What does progress mean when you start life as a refugee? In this heartfelt episode, Snapchat's MENA VP Hussein Freijeh opens up about building what his father and grandfather never had. We talk about fatherhood, the pressure to succeed, why he nearly lost his job in Big Tech, and how he's now mentoring others to find the path he once had to figure out alone. He also shares his vision for Snap as a platform that embraces simplicity, authenticity and creativity.
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 95
ماذا لو كان ما نؤمن به عن النجاح والمشاعر والعمل... مجرد وهم مغلف بإتقان؟ في هذه الحلقة المؤثرة، نستضيف محمد جودت — الرئيس التنفيذي السابق للأعمال في غوغل إكس، مؤلف عالمي الأكثر مبيعًا، وصوت رائد في السعادة وتطوير الذات 🌐 هذه الحلقة برعاية Bioniq Go: https://bioniq.com/loulou 🎁 استعملوا الرمز CWL40, للحصول على خصم 40% على أول طلب
May 29, 2025•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 94
شاهد الملايين برنامج “دبي بلينغ” على نتفليكس، حيث نتابع حياة الأثرياء الباذخة في الجانب الصاخب من دبي. لكن ما لا يعرفه كثيرون هو من هم هؤلاء الأشخاص خلف الكواليس، بعيدًا عن الأضواء والثراء. في هذه الحلقة، أتحاور مع زينة خوري ، نجمة “دبي بلينغ”، حول الشهرة، والثروة، وما وراءهما هذه الحلقة برعاية Bioniq Go 🌐 https://bioniq.com/loulou 🎁 إستعمل الرمز CWL40 للحصول على خصم Millions have watched Dubai Bling on Netflix, where we follow the daily lives of the rich and glamorous in Dubai. But what many ...
May 10, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 93
Paddy Cosgrave, founder and CEO of Web Summit, joins me for a fast-paced conversation recorded live at Web Summit Qatar. We talk about how he scaled a 150-person event into one of the world’s largest tech conferences, and why the same principles—imagination, naivety, and engineering serendipity—can be applied to anything you want to build. Paddy shares his thoughts on avoiding fear-driven decisions, why big ideas need a bit of “clinical insanity,” and how success often comes down to simply start...
Mar 19, 2025•28 min•Ep. 92
في الحلقة الأولى من البودكاست بالعربي، حبيت اني أتكلم مع صديقي رائد الأعمال محمد أبو النجا المعروف في مصر ب"نجاتي". محمد عندو رؤية في مجال العمل. عندما كان موظف في فوري، قرر إنو يشتري أسهم بالشركة وأدرجت فوري على البورصة المصرية في عام ٢٠١٩. ومن بعد فوري، كان نجاتي المدير الإقليمي لشركة "كريم" في مصر. وبعدها، كان الشريك المؤسس لشركة "حالاً" وهي اليوم شركة مليارية. ولقد أدى نجاح نجاتي في العمل إلى شهرة كبيرة في مصر وهذه الشهرة فتحت له أبواب منها نجاحه في البودكاست "المال الحلال" الذي اطلقه في أخر...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 91
We kick off by exploring the broader implications of President Trump’s ‘drill baby drill’ policy and how it could shape GCC economies, from oil markets to capital flows. We then deep dive into the art of deal-making, from knowing when to sell, to navigating high-stakes negotiations, to creating a win-win scenario to uncovering the one thing that kills a deal. Ziad gives us a behind the scenes look into how a deal is made and what can go wrong. Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or just cu...
Jan 26, 2025•50 min•Ep. 90
I sat down with Philip Bahoshy, founder of MAGNiTT, for a no-holds-barred conversation on the realities of the startup world. We unpack the "Startup Valley of Death," exploring why founders fail, when to quit, and how to navigate burnout. Philip dives into M&A challenges, scarce exits, and the rising role of secondary transactions and IPO readiness. He also highlights scaling hurdles in fragmented markets, the talent crunch, and UAE-Saudi ecosystem dynamics. With sharp predictions for 2025—A...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 89
In this episode, we dive into the hard truth about why exits in MENA are so challenging, the role of tariffs in protecting domestic production, and how bad actors have tarnished the reputation of an entire industry. Sky also gives us a masterclass on navigating capital markets, working with your board (hint: don’t deprive them of their learning moments), and what to do when you’re stuck with an inflated valuation. From ag-tech failures to billion-dollar blunders and business model innovation at ...
