What Ideas Beyond Borders does

Ideas Beyond Borders (IBB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 by Faisal Saeed Al Mutar and headquartered in New York City (EIN: 82-1447974). It operates a portfolio of educational, media, and entrepreneurship programs targeting audiences across the Middle East, with named geographic operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Kuwait, and Qatar. Its core programmatic offerings include Middle East Uncovered (an independent publication with 9,000 subscribers and 80,000 monthly readers), House of Wisdom 2.0 (a translation platform producing Arabic, Kurdish, Pashto, and Farsi/Dari content with over 1 billion cumulative views), the Innovation Hub (grants and mentorship to 250+ youth-led startups including HydroLife, Eco Fruits, SE Factory, Atelier Hartouka, Artijaan, and Able Taxi), Underground Schools in Afghanistan (36 classrooms with 53 teachers serving 2,300 students), Bel Arabi podcast, The International Correspondent Facebook forum (3M+ users), the University Student Translator Program (200+ students in partnership with Wikimedia Foundation), the University of Mosul Library Project, and the newly launched Iraqi Democracy Observatory (September 2025).

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its infrastructure is content and community-based, delivered through social media, partner-hosted digital channels, and in-country field operations. IBB holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and a Platinum Transparency rating from Candid.

IBB's revenue model is donations and grants, with 80 cents of every dollar allocated to programs, 16% to administration, and 4% to fundraising. It sells 'The Untold Stories of the Middle East' book at $50 as a secondary revenue stream. Key financial partners include the Achelis Foundation, Axel Springer Foundation, VIM Foundation, Atlas Network, and the Wikimedia Foundation, alongside strategic partners such as the Human Rights Foundation, Reason magazine, Future of Free Speech, Jigsaw, the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Middle East Institute, and McLarty Associates. The organization is founder-led, with Faisal Al Mutar serving as President and Mohammed Soliman serving as a Board Advisor.

Name

Ideas Beyond Borders

Legal name

Ideas Beyond Borders

Website

https://ideasbeyondborders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ideas Beyond Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs education, translation, and entrepreneurship programs across the Middle East, serving MENA youth, regional entrepreneurs, educators, and Afghan women through content platforms, grants, and underground schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education and Civic Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA)

Keywords

• Nonprofit education programs
• Knowledge translation services
• Entrepreneurship grants
• Civic education publishing
• Humanitarian advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: IBB operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through charitable donations and grants. They hold 501(c)(3) status (EIN: 82-1447974) and receive contributions from individual donors, foundations, and institutional partners. 80 cents of every dollar spent goes directly to programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ideas Beyond Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that translates and distributes educational content in Arabic, Kurdish, Pashto, and Farsi/Dari, funds and mentors youth entrepreneurs across the Middle East, runs underground schools for Afghan girls, and publishes independent journalism and podcasts. Its core mission is to provide access to knowledge, free thought, and economic empowerment through education, innovation, and policy programs.

Product overview

Ideas Beyond Borders operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected educational and informational programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Middle East Uncovered (independent publication), House of Wisdom 2.0 (translation platform), the Innovation Hub (entrepreneurship grants), Underground Schools (Afghan education), The International Correspondent (discussion forum), Bel Arabi Podcast (media content), and published books. These programs collectively aim to provide access to knowledge and promote free thought across the Middle East, with a focus on translation, education, entrepreneurship support, and independent journalism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Middle East Uncovered: IBB's independent publication challenging censorship and elevating regional voices with investigative journalism on the Middle East.
• The International Correspondent
• House of Wisdom 2.0
• Innovation Hub
• Bel Arabi

