Lynn Hazim, founder of Middle Child and creator of popular food blog @nosoupforyou, shares her journey from corporate life at Google to building her own restaurant in Dubai. The episode explores her early love for food, the roots of her inspiration, and her bold pivot to entrepreneurship. Lynn talks candidly about the challenges she faced funding the business and how she was determined to create a concept that felt true to herself. She shares how Middle Child in essence became the physical expression of her curiosity and creative restlessness.

Raj Malhotra, co-founder of Sole DXB, shares the story behind building one of the GCC’s last major independent festivals — a cultural platform born from minimal capital yet lots of passion and grit. The episode traces his journey to meeting co-founders Hussain Moloobhoy and Joshua Cox, and how their shared love for fashion, music, food, and design helped shape the DNA of Sole DXB. Raj reflects on the drive for excellence that fuels the festival each year, their commitment to empowering homegrown businesses in the UAE, and what it means to create a cultural space that can fuel the region’s growth.

Heba El Gabaly, co-founder and CEO of Efreshli, discusses her journey from corporate to entrepreneurship, scaling a tech-driven design-led business, and the importance of blending online and offline experiences. The episode explores her unique blend of leadership, what it felt like to bring on a co-founder and her mission to make quality design accessible to everyone. Chapters 0:01 Coming up… 2:36 The Efreshli journey 3:11 Building a business online vs offline 7:21 The Challenges of Entrepreneurship 8:53 First Customers and Social Media Success 14:15 Navigating VC Funding 19:31 Men vs Women Entrepreneurs 25:21 Bringing in a co-founder 35:16 Scaling and expanding Efreshli 38:47 The Impact of AI 47:42 ‘Good design companies sell taste’ 53:26 Expanding Efreshli to the UAE & Saudi Arabia 57:13 Creating keeps you young

This week on The Lighthouse Conversations, Hashem sits down with Abdullah Alajaji, Founder of Driven Properties, to discuss his meteoric journey in real estate. Tune in as they discuss taking personal risks, how he spotted a gap in the UAE real-estate market, and how Driven Properties successfully navigates an ever-evolving business landscape.

@hashem is back this month with Chef Salam, the Chef-Operator of one of the UAE’s most popular restaurants,  Bait Maryam. Chef Salam shares the journey behind her success and how she slowly built up her business from the ground up while honoring the legacy of her late mother. She also explores the evolution that led to her starting Sufret Maryam, the sister of her original brand and the many lessons learned thus far.

Hashem Montasser sits down with Sultan Al Darmaki, founder of 1833, an exclusive members’ club redefining community spaces and activations. Sultan shares his journey so far—from his unorthodox approach to fashion, how he felt working in London to the creation of 1833, a space that bridges the worlds of entrepreneurship and creativity. Don’t miss this inside look at the vision behind 1833 and the moments that shaped Sultan’s career thus far.

Hashem is back this month with the ever-inspiring Rami Al Ali. Together, they explore the evolution of Arab couture, from breaking stereotypes to redefining luxury on a global stage. Listen in as they swap stories about navigating tradition and modernity, and that unforgettable moment Rami realized the world was ready for a new wave of Arab designers.

Hashem sits down with acclaimed Syrian fashion designer Rami Al-Ali. Tune in this week to hear about Rami’s journey from Damascus to the global fashion stage.

Hashem and the ever-stylish Samir Aghera delve into the dynamic world of luxury retail, discussing Hashem’s aesthetic vision for The Lighthouse and Samir’s keen eye for detail at Montroi. Listen in as they share insightful anecdotes ranging from Samir’s first pop-up and that unforgettable moment when a customer was this close to swiping the card!

Hashem is joined this week by accomplished fashion designer Faiza Bouguessa. The two consider the trials and tribulations of founding a successful business, and the importance of finding an authentic design aesthetic for one’s brand. Influenced by vintage elegance, Faiza discusses how ‘Bouguessa’ is a display of her own unique, minimalist style, and why she aims to create timeless pieces that resonate with her true self-expression.

This week on The Lighthouse Conversations, Hashem is joined by the talented fashion designer and Creative Director of ‘Bouguessa’, Faiza Bouguessa. Tune in this Thursday to hear about her topsy-turvy journey from willing her eponymous fashion brand into existence to Queen B wearing her designs.

Hashem catches up with Avni Doshi, author of ‘Burnt Sugar’, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize. In her book, Avni explores the themes of identity, culture and motherhood. The heartfelt discussion captures the poignant moments of personal growth that permeate her narrative, now seen through the lens of maternal experience, where vulnerability and understanding intertwine. Their conversion navigates Avni’s love of astrology, her artistic doubts, and the prospect of her book hitting the big screen. Links Nadia Wassef on narrative structure, trafficking in nostalgia and life after publishing a debut memoir. Yasmina Jraissati on unlocking the potential of the Arabic language and how she accidentally became a rebel with a cause. 00:00 Coming up 02:21 Character development 07:56 Anticipating success 08:53 The role of the mother in India 11:26 From child to caretaker 15:42 Moving to India 18:40 Harper’s Bazaar India comes knocking 20:55 Homesick but not sure where home is 22:18 Girl in White Cotton 24:35 First publication by Harper Collins India 25:35 Second publication by Penguin’s Hamish Hamilton in the UK 26:29 ‘Girl in White Cotton’ becomes ‘Burnt Sugar’ 28:46 Booker’s Prize Shortlist 30:08 The brutality of motherhood 32:50 Real politics plays out in the family 34:38 The pressure of success 38:02 Avni’s writing process 44:48 Writing peer groups 46:54 Responding to critique 49:55 UAE’s literary scene

