Profile: Intergenerational programming

Rotary parents put a tech expert on the path to leadership

By Brad Webber

As a child, Yassine Harzallah regularly accompanied his parents on service activities: His father was a two-time president of the Rotary Club of Monastir; his mother was a president of the associated Inner Wheel club. "I often say that I have been a Rotarian since the age of 1," he says.

Harzallah, now 32, followed their example. He assembled 15 high school students to start an Interact club, served as president of a Rotaract club, and co-founded the Rotary Club of Ruspina Monastir, chartered in 2025. "The most beautiful thing about Rotary is that it connects generations — those who built the path and those who continue walking it," Harzallah says.

A computer science engineer, Harzallah focuses on artificial intelligence. The confidence he gained in Rotaract spurred him to apply for the Next Einstein Forum, which supports young scientists from Africa. He was selected as Tunisia’s 2016 representative.

Then, Harzallah pitched an AI-based global health concept to United Nations leaders. That presentation garnered the attention of the Obama Foundation, which chose him for its Leaders Africa program in 2018. The program included a confab attended by top African business and political leaders as well as the former U.S. president.

"When [Barack Obama] spoke with me, he immediately asked about Tunisia and the progress of my initiatives," Harzallah recalls.

That moment reinforced something I have believed since my first experiences with Rotary: Real change often begins with individuals who decide to serve their communities.