Nadim Ahmed took a leap most people only talk about: he put nearly everything on the line—401k, savings, stability—while his wife was pregnant… to open a Venture X coworking space in DFW.
In this episode, we unpack:
Why he chose Dallas before he chose coworking
The real risk (and reality) behind franchising a coworking brand
What WeWork got wrong (and what operators still get right)
Why “ideas are cheap” and execution is everything
The hospitality details that make a space feel premium—down to lighting, layout, and vibe
If you’re building, investing, or debating the jump from corporate to entrepreneurship—this one’s for you.
🎧 Watch the full conversation and let us know: would you ever go “all in” on one bet?
In Episode 26, we sit down with Riaz Surthi, founder of Hearty Foods, to unpack what it really takes to build a mission-driven food brand in today’s competitive CPG landscape.Riaz shares his journey from early experimentation to scaling Hearty Foods, navigating distribution, brand storytelling, and staying grounded while growing a values-first company. We talk about the realities of food entrepreneurship, lessons learned the hard way, and what aspiring founders should know before entering the food and beverage space.Whether you’re a founder, operator, or someone curious about how modern food brands are built, this episode offers real insight into growth, grit, and doing business with intention.
From MBA school → startup grind → Friday Ventures.In this episode, Arshan Ahmad breaks down his journey and how being visibly Muslim shaped the way he leads, builds, and invests.
Welcome to WaZu Capital Partners – Building Wealth Through Smart Real EstateIn this video, we dive deep into WaZu Capital Partners: who they are, what they do, and why they’re turning heads in the real estate investment world.🏡 What is WaZu Capital Partners?WaZu Capital Partners is a U.S.–based real estate development and investment firm focusing on:🏠 Land acquisitions and development of single-family and multifamily homes.🏢 Townhomes, hospitality properties, senior‐living communities, and retail developments.Large-scale, mixed-use real estate projects that create long-term value and opportunities for investors. 👤 Meet the LeadershipZulikha Hussain (“Lady Z”) — Co-Founder & President: 25+ years in real estate, with in-depth experience in commercial land acquisition, multi-use development, light industrial, multifamily, hotels, and more. Mohammad Hussain — Founder & CEO: 15+ years in real estate + 30+ years in technology/network development — bridging real estate with modern technology to build smarter, future-ready properties. 🌟 Why WaZu Capital MattersWaZu doesn’t just build houses — it aims to craft thoughtfully designed communities and mixed-use developments that address housing needs, create growth potential, and offer investors an opportunity to build long-term wealth. Their model brings together seasoned real-estate experience and a forward-looking approach to development.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. IQ to unpack his journey from Pakistan to becoming one of DFW’s rising dental leaders. He shares how he and his brothers built their path in the dental world, the mindset behind their success, and what it takes to grow a thriving practice today.If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, immigrant stories, or the business of dentistry, this one’s for you.
In Episode 22, we sit down with Rheem Hammouda — entrepreneur, world-traveler, mother, and someone who’s lived more lifetimes than most of us combined. Her story moves from Egypt to Chicago to Dubai, through a divorce that reshaped everything, to a career at IBM, and ultimately to a path of healing that came from the most unexpected place.
Rheem opens up about rediscovering herself after 15 years in corporate America, raising her son across continents, navigating faith with confidence, and the moment her health forced her to rethink everything she knew. What she found next — and how it transformed her life — even shocked her son… and apparently, Bill Gates.
This episode is about resilience, identity, health, and the kind of barakah that shows up when you stop counting and start trusting.
If you’re someone rebuilding, redefining, or reconnecting, this one will hit home.
Robhy joins us to share how his Palestinian identity shaped his journey from idea to impact — culminating in a win at TechCrunch’s global startup competition. We talk about the drive, resilience, and purpose that fueled his success, and what it means to represent Palestine on one of the world’s biggest stages for early-stage founders.
🔥 In this episode of “Caravan” we sit down with Mustafa Ammar — a true career chameleon and high-achiever.
