After 10 wonderful years hosting the Mozilla Festival in London, we’re thrilled about our new partnership with the city and people of Amsterdam. To celebrate this new chapter in our story, we’re showcasing the people and work that made the city an advocate for digital innovation - which is what ultimately brought us together.
Read Part 1 of the MozFest Local series here, where we spotlight Saskia H Herrmann, co-founder of The Empathy Game.
We’re thrilled to have been connected with Taraq Hok-Ahin, Entrepreneur and Knowledge Mile Board Member for the second part of our MozFest Local series. His commitment to raising up a new generation of professionals who care about diversity and inclusion is encouraging as we continue to lean into our diverse MozFest audience.
As owner of the Water & Brood, a busy breakfast through dinner spot in the heart of Amsterdam, Taraq is on the front lines of improving diversity in his beloved city. As an entrepreneur, Taraq sits on the board of the Knowledge Mile, actively gathering other restaurant owners to support one another, especially when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
“My goal is to have the Knowledge Mile to function as a role model for inclusivity and diversity that spreads throughout the community, then to the whole city, then the whole country.”
Taraq Hok-Ahin
Taraq also invests much of his time working with students from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (in English: Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences). As the next generation is raised up as business people and entrepreneurs, they are the key to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in many fields and communities.
“At the end of the day, I’m trying to make the lives of black people in the Netherlands better throughout corporate society. This work isn’t in the front line of activism, that’s not where I work. But a lot can be done through corporate. If this generation of students go into interviews knowing they have the control about who they work for, they will choose companies that have the right values and culture.”
Taraq Hok-Ahin
Providing opportunities for everyone to step into entrepreneurship is also important to Taraq. For example, he is opening his kitchen for another up and coming Chef to cook at his restaurant during the dinner rush to provide her with 6 months of experience, giving her a boost in her career.
“If you want to connect with the best talent in Amsterdam, you have to meet them where they are.”
Taraq Hok-Ahin
Kristina Gorr serves the internet health movement as Communications Manager for MozFest through using her passion for writing to raise awareness and uplift opportunities for others to get involved in critical conversations about web literacy, digital inclusion, privacy and security, and openness, to name a few. Learn more about Kristina on Mozilla Pulse.
MozFest is part art, tech and society convening, part maker festival, and the premiere gathering for activists in diverse global movements fighting for a more humane digital world. To learn more, visit www.mozillafestival.org.
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