Muslims Doing Things

If you show up scattered, apologetic, or uncertain, people will assume your time — and by extension, you — aren't worth much. It is not because they're mean. It is because people mirror cues. protect your time like it matters, and they'll treat it like it does. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laylool.substack.com

First — I will start by saying thank you guys! I just found out my open rate of 65-70% is “wild” and 30% or so above average. I appreciate you all reading so much!Second — Substack just released a video feature. So here is a quick video of my last post! This is an experiment, so I will try it a few times and see how it landsAnyway, below is the post This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laylool.substack.com

Sidra Trajcevska founded Jasmine + Marigold (@jasmineandmarigold) on the heels of a successful corporate career. Sidra found herself on the tough end of the celebration equation as mom to a half-Macedonian/half-Pakistani child. When Sidra realized that there weren't onesies available to celebrate Eid, she created her own. Between that moment and today, Sidra figured out how to build, scale, and automate a garment business for children. She openly talks about the nuts and bolts behind her business, and the savvy she has accrued.  Follow Sidra at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/whatsidraloves/⁠  Follow Jasmine + Marigold at https://jasmineandmarigold.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jasmineandmarigold/  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Sarah Ahmed is a psychotherapist  Sarah Ahmed's LinkedIn refers to her as an “experienced Clinical Social Worker with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry.” But Sarah, on social media, is the POC therapist. (@the.poc.therapist). Sarah's social media presence addresses a variety of mental health related topics in an accessible way. Separately, she went from working in a large scale health system, to starting her own private practice, to employing other practitioners, to most recently enabling Canada-wide mental health services through a technology platform, Leena (@helloleena).  Follow Sarah on IG https://www.instagram.com/the.poc.therapist  Follow Sarah on TT https://www.tiktok.com/@the.poc.therapist?lang=en  Follow Leena on IG https://www.instagram.com/helloleena_/   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Zainab Johnson (@zainabjohnson) is a comedian, writer, and actress.  Zainab Johnson is a comedian, writer, and actress. Zainab's comedy is based on her unique point-of-view, which as one of thirteen siblings in a black Muslim family in Harlem.  After getting a degree in Math and Education and taking a job as a teacher, Zainab quickly learned she had a different calling. And once she started to pursue the calling — she doubled down and rose the ranks quickly. You may have seen Zainab on the Amazon Original hit series titled "Upload"  Netflix's "100 Humans", through an appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, HBO's All Def Comedy,  NBC's Last Comic Standing, or one of the many gigs she has done.    Go watch Zainab in real life! https://www.zainabjohnson.com/ Follow Zainab  https://twitter.com/zainabjohnson?lang=en https://www.tiktok.com/@thezainabjohnson?lang=en --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

When Afshan Nasseri (@lifesforliving) did not get the corporate job she thought she should get amidst a pandemic, as a fresh-COVID-grad of McGill University. So, Afshan just started her own agency (yes — just like that! The story is amazing). Aam Creative (@aamcreative) is a team is made of women of color from around the world who focus on social media strategy, storytelling, brand strategy, and cultural consulting. Aam has worked with over 41 companies. The website highlights 17 women working towards the agency's goals.  I love convos with self starters, so I really enjoyed this chat. Afshan goes into the weeds, tactically, of how she created an opportunity amidst global turmoil. Also, Aam's brand is amazing: https://www.aamcreative.co/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

