Arabnet Arabnet

The Passion Co. is a San Francisco-based start-up that taps into the fundamental question that most millennial-the “entrepreneur” generations, as they are frequently dubbed- are struggling with: what is the purpose of our lives? How do we lead a meaningful existence with passion? After all, isn’t that what all entrepreneurs ask themselves?

“When I arrived to Stanford to pursue my MBA, I had a lot going for me,” Jessica Samaan, the Lebanese founder of The Passion Co, told Arabnet. “I had a good career, I was successful, I was healthy…but I wasn’t happy. There was something missing. That got me wondering: What do I want to do with my life?”

Samaan’s feelings of dissatisfaction weren’t out of the ordinary; in fact, they were part of a universal trend for millennials in the workforce. “I started interviewing people who love what they do for a living, but who also make a successful businesses out of it,” said Semaan, referring to the constant mind-over-passion struggle that most people who work for a living go through.

“I must have interviewed over a hundred people: bakers, scientists, writers, painters, businessmen…it all amounted to the same concept. There is a way to do what you love and to make a decent living out of it.”

Enlightened by the solution that combining passion with entrepreneurship is the best solution, Semaan did what so many others had done before her, she decided to become an entrepreneur. Only this time, Semaan’s goal was to help others “find their passion” and launch what she calls “passion projects”; in other words, Semaan wanted to found a company that helps  people fulfill their passions on a business level or on the side as a hobby.

With the help of a friend who works as a life coach, Semaan started organizing “passion” workshops in her apartments for very moderate fees. The workshops were a success. After discovering the presence of a whole “community” who shared her pondering questions, Semaan worked on developing the workshops into her now-famous 5-week Passion program. “It’s a program where people find what it is that they like to do, take action on their passion through a project, and most importantly, hold themselves and others accountable to actions, because it’s very easy to have it as all talk only.”

The program launched in September 2013 with a modest 4-digit investment. Passion Co. has graduated over 500 members so far, their success stories continuously posted on Passion Co’s blog.  “Some people launched app, others wrote books, or became successful designers.” Semaan’s startup boasts 3000 members in San Francisco area.

Passion Co. are now fundraising to get $750K-$1million dollars to establish their own creative hub, a center that will support millineals-although any generation is welcome- in changing their lives to the better. “We want to be the next Oprah,” says Semaan. “We want to scale this passion-method into as many countries as we can.”