Women Power Podcast with Wafa Alobaidat

Basma Tawakol is an entrepreneur and Founder of Dayra with over 12 years of experience working with tech startups and community service organizations. Dayra is a platform promoting ethical and sustainable fashion retailing. The startup was recognized in several mega-events in sustainability and entrepreneurship, got incubated several times, and won multiple grants. Basma was also the co-founder of Ezbet Project, a collaborative project between the University of Stuttgart in Germany and Ain Shams University.Basma Tawakol's startup was recognized in several mega-events in sustainability and entrepreneurship, got incubated several times, and won multiple grants. Starting her professional career in a fast-growing technology startup ‘'Cloudypedia Google premier partner'', a young dynamic working environment enabled her to hold managerial positions at a young age and work on diverse projects between Cairo and Dubai, her most rewarding and most recent role was holding the position of Deputy General Manager at '' Mahrati.com '' .She has participated in several programs and events related to youth empowerment as a mentor and lecturer to talk about entrepreneurship. Basma also volunteers in an NGO called ''Bena2'' serving underprivileged villages in Upper Egypt by providing acceleration and incubation programs.

Dr. Maliha Hashmi served as the Executive Director and Co-Head of the Health, Wellbeing and Biotech Sector at NEOM, where she also served as the Executive Director for all Strategic Partnerships. She also served as the Deputy Chair of the NEOM Covid-19 Leadership Taskforce.Maliha Hashmi, is also an esteemed delegate of the V20, where V20 is a global platform of value experts and practitioners that has come together on the sidelines of the G20 presidency to actively engage with the process of the Group of Twenty (G20).She is also a regular contributor for Forbes. Recently, Dr. Maliha Hashmi, was selected and recognized as one of the Top Seven Most Talented Emerging Female Health Leaders of the MENA region. Dr. Maliha Hashmi has held Senior Executive roles in various sectors and globally renowned organizations and is a well-known name in the region for health & wellbeing. Dr. Maliha Hashmi is listed as one of the top 20 women in the Nation in the United States of America for her achievements making it into the Who's Who in America List.

In this episode, Munira Almuammar dives deep into her career trajectory and fanning her entrepreneurial spirit which led her to creating Barakah with her co-founders. From working at BUPA to her creative role at MDLBEAST, she gives us an insight into her life and what it's like working as a Product Manager in MDLBEAST records, as well as managing Barakah as the CMO. She talks about her passion for discipline, her drive to do better, juggling multiple roles and helping create a more sustainable environment through her impactful mission with Barakah.Munira Almuammar is a Multi-versed professional and entrepreneur with a strong experience in operations, product management & digital transformation. Working in multiple industries from health insurance to entertainment and leading on strategic projects across the board. With a strong passion for innovation, sustainability, and food; Munira co-founded the first surplus marketplace platform in KSA-Barakah. Listen to her episode, out now!

In this episode, Danielle shares poignant stories of her life and her turning point with her career and personal life. She talks about her passion for photography, fashion and being a creative individual all on all with the hunger to make it big. She featured in the new 2022 Netflix docuseries called, The Most Hated Man on the Internet, where she tells her own horrific story of non-consensual intimate image abuse online. Green aims to use her platform as a way to provide truth in storytelling and hope to a world in need of strong, female voices creating change. Her goal is to cultivate a  community of changemakers by sharing victor's testimonies and provide resources for victims so they can begin their victor Journey.Danielle Green is an award-winning creator in the fashion, beauty, lifestyle and wedding industries. She is a branding consultant with a niche in art direction under her own agency and master photographer and owner of L A Y E R S, an adventure photography company based in the United States. You can see her work in numerous publications including Southern Living, Martha Stewart, British Vogue and Brides magazines to name a few. Listen to her inspiring story!

In this episode, Tatiana Rahal dives deep into her career trajectories and shares how she climbed the success ladder to become Talabat UAE's first female managing director. She talks about being driven to be a good team leader while providing more value to partners and clients. She also stresses on the importance of having a strong internal and external support which is vital in helping you achieve your goals and make the impossible possible.Tatiana Rahal is the first female Managing Director of talabat UAE, the region's leading online food delivery and q-commerce platform. She started her career in New York City working on data analytics for global brands as Mazda, Visa, and Bristol Myers Squibb.After four years, Tatiana joined a top tier management consulting firm in the MENA region where she got the opportunity to work on a diverse set of projects in Berlin, Dubai and Qatar. However, wanting to follow her passion for food and technology, Tatiana decided to join talabat UAE in 2017 as Corporate Performance Manager before moving to Oman as Managing Director in 2019. Listen to her episode, out now!

In this episode, Yolanda Lee shares how Uncommon was originally conceived as an invite-only dinner series in response to a desire for conversation and connection with other women in leadership, many of whom worked in male-dominated environments. As each event grew and continued to resonate with these women, Yolanda took the leap to leave her leading role in a high growth startup to make leadership less lonely for female leaders and see more women owning and making decisions. She talks about her ultimate goal - to help women in leadership achieve success not just in their careers, but give them the confidence to build their dream life and continue to propel every generation after.Yolanda Lee founded Uncommon in April 2021 as a private leadership network for the next generation of female leaders in Singapore. Having lived in 10 countries, she saw there was more that connects than divides and wanted to see what change she could help make for women beyond her role in the corporate world. Yolanda's passion for technology and personal experience as a woman in senior leadership led her to spend the past two years building a comprehensive product that will empower and uplift women leaders through a blend of coaching, peer support and community programming. Uncommon also builds their own technology that will utilize machine learning to hyper-personalize the leadership development experience for each member. Listen to her episode, out now!