Dec 30, 2024•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 88
Chris Rogers is a global entrepreneur who co-founded Nextel Communications, a wireless connectivity company, in 1987 and sold it for $35B in 2005. In the early 2000s, Chris came to Saudi Arabia to launch Nextel as a joint venture with Saudi Telecom. His deep connection to the region brought him back as an investor in Careem, Kitopi, and several other startups. In this episode, Chris shares what it takes to build and lead billion-dollar businesses, his perspective on Sovereign Wealth Fund initiat...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 87
I sat down with Maha Abouelenein, powerhouse communicator, entrepreneur, and best-selling author of Seven Rules of Self-Reliance . Maha shares her incredible journey—from starting as a secretary for Naguib Sawiris to building a PR empire, working with global icons like Gary Vee, and becoming a bestselling author. We dive into the lessons from her book, the importance of betting on yourself, unlearning outdated ideas, and building a personal brand rooted in authenticity. Maha’s insights are both ...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 86
I sat down with Talal Tabbaa, co-founder of CoinMENA, to unpack the latest in the crypto world. We dive into Bitcoin’s recent bull run and why ETFs are a game-changer for institutional adoption. Talal shares his take on altcoins, meme coins, and whether they’re worth the hype—or just a gamble. We also tackle the big question: is it too late to get into Bitcoin? Plus, we discuss how governments, particularly in the GCC, are positioning themselves in the crypto race. Whether you're a skeptic or a ...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 84
I sat down with H.E. Sheikh Fahim a member of the Executive Council of Sharjah and the Executive Chairman of the Department of Government Relations to talk about his marine conservation work. Sheikh Fahim a.k.a. ‘the Turtle Sheikh’ whose love for the ocean - sparked by saving ‘Farah’ a turtle stuck in a fishing net - led him to launch SeafoodSouq, a technology business that tracks the global seafood supply chain or as per his words ‘a digital passport for fish’. Our conversation covers the state...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 84
I sat down with Abdullah Mutawi, Partner and Head of Corporate at law firm Taylor Wessing and prolific angel investor as the Co-founder and Chairman of Dubai Angel Investors and Saudi Angel Investors and we unpack some of the challenges that startups founders and venture capital investors are facing as they learn how to deal with a major downturn echoing the global venture capital downturn post 2020/2021 bubble. As a prominent lawyer, Abdullah is often called upon to mitigate distress situations...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 83
I sat down with Charlie Wright, Founder & CEO of Humantra, the fastest-growing electrolytes brand in the UAE, now eyeing global expansion after a successful UK launch. Charlie’s journey to Dubai began straight out of college, where a sales job quickly showed him that he craved more than the corporate grind. After two failed ventures, he learned valuable lessons that paved the way for something bigger. A chance encounter with the Huda Beauty investment team led him to join their incubator, ul...
Oct 07, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 82
I sat down with Farida El Agamy, an entrepreneur, a lawyer and expert on the MENA family business landscape, to get a peak into the rise and challenges of the families that shaped our region from the Almajdouie and Zamil families in Saudi Arabia, to W.J. Towell in Oman, the Sawiris in Egypt and Juma Al Majid in the UAE and many more. Those family businesses grew to become multifaceted conglomerates employing thousands and creating a considerable economic and social impact across the region. Fari...
Sep 23, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 81
Welcome back to work everyone. In this last part of the '3 part bite sized summer special', I revisit my conversations with my guests in the first half of 2024 and distill 3 trends that are shaping MENA startups. If you’re an entrepreneur you’re probably head down and ready for an eventful second half of the year! If you’re fundraising, you’re probably wondering if the VC winter will come to an end now that the US Federal Reserve Chief is signaling rate cuts? Will you be able to ‘blitzscale’ aga...
Sep 01, 2024•8 min•Ep. 82
As you gear up for back to school season, I hope you enjoy part 2 of our 3 part - bite sized - summer special. In this episode, I share with you my personal views on what makes a great entrepreneur. Having been an entrepreneur myself over the past decade, having sat with unicorn founders, and hundreds of entrepreneurs that I’ve met over the past 5 years of venture capital investing, I offer you the 5 characteristics that make a great entrepreneur. Keen to know your thoughts!
Aug 26, 2024•8 min•Ep. 81
I hope you’re all enjoying the summer! In this 3 part episode, I will be sharing with you a bit of my raison d’être for doing the podcast. As an entrepreneur and investor living in Dubai, I am heavily invested in our regional startup ecosystem and my wish is to get as many of you to actively participate, whether as entrepreneurs, investors, advisors or enablers. In this episode I build on insights shared by some of my guests so far in 2024 and I put forward the case of why you, our listener, sho...
Aug 19, 2024•9 min•Ep. 80
I sat down with Mazen Kanaan, Co-founder and CEO of House of Pops to discuss his incredible journey leading the ice cream business at Unilever in the region, to his abrupt ouster and the subsequent launch of House of Pops with his girlfriend (now wife) Marcela Sancho. Mazen recounts the challenges of starting from scratch, going all in and being self-funded, the importance of brand building and customer journeys, and the strategic decisions that led to scaling the business and regional expansion...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 80
Imad Ghandour shares his extensive experience in the private equity sector, covering essential topics such as buying, improving, and selling companies in MENA. He delves into the philosophy behind his firm, CedarBridge Capital Partners, highlighting their unique approach to operational involvement, and focus on positive management. We delve into CedarBridge’s latest successful exit ‘The Grooming Company Holding’ and how Imad and his partners were able to successfully invest in the beauty sector,...