Mustafa has lived several lives in one, starting as a pharmacist, then moving into diplomacy (yes — working in China, Malawi and at the UN), and ultimately bringing over $1.1 billion in infrastructure finance to the Middle East as an investment specialist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Mustafa Ammar
Today he’s the founder & CEO of The Passion MBA and author of Time To Move On, helping professionals redesign their careers and build businesses that reflect their purpose. Mustafa Ammar
🎙️ What we dive into:
How Mustafa pulled off rapid, dramatic career shifts without sacrificing excellence.
The mindset and habits that allowed him to pivot—from pharmacy, to diplomacy, to investment banking, to entrepreneurship.
Why playing the “specialist vs generalist” game is overrated (and how Mustafa argues we all have more in us than we realise). Mustafa Ammar
Real talk: the fears and messiness behind transitions, and how to still show up and perform at a high level.
Concrete take-aways for you: whether you’re thinking of switching fields, upgrading your career, or launching something entirely new.
🔔 Tune in if you’re ready to leave behind “job = lifetime” thinking, embrace change with intention, and elevate the standards of how you show up—no matter your stage.
👇 Found on the web:
Mustafa’s website: mustafaammar.com/about
In this episode, we sit down with Senan Khawaja — Stanford alum, global citizen, and founder of the EdTech startup Kollegio — to unpack his journey, his mission, and what’s next for education.👤 About Senan Khawaja:Senan graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Econometrics, Quantitative Economics, and International Development. He founded Kollegio to tackle the glaring inequity in college-counseling access — using technology to bring high-quality guidance to students worldwide.🔔 Why you should listen:Whether you’re a student navigating your path, an educator curious about the intersection of AI and learning, or an entrepreneur building in the impact space — this conversation provides insight into creating something with both purpose and scale.Connect with Senan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senankhawaja/Kollegio: kollegio.ai
What started as one too many late-night DMs to wedding vendors turned into LemonJuice, a digital home for South Asian event creatives. Founder Rafat Niger joins us to talk about her journey from Google to grassroots entrepreneurship—how she’s bridging culture, tech, and storytelling to make finding local talent effortless. This one’s about turning community energy into a scalable product.
Hakim went from a quiet Florida town to the fast-paced world of tech startups — and made it count. In this conversation, he shares the journey behind founding Rollfi, the lessons from scaling it, and what it feels like when the dream becomes reality with an acquisition. Perfect for anyone building from the ground up and wondering what it takes to make it out and make it big.
In this episode of The Caravan Podcast, we sit down with Shastri Mahadeo, Venture Partner at Friday Ventures.Shastri shares his remarkable journey — from growing up non-Muslim, to embracing Islam, and carving out a career as a successful investor. His story highlights how taking an untraditional path can still lead to the best outcomes, both personally and professionally.👉 Subscribe to The Caravan for more conversations with founders, investors, and builders shaping the future.
In this episode of The Caravan Podcast, we sit down with Dawood Khan, founder of Gradio — the platform that made sharing ML models simple and accessible.Dawood shares how a casual weekly “show and tell” with friends turned into a company that ultimately exited, and what lessons he’s carried from building in the open to scaling globally.👉 Subscribe to The Caravan for more conversations with founders, investors, and builders shaping the future.
We sat down with Ramy Noaman, founder of Habibitech, for a wide-ranging conversation you won’t want to miss.
From exploring the history and leadership lessons of Salahuddin Ayyubi to unpacking what the AI revolution means for Muslims today, Ramy shares both timeless wisdom and forward-looking insights.
In this episode, we dive into:
The legacy of Salahuddin and how it inspires leadership today
Why Muslims need to focus fully on emerging technologies like AI
Building Habibitech and the role of faith in entrepreneurship
How our communities can prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead
This is a conversation about history, innovation, and responsibility—bridging the past with the future.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell so you don’t miss future episodes from Caravan Podcast.
#CaravanPodcast #AI #MuslimEntrepreneurs #Habibitech
🚗✨ Cars aren’t just vehicles—they carry our stories, our memories, and our passions.
In this episode, Guff from Albon Films shares how cars become part of our lives far beyond the road. From the stories behind the wheel to the culture they create, this conversation dives deep into what makes car culture timeless.
