The Lighthouse Conversations with Hashem Montasser
Society & Culture
In this throwback episode from 2023: Our conversation with Ayman Fakkousa, co-founder of The Qode. Hashem and Ayman chat about his experience growing up in Saudi Arabia before eventually moving to Dubai and embarking on a multi-faceted career that culminated in launching his own communications firm at the young age of 30 (with partner Dipesh Depala).
Hashem and Ayman also discuss the entrepreneurial energy of Dubai, navigating the pandemic, why The Qode decided to enter the Saudi market, Ayman’s dedication to philanthropy, and…the ubiquity of proverbial buses!
We’ll be back with new episodes in a couple of weeks.
Links:
Hashem Montasser on lessons he learned from his first year of podcasting and why content is always king
Zeina El-Dana on the changing face of PR and why female mentorship matters
Richard Windsor on the implications of breaking up Big Tech, why Apple and Google are surprisingly similar, and what the Tik Tok fuss is all about.
Debra Kletter on creating magical “food experiences” for her clients and why flavors have memory
Raja Al Mazrouei on Dubai’s fintech initiative and why she’s betting on a digital banking future
Nelio Leone on how Italian grannies are the ultimate weapons of mass surveillance & why privacy concerns should be on everyone’s mind
Tarik Al-Zaharna on finding his voice in the region’s architectural landscape and why friction is sometimes necessary when creating new design concepts
Louis Lebbos on why we haven’t yet seen a superagency in the region & supporting local entrepreneurs
Hashem Montasser and Hany Bassiouny on adapting The Lighthouse’s strategy for the post-Covid-19 era and why thought-leadership in F&B is more pressing than ever
Chris Khalifa on pivoting from investment banking to F&B by starting Egyptian street food icon Zööba and learning key lessons after initially failing fast and hard.
Amina Naguib on B_URN taking Cairo by storm & building a lifestyle business centered around physical and mental well-being
Vilma Jurkute on developing Alserkal Avenue into an arts & culture hub by taking risks on risk-takers
Zaki Nusseibeh chronicles his personal journey with art & the importance of storytelling in building identities
Reif Othman on propelling Zuma into one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants and on launching his own, Reif Kushiyaki
Mohamad Ballout on how to capitalize on being a first mover & positioning cloud kitchen pioneer Kitopi as a global brand
Isobel Abulhoul on building book centric businesses & instilling reading habits in children
Orit Mohammed on launching Boon Coffee & breaking the stereotypes around Ethiopian women and female entrepreneurship
Patrick Rogers on how startup founders can avoid common pitfalls
Daneh Buahmad on juggling three careers & empowering women through her fashion designs
Myrna Ayad on the evolution & perception of Middle East art
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