Products and services

• Middle East Uncovered IBB's independent publication that challenges censorship and elevates regional voices through investigative journalism and analysis on Middle Eastern affairs, reaching 9,000 subscribers and 80,000 monthly readers.
• House of Wisdom 2.0 Knowledge translation initiative making books, articles, and educational content accessible in Arabic, Kurdish, Pashto, and Farsi/Dari, with translated content reaching over 1 billion cumulative views.
• Innovation Hub Grant and mentorship program supporting youth-led projects across the Middle East, having supported more than 250 youth-led projects including sustainable farming, women-led enterprises, and technology ventures.
• Underground Schools in Afghanistan Secret classrooms providing education to Afghan girls banned from learning under Taliban rule, operating 36 classrooms with 53 teachers serving 2,300 students, including digital learning and mentorship programs.
• The International Correspondent Facebook-based discussion forum engaging over 3 million people, curating content to spark dialogue on controversial topics from free speech to innovative technologies.
• Bel Arabi Podcast Open-discussion podcast series covering democracy, governance, and free expression in Arabic, with episodes reaching millions of views and listeners.
• The Untold Stories of the Middle East Book published by IBB documenting untold narratives from the Middle East region, available for purchase at $50 or on Amazon.
• University of Mosul Library Project Library restoration initiative providing 3,600 textbooks, 5,000 digital books, 400 computer programs, and 20 computer workstations to rebuild the ISIS-destroyed central library at University of Mosul, benefiting 28,000 students annually.
• University Student Translator Program Wikipedia Arabic education program developed in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation, training university students in translation and editing, with over 200 students participating.
• Iraqi Democracy Observatory Independent civil entity launched in September 2025 dedicated to monitoring and analyzing Iraq's democratic performance, promoting accountability and evidence-based reform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.6M followers across platforms
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Wikimedia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation for the Wikipedia Arabic Education Program, developing a new generation of Wikipedia volunteers committed to growing Wikipedia Arabic into a knowledge engine for the Middle East and North Africa.
• Human Rights FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization advancing human rights and free expression in the Middle East, aligned with IBB's mission to promote freedom and prosperity.
• Atlas NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of free-market think tanks and organizations. Atlas Network supports IBB's work in promoting classical liberal ideas across the Middle East.
• reason magazinesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerReason magazine, a publication dedicated to free minds and free markets, partners with IBB on content dissemination and audience building.
• Future of Free SpeechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration to translate and share Counterspeech and Disinformation Toolkits across the Middle East, providing practical strategies for constructive dialogue online.
• JigsawsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationTechnology incubator from Google working on tools to help communities stay safe online, partnering with IBB on information access initiatives.
• AutomatticsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationParent company of WordPress.com, hosting provider for IBB's website and digital platforms.
• Institute of Economic AffairssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK free-market think tank, collaborator on translating economic texts and promoting liberal economic ideas in the Middle East.
• McLarty AssociatessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard advisor Mohammed Soliman is part of the McLarty Associates team, providing strategic counsel on Middle East business and policy.
• Middle East InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard advisor Mohammed Soliman serves as director of the Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program at MEI, contributing expertise on technology policy and geopolitics.
• Third WaysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard advisor Mohammed Soliman is a visiting fellow with Third Way's National Security Program, providing insights on technology policy and geopolitics.
• Peace Tech Lab (US Institute of Peace)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard advisor Mohammed Soliman served as country analyst for Peace Tech Lab, focusing on statistical models and data analysis for emerging markets.
• Rwanga FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research project with IBB examining challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in Kurdistan, released findings on June 25 in Erbil.
• ECHOsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Kurdistan entrepreneurship research project gathering insights from business leaders and identifying systemic barriers.
• American University of KurdistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Wikipedia Club at AUK on May 2, 2024, training students in translation and editing. Building on 2022 Memorandum of Understanding.
• Sulaimani UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHydroLife partnered with Sulaimani University on a 350-meter hydroponics project for climate-resilient farming.

Scale indicators26 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Human Rights Foundation: Global nonprofit promoting free expression and human rights; a strategic partner of IBB and the most direct comparator in advocating for liberal values and free speech, particularly in restrictive regimes.
• Atlas Network: Global network of free-market think tanks; an IBB partner organization with highly comparable mission of promoting classical liberal ideas internationally, including across the MENA region.
• Middle East Institute: Washington-based think tank focused on Middle East policy and geopolitics; IBB board advisor Mohammed Soliman directs its Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program, providing direct mission and personnel overlap.
• Article 19: International freedom of expression organization working globally including MENA; directly comparable mission promoting free speech, press freedom, and access to information that aligns with IBB's content platforms.
• Wikimedia Foundation: Operates Wikipedia and sister projects; an IBB strategic partner running the joint Wikipedia Arabic Education Program and University Student Translator Program that trains students in translation and editing.
• Institute of Economic Affairs: UK free-market think tank; an IBB collaborator on translating economic texts and promoting liberal economic ideas in the Middle East, sharing both ideology and content-distribution approach.
• Free Press Unlimited: Dutch nonprofit supporting independent journalism and free expression in restrictive countries; similar model of funding local media and content creators in conflict-affected regions.

Broad incumbents

• Freedom House: Established democracy and human rights organization producing widely cited global freedom indices; comparable mission of advancing liberal democratic values in restrictive regimes with a broader institutional footprint.
• Reporters Without Borders: Larger, established international press freedom organization; addresses overlapping themes (MENA press freedom, journalist safety) but operates at greater scale and across broader geographies.
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation: German political foundation affiliated with the CDU promoting democracy, education, and rule of law across the MENA region; operates comparable programs in civic education and political reform support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ideasb2
• Facebookfacebook.com/IdeasBorders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ideasbeyondborders
• Instagraminstagram.com/ideas_beyond_borders

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ideas Beyond Borders