The Lighthouse Conversations: Recent Episodes
The Lighthouse
Hashem Montasser, Founder of the The Lighthouse Restaurant & Concept Store in Dubai Design District, is a raconteur who avidly follows the work of arts, culture, technology and, of course, food. In a series of conversations aimed at introducing its audience to the Middle East’s entrepreneurial landscape, Hashem asks his guests about their life journeys, inspirations, successes and failures and everything in-between. New episodes available every second Wednesday.
In this throwback episode from 2021: Hashem invited Ahmad Al Marri, Founder of Dubai-based ice cream brand Canvas Gelato to the hot seat. Launched in 2017, Canvas Gelato’s raison d'être is to produce ice cream that is made exclusively with “real” ingredients and delivered at negative 70 degrees celsius. Ahmad’s ice cream delivery concept proved successful and was soon supplied to major outlets including local chocolate maker darling Mirzam and featured by international media such as Monocle magazine. This was a deeply candid conversation where Ahmad talked about his entrepreneurial journey including imposter syndrome and, well, we ate lots of gelato! You can leave us a review in your podcast app, and find us on Instagram.
In this throwback to our first episode from 2019: Hashem talks to Mryna Ayad, the former Editor-in-Chief of art magazine Canvas and now an independent art consultant who continues to shape the way art & artists from the Middle East are represented internationally. In addition to her professional journey that took her from Canvas to Director of Art Dubai, Mryna shares her perspective as a working mother and her mission to shape the perspective of external audiences when it comes to Middle East art. Myrna has since then, among many other writing and art related activities, released the book Sheikh Zayed: An Eternal Legacy which she talked about on the episode. She was also the conveyer for the new book release Cairo Eternal by Mai ElDib, whom we’ve had on the show this past June. We would love to hear back from you on what you thought about this episode. You can leave us a review in your podcast app, and find us on Instagram.
Our guest is up-and-coming designer Meshary AlNassar. Hailing from Kuwait, Meshary’s journey into interior design started during childhood with American TV pop culture influences The Oprah Winfrey Show and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Hashem and Meshary discuss his “design education” surrounded by an all-female cohort and how he managed to navigate societal disapproval as a Khaleeji designer. Meshary shares how he balances aesthetics vs. technical know-how, maximalism vs. minimalism, clients’ expectations vs. personal input, and how his Kuwaiti dentist became an unlikely pivotal client. Hashem and Meshary also chat about all things Kuwait and why Kim K’s house went viral!
Cairo, mon amour! This week Hashem catches up with Sotheby’s veteran Mai Eldib, whose recent book release ‘Cairo Eternal’ was instantly sought after even by the iconic Fifi Abdou. Hashem and Mai bond over their experiences in Cairo—from overbearing doormen to the perpetual noise factor. Leaving giddiness aside, they agree that what makes Cairo magical, beyond its vast history and layered complexity, is the communal mindset of its people. Links
Mohamed Elshahed on tracing Cairo’s human experience, one building at a time
Nadia Wassef on narrative structure, trafficking in nostalgia and life after publishing a debut memoir
We're throwing it back to our 2022 conversation with Anoud Alzaben. Anoud is a multidisciplinary designer rooted in the practice of architecture. She shared snippets from her childhood growing up in a family steeped in tradition, and how this upbringing has influenced her passions and, ultimately, her career trajectory. We were delighted to see Anoud’s work at one of the main events of this summer—the royal wedding of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussain and Saudi architect Rajwa Al Saif—last week in Amman. and Anoud discuss her process; the rural and Bedouin roots that continue to influence her work; and their shared appreciation for journaling–whether classically with ink and paper or visually via Instagram Stories._
Our guest this week is Brendan McGetrick, internationally renowned writer, curator, and the creative director of Dubai’s Museum of the Future. Hashem and Brendan chat about how his early days in journalism with renowned architect Rem Koolhaas kick started a long standing interest in design and culture. They also delve into the philosophy of 1960s psychedelic culture, what technology means to our collective experience, why curiosity is our most valuable human trait and how Brendan’s work provides ways for museum visitors to access the hope within.
Founded in 2000, Bokja had its first big break in New York City’s ABC Carpet & Home with an acquisition of four pieces by Hollywood star Kate Hudson. What followed was a cascade of recognition and accolades by the likes of the FT’s How To Spend It and stars like Madonna, Julia Roberts and designer Christian Louboutin. The Bokja duo offers us an insider look into the intricacies of their designs, but also the passion and sacrifices made that sit beneath the glamor of this popular Lebanese brand. We also delve into the psychology of what makes a design duo tick; what sets them apart; what keeps them ahead of trends and how they stay relevant. We also hear about the abandoned palace that became Bokja’s HQ for 15 years– rabbit family and squatters notwithstanding! Links:
Financial Times: How to Spent It - “Our future is in Beirut”
Nada Debs on The Lighthouse Conversations
We caught up with Ashraf Hebela in a multi-faceted episode discussing cultural hybridity, market declines, serial founders and more. Ashraf heads Startup Banking, plus Analytics & Sales Ops at one of the largest banks of the United States, Silicon Valley Bank. He shares his views on the importance of building long-term relationships with founders and not just the companies they represent. Hashem and Ashraf reminisce about their time as Harvard undergraduates in the 90s and how their college experience delivered a solid backbone for building a supportive network. They also discuss Ashraf’s career journey, the so-called “founder mentality'', the value of innovation and invention plus Silicon Valley’s ever evolving startup landscape.
