Jacob Korenblum: Pioneering Digital Solutions for Social Impact
Jacob Korenblum is a distinguished figure in the realm of enterprise digital strategy. With a remarkable career spanning over 15 years, he has spearheaded the creation and implementation of digital solutions to address real-world challenges in regions spanning Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His outstanding work has garnered recognition from prominent media outlets such as The Financial Times, Forbes, Devex, and Scientific American.
Residing in Toronto, Ontario, Jacob Korenblum finds solace and inspiration in the world of sailing.
Career in Social Initiatives and Innovation
From the very outset of his professional journey, Korenblum was drawn to the noble causes of social justice and global humanitarian aid. After earning his bachelor's degree, he embarked on a career with the Education Development Center (EDC) in Washington, D.C., a renowned non-profit organization with a global outreach. EDC is dedicated to crafting solutions that enhance the lives of families across the globe, improving work prospects, educational programs, and healthcare services for people in 80 countries.
At EDC, Korenblum's rapid ascent led him to assume a leadership role as the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, along with managing communications for a Middle East project. He lived and worked in the Middle East for several years, leaving a lasting impact.
Subsequently, after concluding his tenure at EDC, Jacob Korenblum took on a significant role at OXFAM, another well-established non-profit. This international non-governmental organization touches the lives of over 25 million individuals annually, devising programs that champion gender equality, economic opportunities, and global climate action. Between 2008 and 2010, Korenblum journeyed to underprivileged areas in Malawi, India, Haiti, and Kenya to contribute to critical economic initiatives. His responsibilities included leading teams for various microenterprise assessment projects and mobile technology initiatives during this period.
Foundation of a New Social Enterprise
During his time spent in the Middle East in the early 2000s, Korenblum observed a compelling situation that presented both a challenge and an opportunity for greater economic empowerment in the region: the absence of accessible internet access. Many families in Palestine, in particular, were unable to obtain reliable internet service due to limited network coverage and excessive costs. Simultaneously, Korenblum noticed that approximately 80 percent of residents possessed mobile devices.
This circumstance was not unique to Palestine but replicated in numerous developing nations worldwide. In 2005, Jacob Korenblum co-founded a Non-Profit Organization known as Souktel, derived from the Arabic words for "telephone" and "market." The mission of this social enterprise was to connect job seekers with employers using SMS, eliminating the need for internet access.
Through Souktel, Korenblum facilitated the connection of thousands of mobile device users in Palestine with local employment opportunities. Over a decade, he transformed this social venture into a trusted partner in numerous countries, benefitting over 500,000 users in approximately 30 nations. The organization also collaborated with partners to launch a range of social programs, from providing local communities with free legal advice to empowering women in the Middle East to pursue employment opportunities outside their homes.
A Digital Career Focus
In 2018, Jacob Korenblum redirected his career path from non-profit management toward the governmental and private sectors. Between 2018 and 2021, Korenblum assumed the role of overseeing digital policy development for the Government of Ontario. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in assisting the Ontario Digital Service in formulating policies that facilitated the delivery of streamlined, efficient, and superior digital services to the people of Ontario, including critical COVID-related services that became a cornerstone of the response across Canada.
