ADC Launches Mena Certification Program to Support Entrepreneurs
In July 2023, ADC launched a Mena certification program to recognize Mena heritage among entrepreneurs, addressing a gap where major minority certifiers like NMSDC or SBA previously did not acknowledge Mena heritage.
Around two dozen Mena-owned brands have been certified in the early phase of the program, including Zesty Z, Zwïta, Afia, with Yaza Labneh also in the pipeline. Founders of these brands include Alexander Harik (Zesty Z), Mansour and Karim Arem (Zwïta), Yassin Sibai and Farrah Moussallati Sibai (Afia), Raffi Vartanian (Ziba), and Isabella Hughes (Better Sour).
The certification process involves verifying an applicant’s Mena heritage via passports, birthplace, and family trees. ADC evaluates each case individually to avoid contentious definitions of "Middle East enough."
Certification aims to reduce business costs for small consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands by enabling relief on shelf-slotting fees and inclusion in retailer diversity promotions. This economic empowerment initiative is framed as non-political, focusing on addressing historic exclusions and improving access to capital. Notably, a March 2024 Carta report showed only 0.7% of venture capital goes to Mena founders.
The program’s broader goal is to enable Mena-certified firms to bid on local and federal contracts in the future. The NMSDC is considering expanding its definitions to include Mena by 2025. ADC plans to scale the certification toward about 25,000 Mena business owners beyond the consumer goods sector. Certification information might be moved to the Arab American Employee Resource Group site to separate policy aspects from business considerations.
While some Mena-certified owners discuss Gaza/Israel issues informally, ADC emphasizes that politics should not affect certification decisions. As of this article, no Israeli-owned businesses have applied for certification.