In our upcoming episode, award-winning novelist Avni Doshi opens up about her literary journey. From the process of crafting her debut novel Burnt Sugar, to grappling with the aftermath of critical acclaim, she shares insights into her creative process and the cultural depth that defines her work. Avni and Hashem’s conversion navigates Avni’s love of astrology before moving on to her artistic doubts and the prospect of her book hitting the big screen.  Coming to your podcast player August 8!

Chef, hotelier and author Fadi Kattan shares a special recipe to help Hashem reuse his leftover Molokhia. Listen to the full episode with Fadi in your podcast apps right before this one, or on our website: https://thelighthouse.ae/podcast/fadi-kattan/

Hashem catches up with chef, hotelier, and author, Fadi Kattan in Bethlehem. Chef Fadi talks about his newly published cookbook, Bethlehem, which is essentially a celebration of Palestinian Food. It is a beautiful homage to Palestine’s food culture conveyed via Fadi’s memories. Snippets of oral history are prominently featured including his grandmother’s recipes, his twists on traditional Palestinian dishes and the concept of ‘loqma’, breaking a dish down to its essence of a single bite. He also highlights the local farmers who inspired him to bring his culinary vision to life. Links Mohamad Orfali on his sensational pivot from TV chef to award-winning restauranteur Bethlehem: A celebration of Palestinian Food Teta’s Kitchen on YouTube The Markaz Review: An Oral History of Mulukhiya from Egypt, Palestine, Tunisia and Japan The Maria’s Review: Desire and the Palestinian Kitchen The Markaz Review: Sacred fire, Profane fire: From Ritual to Barbecue

This week, we’re flipping the script. Art consultant Caroline Louca gets behind the host’s mic to chat with Hashem the art collector! As a long-time friend of Hashem’s, an art advisor, and former Managing Director of Christie’s Dubai, Caroline digs deep into Hashem’s passion for art. They talk about Hashem’s art enthusiast and academic mother, who exposed him to the world of art, how memories of Egypt’s bygone era continue to influence his collection, and why the introduction to seminal GCC artists such as Hassan Sharif was so pivotal to him. Hashem and Caroline also discuss the evolution of The Lighthouse into a vibrant community hub that fosters connections between art-curious individuals and artists. And here’s a sneak peek: Hashem comes from art royalty, the father of modern Egyptian painting, Mahmoud Said, being his great granduncle. Links Hashem Montasser tells Youssef el Deeb about his journey from Wall Street to building The Lighthouse Artists & Designers on The Lighthouse Conversations: Maha Mahmoun Myrna Ayad Nada Debs Anoud Alzaben Vilma Jurkute, Alserkal Avenue Tarik Al-Zaharna Maya Allison Isabelle van den Eynde, Gallery IVDE David & Nicholas Cyril Zammit Bokja: Huda Baroudi & Maria Hibri Brendan McGetrick, Museum of the Future Sunny Rahbar, Third Line Gallery Meshary AlNasser Nakkash Gallery: Wajih, Aya & Omar Nakkash Elie Khouri

Hashem catches up with the renowned art collector and CEO of Vivium Holding, his newly established family office. Elie, a self-made man who grew up during Beirut's civil war has had a fascinating career journey, pivoting to advertising early in his career and then building & leading Omnicom Media Group MENA for 18 years. In 2017, he established Vivium Holding, a family office focused on all things Elie, a portfolio that includes real estate, tech and hospitality.  This wide-ranging conversation covers the evolution of advertising in the region, the current state of the Dubai art and design scene as well as his patronage and interest in art. Elie is also a "Shark" on the Dubai edition of the hit reality series Shark Tank and shares key advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. As someone with a keen eye for detail, Elie also picks up on Hashem's unwavering commitment to wearing black!

Hashem catches up with Hamad Al Awar, the founder of the home-grown burger brand, High Joint, a police officer and a creative artist. Having met at a shawarma place in a very interesting coincidence, Hashem decided to bring their conversation to The Lighthouse Podcast room and explore the man with multiple hats. Hamad walks us through how he is able to balance between all of his roles while being a father of four.

Catch our brand new episode this Thursday with Hamad Al Awar, the founder of the beloved home-grown burger brand 'High Joint'.

Hashem catches up with Mohamed Maktabi, the CEO of Iwan Maktabi, the go-to address for rare carpets and textile art in the MENA region. They go back in time as Mohamed reveals the captivating tale of his family's heritage: from his grandfather's migration from Iran to Lebanon, fueled by a passion for collecting the most exquisite carpets, to the present-day business in Beirut and Dubai. Mohamed shares his passion for storytelling through the intricate artistry of carpets and how the business came to be named ‘Iwan Maktabi’ (spoiler alert: it’s not a family member!).