Hashem is joined by fellow hybrid Egyptian/Arab/American, Amira Rashad, founder of Dubai’s first bulk online shopping portal, Bulkwhiz. As the founder of a retail startup that implements AI and bespoke customer service, Amira shares her philosophy behind Bulkwhiz, why even affluent customers like a good deal, and how COVID-19 set the stage for new challenges ... Show More
Apr 1
“If you tell me we're not going to build, then probably replace me. There is no need for having me.” Karim Awad on leading EFG Hermes mid-revolution, a decade of building, and why legacy is measured by what remains after you leave
Karim Awad walked into EFG Hermes at one of the most turbulent moments in Egypt's recent history — a company caught mid-revolution, a bruised brand, and a region that wasn't sure it wanted to stabilise. What he did next is what this conversation is about. Karim and Hashem talke ... Show More
53m 3s
Feb 16
Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte on the Soul of Space and Collectible Design
“I really wanted to slow things down… to create an experience where people take their time, build relationships, and connect with design in a more human way.” Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte has spent fifteen years living out of a suitcase, experiencing the quiet palazzos of Venice ... Show More
50m 46s
Jan 2026
“Going into a new market requires humility. You don’t know the market well, and you have to accept that.”
In this year-in-review episode, Hashem looks back on 2025 and what it actually took to open two restaurants in Riyadh in one year. It’s a conversation about going up the learning curve fast, staying humble, and why consistency always outlasts hype. Chapters: 0:00 Coming up... ... Show More
44m 43s
Jun 2024
Don’t Fundraise Unless You Have to, But if You do, Look for this in your Investors - with Sonia W. at VentureSouq | The Perfect Pitch Podcast Ep5
<p>We were thrilled to speak with Sonia Weymuller, one of Dubai’s most active investors who started her VC career by launching the largest angel investor syndicate before professionalizing the firm to become <a href='https://lucidityinsights.com/investors/venturesouq-63'>VentureS ... Show More
41m 16s
Sep 2020
Episode 8: Part 1 Take a Big Bite of Entrepreneurship with Mantoushe's Founder and CEO Sophia Sleiman (literally means big bite in Arabic)
My guest Sophia Sleiman, Founder and CEO of Mantoushe, Real Food, Lebanese fusion restaurants operating Four branches out of UAE. In this first instalment of two episodes, Sophia and I talk about her beginning, what inspired her to become an entrepreneur and all that she has lear ... Show More
36m 36s