“I believe that when you do good, and positively influence your surroundings, whether on a small or larger scale, you receive good in return,” he said.
It is this life philosophy that led him to exit the lucrative hi-tech world, where he was a co-founder of successful computer software company Emblaze and look for a new and more meaningful project.
"I made an exit from hi tech about 20 years ago and I initially wanted to establish a philanthropic fund," Daboosh said. "Instead, however, I decided I would buy a company in the periphery that was in financial trouble and try to turn it around. I wanted this to be my contribution to society and to the community."
After reviewing several companies in the field of design - a lifelong passion - he eventually settled on distressed company Klil, headquartered in Karmiel, a town in the North of Israel.
"We purchased the company in 2001, which was a very challenging year - there was a depression in the construction and building market and it was the height of the intifada,” he said.
The first three years were especially difficult, he recalled, joking that he had made the situation go “from bad to worse.”
“I remember that when I met with the workers at the company for the first time, I promised them that ‘they would smile.’ Of course, in the first three years they didn't smile, but they always remembered that promise,” he said.
In 2004, at the lowest point, he consulted his friend, a former CEO of Israeli food giant Strauss, who encouraged him and advised him that in order to turn the company around he would need to make some “tough decisions.”"So, I implemented 19 out of the 20 decisions," Daboosh said. "The one decision that I did not make was to cut the salaries of the workers."The friendly advice and Daboosh’s dedication and hard work paid off and in 2006 the company was able to turn around and break even."We went from a loss of NIS 20 million a year, where we owed around NIS 90 million to the bank and from 2006 onward the situation significantly improved so that today Klil is one of the most well-known brands in Israel with a surplus of around NIS 150 million," he said.
Today, Klil is a leader in the Israeli market, having won numerous accolades for its brand and for its treatment of its workers, its suppliers, and its customers. “It was important for me to turn the company into an organization that looks at the bigger picture and less at the narrow scale. We emphasized care for the workers, development of intellectual property, and implementation of elements of design," he said.
In 2019, Daboosh was able to come full circle with the launch of a new line of window design fusing together architectural history with modern practicality. The Bauhaus windows line reflected his initial vision for the company - to turn the windows industry into a field of design.
“I felt that with this launch I really completed the turnaround and fulfilled my dream to contribute to the architectural vision of the State of Israel,” he said.
The new design was well received and was even chosen as part of the exhibit at the Israel Museum for 100 years of Bauhaus in 2020.
"This brings a different way of thinking, of design, that you can choose your windows to reflect yourself and your style," he said. “We are seeing this implemented in more and more homes across the country.”
Beyond the financial success, Daboosh never gave up on his life's philosophy to give back to the community. “Since my first days at the company I searched for partnerships with the city of Karmiel. Our first collaboration was sponsoring the local youth movements,” he said.
Fast forward to today, and Klil, together with the Karmiel Municipality, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and the Butterfly Association is set to open a new 15 dunam butterfly park in Karmiel in the coming months.
“With this new park we are not only protecting the environment, we are creating an ecosystem and safe haven for butterflies - with this we are giving back to nature,” he said.
Now, having fulfilled his initial vision for the company, Daboosh is looking to the future, hoping to merge his past in hi-tech with the present and continuing to “do good.”
“The next stage is to implement technology into Klil and to develop a product that evokes an experience for the client,” he said, “and most importantly to leave a long term impact on the community and the environment and become a beacon of light that other companies will want to aspire to.” This article was written in cooperation with Klil.