Sabrina Siddiqui (@sabrinasiddiqui) knew she wanted to be a journalist as a Pakistani-American teenager living in Italy, but did not realize her choices would land her a coveted position as a White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. Sabrina covers the Biden presidency right now. Listen to Sabrina and I talk about her journey to political reporting and what a day in the life is like as a White House correspondent. Spoiler: it may include an anecdote about a recent top secret trip on Air Force One with the President.  Get to know Sabrina through some of her writing: ‘How Will I Pump?': When Your First Work Trip After Maternity Leave Is to Ukraine With President Biden Reporting while Muslim: how I covered the US presidential election Keep up with Sabrina's journey: Find Sabrina on IG Follow Sabrina on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Ali Baluch (@baluchx) started his career in video on YouTube — by joining FouseyTube in its early days. Ali worked with Yousef to take the channel from 500k to 10m (and over 1.5b views), creating one of the early YouTube phenomenons (which I learned was..stunted!). Ali's journey in production and cinematography is a journey that spans through household names like Nickelodeon, HBO Max, and MTV. And outside of those names, Ali is behind a few podcasts (The Apartment and the Fahim Anwar Dance Hour) where he chats with some of the most popular names in the industry. What is Ali up to next? More film, he suspects. This is a chilling-with-friends-in-your-living room type of episode, with more of a hair down vibe than the typical epi. The backstory is that Ali is a friend who came by to chat about a media project on a Friday night. I asked Ali to record a pod in return, so I have the very rare in person epi. With a lot of Friday night, barely made it through the week a (childcare fell through at home, work was demanding as usual) laughs. What makes this episode even more funny is that Ali is a professional video and audio dude — and I have him sharing a mic on a MacBook pro as my setup. Enjoy! I did. Follow Ali on Twitter @baluchx Follow Ali on IG @baluchx --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Ameena Soliman (@meen_mill) is a pro scout for the Philadelphia Eagles, where she also serves as Director of Personnel Operations. In this episode, Ameena breaks down her journey to scoutdom, which reveals a breakneck speed through the ranks at the NFL. Ameena provides a tactical approach to how to get into sport while revealing a razor sharp intelligence and hyperfocused work ethic. It goes without much assumption that Ameena is the first Muslim woman in her role. And she is believed to be the first female scout, period, for the Eagles. For context, the first female scout for the NFL at large was hired in 2021. By 2022, there were a total of 33 female scouts across the NFL in its entirety. In short, Ameena's path is extraordinary. Also...Go Birds! Follow Ameena's career on IG at: Follow Ameena on Instagram @meen_mill Follow Ameena on Twitter @meen_mill Photo credit: Joseph Labolito --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Amna Nawaz (@amnaonpbs) is an American broadcast journalist and a co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour alongside Geoff Bennett. Before joining PBS in April 2018, Nawaz was an anchor and correspondent at ABC News and NBC News. And before that, a foreign correspondent. Amna dives into her path to the co-anchor seat, including time in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and how her husband has played a key role in their co-parenting journey. Amna's accolades include an Emmy Award and a Society for Features Journalism award. Follow Amna at Follow Amna on IG Follow Amna on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

If you're on TikTok, you have seen the hysterical (and sometimes unhinged) Duolingo posts. And if you were interested in learning a language (like my husband was, actually), you probably converted into a Duolingo user because of the prevalence of Duo the owl on TikTok. I was stunned to find out that all 6m of us Duo stans were actually following a fresh-out-of-college Pakistani American, Zaria Parvez (@photos_zap). In two short years and with a marketing budget of 0 dollars, Zaria built a cult around the language learning app. The Duolingo account has 121.6m likes, including some from a video from just yesterday with 2m views (a figure 300,000 north of the entire population of Bahrain). Listen to Zaria's incredible story. This journey is especially cool because she is early in her career, but has already been recognized as a marketing genius. Experience doesn't always equate to stature or seniority, and Zaria's story is a testament to that reality. Follow Zaria on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zariaparvez?lang=en Follow Zaria on IG https://www.instagram.com/photos_zap/?hl=en Check out Duolingo's TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@duolingo?lang=en --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