Sawsan Chammas Haber, has made her mark in the interior design world since 1996, first as the main designer at one of the prestigious firms in Beirut, then within Dubai based Dipiugi interior design Studio, by handling highly luxurious projects that she has designed and executed in the UAE.In this episode, she talks about her road to success and life as an entrepreneur and how she established her own furniture brand specialized in kids interiors, K-Kids. This eventually led her to securing two furniture franchises to the UAE: the Italian Giovanni Sforza and Estetik Decor, a Turkish brand.Sawsan Chammas Haber is an Entrepreneur and interior designer who has made a name for herself in the interior architecture space through an aesthetic style where she perfectly draws the contours of elegance in both sleek contemporary and classical luxury. Sawsan has been featured in many magazines since her early beginnings like Emirates home, OK Middle East, Lamasat and many others. But it was in 2009 that she started her TV appearances as a weekly guest on MBC morning show for more than two years discussing various subjects related to her field that made her a known public figure.She organized many workshops and videos in collaboration with some international brands such as Ferrero Rocher Middle East and Swarovski, Dubai speaking about different design-related subjects giving home styling tips. Tune into her episode to know all about her story!

In this episode, Anisa Ismail explores scaling a social impact startup and persevering through all the ups and downs in her journey. She takes us through her life story that was filled with figuring out a way to be able to be a catalyst for change for the people around her and then finding her way to becoming an entrepreneur. She shares how she brought her most loved venture The Unplugged Initiative to life then pivoting to KidsUnplugged and eventually scaling it to Playcation. Anisa Ismail is an entrepreneur and Founder of The Unplugged Initiative. Being passionate about teaching, she moved abroad to pursue her dream career. She worked in a variety of Education establishments for 6 years which led her to creating KidzUnplugged - a social impact startup focusing on creating spaces for children to disconnect from devices and connect with each other. Two years later she expanded the business and created The Unplugged Initiative - the world's first ever community center focused on digital wellness for young children, teens and young adults. She is also the Author of a digital detox parenting book titled 'How Electronics Stole Childhood. She is also an award nominated Entrepreneur, and has been featured in several National publications for her work in the UAE community. Listen to her episode now!

Listen to this invigorating episode with beauty and wellness entrepreneur Miriam Abadi as she takes us on her inspiring journey of finding her path and owning it in the competitive beauty industry. From leveling up in a corporate space to eventually finding her true calling as an entrepreneur, Miriam shares it all. She talks about the importance of curating authentic content as a social media personality and also stresses on being in touch with your most genuine self in order to achieve that.Miriam Abadi is an entrepreneur, influencer and editor. She is the Founder of Middle East's first ever dedicated beauty and wellness platform Tru and Beyond. Miriam is on a mission to strip away boundaries, stereotypes and filters to unveil an exclusive new definition of beauty and wellness. With a massive following on Instagram, Miriam uses her influence to share authentic, real-life content that resonates with her audience. Known to speak openly about her pursuit of mental, physical and spiritual wellness, Miriam uses her social media channels to promote a mindset that places community and well being above all else. Listen to her episode, out now!

In this episode, Fatima Al Banawi talks about donning multiple hats as a creative visionary. From an actress to director and a profound storyteller, she has done it all. She dives deep into the challenges it required to make a mark for herself as a woman from the MENA region segwaying into a space like arts and entertainment. Fatima Al Banawi is an internationally acclaimed actress and storyteller whose starring role in the feature Barakah Meets Barakah, was foundational for Saudi cinema. She was selected by Time Magazine as part of its Young Generation Leaders List (2018) for her storytelling ventures that highlight the intimate tales of life in Saudi through her project The Other Story. Fatima was also selected as a jury member at the Feature Film Competition within the 11 edition of the Malmo Arab Film Festival. In addition to that, she has officially become the brand ambassador for the French luxury manufacturer Cartier International SNC.Listen to her inspiring episode, out now!

In this episode, Maha Gorton discusses her profession as an entrepreneur and brand consultant.  As a working mother, she shares how she has structured her life to be her own boss and created her own path to achieve a work - life balance. She talks about how Little Farasha was founded, an accessories brand which was born out of her own needs as a mother and all the things she desired for her children. Juggling between multiple roles, Maha aims to utilise her platform in a purposeful way by highlighting the importance of sustainability and raising awareness about women's rights and wellness.Maha Gorton is a luxury brand consultant, content creator, designer and mother of 3. After studying Business Management at Manchester Business School, Maha merged her passion for creativity with her business background, in 2012 she launched the online kids wear and accessories brand Little Farasha. Maha's love of fashion and style led her to working with numerous international fashion houses and luxury brands as a content creator and ambassador, and most recently, she has expanded the scope of her work to include holistic consulting for luxury brands internationally. Maha's personal journey allows her to use her platform to raise awareness for causes close to her heart such as sustainability, women's rights, health and wellbeing. Listen to her episode, out now!

In this episode, Karen Osman shares how her passion for thrilling storytelling led her to publishing an array of bestselling crime thrillers. From her journey in writing to what it took to become a successful author, she dives deep into it all. She talks about all the diverse experiences she had from travelling extensively, teaching and working in sales & marketing space, which led her to recognize her passion for writing and publishing her novels. She is on a path to help other authors develop their writing skills by inspiring them through her own creative writing process. Karen Osman is a best-selling novelist and writing coach. She won an award at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature for her first crime-thriller novel, The Good Mother. Since then, The Good Mother and her second novel, The Home were both number one bestsellers.​ Karen launched her signature online writing course, Kick Start Your Book with Karen, designed for budding authors to help write their books. The course also offers a six-month one-to-one coaching programme. She also has a book club by the name Karen's Book Club, a free online book club where she shares reading recommendations, giveaways, and a behind-the-scenes look into her author life.

In this episode, we unravel Mona Khashoggi's passion for showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Arab world through the medium of live theater. She shares how multicultural background and upbringing has influenced her to create and produce shows with traditional musicals and costumes. She talks about how she wanted to do more that would help the young people in the west understand and love the middle eastern culture that she was promoting for more than 20 years. Believing in what she wanted and getting inspired by the great singer of the Arab world Umm Ul Kulthum helped recognize her true calling and led her to write and produce her own international play based on the life story of Umm Ul Kulthum. Mona Khashoggi is a theater and film producer, playwright and prominent patron of the Arts. She specializes in reviving cultural stories from the Middle East and bringing them to international audiences. Mona's passion has always been to promote the art, culture and music of the Middle East. Mona produced and wrote the play Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era. She is also working on new ballet and musical productions supporting young Saudi talent as well as working on short films and documentaries. Mona won the best script of short play at Ithra, and just wrote her first novel: Jaffa Orange Groves.

