The Crossing

Youssef Sadaki

Strategic Digital Transformation & Marketing Consultant • Atlantic Council & Washington Institute contributor • USAID/OTI alumnus

A Syrian-born scholar-practitioner. Displaced across 8 cities in 14 years, now consulting from Damascus and Canada. This is the record of that journey.

Youssef Sadaki (يوسف صداقي) — Syrian-Canadian strategic digital transformation consultant and Middle East analyst, portrait 2026
Youssef Sadaki (يوسف صداقي), 2026 — Syrian-Canadian strategic digital transformation consultant and Middle East analyst, based between London, Ontario and Damascus.
Damascus

Selected Publications & Contributions

Atlantic CouncilThe Washington InstituteThe Century FoundationJadaliyya

Cited in

Cambridge University PressU.S. Air UniversityPAX for PeaceSmall Wars & Insurgencies (T&F)

View the full archive →

Damascus, 1 April 2011 — the founding moment of Youssef Sadaki's fourteen-year displacement
Damascus, April 2011 — where the crossing began.
The Founding Moment

Damascus,
1 April 2011

The day everything pivoted. At 25, the trajectory was clear: winner of the JCI national Best Business Plan award in 2010, finishing studies at Arab International University, completing the SKILLS entrepreneurship program.

Then came the protest. An arrest in the street that fractured the timeline, turning a rising entrepreneur into a political exile overnight. What followed was a 14-year crossing through eight cities, a journey of displacement, adaptation, and survival.

"The city that made me, and the city that made me leave."

— work with me —

The same practitioner who wrote those briefs is the one your team would work with.

Strategic digital transformation, project delivery, and capability-building for Canadian B2B companies, NGOs, and organisations rebuilding their digital foundation.

The Anatomy of a Station

How to Read This Journey

Every city is recorded through four distinct lenses. A professional track record, the people who made it survivable, the auditory landscape, and a personal reflection.

I

The Work

The visible output: papers, projects, campaigns delivered in that city.

II

The People

The human infrastructure: who made each city survivable.

III

The Sound

The auditory landscape of that place and time.

IV

The Letter

A personal reflection, handwritten.

Section VII

Credentials

the stamps inside the passport.

Education

  • 2024

    Master in Digital Marketing & e-Commerce

    Universidad Isabel I de Castilla / ENEB Barcelona

    1500h · 60 ECTS · Avg. 8.38

  • 2020

    Associate Diploma, Digital Marketing

    TriOS College · Ontario, Canada

  • 2011

    BSc, Business Administration

    Arab International University · Syria

  • 2011

    Diploma in Business Administration

    Syrian Enterprise & Business Centre · Damascus

  • 2009

    International Marketing Exchange Program

    Heilbronn University · Germany

Awards & Professional Development

  • 2015

    International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)

    U.S. Department of State

  • 2015

    Security Incident Management

    Chemonics International

  • 2011

    Active Citizen Program

    British Council

  • 2010

    Best Business Plan Competition — Winner

    Junior Chamber International (JCI Syria)

Certifications

  • 2025

    Digital Transformation

    University of Virginia & BCG · Coursera

  • 2024

    The Founder's Journey — An Entrepreneurial Process

    Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship · Ivey / Western University

  • Google Ads Certification

  • Google Analytics Certification

  • Meta Ads Certification

VI

Frequently asked

Who is Youssef Sadaki?
Youssef Sadaki (يوسف صداقي) is a Syrian-Canadian strategic digital transformation consultant and Middle East analyst. He is based between London, Ontario and Damascus, and has written for the Atlantic Council, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, The Century Foundation, and Jadaliyya.
What does Youssef Sadaki do today?
He runs a strategic digital transformation practice serving B2B companies in Canada and development organisations across the Middle East — covering strategic consulting and audit, end-to-end project delivery, and training and workshops.
Where is Youssef Sadaki based?
He is based in London, Ontario, Canada, with regular work in Damascus, Syria. Engagements are delivered remotely across Canada, the United States, and the Middle East.
Where has Youssef Sadaki been published?
He has published policy essays and analysis with the Atlantic Council (SyriaSource), The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, The Century Foundation, Jadaliyya, and Arabic-language outlets including 7al.net. A complete archive lives at ysadaki.com/writings.
What languages does he work in?
English and Arabic (Levantine). He writes, presents, and consults in both.
How can clients or editors reach him?
By email at youssef@ysadaki.com or by phone at +1 519 697 0487.