As an Iraqi-American, Audie Attar's (@AudieAttar) parents saw athletic talent in him and nurtured it through high school and into college. Audie played football at UCLA before a fight got him kicked out of the school and landed him at Idaho State. The racial undercurrents of the fight, grounded in Islamophobia, did not stop Audie's team at UCLA from working hard to get him back on their side. Shortly after, Audie made his way back to UCLA before graduating and landing a role as an NFL agent. That was the start of Audie's sports management journey — and since then, he founded Paradigm Sports (@paradigmsports). Audie is referred to as “one of combat sports most powerful agents” according to an article in a 2017 MMA.com article, in case you are wondering how that's going. Audie manages a roster of talent across the NFL, MMA, MLB, and beyond - including household names like Conor McGregor, Jozy Altidore, and Rico Verhoeven. Follow Audie on Instagram Follow Audie on Twitter Follow Paradigm Sports on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Manal Aman @helloholydays knew who she admired: Martha Stewart. She went to college with the goal of figuring out the business of Martha, and graduated into an editorial job for the DIY queen herself. Within a few short years, Manal figured out how to get her own line into Crate and Barrel to celebrate Ramadan (yes, that advent calendar — the one we all lost it for). Listen to Manal's journey Shop the collection at HelloHolyDays.com Follow @helloholydays on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Yusra Siddiqui (@thatgirlyusra) is an Associate Fashion Editor at Who What Wear, and at her core she is a journalist. Yusra talks about what it takes to build a career in fashion journalism, how she got to where she is, and her recent cover stories with Jenna Ortega and Madelyn Cline. Listen to Yusra lay out the power of connection, not giving up, and what her life looks like as a Fashion Editor (sneak peak: she publishes 5-6 pieces a week). Find Yusra on IG @thatgirlyusra and TikTok @thatgirlyusraa --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Anoosha Syed (@foxville_art) is a Pakistani-Canadian freelance illustrator + character designer for animation, based in Toronto. If you have kids, you likely have come across her work (Bilal Cooks Daal and That's Not My Name are both on Kamila's bookshelf!). Since graduating, Anoosha has worked as a character designer for preschool series in development working with clients like Disney, Netflix and Nick. After illustrating over 25 books for children, she is now working on several author/illustrator titles — and recently published her her debut book, That's Not My Name. Anoosha has not only built an amazing career, but she has recreated her path through a series of YouTube tutorials, and shows her work behind the scenes across social media. Listen to Anoosha talk about her journey, and what it takes to build a career in illustration and children's books. Find her on: Check out her website Instagram Twitter YouTube TikTok Facebook Buy her books: Buy Bilal Cooks Daal Buy That's Not My Name --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Evelyn Alsultany (@evelynalsultany)is a leading expert on the history of representations of Arabs and Muslims in U.S. media. Her research, teaching, and lecturing are driven by a commitment to bringing Arab and Muslim Americans into the broader conversation about racial politics in the U.S. In her lectures, she seeks to educate audiences on the history of stereotypical representations of Arabs and Muslims in the US media, its consequences as evident in public opinion and government policies, and alternatives to foster greater human respect and dignity. Listen to Evelyn's journey as we flip between her life as an academic and a contributor to Muslim-American modern day history. Get a copy of Evelyn's new book Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion on Amazon or at a local bookstore. Follow Evelyn on Twitter or on Instagram @evelynalsultany --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Engie Hassan (@engiestyle) went into fashion without a clear picture of what that could mean -- and has since built her own styling empire. From celebrities, to royalty, to regular folks, Engie knows how to orchestrate the vision behind how someone is perceived. From an internship at Vogue, to a full circle moment with Anna Wintour, real-talk with Yeezy when he was trying to find his personal brand in the 2010s, to life as a personal stylist at Bergdorf, listen to Engie's story about what it takes to build a styling business in fashion. Follow @engiestyle on IG --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

If you haven't seen @amandasplate on Master Chef, you have probably come across her content on Instagram. Amanda's career started in social work, before a career changing opportunity to be on TV (against 10,000 other hopefuls) landed Amanda a full time culinary career. Listen to Amanda's journey on and off screen, as a famous chef. Follow Amanda on all platforms at https://www.instagram.com/amandasplate/?hl=en (IG) https://amandasplate.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@amandasplate https://twitter.com/AmandasPlate/with_replies --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Zain never imagined that her calling would be in acting, but when she knew - she knew. Having accrued 1.2m TikTok fans that flocked her way due to her lighthearted personality and jokes, Zain has painstakingly taught herself how to make it in acting through a love for growth. Listen to Zain talk about her journey with refreshing transparency, and follow Zain below ⬇️ Follow Zain on Instagram @zaincomedy Follow Zain on TikTok @zaincomedy --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Pious Ali immigrated from Ghana to New York in 2000 in hopes of purchasing photography equipment for his flourishing photography career back home. Like many other Muslims, the events that took place on September 11th, 2001 changed the course of his life — as he realized he was in his moment to pursue a version of his American dream. Pious moved to Maine in 2002, got involved at the grassroots to earn himself a spot on the Portland Public Schools Board, then City Council — where he was just elected for his second term. Listen to Pious's journey and follow Pious on Instagram pic credit: Ryan Caron King for NENC --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

