Draft:TAP (Edtech)

Talent Acceleration Platform - TAP is a Dutch-Palestinian edtech start-up founded by Jafar Shunnar and Christian Vezjak to empower high-potential youth from Palestine, Jordan, and across the MENA region and match them with start-ups worldwide.

In 2019, our founders, Chris and Jafar, started Kiitos, a software house spotlighting underrepresented Palestinian software engineers in the global tech market. Over time, Kiitos transformed itself from a job provider to a platform for accelerating talent.

From Kiitos to TAP In 2020, the Talent Acceleration Platform (TAP) started within Kiitos as a way to fast-track trainees for remote roles at international companies. When companies started to request Kiitos-trained talent for their tech roles, Chris and Jafar recognized the potential and decided it was time for TAP to take off as its own company.

Fast-forward to 2023, and TAP has trained more than 200 Palestinians, both men and women, with a placement rate of 80%. TAP gained global recognition. Working alongside the Swiss Government (SDC) and the Dutch Government (NRO), TAP has launched programs in Software Development, Business Development, and Digital Marketing. TAP is disrupting the talent landscape and catalyzing opportunities for Palestine's bright minds.

TAP offers four-month programs in Software Development, Business Development & Sales, and Digital Marketing. The programs include unparalleled technical training alongside an integrated soft skills curriculum, 1 to 1 mentoring sessions, career coaching, and a virtual traineeship for real-world experience.

TAP Expanding to Jordan TAP always had the plan to expand its operation to include all the countries in the MENA region. After the war started in Gaza in October 2023, it became harder to help at least half of the Palestinians who were stuck in a merciless war. TAP team decided to drive the mission forward, doubling down on their efforts in Palestine and expanding their operation to include Jordan in February 2024