Part two of our two-episode series. Fadi Ghandour co-founded Aramex in 1982 fresh out of studying Political Science in college, an education to which he attributes much of his dialectic thinking. It took tenacity and hard work, but Fadi says that plunging into the complexities of starting a logistics company in the Middle East from the bottom up also required a degree of experimentation and, yes, of naïveté. Aramex took the industry by storm from the get-go and, in 1997, became the first Arab company to be listed on the NASDAQ before going private again and then re-listing on the Dubai Financial Market. Fadi sets the stage for the beginnings of his prolific career; growing up in a predominantly female household in politicized 1960s Amman, the cues he took from his father, what he learned from taking a company public and the importance of attracting local talent to foster a culture of loyalty and growth.
Part one of our two-episode series. Fadi Ghandour co-founded Aramex in 1982 fresh out of studying Political Science in college, an education to which he attributes much of his dialectic thinking. It took tenacity and hard work, but Fadi says that plunging into the complexities of starting a logistics company in the Middle East from the bottom up also required a degree of experimentation and, yes, of naïveté. Aramex took the industry by storm from the get-go and, in 1997, became the first Arab company to be listed on the NASDAQ before going private again and then re-listing on the Dubai Financial Market. Fadi sets the stage for the beginnings of his prolific career; growing up in a predominantly female household in politicized 1960s Amman, the cues he took from his father, what he learned from taking a company public and the importance of attracting local talent to foster a culture of loyalty and growth. Links: Harvard Business Review: How I Did This by Fadi Ghandour
In this throwback episode from 2020: Our guest, Youssef El Deeb, Is the founder of Fatafeat, the first Arab TV company that was acquired by a global media conglomerate, Discovery. In a time when Middle East television was airing cooking shows as “fillers" for grandmothers at home, Youssef El Deeb had the foresight to drum up the likes of Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson to the prime time. And fostered a now growing scene of Arab TV chef talents. He is also an author, painter, photographer and award winning filmmaker. And yet, despite his many achievements, and like most successful people of such high calibre, El Deeb has vulnerabilities and a punishing inner voice. Find out what makes him tick, and which Arabic saying became his life’s motto.
In this throwback episode from 2020, we're joined by serial entrepreneur Mohamad Ballout, founder of Dubai-based foodtech pioneer Kitopi, currently the world's leading managed cloud kitchen platform. Founded in January 2018, Kitopi has quickly expanded to five countries, having added Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UK & the US to its roster after raising a successful $60 million Series B in funding this year. Mohamad shares his thoughts on how he became a serial entrepreneur, how him and his fellow Kitopians are capitalizing on the foodtech’s startup’s first mover advantage and what it will take for the Middle East to produce & export global brands.
This week, Hashem invited Ahmad Al Marri, Founder of Dubai-based ice cream brand Canvas Gelato to the hot seat. Launched in 2017, Canvas Gelato’s raison d'être is to produce ice cream that is made exclusively with “real” ingredients and delivered at negative 70 degrees celsius. Ahmad’s ice cream delivery concept proved successful and was soon supplied to major outlets including local chocolate maker darling Mirzam and featured by international media such as Monocle magazine. Ahmad shares the challenges he faced in the early days launching his business through WhatsApp and Instagram, and how the future of Canvas Gelato will boast a fully functional website and a potential physical location.
This week Hashem and guest host Samantha Wood aka FooDiva catch up with Issam Kazim, CEO of DTCM (Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing). “Not your typical government department,” as Issam puts it, DTCM catapulted the Emirate of Dubai from the early pandemic days through to the other side of lockdown with flying colors—all with stellar planning and marketing campaigns that involved the entire DTCM team and Issam at the helm. Hashem and Samantha also ask Issam about how recent accolades such as MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants and The Michelin Guides affect the F&B and tourism sectors in Dubai. Issam explains DTCM’s role in bringing this international recognition to the city, what lies ahead for homegrown concepts, how to encourage them to thrive, plus his favorite restaurants in Dubai.
Hashem catches up with Mohamad Orfali, TV celebrity chef extraordinaire, restaurateur and co-founder of the award winning Orfali Bros restaurant in Dubai. When a chance email to Fatafeat founder Youssef El Deeb led to the publication of Orfali’s cookbook and subsequent blockbuster cooking TV shows, a new TV celebrity chef was born. Orfali discusses the delicate balancing act of being in front of a camera vs. interacting with guests at his restaurant where he focuses on storytelling. We also delve deeper into Orfali’s experience working closely with his two pastry chef brothers, why he doesn’t believe in messing with tradition and what makes a really good mulukhiya! Links: The Lighthouse Conversations with Youssef El Deeb
In this week’s episode we connect with Mounir Nakhla, CEO and Co-Founder of Egypt’s leading FinTech start-up ‘Halan’ (translated to: “right now”) which focuses on creating financial solutions for the unbanked and the under banked. Mounir shares snippets of his journey since 2017 when he was approached by Indonesian tech unicorn Gojek, then being struck by the pandemic in 2020 and what it meant for Halan’s growth. Hashem and Mounir also discuss the challenges that Mounir faced as a founder during a challenging macro-economic environment before reflecting on his strengths and weaknesses as a CEO; Halan’s hiring process including how to retain talent and creating common goals; what keeps him up at night; and the secret sauce of making decisions with a calm mind. A hint? It includes fresh air and the Taoist shadow boxing art, Tai Chi.