For the first time in the pod's history, we have a guest come back -- a year later! Yasamine Durali is a content creator and my SIL. Last year, she laid out her roadmap to getting TikTok famous, and a year later she shares how far the journey has come, from expanding platforms, to getting managed, to building the confidence needed to take more steps forward. I enjoyed this epi because Yasi is a sis to me, but also because it is a cool opportunity to watch a career arc in real time. Follow Yasamine on: IG YouTube TikTok Photo credit: @beautyisboring --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Sumbul Siddiqui is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 77th mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Siddiqui was elected mayor in 2020 by the Cambridge City Council, after serving in the body for 3 years, becoming the first Muslim mayor in Massachusetts history. Listen to Sumbul's journey. I recorded this epi a few weeks ago, before experimenting with video! It will be my last audio only interview, as I am totally sold on video. Sorry for the video free epi! Follow Sumbul on IG Follow Sumbul on Twitter The City of Cambridge, MA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Sarah Khan (@bysarahkhan) is an an award-winning journalist with 18 years of writing and editing experience, most recently as Editor in Chief of Condé Nast Traveller Middle East. Sarah has reported from six continents (almost 7!!) for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, and many others. Earlier in Sarah's career, she worked at Travel + Leisure and Gotham magazines in New York. Listen to Sarah's journey on this week's episode. Check out a portfolio of Sarah's published work at www.bysarahkhan.com Follow Sarah on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Lorraine Ali is an Iraqi-American journalist who serves as a culture writer and a TV critic. She is a juror for the George Foster Peabody Awards. Lorraine works for the LA Times, where she was previously a senior writer and music editor. Her work has appeared in publications such as Rolling Stone, the New York Times, GQ, and Newsweek. Listen to Lorraine and I talk about her career as a real-life influencer, as her job entails critiquing the work made for us to culturally consume. And get a tidbit into an unexpected and shared experience that Lorraine and I had nearly a decade ago. Follow Lorraine on Twitter and check out her work at LA Times. Follow the pod @MuslimsDoingThings on IG and the me @laylool on IG Photo from LA Times --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

@Ramy Youssef's show follows a namesake character that is played by him, but the title is not an eponym — to be clear! Ramy has received global acclaim in the form of endless thought pieces, Twitter threads, a Golden Globe (to Ramy himself!), a Peabody Award, and 3 Emmy noms for the show. And Ramy won't forget to remind you that the accolades are to be spread across the team behind the series. Ramy grew up in New Jersey, and loved to create content with his closest friends. Part way through college, an acting gig got him to Los Angeles. Listen to Ramy's journey, learn about how he got his show on Hulu, and listen to us chat about the evolution of our representation as Muslim millennials. Watch Ramy's show on Hulu today, where Season 3 just dropped. And follow @Ramy on Instagram to keep up. Follow the pod on IG @MuslimsDoingThigns and me, the host, @laylool Podcast image is a shot from the show. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Tareq Azim (@Tareq) is a seven-time World Championship attending coach in combat sports, a former Division I linebacker at Fresno State, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, an author, and a philanthropist. He also created the first Afghan Women's Boxing Federation in 2004. Listen to Tareq and I chat about his non-linear path -- from his beginnings as an Afghan refugee, through his very cool career journey (including his work with Marshawn Lynch), to his recent memoir (and roadmap for life), Empower: Conquering the Disease of Fear. Follow Tareq on Instagram @tareq and find his book on Amazon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Huda Idrees is CEO and founder of Dot Health -- a simple and secure way to access your health records. Huda was in college (but, as you will hear, over a decade into her career) when she started her startup journey at a company that was later purchased for half a billion dollars. Shortly after, she become CPO at a company that has since blown up with over 1000 employees. While CPO, Huda left her position to start her own company: Dot Health. Listen to Huda's journey and find Huda on Twitter or email Huda at huda@hudaidrees.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Ibtihaj Muhammad found out that she had qualified for the 2016 Olympics through a Google alert — not from her team, Team USA. Ibtihaj's story is one of resilience, triumph, and tenacity — despite adversity — to the top. Ibtihaj started fencing in high school and dedicated herself to becoming one of the world's best fencers, culminating in an Olympic medal. She is the first woman in Hijab to represent Team USA at the Olympics. Today, she is an author (read her memoir, Proud, or her children's book The Proudest Blue), a businesswoman (shop Louella for modest fashion), a Barbie (seriously, check this out), and an endless source of inspiration for many. Where to find Ibtihaj Follow her on IG Follow her on FB Check out her website Shop her brand, Louella --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