Jul 21, 2024•59 min•Ep. 79
Vadim shares insights from his journey as a professional athlete, how he learned all about mental toughness and breaking your opponent. He shares his journey beyond sports into management consulting in Germany and then becoming the youngest CEO in Groupon as he led Eastern Europe and was part of Groupon’s NASDAQ IPO. He then goes back to his roots in ‘health and sports’ to launch Bioniq in 2018, a personalized supplements company that currently sells is products globally while he lives in Dubai....
Jul 07, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 78
I sit down with Courtney Powell, Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer of 500 Global to discuss her journey from entrepreneur to global venture capital leader. Courtney shares insights on expanding 500 Global into emerging markets like MENA, balancing motherhood with her career, and the evolving landscape of education and female representation in tech. She also shares practical tips for pitching and fundraising, weaving personal stories and professional insights throughout the conversatio...
Jun 23, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 77
I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Ronaldo Mouchawar, the trailblazing Co-founder and CEO of Souq.com , which was acquired by Amazon in 2017 for $580 million in cash + $200m in Amazon shares. Ronaldo, a true pioneer of e-commerce in the MENA region, founded Souq in 2005 as a spin-off from Maktoob, another regional success story that was sold to Yahoo for ~$170 million in 2009. In our conversation, Ronaldo shares captivating industry insights, recounts his personal journey, and rev...
Jun 09, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 76
I sat down with Jonathan Doerr, the Co-founding Partner at Antler MENAP to learn about his experience in building, scaling and exciting companies. Jonathan brings a ton of learning from his time with Rocket Internet, where he was the Co-founder and Managing Director at Jumia Nigeria, Africa’s leading e-commerce site which IPOed on the NYSE in 2019 and the Co-CEO at Daraz, the South Asian e-commerce player which was acquired by Alibaba in 2018. We discuss challenges of building e-commerce compani...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 75
Dana Baki is the co-founder and COO at MUNCH:ON, a UAE born startup that was solving the corporate lunch problem. MUNCH:ON which started as LUNCH:ON was utilizing kitchen’s off-peak to deliver affordable meals to corporate executives. The business was experiencing high growth until Covid which posed an existential threat. MUNCH:ON was then born to cater for meals throughout the day. Careem acquired MUNCH:ON in 2022 and Dana took time off to recalibrate and figure out what she wanted to do and la...
May 12, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 74
Ben Harburg is the Managing Partner at MSA Capital , a Chinese VC with $2.5bn of assets under management and MSA Novo , a newly established emerging markets fund with focus on the GCC. Ben brings a decade of expertise investing in Chinese tech companies to the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region and is scouting for the next MENA based unicorns. MSA capital is already an investor in regional success stories like Tabby, Homzmart, Rabbit, Baly and KASO to name a few. A refreshing conversat...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 73
Huda Al-Lawati is a veteran private equity professional across emerging markets having had executive roles at companies like Gateway Partners, Savola and Abraaj. Huda has recently launched Aliph Capital , a private equity fund that focuses on the mid market segment. I sat down with Huda to get an insider’s view on the private equity industry in the MENA region, what are the opportunites, where to fundraise, how to source deals, how to create value to companies they acquire by building the right ...
Apr 15, 2024•56 min•Ep. 72
When Hassan Sawaf started working on machine learning in the 90s in Germany, no one thought advancements in AI would bring us to where we are today. Not even Hassan himself! In fact, people thought the AI field was too 'theoretical'. In this conversation, Hassan talks to us about AI’s evolution and his vision for aiXplain , a company he is building out of California that aims to make AI accessible to builders and innovators and provide them with tools to prototype their ideas with low or no-code...
Mar 31, 2024•50 min•Ep. 71
'I have my termination letter framed in my office’ that is the first thing that Jihad said to me when I first met him. Jihad El Eit , is the Founder & Group CEO at Kaykroo , the region’s creator of home grown brands like Manoushe Street, the Good Bowl, Fern el Balad, the Pasta Cup and many more. Jihad has a fascinating entrepreneurial journey that started after the company he worked at i2 shut down in 2007. Immediately after, Jihad saw an opportunity to become the distributor of Nokia in Pak...
Mar 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 70
In this special episode shot live from the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival on February 4th 2024, Steven and I discuss the power of personal branding and authenticity. Steven is a celebrity in the world of podcasts, his podcast the Diary of a CEO gets 50million monthly downloads and is the #1 podcast in Europe! Steven is a successful entrepreneur, investor and author. Steven is remarkably humble, his passion is grounded in pragmatism and his story truly inspiring, a self-made, self-taught immig...
Mar 03, 2024•50 min•Ep. 69
