Creating a startup is hard as it is, but add restrictions brought on by an embargo from Israel, having only 6 hours of electricity a day limiting Internet usage to six hours, and 43 percent unemployment creates a real challenge. Founding a business in a place like Gaza seems unapproachable, but a startup accelerator company called Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG), knows no limits when it comes to giving its people a real chance at making it in the startup world. Lauren Peate (@lmpeate) of TechCrunch journals her experiences with the organization in Gaza, at first reluctant that any startup could succeed in a place riddled with so much uncertainty. She was soon proven wrong.

GSG was launched in 2011 with a $900, 000 grant from Google, and is helping entrepreneurs in a most unlikely place attain their goals.

It started out in 2013 as a tech networking hub where entrepreneurs would meet investors, but has evolved into a startup accelerator. The organization provided much needed business resources and access to global experts in the field, even setting some examples for those in Silicon Valley. For instance, TebCare, which connects patients in the Middle East to doctors, finished their product, launched it and completed 400 consultations in their first month.

A key part of their vision is diversity. Noticing that fewer women attended their evening sessions, they moved the sessions to the daytime to make them more accessible. The program includes an all women’s support group called “Intalquin,” meaning “let’s start” in English, a group for women who have ideas for businesses, but aren’t quite there yet. Guest speakers include local female role models who touch upon relevant topics and share their expertise. I can’t help but admire the way GSG has reached out to the Gaza community, especially women.  

Here are some ways Gaza Sky Geeks runs things differently than Silicon Valley:

• Educates the community to make sure women starting businesses have the tools, are up to date on technology and have the support they need.

• Teams are invited to attend a one-day bootcamp where they learn strategies on how to run a business and learn to work together.

• Brings in international mentors to promote their global vision: GSG knows that, to be successful in this day and age, business owners need to think globally.

It’s encouraging to hear that there’s a startup accelerator in a place surrounded by conflict. In the two months Lauren spent in Gaza, she watched teams grow ideas from prototypes to action. We can learn a lot from GSG about thinking globally and reaching out to women. With that kind of vision, who knows what Silicon Valley could produce next.