While Sharaf Mowjood had always known that he was interested in film and media, he couldn't have guessed that he would be producing breaking news for the nation. Sharaf attended film school before studying at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, where his career started with a bang through a front-page story on the New York Times . After landing at NBC news, Sharaf produced for the Huffpost and is now with CBS Evening News. Listen to Sharaf's journey -- and for those interested in journalism, take him up on his very generous offer to extend feedback and advice (spoiler: he shares his email in the epi). Follow Sharaf on Twitter @mowjood Follow Sharaf on IG @smowjood --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Yasmin Elhady (@yasminelhahahady) was a child when her family came to the United States as asylum seekers. Yasmin was raised in Alabama, where she was always funny -- and very visually Muslim as a hijabi. After excelling through undergrad and grad school, Yasmin did her first stand-up comedy act in 2017 -- making her (quite likely) the only attorney for the US Department of Justice and stand-up comic. Or maybe the only Muslim one. Definitely the only hijabi one. Nonetheless -- Yasmin is whip smart and really freaking funny. When Yasmin isn't a Supervisory Attorney at the US Department of Justice, she is on stage as a stand-up comedian. Yasmin just came back from a comedy tour that raised $900k for charity. Where to find Yasmin Yasmin Elhady TikTok Her website Yasmin Elhady YouTube Yasmin Elhady Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Uzma Jalaluddin (@uzmajalaluddin) is the bestselling author of Hana Khan Carries On and Ayesha At Last. During Uzma's day job as an English teacher, Uzma has built a wildly successful (and, unbelievably nascent) career as a novelist. Most recently, Mindy Kaling announced that she would be producing an adaptation of Hana Khan Carries On for Amazon Studios. While the Muslim rom-com is being produced, Uzma is busy working on her third novel. Listen to Uzma's story on today's epi!  Follow Uzma on Twitter @uzmawrites Check out Uzma's website --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Zaki Hasan is a film critic -- and a top critic, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Zaki's interest in writing about film started in high school, and he has invested the last quarter-century in the craft. Zaki currently writes for the San Francisco Chronicle and IGN. He is also a professor and talks about film in his own decade-old podcast, The Moviefilm. Where to find Zaki: Twitter, @zakiscorner And his own website --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Mona Hayder is a rapper...and so much more. She is also a mother, a chaplain, and a poet. When Mona studied English in college, she knew that she was creative and had immersed herself in a community of spoken word poets. Before long, she was performing on stages herself, and her love for poetry and the community that shaped her unlocked a career in music. Mona's debut single, Wrap My Hijab, has 9 million views on YouTube. Billboard named it one of the top 25 feminist anthems of all time. Follow Mona on Instagram @themostmona  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

This episode is super special -- because it is 1 year after the pod launched (47 episodes!!!!)! And it's with my sister in law, Yasamine, who pushed me to start Muslims Doing Things in the first place. Yasi is also a different kind of guest, because she is very early in her professional career. She graduated college less than 6 months ago -- and in quarantine decided to take her creative energy and invest it into social media alongside her coursework. She picked up 70k TikTok followers and works full-time in philanthropy. This episode is an homage to beginnings. A celebration for the 1 year. And a way to learn how to build a platform, if you're interested. Keep up with Yasi on IG Keep up with Yasi on Tiktok --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Maytha Alhassen studied political science and international relations in hopes of living a life in the foreign service — until life took her to academia, and academia took her to Hollywood. Maytha's current work in Hollywood, as a TV and film writer and executive producer, includes work on Hulu's Ramy and her own show, Key Terms, available on 11/11. Listen to Maytha's journey on today's epi. To stream Key Terms, follow Maytha on IG Reach out to Maytha on her website --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

When Amin Aaser graduated from Harvard, he took a mergers and acquisitions role in corporate venture capital, preparing himself for a life in finance. On the side, for 5 years, he worked on a passion project, creating educational content for Muslim kids in the form of books. Fast-forward nearly a decade, and Amin is the full-time Executive Director at Noor Kids, a character building program for over 25,000 (which hosts 66 children's books). Amin works with his wife on the company, they have a staff of nearly 17 people. Subscribe to Noor Kids Follow Noor Kids on Instagram Follow Noor Kids on FB Subscribe to the Noor Kids parenting podcast: Muslim Superdad and Wondermom --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

