Ray Dargham
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Ray Dargham is a Lebanese American businessperson who is the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Step Group.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Ray Dargham was born and raised in Lebanon.[3][4] He developed an early interest in entrepreneurship, participating in a Junior Achievement program in high school that introduced him to running a mini company.[4] Later, he studied at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics.[1] After graduating, he relocated to Dubai to pursue better opportunities.[4]
Career
[edit]Dargham co-founded the Step Conference in Dubai in 2012, shortly after graduating.[5][2] Initially a small gathering of around 100 participants in a local co-working space, the conference quickly expanded, moving to larger venues such as the Dubai International Marine Club by 2015 due to its growing prominence in the tech community.[1]
Dargham later formed Step Group, launching digital platforms such as StepFeed and YallaFeed, which focused on technology, business, and pop culture news in the Middle East.[5][6] He also co-founded Spiderfrogs, a tech company that provides consultancy on digital trends.[5]
Under his leadership, the Step Conference expanded from its original format to an event drawing thousands of attendees by 2024.[2] It introduced specialized tracks, including fintech, digital media, and AI, and launched a Saudi edition in Riyadh in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Step adapted with online and hybrid formats.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "خطوة بخطوة:كيف استطاع الريادي علي ضرغام أن يجعل (Step)إحدى أكثر الفعاليات تأثيرا". Forbes ME.
- ^ a b c d "Journeying One Step at a Time with Ray Dargham - Communicate Online". April 30, 2024.
- ^ East, Forbes Middle. "Arab 30 Under 30". Forbes ME.
- ^ a b c "Meet the Entrepreneurs: Ray Dargham". euronews. March 26, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Step Conference 2022 to push evolution of ecosystem forward, says Ray Dargham". Khaleej Times.
- ^ Writer, Staff (January 24, 2017). "STEP Group raises $2m in Series A funding - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com.