Inspiring Conversations with Yasmeen Abouremeleh of Ya Albi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yasmeen Abouremeleh.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started Ya Albi because I wanted to create a Palestinian brand that felt more personal, design-driven, and emotionally connected than what I was seeing around me. Olive oil was the starting point because it already carried so much meaning for me culturally and personally, but over time the brand became way bigger than just olive oil.

A lot of it happened pretty naturally. I’ve always been really drawn to branding, storytelling, packaging, art direction, and creating worlds around things, so Ya Albi slowly became a place where all of those interests could exist together. I wanted it to feel current and creatively unexpected while still being deeply rooted in Palestine and where the product comes from.

I didn’t come from the food industry, so most of the process has honestly just been learning in real time. From sourcing and production to retail and logistics, I’ve figured out a lot through trial and error. But I think building it instinctively is also what gave the brand its personality. People connect to it because it feels human and personal instead of overly corporate or manufactured.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Building any physical product brand comes with a million moving parts, but building one connected so closely to Palestine adds another layer emotionally and logistically. There have been sourcing issues, shipping complications, production delays, and moments where world events directly affected both the business and the people connected to it.

I also think one of the hardest parts has been balancing creativity with actually running a company day to day. Especially in the beginning, I was doing almost everything myself. Design, packaging, customer service, outreach, operations, social media, all of it. It can get overwhelming constantly switching between being creative and solving problems all day.

Another challenge has been protecting the identity of the brand as it grows. I never wanted Ya Albi to feel overly polished or trend-driven. A lot of the decisions I make come from instinct and emotion more than following a formula, and sometimes that can feel risky when you’re building a business. But I think that’s also what makes people connect to it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ya Albi?
Ya Albi is a Palestinian olive oil brand, but for me it’s always been bigger than just food. It sits somewhere between food, design, storytelling, and culture. We source Palestinian olive oil, but the brand has expanded into packaging, merchandise, pop-ups, collaborations, and other creative projects that all connect back to the same world and feeling.

A lot of the inspiration behind Ya Albi comes from outside the food industry. Things like art direction, fashion, travel, old packaging, and memory have all shaped the way I approach the brand creatively. I never wanted it to feel like a traditional food company or a heritage brand frozen in time.

What matters most to me is that everything feels intentional and emotionally connected. I think that’s why the brand resonates with people outside of food too. We’ve connected with artists, designers, musicians, and people who maybe never saw themselves reflected in brands connected to the Middle East before.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think starting Ya Albi in itself was a pretty big risk because I had no traditional background in food or business. I built a lot of it based on instinct and taste rather than having some perfect roadmap. I also knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to create something safe or generic just because it would be easier to sell.

There’s also risk in building something so closely tied to your identity and values. Ya Albi is deeply connected to Palestine, and putting that at the center of a brand publicly can feel vulnerable at times. But I never wanted to separate the product from the culture and people behind it.

Creatively, I tend to trust long-term instinct over short-term trends. Sometimes that means making decisions that don’t immediately make sense on paper, whether it’s investing heavily into design, approaching food through a more emotional lens, or turning down opportunities that don’t feel aligned. I think the strongest brands usually come from having a clear point of view and sticking with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ya-albi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaalbioil

Image Credits
Patrick Gemayel, Yasmina Hilal, Kathryn Michael