When a young Fatmah Muhammad's Palestinian family was nearly driven out of town in Missouri, she learned a valuable lesson that would shape her future career: empathy and persistence win. Fatmah's parents of 6 slowly won their neighbors over with hospitality and food. Life took Fatmah's to Southern California at 17, where she married the nominated Knafeh King and had a family. Over a decade later, Fatmah and her eldest daughter Rheyanah co-founded the business, that within 3 years has grown a social media following of over 35,000 and has caught the attention of celebs from the Hadids to DJ Khaled (and his mom) to Dua Lipa. Listen to Fatmah's story today, and while you are at it - get yourself some Knafeh here. Follow Knafeh Queens on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

When Shahd Batal's (@shahdbatal) mom got her a laptop after high school, she imagined it would be the tool to help Shahd get through her PR degree. Shahd used it to make YouTube videos in her spare time, like many of the YouTubers that she grew up to and appreciated. Fast-forward a signed career as a content creator, influencer, model, and so much more, Shahd landed on the receiving side of the PR equation. Listen to Shahd's journey on today's epi. Follow Shahd on IG Follow Shahd on Twitter Subscribe to Shahd's YouTube --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

When Ndaa Hassan realized that there weren't enough English resources to teach her kids about Ramadan in 2018, she took initiative and published her own childrens' book. 3 years later, Ramadan Around the World is a best-selling childrens' book. Ndaa has since published two more books and built a company, My Arabi Box, around Arabic curriculum (with incredible products, btw) for children. Ndaa's background in marketing and passion for Arabic language development has fast-tracked her ability to be part of a generation of authors creating content for young Muslim children. (Also, teaser, Ndaa is very open about how to self-publish -- and will share some tips in the epi). Follow Ndaa on Instagram Check out Ndaa's website to get a glimpse of her publishing house Follow Ramadan Around the World on Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

When Amany Killawi studied social work, she had an image for her future in macro impact. Her life took an unexpected turn when she met her co-founders and started what would be come the largest Muslim crowdfunding platform on the platform. The company bootstrapped the company to where they are today, with $250 million raised, and Amany serves as the COO for 100 people working towards the vision of $1 billion raised on their platform. Listen to Amany's journey as a the founder of a growth stage company, from the ups of serving the community to the downs of surviving without a salary. Follow Amany on Instagram Follow Launchgood on Instagram Follow Amany on Facebook Or reach out to Amany via email @ amany@launchgood.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Salma Hindy is a first-generation Egyptian-Canadian comedian. Though Salmna studied biomedical engineering (read as: her day job), Salma has had a fast rise to fame as a Muslim comedian. She touches topics in jest that many of us know too well — from the cultural taboos of dating to her relationship with hijab. Follow Salma at: Instagram TikTok YouTube Facebook --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Dr. Melina Abdullah (@docmellymel) is a professor and the former chair of the Department of Pan-African Studies at Cal State University, Los Angeles. She is an activist, an organizer, a scholar, and a mother. And Dr. Melina co-founded BLM Los Angeles the night that George Zimmerman was acquitted of the charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter after the murder of Treyvon Martin. Dr. Melina is a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. She is the author of numerous scholarly articles and book chapters, with subjects ranging from political coalition building to womanist mothering. Check out Black Lives Matter Sign up for the BLM LA newsletter, which provides regular calls to action Follow Dr. Melina on IG Follow Dr. Melina on Twitter Follow BLM LA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Deena Shakir always optimized her career for impact — though she could have never imagined that it would land her in venture capital. After a brief career in journalism, Deena served as a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. State Department under Secretary Clinton. Listen to Deena's unconventional (though very logical) journey from D.C., to Google.org, to a partner at LUX Capital where she invests in health tech startups today. Follow Deena on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Omar Sayyed was born in Afghanistan moving to America as a refugee. Growing up, Omar watched his father build a new career in the States while learning a new language and skills. By his young adulthood, Omar had built and exited two companies. Omar was approached by his co-founders at Ties.com to build the company from the ground up with his team. Omar and his team bootstrapped the company to where it is now, where Omar currently serves as the CEO. Follow Omar on TikTok Follow Omar on Instagram Follow Ties.com on Instagram Follow Ties.com on TikTok --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