In this episode with Aya Ahmad, we dive into her entrepreneurial journey as a third generation diamantaire. She shares the inspiring story behind creating Fyne from scratch and everything that goes behind the scenes of designing sustainable and timeless pieces by utilizing lab grown diamonds. From being a solo Founder to investing in her brand and scaling it, she shares her creative process of crafting exquisite jewellery pieces with an aim of empowering women through her elegant and eye-catching collections. Moreover Aya sheds light on the importance of ethics and sustainability that are the hallmarks of her brand Fyne. Aya Ahmad is a third-generation diamantaire, Founder and Creative Director of Fyne Jewellery. She is on a mission to revolutionise the diamond industry through her empowered jewellery brand, Fyne. After starting out as one of the few women in the rough diamond trade, she saw a space for sustainable, ethical, and accessible jewellery. This saw her launch Fyne Jewellery: the first lab-grown diamond jewellery brand in the UAE. The brand prides itself on crafting sustainable, accessible and timeless pieces that can be passed down for generations.

This episode provides a glimpse into the life of a multicultural entrepreneur whose journey is fueled with her passion for beauty and glamour. Haifa Addas, Founder and CEO of Instaglam shares her unique story from a multicultural background to working as a marketer for luxury brands, a journey that inspired the inception of Instaglam. She talks about how she envisioned Instaglam as a platform that would empower and build a community of beauty professionals truly changing the way people utilize beauty services. She believes in the power of learning from failures and advises to never give up.   Haifa Addas is the CEO and Founder of Instaglam, an online platform that brings beauty experts together under one roof, and closer to anyone's reach. She sowed the seeds of a unique business idea through her passion and great sense of appreciation for beauty and glamour. INSTAGLAM envisions revolutionizing and simplifying the way we use beauty services. Previously, she also worked as a marketer for luxury brands like L'Oreal, Lancôme, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani and also styled a number of celebrities for leading Pan Arab magazines. She is on a mission to give artists the opportunity to reach their potentials in every way possible through Instaglam.The LeaveBetter PodcastWisdom-focused conversations that help you reach your next level.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

In this episode with Sara Chemma, we dive into her entrepreneurial journey as the Founder of Citron, a brand cultivated to fulfill the needs of mothers and their children. As a mompreneur she recognized the region's need for sustainable and innovative leakproof lunch boxes that led her to switching her career path from co-heading MBC ventures to sowing the seeds for Citron. She talks about the expansion of Citron over the years and her personal  funding strategy. Sara Chemmaa is the CEO and Founder of Citron, a Dubai based brand that creates and supplies innovative mealtime products to families. Inspired by her own children's needs, Sara founded Citron in 2017 after she identified a clear need in the market for stylish and leakproof lunch boxes. Previously Sara co-headed MBC Ventures and was a senior team member of MBC Group Strategy & investment team in Dubai. She also worked as a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company and was an investment banker with Societe Generale.The LeaveBetter PodcastWisdom-focused conversations that help you reach your next level.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

This episode with Dalal Alrayes gives you an elaborate insight into the world of fintech and scaling a fintech startup! Dalal shares her experience working in corporate and how her transition into entrepreneurship was nothing short of challenging. The idea of pursuing something different which could bring change in the region led her to sow the seeds for Spare, a financial platform which helped change the financial mindset of people. She discusses having a huge diverse team at Spare and how the app Spare offers unique solutions and enables its customers to track their spendings which in result could bring financial awareness. Moreover she shares her thoughts on the growth of fintech in the region.Dalal Alrayes is the co-founder and CEO of Spare. Spare is a personal finance application, designed to improve your spending habits and help you grow your savings as well as pay bills and transfer funds. Dalal has always been a serial entrepreneur and prior to founding Spare, she worked as an investment manager at Global Investment House's private equity team, where she helped a variety of companies across the Middle East increase their value by turning around their operations, restructuring management, and redefining their product offering. Before that, Dalal worked in hedge fund investing. Listen to her episode, out now!Socialette: Online Business PodcastA bite-sized podcast to help you build the online business of your dreams.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Imperfect Marketing- Tips for getting it DONE, not perfectHear from Kendra and guests about their marketing success and lessons learned.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Small Business PRGet your small business seen and valued without ads, agencies, or connections necessary.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

In this inspiring episode with Loulwa Bakr, we get all the scoop behind her successful career in corporate finance, investment banking and VC. Loulwa aims to be a role model for all the young women emerging out of the MENA region with big dreams to make a name for themselves in an industry that is heavily male dominated. She shares how she pivoted and trusted her gut to answer her true calling and lead a notable journey in finance and onwards to becoming a partner at Chrome Advisory.Loulwa Bakr led a notable career in corporate finance and investment banking spanning 15 years, culminating with heading the investment banking division of Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia. As an industry pioneer, she participated in various CMA committees that reviewed regulations at the inception of the CMA, and led some of the landmark transactions in Saudi capital markets. In addition to being recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, she is currently an independent member of the board of directors of Reyl Finance (MEA), an independent member of the board of directors and investment committee of Jahez (Saudi Arabia) and a member of the advisory board of Columbia University's Global Centers (Amman).No Need to Explain with the Mental Health MamasParenting is hard. When you have a child who doesn't fit neatly into a box, it can be...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Becoming You AgainBecoming You Again is for women going through divorce who need guidance and support. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Socialette: Online Business PodcastA bite-sized podcast to help you build the online business of your dreams.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

In this episode, Audrey Nakad shares her passion for education space and early experiences of tutoring. She mentions how that phase made her realize she wanted to do more and make a difference in society by reshaping the education system. The need to transmit knowledge and support the development of students and help them reach their full potential led her to start an online tutoring platform Ostaz. She talks about its inception and its purpose of connecting students with tutors in the region. She has a great vision and perseverance to bring change in the future of learning and teaching through Ostaz that will eventually create opportunities for youth. Audrey Nakad is the co-founder and CEO of Ostaz. The #1 online private tutoring platform in the MENA that provides you with the right teacher to help you achieve your learning needs.  In 2019, she was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30. She sold her 1st startup, a painting business in Montreal while she was 18.She was also a part of a rotational leadership program in one of the leading insurance companies in North America “Sun Life Financial” where she developed her leadership and strategy skills.

