If Yazan Halwani (MBA 2020) had a personal motto, it would likely be: Democratize art. That notion is what led him to start creating public art—often combining Arabic calligraphy and graffiti—on the drab post-civil-war walls of his hometown of Beirut, Lebanon, in 2009. His success with guerilla art eventually led to commissions and exhibitions in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States, as well as press coverage in the Economist, the Guardian, and the New York Times.

That motto is also what propelled the 26-year-old creative force to journey 6,400 miles to Boston to earn an MBA at Harvard Business School. “The art scene in the Middle East is driven by the private sector,” explains Halwani, who is a self-taught painter and sculptor. “I want to democratize it . . . make it available and accessible to everyone . . .  strengthen it so the region can be recognized by the international arts scene.”

To do that, Halwani realized he needed strong business and managerial skills. He had previously earned an undergraduate degree in engineering from the American University of Beirut and worked as an investment analyst for Boston Consulting Group in Dubai for three years.

Halwani is at HBS thanks to a need-based fellowship. “Receiving a fellowship provides the freedom for my degree to be a turning point in my career rather than a continuation of my job after college,” he notes. “It is allowing me to explore other avenues.”

One of those avenues is launching his own fashion e-commerce company, Darza, which means “stitch” in Arabic. “In the Middle East, there are distinct characteristics in the way people dress, with a significant number of women wearing hijab,” says Halwani. “Companies don’t create specific fashions for the region, so women often end up with very bland choices.”

Halwani aims to fill that niche while eliminating the waste that he has learned is built into tradi­tional supply chains. “Fashion is an important form of art, and there are skilled artisans right in Lebanon producing modest, fashionable clothing with embellishments inspired by local culture,” he explains. “Darza is building something that has economic value because it creates employment and cultural value because it democratizes good design.”

Before Halwani came to HBS, Darza was just an idea—a potential expansion of an old family business. But his first-year courses, especially Strategy and Marketing, and the Startup Bootcamp offered to first- and second-year MBA students in January, helped him understand the company’s potential. The Rock Center for Entrepreneurship is providing resources and support to develop the idea.

Artistry and design are invaluable assets, Halwani points out, as is education. “No one can take education away from you. It is a source of tremendous wealth,” he says. “An HBS fellowship is a great liberator and enabler, allowing students like me the ability to pursue our passions. It inspires me to pay it forward for other students after I graduate.”

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