Dr. Riad Obegi meets USJ students as part of the Béchara and Carmen Obegi prize for creativity and innovation
Dr. Riad Obegi , Chairman and General Manager of Banque BEMO, visited the students of the Faculty of Economic Sciences (FSE) at Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) as part of the Béchara and Carmen Obegi Prize for Creativity and Innovation — an initiative that celebrates student entrepreneurship and the transformative power of ideas.
The meeting was held in the presence of Professor Jean-François Verne Dean of FSE and faculty’s professors notably Dr. Ursula El Hage , Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Competencies (EC²), which organizes this initiative supported by Banque BEMO. It was a lively and inspiring encounter dedicated to courage, creativity, and the spirit of innovation.
Created to honor innovation, this entrepreneurial competition brings together young talents from across USJ’s faculties, alongside mentors and institutional partners. It embodies the very essence of Banque BEMO’s commitment to human potential. It invites students to pitch bold, forward-thinking projects that combine imagination, courage, and purpose — the driving forces behind meaningful progress.
In his address, Dr. Obegi captured the spirit of the initiative with depth and conviction. He reminded students that “true innovation stems from courage, dedication, and openness to the unexpected.” He described invention and creativity as “synonyms of life — of our humanity,” emphasizing that innovation is not the privilege of a few but “open to all, born from necessity, chance, dedication, and hope.”
He urged students to embrace experimentation and to view failure as an essential step in the creative process: “Failure is a necessary stage in the path of creation. Great ideas often emerge through trial, error, and persistence.” For him, imitation belongs to the past — while innovation defines the future, especially in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
The event was also attended by Ms. Maria Haraoui , Chief Risk Officer at Banque BEMO, who held a series of one-on-one meetings with the participating students.
Through this initiative, Banque BEMO reaffirms its conviction that creativity and innovation are the essence of human progress. The Béchara and Carmen Obegi Prize stands as a living expression of this belief — a bridge between education and entrepreneurship, between youthful imagination and Lebanon’s future.