Follow us for more stories:
Instagram: @CaravanPodcast
TikTok: @Caravanpod
#CaravanPodcast #AlbonFilms #CarCulture #CarStories
In this episode, we sit down with Mouyyad Abdulhadi, founder of Pax & Beneficia, who made the leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship — building 7+ thriving coffee shop locations.Mouyyad shares how his corporate experience shaped his approach to business, the challenges he faced in leaving the stability of a 9-to-5, and what it took to create a community-driven café brand. From scaling operations to building culture, this is a story of turning vision into reality.
P&B IG: https://www.instagram.com/paxandbeneficia
Caravan Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/caravanpodcast/?hl=en
Have a guest in mind? https://www.caravanpod.com/nomination-form
We sat down with Zachariah, founder of InPairs, to talk about how his app is reshaping the way people build connections online. In this interview, we dive into:The story behind InPairs and why Zachariah decided to launch itWhat makes the app different from traditional dating and networking platformsChallenges of building a community-first tech productLessons for entrepreneurs breaking into the app spaceWhether you’re an aspiring founder, a tech enthusiast, or just curious about how apps like InPairs are changing the way we connect, this conversation is packed with insights and inspiration.🚀 About CaravanCaravan is a podcast where we spotlight Muslim founders, innovators, and builders who are creating meaningful companies. Our mission is to showcase the breadth of success within our community and inspire the next generation to dream bigger, build smarter, and believe that building at the highest level is possible.👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more founder stories!#InPairs #Entrepreneurship #CaravanPodcast #FounderStories #StartupLife
In this exclusive interview, I sit down with Nima Akram, the founder of NewsCord — the groundbreaking AI-powered platform that’s changing how we consume news. We dive into how NewsCord exposes media bias, compares coverage across outlets, and helps readers see the truth behind the headlines.
We discuss:
How NewsCord uses AI to detect and compare bias in news reporting
The story behind its creation and what inspired Nima to start it
Real examples of how narratives differ between outlets
The future of news transparency and media accountability
📲 Try NewsCord: [insert link]
📌 Subscribe for more interviews with innovators shaping the future of media & tech!
#NewsCord #MediaBias #AI #News #Journalism #ArtificialIntelligence #Transparency #BiasExposed
What happens when two twin brothers—one a doctor, the other a government auditor—leave their traditional career paths to build a mission-driven movement at the intersection of faith, personal growth, and entrepreneurship?
In this special Caravan Podcast episode recorded live during Muslim Tech Week in London, we sit down with The Tarbiyah Twins (Hassan & Hussain) to explore:
🔹 Their journey from medicine and audit to content creation and coaching
🔹 How being Muslim entrepreneurs shapes their approach to risk, success, and discipline
🔹 The importance of merging Islamic scholarship with personal development frameworks
🔹 Building a new coaching model rooted in prophetic tradition—not just productivity hacks
🔹 The reality of working with your sibling (and staying sane doing it)
🔹 Scaling their impact through group coaching, content, and future platformsWhether you're a founder, creative, coach, or someone just looking to live more intentionally—this episode dives deep into what it means to build something with purpose.
📍 Follow the TarbiyahTwins:Instagram / TikTok / LinkedIn: @TarbiyahTwinsWebsite: www.tarbiyahtwins.com
👇 Let us know in the comments:Which insight from this convo resonated the most with you?
What happens when three Muslim founders from completely different worlds come together to launch a venture fund rooted in Islamic values? Meet the team behind Ihsan Ventures, the UK’s first venture studio and fund built for — and by — Muslim entrepreneurs.
In this episode of The Caravan, we sit down with Jaasir Ali, Zhagum Arshad, and Mohamed Sheffa to explore:
🔹 How their unique paths led to one shared mission
🔹 Why Muslim founders are often overlooked in venture capital
🔹 The power of building with ihsan — excellence, purpose, and integrity
🔹 Their bold vision for the future of ethical startups
This isn’t just another startup story — it’s a movement.
👉 Subscribe for more real conversations at the intersection of faith, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
📍 Learn more: ihsan.ventures
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more.
#MuslimFounders #VentureCapital #FaithInBusiness #IhsanVentures #TheCaravanPodcast