This week, we reunite with a previous guest; author and friend of The Lighthouse, Nadia Wassef. Since our first episode with Nadia, her well received debut memoir Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller has been published in several languages and Nadia is now preparing for her second narrative structure—but in a faster paced, post-lockdown world. Recorded in the Library Bar at The Lighthouse Abu Dhabi, our episode with Nadia revisits her experience during lockdown while writing Chronicles and how she found her narrative arc. She also shares her views on managing feedback constructively; and why writing should not be used by the author as a form of personal therapy. Links:
Nadia Wassef on The Lighthouse Conversations (2021)
We are joined this week by multidisciplinary Jordanian designer Anoud Alzaben who we first met at The Lighthouse when she set the stage for a fantastical nature-cum-charcuterie pop-up for Beirut’s The Silly Spoon. After launching her professional career in architecture, Anoud traded her 9 to 5 desk job with motherhood and a pivot to holistic design approaches like tablescapes and movement & mobility coaching. Hashem and Anoud discuss her process; the rural and bedouin roots that continue to influence her work; and their shared appreciation for journaling– whether classically with ink and paper or visually via Instagram Stories.
This week we sit with Stasha Toncev, founder of Dubai’s award-winning Balkan bistro, 21 Grams. Hailed in the media, Stasha’s restaurant was praised as “charming” and “brain melting” by The Financial Times supplement, How To Spend It, and Bill Addison, the Los Angeles Times’ celebrated food critic. In a heart-to-heart with Hashem, Stasha opened up about her childhood in Socialist Yugoslavia; her daring move to Dubai with 200 Euros in her pocket and the struggles of launching her restaurant business as a woman of Balkan descent– a double whammy in her view. Stasha and Hashem also talk openly about the importance of mental health for entrepreneurs and the struggles and personal sacrifices Stasha braved for her business.
The Michelin Guides recently announced the launch of a new Dubai guide (the first Michelin Guide in the Middle East) in June 2022. Hashem and his co-host Samantha Wood aka FooDiva sit down with Gwendal Poullennec, the Guides’ International Director. Over coffee and Shakshouka, Hashem and Samantha ask a tight-lipped Poullennec their most pressing questions to contextualize and debunk some of the most common urban legends surrounding this heritage ‘award’ which dates back to 1900. Among them: what are the criteria of awarding a star; are Michelin inspectors all tall and skinny; how many meals do inspectors eat every day and what makes Dubai’s culinary scene stand out? Links:
Episode: MENA’s 50Best restaurants with Claudia de Brito and Samantha Wood
The Michelin Guide is coming to Dubai
FooDiva: Is Dubai ready for Michelin (2012)
The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance
WSJ: Is Dubai the next great food destination
FooDiva: There is no such thing as a Michelin Chef (2017)
Episode: Debra Kletter on creating magical ‘food experiences’ for her clients
Episode: FooDiva AKA Samantha Wood on her restaurant review process
To mark the occasion of the Middle East's recent inclusion in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, we catch up with award-winning food critic Samantha Wood aka FooDiva, and Claudia de Brito, the awards’ Gulf Academy Chair. We take a deep dive into the awards; how the Awards were started, how the winners are selected and who sits on the voting committee. Claudia and Samantha share their views on alcohol licensed vs. unlicensed restaurants in the region, their insights of how to reach– and remain at– the top, and how host Hashem could qualify for the official title of “well-traveled gourmand”! We are also joined by special guests Chef Reif Othman of Reif Kushiyaki and Zooba Founder Chris Khalifa who share the impact their respective MENA’s50 Best wins has had on their businesses and future outlooks. Links:
The MENA's 50Best Restaurants
Zooba on MENA 50Best
Reif Othman: Chef's Choice Award 2022
Reif Kushiyaki on MENA's 50 Best
FooDiva
To mark the occasion of the Middle East's recent inclusion in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, we catch up with award-winning food critic Samantha Wood aka FooDiva, and Claudia de Brito, the awards’ Gulf Academy Chair. We take a deep dive into the awards; how the Awards were started, how the winners are selected and who sits on the voting committee. Claudia and Samantha share their views on alcohol licensed vs. unlicensed restaurants in the region, their insights of how to reach– and remain at– the top, and how host Hashem could qualify for the official title of “well-traveled gourmand”! We are also joined by special guests Chef Reif Othman of Reif Kushiyaki and Zooba Founder Chris Khalifa who share the impact their respective MENA’s50 Best wins has had on their businesses and future outlooks. Links:
The MENA's 50Best Restaurants
Zooba on MENA 50Best
Reif Othman: Chef's Choice Award 2022
Reif Kushiyaki on MENA's 50 Best
FooDiva
We sat with Rania Masri El Khatib, Founder of the RMK Collective, a transformation and experience design advisory. Rania launched her career in retail with the global fashion brand Azadea before joining Chalhoub Group and spearheading the iconic Level Shoe District in Dubai Mall ten years ago. Rania’s keen insight on what makes consumers “tick” allowed her to design customer-centric experiences and leverage social media as a tool for research and audience feedback. Through personal anecdotes in her own workplace, Rania shares with us the importance of finding a healthy balance between career progression and personal growth while sending a call to arms to female employees to not ignore their personal needs. She also reveals how social media helped spread her message, and which former Apple Senior Vice President’s book encouraged Rania to adapt her view on work and the so-called “hustle culture.”
