FROM BUSINESSWOMAN TO TRAVELER – THE INCREDIBLE ISRAA HILLES - SLSV

Strong, independent woman – this has almost become a cliché these days. People tend to overuse the term and in most cases misuse it. Women realizing a fraction of their potential and birthright doesn’t make them strong and independent. It takes breaking glass ceilings, societal barriers, and all the stereotypes that surround the feminine gender allowing them to personify the words strong and independent.

Now, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any women who define these terms. But the number, in all honesty, is lower than we can imagine. For this reason, the women who have managed to achieve independence in its truest sense are nothing short of being trailblazers. Among these trendsetting women, Israa Hilles is slowly becoming more and more popular.

A vibrant and full-of-life persona coupled with the determination to break mountains, Hilles has been through everything that one can imagine could bring a person to their feet and give up. Of Palestinian origin, Hilles was born in the UAE in 1985. She lived there until she was eighteen before returning to her home country. Palestine has been in a controversial condition for decades and Israa returned to probably one of the most contentious regions in her homeland, the “Gaza strip”.

In Gaza, she got the opportunity to work for DAI-USAID. This was her first step into becoming who she is today. A fearless and inspirational leader who young girls could look up to when they’re growing up. She had done her university education in Egypt where she studied management and got a job in Jordan. After working there for almost a decade, Israa got another life-changing opportunity. She got to pursue the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the United States-Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development with a focus on building and developing common workspaces.

During this time, she traveled across numerous cities and states in the US including Washington DC, San Francisco, Florida, New York, and Michigan. This fueled her latest passion i.e. travel-related content (but more on this later). After completing the course, Hilles moved to Montreal, Canada in 2015. She chose Montreal after traveling across Canada and exploring cities including Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, New Brunswick, Halifax, and Prince Eduardo. With no knowledge of French, nobody would have given Israa a chance in the city. Just because she was a single, Arab woman, she would have become a victim of the stereotype. However, she had not planned on failing ever in her life. And Canada was the same. “I had fallen in love with Montreal and its people. I knew this was the place where I want to write my life’s next chapter,” she said about selecting Montreal.

Immediately after arriving, Israa learned French and did a short course on doing business in Canada. Fast forward to a few years later, she had set up Escritorie Inc., a coworking space that gives young entrepreneurs a chance to grow and thrive in the ever-so-competitive business environment. Her acumen has led her to receive various honors including Top Young Woman Entrepreneur 2015, Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year 2018, and Top 25 New Canadian Immigrants 2020.

After achieving so much as an entrepreneur, Israa has now stepped foot into a whole new industry altogether. She is now living her passion for traveling and is creating some exceptional content on YouTube. Her content gives viewers some first-hand pro-tips to traveling across the places she has been to. Seeing an exponential growth in viewership, the channel has become super popular in Canada and before we know it, it will go global.

When asked about how she transitioned into creating YouTube content, she said “I took a road trip across western Canada. Exploring Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, this trip was 4700 KM round in 28 days and I came up with the idea of sharing my experience with the world. I am overwhelmed by the response I have got and can’t be enjoying life more than this.”

Given her track record of turning everything she touches into gold, it is safe to say that it is only a matter of time before we put her name on the list of globally famous travel vloggers like Eva Zu Beck, Drew Bisnky, Dale Phillip, and Lost LeBlanc.