This episode with Fajer Al Hashel focuses on mental strength and equality among people regardless of their abilities. Fajer discusses her career shift and  experience from working in the banking industry to becoming a special education teacher. She advises parents to pay attention to the psychological aspect of children requiring specific necessities. She is on a mission to assist parents in raising and understanding children the right way. Fajer is the founder of the Fajer Al Hashel education institute for educational services and consultations and she's also a speaker at the Women Power Summit. She has been featured in a number of publications as well as news channels. Fajer works with organizations like Shamsaha and disability awareness to recognize her contributions as a special education teacher. She is the author of children's books and has 12 years of experience with designing educational programs for children. Listen to her episode now!

This episode with Mayyan Jaffar is an ode to women who strive to channel their creativity in the work they do and scale their business to unimaginable heights. Mayyan shares her journey with Asia Jewellers as the Director and recalls all of the early experiences which enabled her to learn about the art and craft of creating exquisite jewellery and timeless pieces that she knew would define an ambitious and classy woman. She talks about having a strong intuition and emphasizing the need to bring out an emotive reaction from her clients as the pieces she creates not only look good but feel good as well. She discusses the importance of sustainability and how it can have a significant impact on our environment. She advises women to find the courage to venture out of their comfort zones, which eventually will lead them to seize new opportunities and find success in their careers.Mayyan Jaffar is the executive director of Bahrain's leading luxury jewellery brand Asia Jewellers and founder of MJ by Mayyan Jaffar. Mayyan takes design inspiration from her love of nature, fashion and culture. Mayyan's trendy yet bold collections are inspired by life's simple beauty and designed for individuals who desire something unique and complete their lifestyle, empowering women to own and express their identities through vibrant creations. Mayyan embodies uniqueness through her work and seeks wearability for any woman who has one of her pieces on. A tribute to femininity, her collections break the norms of fashion thus creating statement jewellery that reflect an individual's personality.

 In this episode with Budreya Faisal, she talks about her passion for sports and finding her true calling in leading as a brand development expert and sports marketer. She discusses the idea that initially sowed the seeds for Ghost Concept and led to its inception. From creating an identity for herself in a male dominated industry to leading it with conviction, Budreya strives to change the gender dynamics in sports and help other women achieve their true calling! Budreya Faisal is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ghost Concept. Established in 2017, it is a new media company that aims to increase brand relevance in Sports & Football. She is also the founder of fashion label Bleach. In 2012, Budreya's vision for BLEACH came to life. And unintentionally though true to her minimalistic design and preferred aesthetic.                 Budreya worked at the Dubai Sports Council as the Head of Sports Tourism, and was the former Marketing Director at the UAE Pro League working on the Arabian Gulf League and oversaw marketing developments and regulations in 14 professional clubs.  She also worked in top league clubs and Dubai's Shabab Al Ahli, as Commercial Director. Budreya is an International Woolmark Prize nominee, one of 50 UAE nationals featured in the book “Those Who Inspire” and one of 25 Emirati women featured in the book “Emirati Women Achievers”.

In this episode, we deep dive into Reem Kanj's journey filled with discovering her innermost potential and achieving high self worth. She discusses her experience of becoming a blogger that led to launching her own talent management company Ego & East. We learn all there is to know about the ups and down of running a business, doing right by your talents and valuing the smallest of details in every aspect. Reem talks about her value for minimalism and leading a minimalist lifestyle and shares her personal experiences that defined the focal points of her life. Listen to her episode now!Reem Kanj is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ego & East, a talent management company founded in 2016 representing some of the most exciting names on YouTube and Instagram in the MENA region, Europe and the US. Reem previously worked as a blogger for eight years which gave her ample insight into fashion and business. She is also known as an environmental influencer sharing environment friendly causes and tips on maintaining a sustainable and plant based lifestyle. Reem's blog, Five Five Fabulous has been nominated for numerous awards including a Grazia Style Award and Cosmopolitan Blog Award. Her work has been featured in publications such as Elle Arabia, Harper's Bazaar Arabia, Grazia UK, Grazia Middle East, Emirates Woman and The Guardian UK.

In this episode, Wafa, Shreya and Ismahan share their journey of founding Playbook, the most incredible and resourceful Edtech Startup on the block that's been creating a storm! We get the details on how they began this journey with an aim of redefining career progression for women by showing them the endless possibilities that lie ahead of them and the countless ways that they can go further in their career. Moreover they discuss splitting roles and how they envision this to be a platform that can give women access to new opportunities and make a positive impact on their lives and lead change. Shreya Rammohan is the Co Founder and CMO of Playbook, an Edtech Startup where she presently handles marketing and product development. She has over 8 years of professional marketing consulting, research & implementation experience across 10 industrial sectors & in 4 regional markets. From 2018 to 2022, she was the Media Leader for the largest women empowerment network in MENA, Women Power Network, having secured $3million+ in advertising equivalence across notable published media and digital platforms. She has also led the winning startup (Women Who Read) of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) by the U.S. State Department and Bahrain FinTech Bay “Build for Bahrain” programme.  Ismahan Al Saad is the Co Founder and COO of Playbook where she presently leads operations, finance and investment. With over 20 years of experience in Finance and Investments, Ismahan is the former General Manager of AlSaad Power Projects. She has also been in charge of Business Development, diversifying the company's activities and operational specialities towards increasing income sources. Prior to her career at the Family Business, Ismahan's professional expertise lay in Banking and Finance, where her experience spans 12 years in BNP Paribas.

In this episode, Mixed-media interdisciplinary artist and Kuwait's NFT queen Shurooq Amin, shares her transitional journey from being a lecturer at Kuwait University to becoming an NFT artist. She mentions how facing criticism and backlash on her art from the community led her to enter into NFT space and having gone through tough challenges and sacrifices during the time enabled her to turn her art into NFTs as a way of expressing herself without fear of oppression and censorship, in addition to this she talks about the NFT space and how people can create NFTs to get into this platform as an artist.Shurooq Amin is a renowned artist and poet who strives to instigate positive change in society. She is the first Kuwaiti woman to be interviewed by BBC's Stephen Sackur on HARD Talk, She has had 15 solo exhibitions, more than 45 group exhibitions, her paintings have been sold at auctions, commissioned privately and publicly, awarded prizes locally and internationally. She was awarded the title Artist of the Year by the Arab Woman Awards. She is the first Kuwaiti female artist to be auctioned at Christie's auction house. Shurooq Amin was listed as one of the top 50 GCC Women Leaders and has been the recipient of the Extraordinary Women In Leadership award by World Congress Brand. She has turned to the world of NFTs as a platform for freedom of expression, using NFT art as a utility for freedom, getting her message across universally without fear of oppression or censorship.

