From Architect to Cookie Maker: Abdallah’s Journey of Rebuilding and Belonging

When you think of an architect, you might picture someone sketching blueprints or designing skylines. But for Abdallah, an experienced architect from Syria, the path to rebuilding his life in the Netherlands led him somewhere unexpected: to the kitchen.

“I’m an asylum seeker. I came to the Netherlands a year ago,” he shared during his final pitch at the Delitelabs UP Collective program — a social entrepreneurship initiative empowering newcomers to explore business ideas.

From the test event

“But I’m not just an architect. I’m a father and I want to be a role model for my children. To show them that it’s never too late in life to start again.”

Discovering himself again

Abdallah joined the program unsure of where it might lead. “At the beginning, we were learning about ourselves,” he recalls. “That helped me a lot, not just for the program, but in life. I discovered parts of my personality I didn’t know.”

For many newcomers, forced displacement takes away direction. The UP Collective’s early focus on self-discovery gave Abdallah space to reconnect with his passions – food, health, and creativity and slowly start incorporating them into a new life.

When cookies meet craftsmanship

It wasn’t long before his two worlds, architecture and baking, started to merge.

“Baking and architecture are more alike than people think,” he explained during his pitch. “Both are about mixing the right ingredients, using precision, craftsmanship, and patience.”

And so his business idea was born: The Baking Architect, a food concept offering healthy, handmade cookies and snacks with authentic Middle Eastern flavors, served from a mobile food cart run by newcomers.

“My customers are people who care about living a healthy life and building real community.”

Abdallah with his mentor

From red ocean to blue ocean

“One of the biggest challenges was finding the ‘click’ in my idea,” Abdallah admitted. “In the program we learned about the red ocean and the blue ocean, the difference between competing in crowded markets and creating your own space. It was hard to figure out what made my idea unique. But when I found it, I felt I’d really done something important.”

For Abdallah, the blue ocean lay in belonging. Not just selling cookies, but creating a space for cultural exchange, healing, and starting fresh.

Building with heart and hands

During the program’s testing event, Abdallah showcased his cookies and received positive feedback, not just for their flavor, but for the story behind them.

“My big dream is to see these cookies all across the Netherlands. But I want to do it in my way, with a self-built, handcrafted cart. Something that reflects who I am.”

What he needs now are partners – people or organizations that can help with tools, ingredients, recipes, packaging, and community support to take his first steps.

Advice for others

When asked what advice he’d give to others considering the UP Collective program, Abdallah didn’t hesitate:

“Go for it. Really try to find out who you are and what you’re good at. Everyone has something inside of them and this program helps you bring it out.”

For Abdallah, cookies aren’t just cookies. His dream isn’t only about business. It’s about showing his children and others like him that resilience, creativity, and kindness can build more than buildings.