# Ray Dargham

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**Ray Dargham** is a Lebanese American businessperson who is the co-founder and [chief executive officer](/source/Chief_executive_officer) (CEO) of Step Group.[1][2]

## Early life and education

Ray Dargham was born and raised in [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon).[3][4] He developed an early interest in entrepreneurship, participating in a Junior Achievement program in [high school](/source/High_school) that introduced him to running a mini company.[4] Later, he studied at the [American University of Beirut](/source/American_University_of_Beirut) (AUB) and graduated with a [bachelor's degree](/source/Bachelor's_degree) in [economics](/source/Economics).[1] After graduating, he relocated to [Dubai](/source/Dubai) to pursue better opportunities.[4]

## Career

Dargham co-founded the Step Conference in Dubai in 2012, shortly after graduating.[5][2] Initially a small gathering of around 100 participants in a local co-working space, the conference quickly expanded, moving to larger venues such as the [Dubai International Marine Club](/source/Dubai_International_Marine_Club) by 2015 due to its growing prominence in the tech community.[1]

Dargham later formed Step Group, launching digital platforms such as StepFeed and YallaFeed, which focused on [technology](/source/Technology), [business](/source/Business), and [pop culture](/source/Pop_culture) news in the [Middle East](/source/Middle_East).[5][6] He also co-founded Spiderfrogs, a tech company that provides consultancy on digital trends.[5]

Under his leadership, the [Step Conference](/source/Step_Conference) expanded from its original format to an event drawing thousands of attendees by 2024.[2] It introduced specialized tracks, including fintech, digital media, and AI, and launched a Saudi edition in Riyadh in 2019. During the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic), Step adapted with online and hybrid formats.[2]

## References

1. ["خطوة بخطوة:كيف استطاع الريادي علي ضرغام أن يجعل (Step)إحدى أكثر الفعاليات تأثيرا"](https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/ar/industry/other/%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%A9%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%8A-%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A3%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AC%D8%B9%D9%84-step%D8%A5%D8%AD%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7). *Forbes ME*

1. ["Journeying One Step at a Time with Ray Dargham - Communicate Online"](https://communicateonline.me/events-people/journeying-one-step-at-a-time-with-ray-dargham/). April 30, 2024.

1. East, Forbes Middle. ["Arab 30 Under 30"](https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/list/arab-30-under-30-2018). *Forbes ME*

1. Sifael, Gorkem (March 26, 2022). ["Meet the Entrepreneurs: Ray Dargham"](https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/03/26/meet-the-entrepreneurs-ray-dargham). *euronews*

1. ["Step Conference 2022 to push evolution of ecosystem forward, says Ray Dargham"](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/step-conference-2022-to-push-evolution-of-ecosystem-forward-says-ray-dargham). *Khaleej Times*

1. Writer, Staff (January 24, 2017). ["STEP Group raises $2m in Series A funding - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More"](https://www.arabianbusiness.com/startup/step-group-raises-2m-in-series-funding-660720). *www.arabianbusiness.com*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ray Dargham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Dargham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Dargham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.