In this episode with Kokila Alagh, we learn all there is to know about digital technology law. She shares how being curious and the importance of raising voice about things happening around led her to choose law as a profession. She mentions how working consistently in multiple law firms for a long period of time helped her develop strong entrepreneurial skills and her formidable experience in the region as both a lawyer and an entrepreneur, enabled her to start her own legal consultancy firm KARM. Moreover she talks about how the firm deals with its clients giving them legal advice, offering the best solutions and enabling them to understand the risks associated with digital technology like Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Data Protection etc.Kokila Alagh is a Corporate/Commercial and technology lawyer with over 17 years of experience in the middle east. She has worked with major corporations, government and semi government bodies, high net worth individuals and start-ups over the years. In addition to this, she has Masters in Law, in Digital Economy from the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, certification of Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme from Oxford University and Fintech Programme from Harvard Business School has helped her develop an expertise in the area of newer technologies. She is the founder and CEO of a legal consultancy firm KARM. KARM provides legal advice on Fintech Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Data Protection, AI Robo-advisory and open banking. Under the mentorship of Kokila, the firm has advise multiple crypto-exchanges, token offerings (STO/UTO), consortium/enterprise blockchains, crowdfunding platforms and payment gateways for legally setting up and operating in the region and beyond. She also has significant experience in investments, incorporations, joint ventures, project finance and private equity transactions. Kokila is also the head of policy and governance vertical for the MENA Fintech Association.

In this episode with Salwa Radwi, we dive into the world of NFTs, and how it launched for the creatives, as well as all of the benefits it provides for them. She mentions how this platform provides the artists the ability to own their work, besides offering a space for them to sell their artworks in a safe and secure manner, it also aims to enable a new breed of art collectors. She feels being authentic and staying true to yourself is what leads people to recognize your work. She believes that accomplishing goals despite fear helps you feel more empowered and also urges us to embrace such fears, and boldly venture into this market. Moreover she shares how Nuqtah plans to build on the thriving NFTs space, and utilize the underlying blockchain technology to spearhead innovation in other verticals such as media and entertainment.Salwa Radwi is an Art Enthusiast, Blockchain Advocate & Community Builder. Currently she is the founder and Ceo of Nuqtah, a business that proudly declares to be Saudi Arabia's first Nft marketplace.  Salwa aims to empower artists so they can reach their full potential. Having the vision and the guts to unleash blockchain potential, the end goal of the KSA-based NFT pioneer is to create a genuine community to embrace all art creators and enthusiasts. Having recently closed a pre-seed round led by Shurooq Partners, Nuqtah, which was also part of the Sanabil 500 MENA seed accelerator program, aims to be the ultimate change for creatives in Saudi Arabia.  Salwa's end goal is to skyrocket the holistic economy in MENA with the power of tech!

 In this episode with Amal Dokhan, we learn all there is to know about VC funding, investing in startups and mastering the art of becoming an entrepreneur. Amal with expansive experience and the skills to take over the VC world tells us about being a consistent individual and letting that reflect in your work. She stresses on the importance of consistency, even though it gets hard during an economic crisis but despite the situations, she maintains a positive mindset which can help us see the opportunities that come in our path to success. She believes that life's all about connectivity, emphasizing the need of maintaining a strong network with people which can eventually help people to achieve their mission in life.Amal Dokhan is a partner at 500 Startups MENA. She is one of the early innovation and entrepreneurship educators and facilitators in the MENA region. Previously, she served as CEO of the Global Entrepreneurship Network Saudi and worked as a Vision Realization Office Consultant for the Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia and as Director of the Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Amal has gained a diversified range of experience in management and marketing related roles particularly in education and consultancy. She worked in the KAUST Seed Fund where she developed marketing and events, while also providing a range of services to startup clients. She designed programs and started several innovative initiatives to be implemented by the educators to improve the mindsets in order to foster creativity in the workplace and the educational tools.

In this episode with Hala Sulaiman, we discuss the importance of knowledge, education and being able to excel in a career in mass communications. She talks about her experience of learning and doing multiple roles from being the co-founder of AlRawi Media to being part of the leadership team developing initiatives undertaken by Tamkeen.She shares her journey filled with a passion for learning constantly, subjecting yourself to improvement and never letting your age define your goals. She believes in storytelling that helps you grow and never stops you from creating change and making a difference. Hala Sulaiman, is the Founder and Managing Director of Beyond Borders Consultancy focused on providing strategic management and communication consultancy. Hala Sulaiman has extensive expertise in the Middle East market and has created and implemented holistic marketing communications strategies, and used her extensive knowledge and skills to engage with the various stakeholders in the various public and private sector roles she has contributed to. Hala's experience amounts to 25 years in the fields of Strategic Management and Communication and has launched several start-ups in both the Public and Private Sector. Listen to her episode now!

In this episode, Emaan Abbass shares her inspiring journey with unraveling her passion for feminine wellness and founding Ketish which is a brand that focuses on equipping women with the right products and support for their feminine health.  She talks about her deep passion for beauty, makeup and skincare which ultimately led her to empowering women to explore femininity on their own terms. Having gone through a tough experience that shaped her career and her life, she expresses the struggle of forging her own path and believes in trusting her intuition and her drive to to start a brand that puts female wellness first. Emaan Abbass is the founder of Ketish - the new feminine wellness and beauty brand which is seeking to revolutionize the industry via empowering products, expert advice and the creation of a strong and supportive female community.In an industry where discovering and buying female wellness products is still considered humiliating by many women, KETISH has been thoughtfully created to cater to women's needs and desires, whilst empowering them to feel more confident about their own bodies and intimate care challenges. Listen to her episode now!

