SEF Backstage Pass
SEF backstage pass is a platform powered by Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival. Think of this podcast as the behind the scenes pass to the festival experience, the inspiring talks from the keynote speakers, the thought-provoking conversations, and a glimpse into the magic that makes the festival truly special. Here, you will be joining our exceptional guests as they share their personal journeys; the changemakers who abandoned the limitations that others set for them and let only their ambitions dictate what is possible. This is not just a place to get inspired, it’s a community that you will relate to and a platform that will share real strategies and tools to get you closer to answering the question. “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Sharjahef.com
Episodes
93 episodes
كيف نحول المحتوى إلى تأثير
في هذه الحلقة، يشارك عبدالله الجسمي — رئيس مجلس الأعمال الإماراتي البوسني، ورائد أعمال متسلسل، وباحث استراتيجي — رؤيته حول المعنى الحقيقي لريادة الأعمال، والفجوات التي يواجهها الشباب اليوم، وأهمية تحويل صناعة المحتوى إلى تأثير حقيقي ب...
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Season 3
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Episode 39
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17:53
How to Build a Wellness Brand from Scratch
Charlie Wright, founder of Humantra, shares his journey from starting a hydration brand in the UAE to building a global business. From the myths around bottled water to the science of electrolytes, Charlie breaks down why hydration matters for ...
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Season 3
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Episode 38
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30:10
How to Make Passion Your Profession
Patrick Abdo, creator of The Drum Path, shares his inspiring journey from engineering to building one of the most recognized drumming platforms in the region.From turning a viral Mr. Bean video into a global drumming sensation, to openi...
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Season 3
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Episode 37
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30:52
How Yasir Khan Transforms Lives
For over 23 years, Yasir Khan, founder of TYB (Transform Your Body), has been at the forefront of holistic wellness in the UAE. From mindset coaching to habit-building and fitness, Yasir has created one of the country’s largest transformation f...
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Season 3
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Episode 36
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25:54
Designing Sharjah’s Story
For Emirati designer and artist Hessa Al Zarooni, that story is deeply connected to Sharjah’s heritage. From her graduation project Mazdan — inspired by traditional gypsum patterns in old Sharjah — to designing the Made in Sharjah pavilion at S...
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Season 3
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Episode 35
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12:48
How Challenges Become Businesses
Every great business starts with a problem.For Yahya Kabbara, that problem was access — and turning something as ordinary as a gate pass into a powerful business model.In this episode, Yahya shares how MyGatePass identified a hi...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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15:53
How ELEVENISH Began
From friendship to fashion — how did Hala Al Gergawi and Soha Mikati turn a shared vision into a thriving brand?In this episode of the SEF Backstage Pass Podcast, Hala Al Gergawi and Soha Mikati share the story of how they built a busin...
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Season 3
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Episode 33
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33:10
Building a women-led brand
In this episode, Rhea and Nikita Patel share the journey of creating The Bureau — a women-focused co-working space designed to inspire, empower, and connect.From spotting a market gap to designing spaces where women thrive, they talk ab...
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Season 3
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Episode 32
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22:40
Why Structure Can Kill Creativity
What happens when you let go of control, follow intuition, and build a life around purpose instead of profit?In this episode, futurist and innovation thinker Niki Skene breaks down his unconventional approach to business, creativity, an...
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Season 3
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Episode 31
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21:02
Starting a Food Brand from Scratch
Dr. Hamad Alawar was pursuing his PhD in engineering when a late-night craving turned into a business idea. What started as a side hustle became High Joint — one of Dubai’s most beloved homegrown burger brands.In this episode, he breaks...
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Season 3
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Episode 30
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35:04
How to Build a Real AI Startup
From a PhD at Cambridge to co-founding a €11M AI startup, Dr. Ahmed Ghanim Al-Ali shares what it takes to build real-world impact through technology. In this episode, he breaks down the mindset behind great tech founders, the reality of competi...
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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18:07
Lessons from Everest & Beyond
🎙 A powerful episode with Mostafa Salameh, world-renowned adventurer, humanitarian, and motivational speaker.From summiting Mount Everest to inspiring thousands around the world, Mostafa shares his journey of faith, purpose, and resilie...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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28:11
Becoming the First Female Aircraft Engineer in the UAE
Meet Suaad Al Shamsi, the UAE’s first female aircraft engineer. In this episode, she shares how a childhood fascination with airplanes turned into a groundbreaking career.From overcoming stereotypes in a male-dominated industry to mento...
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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29:40
How to Turn Culture into Content
How did FREEJ — a show that redefined animation in the Arab world and gave a voice to Emirati identity — become one of the region’s most iconic cultural creations?In this episode, Mohammed Saeed Harib, creator of FREEJ, SIRAJ, and direct...
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Season 3
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Episode 26
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14:51
How to Scale a Brand from the Ground Up
What does it take to go from earning AED 800 as a barista to becoming the founder of a specialty coffee empire? ☕ Maria Eduarda Becker Pavani, founder of Tres Marias Coffee Company, shares her inspiring journey of entrepreneurship, resilience, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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29:01
How to Integrate AI into Everyday Products
How does a regional super app evolve into an everything app — and what does that mean for AI, data, and product design?In this episode, Mohamad Charafeddine shares the inside story of Careem’s next chapter: how they’re building for c...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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26:02
Building a Music Brand Without a Label
In this episode of SEF Backstage Pass Podcast — in partnership with Poddster — Canadian band Music Travel Love share their story of independence, passion, and building a global community through heartfelt music. From walking away from major lab...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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20:22
It’s Time to Rethink Education
Traditional education was designed for factory workers — not for a world shaped by AI.In this episode, Dr Abdul Quddus Mohammed shares how Thrive AI is helping Gen Z build mindset, resilience, and purpose in an era of rapid change.<...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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26:34
Building F&B Brands with Soul
In this episode of SEF Backstage Pass, we dive into the journey of Hadil El Khatib, founder of The Broth Lab, The Roost Rotisserie, and Catcha Matcha.Hadil opens up about how she built three purpose-driven F&B brands, the deep pe...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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28:10
How Growth Tastes with House of Pops
In this episode of SEF Backstage Pass, we sit down with Mazen Kanaan, the CEO and co-founder of House of Pops — the region’s standout clean-label popsicle brand. Mazen opens up about how they launched the brand with one cart, stayed true to the...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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31:40
شغف تحوّل لإرث
في هذه الحلقة من SEF Backstage Pass، نلتقي بالمصمم الإماراتي الرائد هشام المظلوم، ونتعمّق معه في رحلته في عالم التصميم، وقصة بناء مشروع ديواني الذي دمج فيه فن الخط العربي مع العمارة المعاصرة.يتحدث هشام عن التحديات، ال...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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23:09
Reinventing Fuel Retail with Innovation
🎧 From launching the world’s first naming rights fuel station to revolutionizing loyalty in fuel retail—Ali Bin Zayed shares how Emarat is leading innovation while staying rooted in community impact.🎙️ In partnership with Poddster.<...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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35:59
The Real Reason VCs Say No
🎧 From building a bridge between startup founders and investors to championing data access and radical honesty—Erika Masako Welch shares how Lucidity Insights is transforming how startups in emerging markets grow, pitch, and lead with purpose.<...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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38:20