This week we caught up with Cyril Zammit, design advisor and former director of the renowned fair for collectible design, Design Days Dubai, which ran from 2012-2017. Hashem and Cyril unpack a decade in design starting at a time when the local design scene was nascent before, Dubai cemented itself as a regional hub. They also discuss how the GCC’s design landscape–slowly but surely–matured and how Covid accelerated an interest in a more curated and design-led home environment. Finally, Cyril shares his expectations on how regional bodies can support emerging designers and what lies ahead for NFT lovers.
This week we met up with Hani AlMalki aka Bedouinfoodie, Dubai-based restaurant reviewer extraordinaire and food history buff. Hani shares snippets from his multicultural upbringing in the historic port city of Jeddah and his early experiences with Michelin-starred cuisine during business meetings between his parents and master perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain in Paris. Hashem and Hani also discuss the influences of pilgrims in Mecca and Madinah on Saudi cuisine, and how pilgrimage even led to the creation of a famous Indonesian street food, Murtabak. Bedouinfoodie reveals some of the methods behind his reviews, what the future of Saudi’s culinary landscape entails, the ingredients of a foodie destination, and what’s still missing from Dubai’s food scene.
And just like that, The Lighthouse turns five! This year might feel to some like “2020, Part Three” but to us it feels like a birthday with the addition of fraternal twins. We’re marking the start of a new era with two new openings in Abu Dhabi and The Palm so it feels good to be turning five. The Lighthouse Conversations podcast has similarly evolved over the years as we doubled down on an interview style that we felt brings out the best in our guests and ourselves. Tune in as host Hashem and producer Chirag reflect on this past year of The Lighthouse Conversations including snippets by venture capitalist Khaled Talhouni, and chic fantastiqueBBQ pitmaster Hattem Matter.
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 years on—Egypt’s biggest food discovery and ordering platform and looking to expand beyond its shores. Hashem and Amir compared the experience of being a solo founder vs co-founder and got to the bottom of why Amir credits his engineering mindset for his entrepreneurial ethos. They also review the latest in Egypt’s lightning-pace food trends (including the beach as a delivery location), the challenges of talent acquisition, and reveal one of Amir’s favorite aspects of being immersed in foodtech.
As fellow Egyptians and graduates of Harvard College in the 90s, Hashem and Ramy Adeeb initially shared a similar path that led them from Cairo to Cambridge, Massachusetts. We caught up with Ramy this week via Zoom in Silicon Valley to follow his journey from young computer programmer writing software at age 12 to his pivot from startup to venture capital and back again. During the height of the Egyptian revolution of 2011, Ramy Adeeb founded his first startup, Snip.it, whose aim was to simplify news and article sharing and was later acquired by Yahoo! Now the founder and general partner of venture capital firm 1984 Ventures, Ramy shares his views on the challenges of building an investment firm and reveals the two main ingredients investors look for in startup founders. Links:
Tweet by Joe Landscale
Ramy Adeeb on Twitter
Hashem is joined this week— via Zoom call from Milan— by David & Nicolas, the Milan/Beirut-based design duo whose retro-futurist work is featured in the acclaimed Nilufar Gallery and Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Hashem and David/Nicolas discuss their fixation on time as a “marker” and how it affects their designs; the hybridity of their identities; the aesthetic influences of growing up in a Franco-Lebanese home; and how the duo met in McDonald’s Beirut of all places! We’re also introduced to parallels that Hashem finds between David/Nicolas— personal friends and creative partners— and his own dynamic with The Lighthouse Co-Founder, Hany Bassiouny.
In today’s episode, Hashem caught up with Feras Jalbout, founder of fintech app Baraka. A UAE-based platform, Baraka’s motto is empowering the investor and encouraging broader financial literacy among millennials and Gen Z’s in the Middle East. Hashem and Feras also discussed his pivot from private wealth management to launching Baraka, the future of crypto currencies, and Feras’ dress code tip for increasing efficiency.
Welcome back, listeners! In our first episode post-summer, host Hashem Montasser caught up with Hattem Mattar, founder of The Mattar Farm for specialty artisanal smoked meat, brisket and third culture barbecues. Hashem and Hattem chatted about the hybridity of his upbringing; life as a father of two young children; and what finally pushed him to turn The Mattar Farm from side gig to main gig. Hashem and Hattem also delved into the subtle science of live fire cuisine and why Hattem does not see The Mattar Farm as a scalable business...for now.
This week we dive into the world of venture capital and startup investing as Hashem catches up with Khaled Talhouni, Founder and Managing Director of Nuwa Capital, a Dubai/Riyadh-based investment platform he set up with partners Stephanie Nour Prince and Sarah Abu Risheh. Hashem and Khaled discuss his journey in the early days of venture investing in Dubai and why he prefers investing in a startup rather than operating one. Khaled shares his views on identity politics and the startup ecosystem in the Middle East vs. Silicon Valley. Hashem and Khaled also talk about what goes into supporting a startup and why the founder is the most important part of the equation. Links
A glimpse into the Careem mafia
Why software is eating the world
This week we reunited with one of our favorite podcast guests from 2020, Fatafeat founder and overall renaissance man, Youssef El Deeb. Having met last summer just as The Lighthouse reopened post-lockdown, Hashem and Youssef formed a bond over chocolate cake, books and a shared nostalgia for Egypt’s ancien regime. In this episode, the tables were turned with Youssef playing host and Hashem as the guest in the hot seat. Through Youssef’s thoughtfully penned questions, Hashem talked about his childhood in 80’s Cairo and the journey from becoming one of the only Egyptian traders working on the trading floor during the Wall Street era of 1990s in New York, to planting the idea of a concept store cum restaurant and establishing The Lighthouse in 2017.