In this episode with Reham Dasouqi, we talk about all things fitness, wellness and staying mindful about your health inwards and outwards. Reham tells us about her passion for staying fit and eating well in order to get her life on track and be able to fulfill her priorities. Reham has always been passionate about fitness and shares her journey through social media through her widely famous Instagram account going by the name @CoachReham. Episode is out now!Reham Dasouqi is fitness expert and nutrition specialist with extensive certifications in personal training, spinning, body pump les mills, sports nutrition, and corrective exercises courses. Before finding her calling in fitness, she pursued her education in actuarial science in the university of Jordan and has almost 6 years of experience in business development, marketing in telecom and consulting companies.

In this inspiring episode with Jana Amin, we dive into her passion for International Relations and Middle Eastern studies. She talks about being an avid public speaker and also emphasizes getting into the habit of brushing up on your strong suits and skills that would help an individual achieve their goals! Being a speaker on TedX youth talk has helped her to articulate what matters to her the most. Jana's research focuses on the media representation of Muslim women; she curated an exhibit at the American University in Cairo titled “Princess Fawzia and the Duality of Egyptian Women”. Her aim is to magnify the voices of young Muslim women through storytelling and using her platform to inspire and encourage change. Listen to her episode now!Jana Amin is an Egyptian-American freshman at Harvard College. An advocate and community mobilizer for girls' education and women in Islam, Jana has given a TedX-Youth talk on Muslim women and spoken at the United Nations on policies to further youth inclusion and gender parity. In 2020, Jana founded J Strategy, the world's first speaking bureau and media agency dedicated to amplifying the work of young women. Advocating for Girls' Education. Recently, Jana was recognized as one of Chegg's fifty student prize finalists and for Arab-America's 20 Under 20. Jana is also a founding member of the UnTextbooked Podcast, a World Academy of Arts and Sciences Junior Fellow, and a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Massachusetts Chapter youth advisory council.

In this episode, Dina Elshenoufy talks about an impeccable career in Finance and joining the MENA region's leading seed and early stage venture capital firm called Flat6labs .She believes that perseverance can get you anywhere  and there's nothing you can't do, if you set your mind to it. Moreover she mentions how she made her own decision to go after what she was most passionate about, by following her heart. Dina talks about how she was always eager to explore herself by always wanting more of everything and eventually managed to get several opportunities from being held in asset management to becoming a chief investment officer in Flat6labs. Listen to her episode now!Dina ElShenoufy has over 15 years of financial services experience managing venture capital and investment portfolios in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).  Prior to joining Flat6Labs- the leading startup accelerator and seed funding organization in MENA, Dina worked as a Senior Analyst for Al-Ahly Capital Holding, where she was responsible for managing the Oil and Gas portfolio valued at over $200 million, as well as representing the company on the board of Egypt's biggest producer of essential mineral oils, AMOC. Before that, she held the position of Portfolio Manager at Beltone Asset Management, where she co-managed the MENA regional portfolio, valued at $28 million, acquiring great insight into the GCC, Levant and North African markets and business habits.

In this inspiring episode with Sonya Janahi, we learn all there is to know about how to give your 100% and face turbulence in life and your career. Sonya is a role model to many women and has an unmatched drive to transform her dreams into reality and work with the utmost dedication. Sonya advises female leaders in male-dominated industries to believe in their capabilities and to demand their rights. When faced with doubts at work, she says that communication and respect for each other's opinion are vital as these factors strengthen the achievement and success rate of the team. Listen to her episode now!Sonya Janahi is the founder and CEO of Maya La Chocolaterie, Maya Delices and its parent company, ‘The Living Concepts' which is a hospitality and F&B consultancy. Sonya boasts a distinguished career that spans over two decades working in the banking and telecom industries, and with specialized know-how in the areas of retail, investment, oil & gas and real estate.Sonya won a board seat at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry and her role is focused on supporting the F&B and hospitality sector of Bahrain.

In this episode, Dina Shoman talks about her career as a banking veteran coming from  a family that excels in financial expertise and having had generations of banking experience. Before starting her entrepreneurial journey, Dina served as Vice president for Arab Bank in a number of countries. She believes in equipping young individuals with financial literacy from a very young age which would enable them to make money related decisions for their careers early on. Dina was nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012, and ranked third out of the ‘Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Business Women in Listed Companies' by Forbes Middle East. Listen to her episode now!Dina Shoman is an international banking veteran and serial financial literacy entrepreneur, she brings almost two decades of experience to her role as Co-Founder of Verity, the Middle East's family banking app that teaches kids and teens how to make smart money management decisions.Verity is Dina's third financial literacy-focused venture, having previously founded inherQuests and Nahji. Both startups successfully integrated experiential and play-based learning with relevant content and programs.

In this insightful episode with Kamar Jaffer, we take a walk down her adventurous life having lived in multiple countries and experienced different cultures that eventually led her to realizing her dreams and fueling her passion for asset management, building genuine connections with people and navigating networking in a way that serves her purpose and scales her career. Originally hailing from Tunisian and Pakistani and having lived in Casablanca, Abidjan and London and Paris, Kamr identifies more as a global citizen. Kamar is passionate about emerging markets and has, with senior industry experts, led podcasts and edited publications. Listen to her episode now!Kamar Jaffer is a counsel in Allen & Overy's Middle East Funds & Asset Management Group with 15 years of experience. She helps clients structure and establish investment funds/vehicles to raise capital as well as acts for investors on their investments into funds globally across a range of asset classes. Prior to joining A&O, Kamar was Head of Legal, or MENA & Turkey at PineBridge Investments. Kamar is a member of the Young Arab Leaders as well as A&O's Middle East Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

In this episode, Sophie Smith dives deep into her passion for Health Tech and all things related to empowering women by providing them access to premium healthcare facilities. Sophie's business model for her startup Nabta is heavily built around creating a hybrid of equipping women with freedom to realize their personal needs. She takes on how she familiarized herself with pitching to investors and how businesses need to invest more in women and woman run startups in order to create a ripple effect of emerging female led enterprises.Sophie's lifetime ambition is to empower women to manage their health with privacy, autonomy and convenience, and to make healthcare affordable and accessible for all women. Sophie Smith is the Founder and CEO of Nabta Health, a hybrid healthcare platform for women providing personalized healthcare in emerging markets.Prior to co-founding Nabta, Sophie worked for Accenture as a technology consultant and then founded impact enterprises including myZindagi (a doctor-finding platform based in Pakistan) and Le Plastics (a plastic recycling company based in Sierra Leone).

