Selected 2015

Rana Koteich Najjar

  • Current company Blessing
  • Industry Retail

Blessing is a world-renowned full-service destination for high-end souvenirs and chocolate gifts that can be easily tailored with various flavors, colors, and add-ons. Already well known throughout the MENA region, Blessing is ready to expand using its contacts and partnerships.

Cofounders and sisters, Rima Koteich El Husseini and Rana Koteich Najjar, bring years of management, finance, and logistics experience to Blessing’s operations. Rima earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and her Master’s Degree in Money & Banking from the American University of Beirut (AUB). Rana too holds a Bachelor of Economics from AUB. Rima and Rana worked for Citibank and DHL, respectively, for a number of years before launching on their own.

When Rana was pregnant with her second child, Rima searched extensively for the perfect gift to welcome the baby. Unsatisfied with the options available for sale, she decided to design her own gift by arranging wrapped chocolate and Teddy Bears. This experience – and realizing the market opportunity – inspired the sisters to open a chocolate and gift store in 1996: Blessing.  Avoiding a declining market in Lebanon caused by political instability, the sisters decided to expand their venture through partnerships and franchises. They soon became a luxury confectionary and gift brand in a region where gifts are an integral part of every celebration.

Today, Blessing is a one-stop-shop for customers looking for upscale, high-quality chocolate and gifts. Stores offer a large variety of goods and focus on four categories: Weddings, Newborns, Gifts, and Chocolate. The company competes by leveraging its well-known brand, high-quality products, and creative capabilities.

Through the “Blessing Foundation”, Rima and Rana empower women in business by creating opportunities for mentorship, employment, and access to micro-loans.

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