This week Hashem caught up with Sandy El Hayek, the newly minted General Manager of Dubai’s Time Out Market which launched in April in collaboration with Dubai mega developer Emaar. A veteran of Dubai’s F&B scene, Hashem and Sandy talked about her childhood as the daughter of Lebanese immigrants in Halmstad, Sweden, how her family dynamics influenced her passion for work (and good food), and the rudimentary 7-star wine service experience in Dubai that led Sandy to pack her Scandinavian bags and expand her career in the UAE. They also discussed Sandy’s particular interest in homegrown concepts & why she sees organizational culture as an integral part of her career path.
In today’s episode, host Hashem Montasser, a collector of Middle East art, catches up with multi-disciplinary and award-winning Egyptian artist Maha Maamoun. Maha expands on how her series “Domestic Tourism” and “Cairoscapes” came about and shares the fascinating stories behind the composited photographs. Hashem and Maha discuss the importance of displaying art to a broader audience within public spaces which has led to The Lighthouse’s acquisition of some of Maha’s artworks which are currently on display at our new Mall of Emirates outlet. Maha elaborates on her process as a multi-disciplinary artist, and how the exclusivity of certain art spaces and her desire for access to a wider public led to the creation of the publishing initiative Kayfa-Ta with her contemporary, Ala Younis.
In our first episode since Ramadan break, Hashem is joined by Manal Ataya who, as the Director General of Sharjah Museum Authority, sits at the helm of 16 museums documenting and consolidating the cultural heritage of the region. They discuss the “inner workings” of a museum director and why Manal finds curiosity and hunger for knowledge so essential to success in her field. They also talk about the subject of mental health which sits at the forefront of the post pandemic era. Manal speaks candidly about her own personal struggle with anxiety and being diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). She reveals that the book “First, We Make the Beast Beautiful” helped inspire a change of perspective for her to not only embrace some of the positive outcomes of an anxious mind, but also use it to her advantage as a tool that fuels her productivity.
On this week’s episode we caught up with friend of The Lighthouse, furniture and product designer Nada Debs. Coming from a lineage of Lebanese textile traders who settled in Japan at the turn of the century, Nada grew up with a sense of dissonance as one of the few Arabs/Muslims in Kobe. She chronicled her journey from booming 1980s Japan to Civil War Lebanon to Rhode Island and how each part of the journey influenced her designs, reiterating the importance of heritage and hybridity. Nada also shared her experience collaborating closely and exclusively with skilled craftsmen to produce her designs, and the inextricable link between craftsmanship and spirituality.
WhatsApp our team if you would like to inquire about the Nada Debs 'Refraction' mirror collection which is sold at The Lighthouse, Dubai Design District.
Grab a pen and notebook because this episode is brimming with life learnings! Samantha Wood AKA FooDiva, inimitable queen of Dubai’s restaurant review scene takes us along her transition from corporate hotel PR to solopreneur and becoming one of Dubai’s most sought after food writers. We chatted about Samantha’s restaurant review process from start to finish, the two most important skills one must possess to leave a lasting impression on serious foodie audiences, and the review that broke the internet all the way to Milan, London and back to Dubai! Sponsored by MonViso. Listen in for a discount code to redeem on their online store. You can connect with us on Instagram.
This week we caught up with gallerist Isabelle van den Eynde, founder of the eponymous Gallery IVDE, one of Dubai’s most established and celebrated contemporary art spaces. Isabelle shared snippets of her journey through the local art scene and how the late artist Hassan Sharif’s artistic methods still affect her everyday life. We also chatted about the ebb and flow of the art world throughout the pandemic, how it influenced the work of artists, gallerists and collectors to varying degrees. What radical changes did Gallery IVDE adopt and how did it accommodate visitors during ongoing international restrictions? Tune in to find out. Sponsored by MonViso). Listen in for a discount code to redeem on their online store.
This week we caught up with our d3 neighbor Samer Hamadeh to doubleclick on his pivot from nightlife impresario as founder of Stereo Arcade--a Dubai staple--to F&B as owner/operator of Akiba Dori, a licensed Japanese street food restaurant. Samer shared some insights he gained since launching his first venture in 2009, from how to raise capital for new projects to scaling a business beyond one venue. On his learnings over the years and the collective shock of 2020, Samer firmly believes that nothing “is the end of the world,” and recommends for those who have strong convictions to press on the gas pedal during the hunt for opportunities especially during more challenging times. Tune in to find out more about Samer Hamadeh’s journey as an “entrepreneur” and why he really dislikes being called one!
This week we’re joined remotely by Nadia Wassef who in 2002 co-founded Cairo’s popular Diwan bookstore with her sister, Hind Wassef and their friend Nihal. Now, with three Masters degrees in her pocket and a separation from Diwan, Nadia is embarking on the arduous journey of writing her first book and shares snippets from her routine and experience thus far; what is the best time of day to write? How does a writer unwind and gather ideas? Hashem and Nadia also discuss the business side of owning a bookstore like Diwan and share parallels to The Lighthouse in Dubai. Aptly titled Shelf Life: The Chronicles of A Cairo Book Seller, Nadia’s memoir is set for publication later this year and we’re already tapping our feet with anticipation.