In this episode, Tala Samman talks about her wowsome career in Fashion and entertainment. Always having a love for becoming a DJ, Tala pursued that dream and is not the most successful and high profile dj in the middle east. Starting off with a career in Fashion, having worked for brands like Tom Ford, Halston, and as a Fashion Editor of Condé Nast's first fashion title in the Middle East. She has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, Grazia UK, Grazia Middle East, Harper's Bazaar Arabia, and Marie Claire Middle East. Tala is also a Huffington Post contributor and has interviewed the likes of Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, and Nicole Richie. Tala Samman is a fashion blogher, founder of Myfashdiary.com and a DJ. She launched her style blog, myfashdiary.com in 2009 and has been nominated in Ahlan! Magazine's Best at the Dubai awards, as well as at the Marie Claire, UK Blog, and Twitter awards. She has also hosted and styled for numerous events between Dubai, London, and Doha, collaborated with names such as Jimmy Choo for their stylemakers campaign, Tod's, and Gucci to name a few.

In this episode, Amal Baatia talks about her fitness journey and her path to pivoting from being a fitness enthusiast and trainer to entrepreneur and everything in between. Amal believes in maintaining an active lifestyle by continuing coaching development through attending workshops and training courses around the world. By juggling between being a mother of two, an investment manager, all while pursuing her passion for Coaching crossfit and calisthenics, Amal aims to deliver a message to all women that age shouldn't be a limitation to achieve your goals.Amal Baatia is a fitness enthusiast who started her fitness journey with gymnastics when she was only 8 years old. She nabbed 2 bronze medals at the World Pull-up Competition in Finland and not only represented Saudi Arabia at the competition but was also the only Arab female participant. In further achievements, Amal won 2nd place in a race held in King Abdullah Economic City and came 3rd in the Battle of the East Competition held in Kuwait.

In this episode, Weam Zabar takes us on a motivational spree about building a career out of making decisions that come with great sacrifices. She tells us all about her move from having a corporate job to becoming an entrepreneur and planning her business around failing before scaling it. Knowing that everyone's built differently, she loves adding value to people's lives either through yoga or mindfulness and enjoys watching people grow from taking themselves to places that both challenge and respect where they are in their journeys. Listen to her episode now!Weam is the founder of Namaste, Bahrain's first internationally recognized Yoga school. Weam Zabar is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, counselor, hypnotist and Reiki Healer. Dedicated to a life of self enquiry, she left behind a demanding corporate job to dedicate her to guiding others and sharing their journey home. Namaste has since helped thousands of students taste the sweetness of the Yoga practice.

In this insightful episode with Selina Bieber, we dive deep into unpacking the rise of one of the biggest online web hosting companies in the world. Selina shared GoDaddy's journey along with her own impressive career trajectories within the organization and how her input and experience has helped scale the company into becoming one of the most affluent globally. Selina is an inspiring figure with over a decade of experience in digitalizing and strategizing startups. She has been at the helm of GoDaddy's launch and go-to-market strategy development for several new markets across the EMEA region. With her focus on enablement and empowerment for regional businesses and entrepreneurs, the GoDaddy brand has grown in the MENA region under her leadership. Listen to her episode now!Based between Dubai and Istanbul, Selina Bieber is the General Manager of GoDaddy Middle East and Africa,  leading GoDaddy's brand and business growth in these exciting markets. Before joining GoDaddy,  Selina headed up media relations across Europe for a large-scale energy project headquartered in  the Netherlands, and spent close to seven years in Turkey managing the communications activities  for a range of foreign clients including Facebook, VeriSign Inc. and Euler Hermes, and leading  marketing communications for infrastructure giant Makyol A.Ş at the beginning of her career.

In this episode, Yasmin Elayat shares how the combination of art and tech led her to embarking on an innovative journey. She talks about her passion for Virtual Reality (VR) and how it transformed her career. Being an Emmy award winner and clubbing two very diverse fields of art and tech into creating stellar projects, Yasmin shares her inspiring outlook on how creativity led her to becoming an entrepreneur. From the combined struggles and challenges she faces during her startups for fundraising, managing finances, and rejections, she's done it all and loves a good challenge to achieve the innovative aspirations she set out for herself and her team! Listen to her episode now!Yasmin Elayat is an Emmy-award winning immersive director whose work pushes the boundaries of immersive narrative and participatory experiences. Yasmin is Co-Founder at Scatter, where she heads content, production and marketing initiatives. Scatter is recognized for pioneering the emerging language of Volumetric Filmmaking through its original volumetric film productions. Yasmin's work has won multiple awards and exhibited at various festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, SIGGRAPH, Festival de Cannes, and the World Economic Forum.

In this episode, Gazhal Baghdadi shares her journey of hitting rock bottom and springing back with new found motivation. Being a single mom and running a business that she started from scratch is challenging and she does it quite effortlessly with much resilience. She talks about her early life in Syria and now building a home with her family in London. She talks in depth about her business Kenz and mom and how it was initiated with the goal of guiding moms and parents in raising their children through ways such as tips on parenting and food. Ghazal seeks to support women in a practical and realistic way, she has helped thousands of Arab women raise their children, challenge their fears and pursue their ambitions.Ghazal also shares Kenz and Mom's new electronic institution Kenz Academy and how it offers courses and workshops related to all children topics. Listen to her episode now!Ghazal Baghdadi is a Counselor, Founder and CEO of Kenz and Mom and a pioneer in the field of childhood, women's support and empowerment. Kenz and Mom is a licensed educational institution in Britain, established in 2017, with the aim of spreading awareness of everything related to the world of children on all psychological and educational levels.Under Kenz & Mom, she founded Kenz Academy, an Arab electronic platform that offers courses and workshops in child bearing in a professional and organized manner that can be attended from anywhere in the world.

