On this week’s episode, Hashem caught up with Amir Allam, a fellow Egyptian and graduate of the infamous DEO, the German school in Cairo. Amir Allam is the Founder of Elmenus, an F&B marketplace boasting digital menus & delivery for over 6000 restaurants across Egypt. Founded just days shy of the Egyptian revolution back in 2011, Elmenus is now—10 ye ... Show More
Jun 4
“I observe. I document. And more recently, I speak my mind.” Hani AlMalki on Dubai’s F&B reset, credibility over clout, and a restaurant career built without a restaurant.
Hani AlMalki — aka Bedouinfoodie — returns to podcast for a second sit-down, and it lands nothing like the first. When war hit the region, he started writing: a daily diary on his Instagram Stories that became required reading for Dubai’s food community, built on the one thing m ... Show More
56m 43s
Apr 2026
“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 4s
Feb 2026
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 47s
Aug 2021
Creating a social and personalized experience to connect restaurants with diners with Elmenus Founder, Amir Allam
Today’s episode is with Amir Allam, the CEO and Founder of Elmenus, a food discovery platform with over 12,000 restaurants and over 1.5 Million monthly users. Their mission is to share the best dishes in each city in the region by combining a social, visual and personalized exper ... Show More
1s
Oct 2015
Startup Series: Egypt
Egyptian startups: a different kind of revolution.This episode features Mahmoud Abdelfattah, founder of bkam.com, Con O'Donnell, co-founder and BizDev Lead at Rise Up Summit, Gamal Sadek, co-founder of Bey2ollak, and Dina Sherif, co-founder of Ahead of the Curve. Produced by Heba ... Show More
25m 48s
May 2020
E5: Samer Hamadeh on building F&B brands that people love
My guest Samer Hamadeh is a serial entrepreneur in the entertainment and Food & Beverage space having built some great concepts such as Republique, Stereo Arcade, Akiba Dori and more. I met Samer way before his food and beverage days when he was at Impact BBDO, where 7 months in, ... Show More
46m 2s
Mar 2021
From Beirut to Times Square: Anghami's True Story
Elie Habib is the co-founder of Anghami, the music streaming platform that became the first Arab tech company ever to be listed on the NASDAQ. Fresh off the IPO, he reflects on a journey that started in 2012, when the small Lebanese startup started building a catalogue by uploadi ... Show More
1s