Asmahan Ilian began her professional journey at an early age and later spent around 15 years working with the United Nations, contributing to large-scale sustainable development projects and gaining extensive expertise in strategic planning, project management, and community development.
After leaving the UN, Asmahan founded Smart Art, where she helped tens of businesses start and grow through training, mentoring, and coaching. She has trained over 2,500 individuals, primarily women, empowering them with skills in entrepreneurship, marketing, financial planning, and management. She has also mentored entrepreneurs in collaboration with international organizations such as the Cherry Blairs Foundation, and regularly provides radio talks on financial literacy and business management. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards for her contributions to entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development.
In 2016, she launched Talleh, a platform that bridges Palestinian cultural heritage with economic empowerment, providing fair work opportunities for women artisans and connecting their crafts with
global markets.
