Who We Are?
About SomBel Youth Conference
The SomBel Youth Conference is an annual event held in Belgium, dedicated to
empowering and uplifting the Somali youth across Europe. Founded in 2022 by Gelle Bashir and Osman Hosow, the SomBel Youth Conference serves as a platform for Somali youth and professionals to connect, learn, and grow together. Our mission is to inspire and encourage the Somali diaspora to explore new opportunities in business, education, and civic engagement, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging.
Our Inspiration: The Birth of SomBel Youth Conference
The idea for the SomBel Youth Conference was born out of a casual coffee meeting between three young Somali entrepreneurs in Antwerp: Osman Hosow, Warsame Bade, and Gelle Bashir. During their conversation, they reflected on their entrepreneurial journeys, the challenges they faced, and the lack of platforms for Somali youth to connect, grow, and share their experiences in Europe. After hours of deep discussion, they realized the need for an event that would inspire, empower, and uplift Somali youth and professionals across the continent. From this meeting, the SomBel Youth Conference was born, with a shared vision to make it an annual event dedicated to the development and empowerment of the Somali diaspora.
About The Event
At the SomBel Youth Conference, our mission is to empower Somali youth and professionals across Europe by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to thrive in the digital age. Through this annual gathering, we aim to:
Explore the Power of AI in reshaping opportunities across Content Creation, IT & Software, Marketing & Branding, Financial Technology & Crypto, and Business Innovation.
Inspire and Educate Somali youth, students, entrepreneurs, and professionals to embrace AI-driven opportunities and build future-ready careers.
Foster Collaboration by creating a dynamic platform where Somali innovators, professionals, and AI experts can connect, learn, and grow together.
Our Vision
Our vision is to build a thriving Somali community in Europe that is digitally empowered, innovative, and future-focused. We aspire to become a catalyst for transformation, driving sustainable growth through technology, entrepreneurship, and collective action—ensuring Somali youth are active contributors to the global digital economy.
SomBel Founders
Gelle Bashir
Founder of Gelle Bashir Academy
Gelle Bashir is a renowned entrepreneur and educator who leads the largest and hub YouTube channel dedicated to online business and technology in the Somali language. Since 2021, he has been actively blogging and mentoring in the fields of e-commerce, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence. Gelle’s journey into the online business world began in 2020 when he realized the significant gap in accessible education for Somalis. This inspired him to create a platform where individuals could learn and grow in their native language, ensuring a better understanding and application of the knowledge gained.
Osman Hasow
Founder of HasowPlus
Osman Hosow is the founder of HosowPlus.com, a platform offering online multimedia courses on content creation, video and photo editing, and social media success strategies. He also leads the popular Hosow Pro YouTube channel, with nearly half a million subscribers, where he shares storytelling content about the world, blending educational media with engaging narratives. His work focuses on helping creators enhance their digital media skills while exploring diverse global stories through his channel.
The SomBel Youth Conference is proudly supported by