@imdoctornahla always knew that she wanted to practice medicine, but the path that would get her to mental heath advocacy was not one that she would wish on anyone. After experiencing a traumatic relationship, Nahla spoke out about the experiences that she endured in order to help other women navigate their way through abuse. Nahla's fearless approach on taboo subjects landed her instant internet visibility — and you can catch her on TikTok and Instagram educating others as she completes her residency training in psychiatry. Follow Nahla on Instagram Follow Nahla on TikTok --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Kashif Shaikh was an English major when he got into philanthropy on a whim, per the advice of his college counselor. When tides were shifting and the first Muslim Congressperson was elected to office in the United States, Kashif started ideating his own philanthropic fund that could serve the Muslim community. From there, alongside his co-founder and team, Pillars Fund was birthed. Pillars Fund amplifies the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the United States to advance opportunity and justice for all. They have distributed $6m in grants, and recently made waves with their work on elevating Muslim voices and representation in Hollywood alongside Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed. Pillar Artist Fellowship applications are open! Follow Pillars Fund on Twitter Follow Pillars Fund on Instagram Follow Kashif on Twitter Follow Kashif on Instagram Follow me, your host @laylool, on IG --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Shahzad Younas is the founder and CEO of muzmatch, the world's largest faith-based dating app for single Muslims. In 2011, muzmatch was a website that Shahzad hacked together. As generic matchmaking apps took off, the Muslim community found itself with seemingly few options online. Shahzad built a solution to that problem through muzmatch, and left a promising career in finance to dedicate his life to matchmaking online. Listen to Shahzad's journey through proving out the concept, guerilla marketing at masjids, and building out a community that boasts 5 million active users a day. And, not to mention, 300 marriages a day. Follow muzmatch on Instagram Follow muzmatch on Twitter Sign up for muzmatch --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

In 2018, the International Olympic Committee recognized Dr. Seun Adigun as the first African to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. What isn't immediately clear in the recognition is the Dr. Seun founded the Nigerian bobsled team, making her team Nigeria's first-ever Winter Olympians. Nor does it represent that she learned the bobsled after an Olympic-level career in track and field. Today, Dr. Seun works professionally as a chiropractor and biomechanist with the mission of revolutionizing sports medicine. And her academic accomplishments are as impressive and rigorous as her athletic accolades. Listen to my chat with Dr. Seun on today's episode! Follow Dr. Seun on Instagram Follow the Bobsled & Skeleton Sports Federation of Nigeria on Instagram And keep up with me, your host @laylool, on IG. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Growing up in Egypt, Dr. Rana el Kaliouby (@ranaelkaliouby) envisioned a life in academia. What the future would hold for Rana was on the cutting edge of research and innovation, though not quite academia. Rana moved from Egypt to the UK for her PhD, where she had the opportunity to connect with her academic idol Roz Picard who ran research at the MIT Media Lab. Rana co-founded (the recently acquired) Affectiva with Roz as a Media Lab spinout in 2009, and is now deputy CEO at Smart Eye. At Affectiva, Rana built a team and company that developed software that can detect and understand human emotion. Listen to Rana's amazing journey through the making of a company -- and as a single mom, no less. Read Rana's memoir, Girl Decoded Plugs: Add Rana on LinkedIn Follow her on IG Follow her on Twitter And follow me, your host, @layool on IG --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Lena Khan went to UCLA with an interest in film — but no intention to pursue it as a career. Fast forward to today and her IMDB profile credits her for a Disney+ film, Flora and Ulysses, and her own full-length film, The Tiger Hunter. Lena has become a pillar within the intimate Muslim-American circle in Hollywood, and most recently co-signed Riz Ahmed's campaign to get more Muslims in film.  Listen to Lena's journey on today's epi, and how she has navigated her successful career as a director. Keep up with Lena: Follow Lena on IG Follow Lena on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message

Rana Abdelhamid is a community organizer and non-profit leader born and raised in Queens, New York. Rana attended New York City public schools and grew up in a working-class community. She is the Founder and Executive Director of a gender justice nonprofit and formerly one of the youngest elected board members of Amnesty International USA. After living in the thick of the COVID-19 crisis in NYC, Rana decided to put a campaign together and was endorsed by Justice Democrats. Listen to Rana's journey as she builds a campaign with the goal of becoming the Congresswoman of New York's 12th district. Donate to Rana's campaign Check out Rana's Website Instagram TikTok Facebook Follow me, the host, on Instagram @laylool --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/laylool/message