Jacob Korenblum
Jacob Korenblum
Marketing
Marketing
Jacob Korenblum has carved out a respected niche as a leader in enterprise digital strategy. For over 15 years, he has guided initiatives that develop and deploy technological solutions to address significant issues in regions such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His notable contributions have been recognized in major media publications, including The Financial Times, Forbes, Devex, and Scientific American. He currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, where his hobbies include sailing.
Early in his career, Korenblum dedicated himself to advancing social justice and supporting international aid programs. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he began working at the Education Development Center located in Washington, D.C. This nonprofit is engaged globally to enhance employment, educational access, and health services across 80 countries. His effective leadership in monitoring, evaluation, and communications for their Middle East projects quickly earned him a prominent position within the organization, where he also spent several years on the ground.
Following his impactful work at the Education Development Center, he joined OXFAM, a well-known nonprofit organization. From 2008 to 2010, Korenblum was deeply involved in visiting and aiding impoverished regions in Malawi, India, Haiti, and Kenya, directing efforts to spur economic development. His leadership in microenterprise assessment and mobile technology projects played a pivotal role in advancing OXFAM’s objectives to promote gender equality, economic opportunities, and climate action, positively affecting more than 25 million people annually.
While working in the Middle East in the early 2000s, Korenblum observed a significant barrier to economic freedom related to the scarcity of internet access, particularly in Palestine, where the high cost and limited network coverage made reliable internet service virtually inaccessible. Despite these challenges, he discovered that approximately 80% of locals owned mobile phones—a notable trend across many developing nations.
In response, in 2005, Korenblum co-founded Souktel, a nonprofit organization aimed at leveraging the widespread use of mobile phones to improve economic opportunities. The enterprise, whose name is derived from the Arabic words for “telephone” and “market,” innovatively connected job seekers with employers using SMS technology, thereby circumventing the need for the Internet. This initiative successfully empowered thousands of mobile users in Palestine and later expanded to assist users in 30 countries, substantially improving their access to employment.
In 2018, Korenblum transitioned his focus to roles within the governmental and private sectors, emphasizing digital policy development for the Government of Ontario until 2021. His efforts were crucial in formulating policies that improved the delivery of digital services, particularly during the critical periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, enhancing service delivery across Canada.
Korenblum obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Toronto in 2004. He was also a fellow in the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Fellowship in Social Enterprise at Harvard University in 2005. He completed his Master of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2006, specializing in social enterprise and international education policy.
In addition to his practical work, Korenblum has served as an advisor to the UNESCO Pearson Digital Literacy Initiative and has authored publications for UNICEF. He was also actively involved as a board member of the Global Youth Economic Opportunities Summit from 2016 to 2018.
Over the past four years, Korenblum has engaged as a strategic advisor to The Global Citizens’ Initiative, where he supports efforts that promote human rights, environmental sustainability, conflict resolution, and other humanitarian objectives.
Jacob Korenblum continues to be passionately involved in tackling global social issues, applying his wealth of experience and entrepreneurial acumen to support and uplift small business owners and communities worldwide.