Tea With ALSA podcast

This episode we are joined by fashion stylist and entrepreneur, Albana Janjeva. From working with football stars to creating a swimwear brand focused on body positivity, Albana shares how she started and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Arlinda is the co-founder of Kaia Mar, a sustainable fashion brand based in the UK. Alongside her co-founder Laura, the company sources cactus leather from a supplier in Mexico and aims to be as ethical as possible throughout their entire supply chain. In this episode, we discuss how Kaia Mar got started, working with international fashion designers, and how the company plans to create significant change within the fashion industry, as well as balancing a full-time job in finance and tackling your own doubts as a young entrepreneur. To see more of Kaia Mar, please visit their website at https://www.kaiamar.co.uk/ And also check out their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/bykaiamar/ For more about ALSA, please visit: https://www.alsauk.co.uk/

Smeraldo is the founder of Blinkoo. This new platform allows users to find, live and share unique travel experiences, everywhere in the world, with trust. A community of professional travel vloggers, content creators and travel passionate who wander the world inspiring other people's journeys. They are a fast growing, young and innovative start up, that strongly believes in the power of multicultural exchange and inclusion. In this episode, you will discover how the world of social media and cryptocurrency overlap, among other elements about what it takes to build a successful start-up. For more, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smeraldo-meminaj/ https://www.blinkoo.com/ Also available on Google Play and App Store. For more about ALSA, please visit: https://www.alsauk.co.uk/

Jonada Shukrasi is the co-founder of the app GjejZa, created to assist in the fight against gender based violence. The app provides victims with avenues of support and various features such as myth busting exercises. This episode we discuss the rewards and challenges of developing an app to address a societal issue. We also explore the overwhelming, but exciting experience of being given a platform to voice your views as a young person. You can find out more about GjejZa here: https://www.instagram.com/gjejza/?hl=en Download the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=testauth.com.dea.technovationapp Be sure to also check out ALSA's website at Alsauk | Albanian Student Association for more information and resources!

Veton Derguti is the founder of VR Livin, an interior design company based out of London that uses Virtual Reality to turn clients dream designs into reality. Although fresh and new to the scene, Veton takes us through the process of how the idea came about and how he has stayed the course whilst also working a 9-5. He also delves into the future of Interior Design and Real Estate and what that could mean for buyers and sellers. You can find out more about VR Livin at About | VR Livin Be sure to also check out ALSA's website at Alsauk | Albanian Student Association for more information and resources!

Granit Doshlaku is the co-founder of Manaferra, an SEO agency based out of Kosovo. Manaferra have made a name for themselves internationally across the US and EU by helping brands get more business through the optimisation of search algorithms. They have won several awards including the ‘Global 2021 Search Awards' and have also been a finalist of the ‘European 2021 Search Awards'. Granit takes us through how and why he started this company, but also provides useful advice to young aspiring entrepreneurs about finding a great co-founder, mistakes to avoid, scaling internationally and the discipline needed to succeed. You can find out more about Manaferra at https://www.manaferra.com/ Be sure to also check out ALSA's website at https://www.alsauk.co.uk/ for more information and resources!

Dea Manaj is a successful Albanian social media influencer and business owner. Having over 460,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, and recently starting her own clothing brand called Manaj Design, we have a look at Dea's journey in navigating the social media world. In this episode, we talk about how she started with YouTube, working with brands and artists, streamlining and separating her various brands, freelancing, copyrighting, mental health and much more! You can find Dea at the following: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThereYouAre Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dea.manaj/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dea.ma And also check out Manaj Design on the following pages! Website: https://www.manajdesign.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manajdesign/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manajdesign

Samedina is a self-taught artist based in the UK, recently graduating in Architecture. Samedina has always been passionate about art but only got into it by early 2017. Since then, she has been experimenting with a variety of mediums and teaching herself new techniques to improve her craft. Samedina has been freelancing with her art since May 2019, with her work mostly consisting of oil and Acrylic paint. In this interview for ALSA, she shares her journey as an artist, and how she is merging the world of art with that of business. For more, please visit: samedinaart.com

Starting up an Albanian-owned fashion brand - with Ëmbël Design | Tea With ALSA #2 Nora and Albina are two sisters, on a mission to create their own Albanian-inspired and owned fashion and clothing brand. Nora is a graduate from the London College of Fashion who had a vision to build a brand based on her Albanian identity. Together with her sister Albina, they share their creative journey with us in this hour-long podcast. In this episode, we talk about the challenges and rewards of setting up your own brand, the Albanian language, Ëmbël's favourite Albanian words, university, privacy and brand protection, the importance of having a support system, and more! Stick around until the end where you will be able to find ALSA's special discount code for ALL Ëmbël Design products! You can find Ëmbël Design at the following: Website: https://www.embeldesign.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embel.design/

Rinora is a Contact Strategy Analyst at The Financial Times (FT), one of the world's leading news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. In her free time, she is continuously involved with a UK Start-Up (Caura), and Switzerland-based Start-ups (One-Versus-One, My Premium Europe & My Premium Switzerland). She holds a BA in Computer Science & Economics, as well as a Masters Degree in Information Systems in Economy from the University of Tirana, Albania. Rinora moved to the UK 2 years ago, successfully completing her studies at City, the University of London in MSc Information Science. In this episode, Rinora reveals simple tips from her personal experience on balancing studies and work in the UK as an international student. If you believe that Rinora's mentorship can be valuable, please visit: alsauk.co.uk/mentorship.