Is there a recipe for building a loyal following? Helen Farmer’s work combines effective storytelling and just enough vulnerability to resonate with her audience of radio listeners and tens of thousands of Instagram followers. As one of Dubai’s most popular radio hosts and author of “The Mothership” blog, Helen amassed an audience who both relate and aspire to her “mompreneur” experience and defer to her in terms of recommendations on Dubai expat living. But how does _the_ Helen Farmer of Afternoons with Helen balance her influencer activities including commitments to her ever growing list of marketing sponsors, her radio job, and spending quality time with her young family? She may say there’s no strategy, but the action plan seems firmly in place and she generously shares the building blocks with Hashem in our first guest episode of 2021.
Feels good saying it’s behind us, doesn’t it? What started as a normal year filled with fresh resolutions and new aspirations slowly took a strange turn into an unknown trajectory. When we concluded our [live podcast session with HE Zaki Nusseibeh late in February 2020, we didn’t know that weeks later we would close shop to prepare for quarantine. But we were determined to keep The Lighthouse Conversations going and, like many podcasts, we invited our guests to join via online recordings. Our first post-lockdown session back in the studio with Amira Rashad (Founder of Bulkwhiz) gave us feeling that a sense of normalcy might be upon us despite the masks and physical distancing. Tune in as host Hashem Montasser and producer Chirag Desai recall some of their favorite highlights of 2020's The Lighthouse Conversations, including how being vulnerable took a whole new meaning in 2020 and why food and memory are intertwined in many, sometimes unexpected, ways.
We caught up with Tariq Khayyat, one of the leading architects in the region, and a long time guest favorite of our restaurant in d3. Khayyat is the founder of a bespoke architecture firm, TKDP, in Dubai and leads grand scale projects including Shenzhen Luohu in China. But before this, Tariq Khayyat spent 14 years working with the late Zaha Hadid and described what it was like meeting the iconoclast for the first time as an MA graduate in London’s Architectural Association School of Architecture. Tariq also shares his design philosophies; what it actually means to qualify as a “sustainable” building; and the one advice he gives young graduates.
This week we caught up with Michelin Star Chef Daniel Boulud on location at his newly launched Brasserie Boulud at the Sofitel Obelisk in Dubai. Chef Daniel is heralded as one of the world’s top chefs and has many accolades under his belt including a James Beard Award. He is the author of several books, and possesses a keen business acumen with a portfolio spanning food tech investments and charitable endeavors including ‘Citymeals on Wheels’ where he serves as board co-president. Host Hashem Montasser argues that many great chefs are just that; great chefs and being a Star Chef does not always equate to good business sense. So how does the iconic Daniel Boulud remain at the top of his game and what was the best birthday gift he ever received? Tune in to find out.
How do you go from working in advertising, to waking up with a gazillion Instagram notifications of J.LO wearing your mustard yellow couture gown to her movie premiere? In this week's episode, Hashem sits with fellow Egyptian, designer Yasmine Yeya, to discuss what entrepreneurship means to her...and their mutual love of Egyptian fattah! Yasmine shares stories from her beginnings; how she launched the now well respected Maison Yeya, and her transition from emerging designer, to a couturier whose opinions are so sought out by her clients that she acts as part designer, part friend & therapist to help them through the finish line and fulfill their wedding gown dreams.
In this week’s episode, Hashem, a long-time art enthusiast & collector, is joined by Maya Allison, Executive Director & Chief Curator of NYUAD’s Art Gallery, who shares glimpses of her professional journey leaving the New York/American art scene and moving to Abu Dhabi to establish The NYUAD Art Gallery. Maya reflects on how she measures the ripple impact of artists she’s interested in; the growing pains of managing an art-focused “start up” and what’s in store for the upcoming UAE Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale.
This week’s episode was quite a unique experience for us at the recording studio that we hope all you listeners will enjoy! Our guest, Youssef El Deeb, is the founder of Fatafeat, the first Arab TV company that was acquired by a global media conglomerate, Discovery. In a time when Middle East television was airing cooking shows as “fillers" for grandmothers at home, Youssef El Deeb had the foresight to drum up the likes of Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson to the prime time. And fostered a now growing scene of Arab TV chef talents. He is also an author, painter, photographer and award winning filmmaker. And yet, despite his many achievements, and like most successful people of such high calibre, El Deeb has vulnerabilities and a punishing inner voice. Find out what makes him tick, and which Arabic saying became his life’s motto.
This week Hashem caught up with Dr. Carine El Khazen, clinical psychologist at the American Center in Dubai, and Vice President of MEEDA (Middle East Eating Disorders Association). Eating disorders are the deadliest form of mental illness, and 95% of sufferers are women between the ages of 15 to 25. Dr. Carine also shared that patients as young as 11 have come to seek treatment at her practice. Growing up in a family of image-conscious female relatives on both parents' sides, Carine witnessed early on and first-hand the effects of body consciousness and food obsessions, cementing her focus on eating disorders during her psychology career which spans over 15 years. Hashem and Carine also discuss the devastating effects of social media channels like TikTok on children's self esteem as well as the long-term effects of the pandemic on society's collective mental well being.
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 and adaptations.
