Title: 1) Founder 2) Geoinformation Management Officer 3) Co-founder
Company: 1) asist.space 2) UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency 3) giskos
Location: MD/USA
Education: MSc in Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation, Faculty of Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation, ITC, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands (2007); BA, Faculty of Architecture, University of Prishtina (2005)
Career History: Founder, asist.space (2023-Present); With, Geoinformation and Data Management (2023-Present); Geoinformation Management Officer, UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency (2018-Present); Co-founder, giskos (2003-Present); Geographic Information System (GIS) Team Lead, John Snow, Inc. (JSI) (2017-2018); Protection Information Management Officer, UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency (2016-2017); Information Management Officer, UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency (2014-2016); Senior Geoinformation Management Officer, iMMAP Inc., Washington, DC (2011-2014); Senior Geoinformation Management Officer, iMMAP Inc., Iraq (2010-2011); Information Management Officer, iMMAP Inc., Georgia (2008-2010); Information Management Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Phillipines (2014); GIS Administrator, Kartographie Huber, Kosovo (2008); GIS Administrator, Planner, Junior Partner, Urban Plus (2002-2008); Head of GIS and Information Technology Unit, Kosovo Institute for Spatial Planning (2004-2005); GIS Consultant, Office of Kosovo Protection Corps Coordinator (OKPCC) (2002-2003); Manager, Co-owner, ILLYRIAN Group (2002); GIS Consultant, FAO (2002); Head of GIS Unit, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (2002); GIS Administrator, UNOPS (1999-2001)
Bekim Kajtazi, Founder at asist.space, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of technology.
Wielding more than 25 years of experience in humanitarian services, Mr. Kajtazi of Kosovo in Southeast Europe has found success as the founder of asist.space since 2023, a United States-based firm that specializes in providing a wide range of clients with spatial data and geospatial technology solutions, also known as applied location intelligence, to enhance business operations. In his work, he has made significant contributions by collecting data and creating and publishing maps and reports on migrants and refugees in Africa; he’s currently working to implement health projects across Africa for JSI Inc., providing immunization for newborns, distributing fortified foods, and more.
In addition, Mr. Kajtazi has served as the Geoinformation Management Officer for the UN Refugee Agency—an international organization whose mission is to protect the rights of “refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people”—since 2018 and as the co-founder of giskos since 2003. The latter software company utilizes geospatial technology to develop web and mobile applications dedicated to managing and analyzing big data and spatial data, overall creating high-quality products for its clients. Recently, one of its clients contracted them to develop a mobile app specifically designed to track and manage parking, while another seeks an app to help users find qualified handymen in their areas.
Mr. Kajtazi began his career in 1999 as a Geographic Information System (GIS) administrator for the nonprofit UNOPS before advancing to Head of the GIS Unit for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in 2002. He continued to work in this capacity as a GIS consultant for FAO and the Office of Kosovo Protection Corps Coordinator; Head of GIS and Information Technology Unit with the Kosovo Institute for Spatial Planning; and GIS administrator and junior partner for Urban Plus, among other similar roles. In 2008—by that point equipped with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Prishtina and a master’s degree in geoinformation science and Earth observation from the University of Twente in the Netherlands—he immigrated to the United States, where he excelled as the Information Management Officer at iMMAP Inc. in the Republic of Georgia for a few years. Between 2010 and 2017, he was active as a Senior Geoinformation Management Officer for iMMAP Inc. out of Iraq and Washington, D.C., an Information Management Officer for the UN Refugee Agency, and a GIS Team Lead at John Snow, Inc.
Outside of his primary roles, Mr. Kajtazi extends his guidance and expertise as an advisory board member for Welcome Japan (Process In Progress) and is a staunch supporter of St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Throughout all of his endeavors, he has prioritized the well-being of others, believing that “you will find success if you genuinely care about and love what you do…being kind and dedicated to your work is important, as this will lead to personal fulfillment.”
Looking ahead, he strives to grow his consultancy work, through which he can share his experience, knowledge, and experience—as well as spend more time at home with his family, which includes his wife, Shqipe, and two children.