Jacob Korenblum

Jacob Korenblum has built a distinguished career as a leader in enterprise digital strategy. He focuses on crafting digital solutions for practical challenges in various international markets, including Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His innovative work has gained recognition in major publications such as The Financial Times, Forbes, Devex, and Scientific American. He currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, where his interests include sailing. Starting with a solid educational foundation, Korenblum pursued social justice and international aid. He began his professional journey at the Education Development Center in Washington, D.C. This nonprofit organization, with a presence in 80 countries, is dedicated to enhancing work opportunities, educational access, and health services globally. His rapid ascension at EDC led him to oversee monitoring, evaluation, and communications for projects in the Middle East, where he also lived for several years. Transitioning to OXFAM, he contributed to projects that supported gender equality, economic growth, and climate action worldwide. Between 2008 and 2010, he visited communities in Malawi, India, Haiti, and Kenya, leading teams on microenterprise and mobile technology initiatives that aimed to boost local economies. Korenblum's experience in the Middle East during the early 2000s sparked the foundation of a new social enterprise. Noticing the high mobile device usage despite low internet access, particularly in Palestine, where network coverage was sparse and costly, he co-founded Souktel in 2005. Souktel, named from the Arabic words for "telephone" and "market," aimed to connect job seekers and employers via SMS, bypassing the need for internet access. This venture successfully linked thousands of mobile users in Palestine with employment and grew to assist over 500,000 users across about 30 countries, also supporting various community empowerment programs. In 2018, Korenblum pivoted his career to focus on digital policy in the governmental and private sectors. Until 2021, he managed digital policy development for the Government of Ontario, aiding in the enhancement of digital services, including critical COVID-related services used throughout Canada. Korenblum's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Toronto and a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, focused on social enterprise and international education policy, a pursuit supported by a Fellowship from the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation in Social Enterprise at Harvard University. His contributions extend beyond his professional endeavors. For over four years, Korenblum has been a strategic advisor for The Global Citizens' Initiative, supporting human rights, sustainability, and humanitarian goals globally. Jacob Korenblum continues to leverage his extensive experience and entrepreneurial spirit to advance social causes and support community and small business development worldwide.