In this episode, Najia Alfadl takes us through her inspiring career of fitness and discipline. Najia, always being a fitness enthusiast, has had a passion for sports and dreamt of making it big in this field. She emphasizes on how self- discipline helped her achieve her goals and how it paved the path for all her aspirations. The road to success has not come easy as she recalls battling waves of criticism. Through perseverance and efforts, she is one of the most sought after athletes to come out of Saudi Arabia. Najia highlights the importance of empowering the female community in the MENA region and providing them with as many platforms to help them realize their goals! Listen to her episode now.Najia Alfadl is part of an emerging wave of athletes and fitness personalities in the region. Najia holds over 5 certifications in CrossFit, Weightlifting and Calisthenics and was a finalist in the battle of East Competition (what is this race) She is also a brand ambassador of Samsung Saudi.

In this episode Dr.Lamia Ebrahim shares her experience and journey of being a breast cancer specialist. She talks about her interest in pursuing radiology as a career and how it led her to help and connect with others going through the disease. She discusses the challenges she faces on a daily basis being on the frontline of witnessing emotional distress that comes with the disease and also being responsible about helping her patients get through this difficult phase. She also stresses the importance of early breast cancer detection and prevention through routine assessments and checkups. Episode is out now.Dr Lamia Ebrahim is a breast cancer specialist with more than 18 years of experience in Radiology, including 9 years of specialized work in Breast Screening, Diagnostic Breast Imaging and Breast Intervention. Dr Lamia has developed and modified new breast Imaging and interventional procedures which have helped improve the efficacy and quality of Breast screening and Cancer Diagnosis.

In this episode, Ghadeer Kunna shares what it's like to be a true fighter and a woman of steel and strength. Having a corporate career that spans over 2 decades and emerging as an ambitious woman with her goals in sight, there's nothing Ghadeer can't take on and she impressively narrates that in this inspiring episode. Ghadeer talks about her journey battling breast cancer and everything it taught her about life and its many ups and downs. Don't miss out on her powerful story! Episode out now. Ghadeer Kunna is a highly seasoned dynamic professional with over 20 years of experience in government, UN and Investment Banking. Her career spans work in the US and the Middle East. She specializes in Policy and Strategy setting for non-profit and government entities. Her focus and approach has always been to apply sustainable and grass-root initiatives to ensure long-term solutions.  Her aim is to serve the public and to lead, inspire and nurture others to give back and be positive contributors to the world.

In this episode, Muneera Obaidli shares realistic, long-term approaches to achieving optimum health and the journey of healing and prospering with her passion for creating dreams through food and nutrition. She talks about using the unique concepts of Primary and Secondary Nutrition with a strong emphasis on empowering her clients to take charge of their own journey to wellness as the foundation for her work. Muneera's drive to be consistent with her work and to pivot through the direction of her inner voice is a testament for her love to provide a complete guide to spreading the power of getting your life in order through nutrition and mind cleanse. Listen to her episode now!Muneera Obaidli is the founder of Unicorn Noms, a joy infused food concept that focuses on creating delicious vegetarian and vegan sourdough breads and pastries, an all day breakfast, and offering a fun yet wholesome lunch and dinner menu with lots of gluten free options.  She is also a Pranic Healing Instructor and practitioner, as well as a meditation facilitator at the Pranic Healing and Arhatic Yoga Center Bahrain.She is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate with a strong knowledge of classical French cuisine and pastry.  Early in her career Muneera turned her focus more towards the quality and health benefits of different foods, their impact on people's wellbeing and the environmental effect of food choices on the planet as a whole.

Amal Jaffar in this highly gripping and emotional episode reflects on her journey to becoming a solopreneur and living life on her own terms, taking things one at a time with a pace that has helped her understand her dreams. Amal shared her experience having breast cancer and crossing that bridge with so much courage and resilience. Listen to her episode now! Brought to you by one of Bahrain's most community-centric fresh food stores Alosra Supermarket.Amal Jaffar is a self-employed full-time yoga and inner connection teacher and offers various private classes, prenatal sessions and creative expression workshops.She describes her teaching style as centered, playful, authentic and compassionate. Yoga and mindfulness played a pivotal role in her journey with breast cancer treatment. She strongly believes yoga helped her deal with the experience positively, gracefully and even contributed to her healing.

Rana Nawas is a corporate veteran turned podcaster on a mission to help women, which she achieves by being a public speaker, strategic consultant and an incredible founder and host to When Women Win, a show listened to in over 183 countries, where female role models from diverse backgrounds share their inspirational achievements and success stories. Her 17 years of corporate life encompasses a variety of experiences including starting at McKinsey & Company London, to working with the government in Dubai and later on in GE Capital. From being a president of Ellevate Dubai to being featured in some of the biggest media outlets, Rana Nawas is an inspirational woman working everyday in the cause of empowering women and helping them get to the top. In this episode, we indulge in an authentic conversation with Rana Nawas, who shares her incredible personal and professional experience of being in the corporate world and her life after turning into a podcaster. Rana highly regards the importance of women having role models to look up to which is why her podcast, When Women Win, is a platform created to share knowledge and help women rise to the top. Having beaten cancer and juggling her work life with being a mother, Rana shares her valuable experiences to inspire women to invest in themselves and seize opportunities which come their way. Also being a firm believer of representation, Rana continuously highlights women doing amazing things around the world and aims to break stereotypes and show what Arab women are capable of through her podcasts.

In this episode, Alanoud Alsaif talks about her growth with Falak and how starting out young in the field of finance and investments has served her in the best way. She talks about the multiple roles she handles at Falak and how the dynamic of content creation and investments in startups has engineered a network of budding entrepreneurs and leaders. Episode out now!Alanoud Alsaif is an Investment Analyst & Angel Network Startups Lead at Falak Investment Hub. She has a great passion for all things startups and entrepreneurship. She loves challenging her limits and setting goals to fulfill her potential.Falak is an angel network and investment hub that aims to empower entrepreneurs through a unique hybrid of an Accelerator, Co-working space, Angel group, and Venture Capital. They support entrepreneurs to not only get their startups off the ground but to scale, make an impact, and eventually change the world as we know it today.