With not only their alma mater--Harvard Business School--in common, Amira and Hashem also share the experience of leaving the corporate world behind to become bona fide entrepreneurs. Citing a lack of collective experience in the regional women’s startup landscape, Amira highlights how she managed to forge ahead as a female leader. She also shares her experience mentoring young female founders, and how to build a successful support network.
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Our podcast is celebrating its first milestone: 20 episodes! And we’d like to give our listeners around the world a HUGE shoutout: Thank you for tuning in. While it’s been almost one year since we aired our first episode, it feels like yesterday. And we’ve learned a lot along the way!
On this week’s episode, Hashem sits on the hot seat and is interviewed by our producer Chirag Desai who asks him to reflect on the first year of podcasting. They discuss the emergence of micro-entrepreneurship in the creative space, reopening The Lighthouse post-lockdown and future themes that our listeners can expect on the podcast. The key learnings of launching a bi-weekly podcast? That the medium is important but it’s the quality of the content that trumps all. And we promise to continue to deliver fresh and stimulating content in this shifting global landscape.
_Our hearts go out to those affected by the explosions in Beirut on August 4, 2020 which left hundreds dead, thousands injured and billions of dollars of property estimated as damaged. If you’re able to contribute, our guest this week recommends donating to_ Impact Lebanon.
Hashem is joined this week by Zeina El-Dana, founder & CEO of Z7 communications which she founded in 2007. Since then, Z7 has grown to become the premier PR agency for luxury brands in the region. As they’re all set to move into their new offices in the Dubai Design District (aka our hood), Zeina shares how she landed her first client which got her entrepreneurial journey started, her clients’ shift to digital and the key lessons she’s learnt along the way.
This week Hashem is joined by Richard Windsor, founder of Radio Free Mobile which focuses on research & analysis across the digital & mobile ecosystem.
Richard shares his thoughts on the current technology landscape—the handful of companies that dominate the sector (known as Big Tech or FAANG) and the prevailing mood in the US pushing to regulate them which surfaced during the recent US Senate Hearings. They also deep dive into business models such as Tik Tok, cloud kitchens and Radio Free Mobile's own model, and how Richard intends to monetize his expertise for the benefit of the consumers of his independent research.
As the world of theatre was affected by the recession a decade ago, Debra Kletter founded Eat Quest NYC, a service that creates bespoke food itineraries for her clients. So successful was she at doing so that Alec Baldwin called her ‘the restaurant whisperer’. On this episode recorded earlier in the year, Debra tells Hashem how she transitioned to the world of food and food recommendations, how technology trends are changing the restaurant and food scene in cities like New York & LA, and what it takes for a truly high quality food ecosystem to thrive outside of the urban hubs. Debra sadly passed away in April but her words ring true every single day.
This week we're talking Fintech with Raja Al Mazrouei, Vice President of the DIFC FinTech Hive, an accelerator program under the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) umbrella. Raja talks to Hashem about how Dubai—through its financial hub, the DIFC—is creating an ecosystem for fintech startups who are challenging the traditional ways of doing finance, what the future might hold for banks and insurance companies in the region as well as some of the covid-related challenges the industry can help overcome.
This week, Hashem Montasser is in conversation with Nelio Leone, Founder of Urban Monks, a growth marketing agency he started in early 2019. Before going down the entrepreneurial route, Nelio was a marketing manager at L'Oreal in Paris, Director of Brand at Careem and Head of Growth at Washmen.
Nelio shares his approach to building a company around a “collective" of independently-minded creatives, why he changed his view on the role of customer privacy in the new age of digital and how performance marketing is evolving in the post-COVID era.
The Lighthouse was conceived as a design-centric brand from the outset and its founders never took its design aesthetic—whether interior, graphic or digital design—for granted.
So when joined this week by Tarik Al-Zaharna, Founder of T.ZED Architects, we asked him to take us through his journey into entrepreneurship when he launched his firm five years ago, his thoughts on why and how to create friction in design and how the industry might evolve in the post-Covid-19 era.
From our LIVE FB conversation with Louis Lebbos, Founding Partner at UAE-based Astrolabs. Louis chats with Hashem about why his co-founder Muhammed Mekki and him left their previous startup Namshi to start Astrolabs and the risks of raising money from the wrong VCs. He also shares his thoughts on digital marketing in the region & why we have yet to see a true “super-agency” of ex-global agencies creatives with local insights and a true appetite to make their own mark. They talk about why everything worthwhile takes a really long time and how Hashem was inspired by Maria Popova’s blog brainpickings.org.
We’re going behind the scenes this week with the Lighthouse’s Hashem Montasser & Hany Bassiouny who speak with producer Chirag Desai about how they’re dealing with the consequences of Covid-19 and its current impact on their business. They also share their insights on how the F&B industry might change as we start to emerge from the crisis and their advice for founders on how to protect their brand equity over the long term.
This week, we’re joined from New York City by Chris Khalifa, founder of Zööba, an Egyptian street food concept he launched in Cairo in 2012 and took all the way to NYC late last year. Chris shares the story behind Zööba and how--after initially expanding too quickly and failing--they consolidated their business, learnt key lessons and set out to expand yet again to build what is now a successful—and some would say iconic—brand.
Post recording, Chris gave us an update on the impact of the current Covid-19 pandemic on Zööba, how they are handling the crisis and the steps they’ve taken to protect the business.
There’s been an explosion in terms of people’s focus on health—both physical as well as mental & general well-being—over the last few years.
