Becoming a Food Entrepreneur in the Middle of a Conflict Zone to Address Peacekeeping Through Business - Hasan Siber // Co-founder and CEO of Colive
Disruptors for GOOD | Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises
Divisions, Conflict, and Olive Oil: Uniting Cyprus
This chapter delves into the history of conflict in Cyprus, the current divided state of the island, and the mission to bridge the gap through an olive oil business. It explores the challenges faced and the speaker's personal experience of bringing the first olive across the ceasefire line.
----------------------------------------
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.
We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.
To learn more, please visit causeartist.com
In episode 122 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast I speak with Hasan Siber, Co-founder and CEO of Colive, on becoming a food entrepreneur in the middle of a conflict zone to address peacekeeping through business.
Colive was born out of a passion for quality and equality.
Hasan and Alex met in their first days at a university in the UK and discovered they were both from the same island but on different sides of a border. Their friendship grew with time for more than a decade.
When Hasan realized Cyprus could be the birthplace of the world's rarest olive oil, he knew that with Alex's help, they could not only create an amazing product but also help their island thrive.
Thus, Colive Oil was born. They bring high-quality, locally grown indigenous Cypriot olives from groves in northern and southern Cyprus to be pressed together into the rarest olive oil in the world.
In crossing the demilitarised zone dividing Cyprus, these olives create a truly and wholly Cypriot, globally unique olive oil with the social mission of bringing people together despite conflicts. Alex and Hasan are leading by example.
Colive is the first company in Cyprus for over 50 years to operate truly island-wide and directed jointly by Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Colive is the first Cyprus company to operate across the division in more than 50 years and only Cypriot olive oil brand available in the U.S. at retail - is using its high-quality extra virgin olive oil made with hand-picked olives to pursue peace on the divided Mediterranean island, bringing new meaning to food with purpose.
After the division of Cyprus into northern and southern parts in 1974 following civil unrest, war and displacement, families and friends have been divided on the island, unable to cross the border. Hasan Siber, co-founder and CEO of Colive, decided to collect the one-of-a-kind Cypriot olives from both sides of the line and combine them into one extra virgin olive oil that offered not only a unique taste, but also a unique social mission.
To help foster peace and a united Cyprus, the company has committed to donating 10% of profits from each bottle sold to organizations dedicated to that cause.
Colive works with ~15 family farms across the conflict zone to harvest its olives, and educates farmers on how to utilize sustainable and climate-friendly farming practices, including hand-picking the olives, regenerative farming and water conservation.
----------------------------------------
Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:
- Bookkeeping, Accounting & Tax Management – Organized, compliant, and transparent financials managed by licensed professionals (CPAs, CFAs, CMAs, and lawyers) to drive smarter decision-making.
- Growth & Marketing – Data-driven strategies across branding, web, advertising, CRM, and sales enablement—all optimized for measurable ROI.
- Outsourced CFO – Flexible financial leadership covering cash flow, forecasting, and strategic planning.
- Entity Management – Stay compliant and ready for scale with expert corporate governance and compliance support.
- Operations, HR & Admin – Streamlined infrastructure to boost team efficiency and keep your business running smoothly.
- IT & Security – Safeguard your data and operations with best-in-class infrastructure, compliance, and protection.
- Technology Consulting – Build the right tech stack with expert support across NetSuite, QuickBooks, Avalara, and more.
- Management Consulting – Unlock growth with industry-specific advisory services focused on metrics, operations, and scalability.
As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.
👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.com
The AI-powered Podcast Player
