“Success is not only measured by financial results but also by cultural relevance.” Ahmad Al Marri on why community support was crucial to Canvas Gelato’s success
Hashem speaks to Ahmad Al Marri, founder of Dubai-based ice cream brand Canvas Gelato.
Hashem Montasser
Founder, The Lighthouse and Host, The Lighthouse Conversations.
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“Everyone has written off Dubai at one point.” Dubai Tourism CEO Issam Kazim on how Dubai bounced back post-pandemic
Hashem and guest host Samantha Wood aka FooDiva catch up with Issam Kazim, CEO of the DTCM, which helped catapult Dubai from the early pandemic days to the other side of lockdown. They also talk about the impact of MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants and The Michelin Guides on the F&B and tourism sectors.
“Energy and lots of seasoning…that’s nafas.” Chef Mohamad Orfali and his sensational culinary pivot from TV chef to award winning restaurateur
Hashem catches up with Mohamad Orfali, TV celebrity chef extraordinaire, restaurateur and co-founder of the award winning Orfali Bros restaurant in Dubai.
“I’ve always been a strong believer in offering financial services to the unbanked.” Mounir Nakhon on turbo-charging growth at Halan
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.
“The issue with progress is that it’s seldom linear.” Nadia Wassef on life after publishing a debut memoir
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...
“I can figure out your personality by walking around your space.” Anoud Alzaben on the process of creating and immortalizing ephemeral tablescapes
Hashem and Anoud Alzaben 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.