Amina Naguib embodies this positive trend as the Founder of Cairo-based B_URN, a workout loosely based on the Lagree fitness method that has evolved into a veritable lifestyle. Amina shares how she got started with her venture, how she managed to build a community of like-minded people in the middle of Egypt’s 2011 revolution and shares her expansion plans in related sectors.
This week, we’re joined by Vilma Jurkute, Director at Alserkal who shares her experience in developing Alserkal Avenue as the leading arts & culture district in the region. She chronicles its evolution from a marble factory owned by the Alserkal family to a collection of art and design galleries, artists’ studios and other independent ventures, visited by over 600,000 people annually. Vilma reflects on why they take risks on entrepreneurs, what binds the space together and how they all support each other. Finally, she shares Alserkal’s plans to expand online and continue building its platform including its digital arm, Folio by Alserkal.
In our first live conversation at The Lighthouse since launching the podcast, HE Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh shares personal anecdotes from his childhood in Jerusalem, the early days of the UAE when he worked as a translator for HH Sheikh Zayed and the development of its arts and culture scene. While sharing snapshots from his various life experiences with the arts, Zaki weaves a thread between his passion for the arts, storytelling and their impact on not just our imagination but also our identity.
We’d love to hear what you think of the live episode. You can reach us on by email, on Instagram and find all of our episodes at Website.
We’re continuing with our food theme this month with a chef who’s left a tremendous mark on the Middle East culinary scene since his debut at Zuma in 2009. Reif Othman is a new breed of owner-operator chefs who landed Zuma Dubai on the “World’s Best 50 restaurants” before kick-starting his own Japanese street food venture, Reif Kushiyaki. Reif shares stories about his humble beginnings, what got his blood flowing and pushed him to leave his native Singapore, snapshots from his time at Zuma and, finally, why giving back is so important to him.
We're joined by serial entrepreneur Mohamad Ballout, founder of Dubai-based foodtech pioneer Kitopi, currently the world's leading managed cloud kitchen platform. Founded in January 2018, Kitopi has quickly expanded to five countries, having added Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UK & the US to its roster after raising a successful $60 million Series B in funding this year.
Mohamad shares his thoughts on how he became a serial entrepreneur, how him and his fellow Kitopians are capitalizing on the foodtech’s startup’s first mover advantage and what it will take for the Middle East to produce & export global brands.
This week, we’re joined by the CEO of the LitFest Foundation, Isobel Abulhoul, who is at the the center of the UAE & the region’s literary fraternity. Since arriving in Dubai over 50 years ago, she’s launched a prominent bookstore chain, a children’s publishing company and the region’s leading Literature Festival. Isobel shares snapshots of her multi-decade journey, what you can expect from the upcoming edition of the Emirates LitFest and her thoughts about the future of books amidst a seismic technological shift.
This week, we're talking coffee with Orit Mohammed, founder of Boon Coffee. Orit hails from Ethiopia and decided to reconnect with the coffee culture she grew up with by supporting coffee farmers through her company. She's recently also added a B2C component to her business by opening two cafes in Dubai. Orit also walks us through the challenges of running a female led business and the stereotypes she had to confront being an Ethiopian female entrepreneur.
You can sample Boon's coffee beans from their website, or order them from The Lighthouse as well.
If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear from you. You can leave us a review in Apple Podcasts, find us on Instagram, or drop us an email podcast@thelighthouse.ae.
We'll see you in two weeks.
This week, we're talking to Patrick Rogers whose latest venture, Clara, attempts to solve entrepreneurship legal pain-points by combining human expertise with techonology. And as someone who advises startups a lot, Patrick also shared his insights on common pitfalls entrepreneurs should watch for when setting up their companies. If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear from you. You can leave us a review in Apple Podcasts, find us on Instagram, or drop us an email podcast@thelighthouse.ae. We'll be back on January 15 with a new episode, so until then, happy holidays!
On this episode, we talk to Saudi designer Daneh Buahmad who launched her women’s fashion label DANEH nearly 10 years ago. Daneh takes us through her career path--from studying computer science at University to discovering her passion for fashion and ultimately launching her own brand. She shares why empowering women by dressing them matters to her personally, her future plans with DANEH and why juggling three careers--a full-time media role, managing her label & being a mother--requires discipline, grit, and a “process.” We would love to hear back from you on what you thought about this episode. You can leave us a review in Apple Podcasts, find us on Instagram, or drop us an email. We’ll be back in two weeks with a new episode.
On our first episode, we talk to Mryna Ayad, the former Editor-in-Chief of art magazine Canvas and now an independent art consultant who continues to shape the way art & artists from the Middle East are represented internationally. In addition to her professional journey that took her from Canvas to Director of Art Dubai, Mryna shares her perspective as a working mother and her mission to shape the perspective of external audiences when it comes to Middle East art. We would love to hear back from you on what you thought about this episode. You can leave us a review in Apple Podcasts, find us on Instagram, or drop us an email email. We’ll be back in two weeks with a new episode.
A special prequel episode from the team of The Lighthouse Conversations podcast, which will focus on the regional arts, culture & entrepreneurial landscape. At our launch event held at The Lighthouse in D3, producer Chirag Desai chats with founder of the Lighthouse & host of the show Hashem Montasser about the journey so far, and what you can expect from the podcast. The premiere episode is in your feeds right now, so do check it out. You can also let us know what you think by leaving us a review in Apple Podcasts, finding us on Instagram, or dropping us an email.