What happens when a woman at the top of corporate life walks away from a prestigious title, a comfortable paycheck, and a high-stakes role managing over 5,000 people—only to find her voice, her purpose, and her true power on the other side?
In this deeply personal and emotionally charged episode of Luca’s Insight Track, host Luca Allam sits down with Marisa Kamall, former Managing Director at HSBC and founder of Gaia—a leadership platform designed to support and empower women across the Middle East and beyond. But this conversation isn’t just about career shifts. It’s about motherhood, identity, mental health, feminism, and the radical decision to align your life with your values.
At the height of her corporate career, Marisa was leading global teams and checking every box of success. Then, within months, she gave birth, experienced postnatal depression, was hospitalized with pneumonia, and faced a career-altering restructure. The physical, emotional, and existential toll nearly broke her—but it also set her free.
What follows is not a collapse, but a rebirth. With disarming honesty, Marisa unpacks the hidden struggles of high-achieving women and the moment she realized that power and peace could finally coexist. She shares how Gaia was born—not as a reaction, but as a purposeful stand for female leadership that is rooted in empathy, authenticity, and community.
Luca and Marisa delve into the tough stuff—unconscious bias in the workplace, the isolation of motherhood, financial insecurity, and the privilege of speaking out. They challenge old-school definitions of leadership and explore what it looks like when women stop performing and start leading on their own terms.
This isn’t a polished "girlboss" tale. It’s the real story of a woman who went through the fire—professionally, personally, politically—and emerged grounded, vocal, and awake. From the symbolism of mangoes to the shocking gender bias behind car safety design, no topic is too small or too big. The result is a compelling exploration of patriarchy, power, purpose, and what it means to truly live a values-aligned life.
Marisa Kamall doesn’t just speak about change—she lives it. And in doing so, she offers every listener the rarest kind of invitation: to question the systems we serve, to lead with integrity, and to remember that real success only matters if it feels right on the inside.
We are -
- Global first: Face-to-face interview with ChatGPT (avatar)
- Apple Podcasts: Best So Far 2025 (Top 10)
- Podeo: Best Trailer 2024 winner
- YouTube: 162K+ subscribers • 2M+ total views
Rankings:
UAE: #5 Society Culture • Top #16 Overall • #2 English SC
Lebanon: #2 Society Culture • Top #9 Overall
Saudi Arabia: #19 Society Culture • Top #72 Overall
Egypt: #16 Society Culture • Top #95 Overall
