic, English, French, Spanish level 1

Design & architecture

AutoCAD 2D/3D, SketchUp, modeling, concept development, spatial planning, construction details

Creative software

Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Canva, Keynote, Gamma

Operations & collaboration

Microsoft Office, Asana, Slack, Discord, Kobo, reporting, M&E

Emerging tools

Generative AI design, animation, editing, curriculum and branded content development

Jar Thuraya breakfast table with preserves

Contact

Contact Martine

For consulting, training, speaking, program design, business development, brand strategy, and social enterprise collaborations.

+961 3 285 968 she.seaeo@gmail.com martine.zaarour@gmail.com LinkedIn Instagram Main CV Detailed Resume