Prior to launching Oliberté, Tal Dehtiar, co-founded and built MBAs Without Borders (MWB), a NGO that supported businesses across Africa, Asia and Latin America. MWB was sold to CDC Development Solutions in 2009. For his work to date, Tal has been recognized with numerous honours, including being recognized recently as one of Fast Company’s Most Creative Business People and nominated recently for Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year.

After graduating from Technical school, he was set to go to university until his best friend pointed out an advertisement for training on how to make shoe patterns at a local shoe factory in Addis Ababa, where he grew up. He went, he stayed, he excelled, and after finishing the training from there he worked for a shoe factory where he was sent to attended Cordwainers’ Technical College in London (now part of London College of Fashion).