eTwinning Podcast - English version

Gemma Elizabeth is a home schooling expert. In 2014, she began to home educate her child after he developed separation anxiety when he first went to pre-school. Gemma began to blog about her experiences on home education and soon became an inspirational figure for other parents looking to home educate their children. Today, she home educates her 3 children and has created an environment in which they are thriving compared to their peers. Through her blogs and videos, she regularly tackles the misconceptions about homeschooling. She is passionate about sharing her own experiences which has led her to happiness and fulfilment as a mother. In this episode we talk about why Gemma started to home educate, the pros and cons of home education, taking care of herself, tips for parents looking to homeschool and we also discuss different learning styles for children. We really enjoyed speaking to Gemma about this topic as it's an area that we both are not familiar with and had our own misconceptions about. There are many takeaways from this episode that you can incorporate into your own life, even if you are not keen on home education.    If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Huda Fahmy is a cartoonist and creator of the hilarious web-comic series ‘Yes, I’m hot in this’. The comic humorously portrays the life of an American Muslim woman wearing the hijab and is used as a platform to address misconception people have about women who wear the hijab. Huda started the web-comics in March 2017, in reference to a common question she would get asked. Today, via her popular Instagram page, ‘Yes I’m hot in this’ has become a platform to share stories about Muslim life inspired by her own personal experiences. In December 2018, Huda released her first book titled, ‘Yes, I'm Hot in This: The Hilarious Truth about Life in a Hijab’. The book has already received many positive reviews, with many non-Muslims readers stating that the book helped them appreciate and understand different cultures and a way of life. In the episode, we speak to Huda about how the self-taught cartoonist began the comic series, the impact that the comic has had, where does she get her inspiration from, the experience of releasing her own book and so much more! We had a fun speaking with Huda and learning about the world of creating comics and how she breaks down barriers via her comics! If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Shahed Amanullah is a serial entrepreneur and a Silicon Valley veteran. In 1998, he founded Zabihah.com, the world’s first Halal restaurant guide. He is the co-founder of Zakatify, a social initiative in partnership with PayPal which turns your annual Zakat giving into social experience for Muslim communities and beyond. Shahed has also co-founded Affinis Labs, an award-winning social innovation firm that helps clients tackle global challenges through entrepreneurship. Shahed served as a Senior Advisor for Technology for the US State Department and has also briefed President Barack Obama several times on efforts to bring together Americans and the global Muslim communities. In this episode, we talk about Shahed’s entrepreneurial journey, his passion for creating companies with a social impact, inspiring global Muslim tech communities under the Obama administration, pros and cons of current trends within global Muslim businesses and exploring the concept of the ‘by us, for them’ business model. We enjoyed our conversation with the Silicon Valley veteran, gaining great insight in to business trends within the Muslim communities and his genuine passion for social impact via technology. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Muhammad Aurangzeb is a Data Scientist, an associate professor at University of Washington and the founder of ‘Islam & Science Fiction’, a website dedicated to sci-fi stories, novels, movies with Islamic themes Aurangzeb is a Data Scientist at KenSci, a US based, artificial intelligence healthcare start-up dedicated to predict your future health. Aurangzeb is one of the few Muslims in tech that is committed to determine the impact of artificial intelligence on Islamic principles and how these principles and ethics can be coded in to future technologies such as the autonomous vehicle. We talk to Aurangzeb about what is artificial intelligence, the influence of AI in our daily lives, why the application of Islamic principles (Fiqh) and ethics should be applied to AI technologies and how Muslims can contribute towards a future with Muslim lifestyle compliant technology We had an insightful and fun conversation with Aurangzeb using the autonomous vehicle, AI Hajj and the hand-slaughtered vs. machine-slaughtered conundrum as examples. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Yassmin Abdel-Magied is an engineer, award winning social advocate, author and broadcaster. Yassmin advocates for the empowerment of youth, women and those from culturally diverse backgrounds. Yassmin started her working career as an engineer on oil rigs in Australia where she was a rare sight on the rigs – a hijab-wearing Muslim woman! At age 16, she founded the non-for-profit Youth Without Borders and by 24, she had released her memoir, Yassmin’s Story. She also appeared as a presenter for Australia’s ABC TV channel. In 2015, Yassmin gave a popular Ted Talk about the unconscious bias which has led her to now build a career around challenging the unconscious bias. Yassmin's work and leadership have been recognised with many honours including Young Australian Muslim of the Year in 2007. In this episode, we discuss Yassmin’s unique experiences of working on remote oil rigs, her fallout with the Australian media, finding strength to deal with a very public backlash, what is the unconscious bias and so much more! We really enjoyed speaking to Yassmin and hearing her incredible story, learning from mistakes and having faith in Allah If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Mohammed Faris is an international coach, author, speaker and the founder of Productive Muslim. Productive Muslim is a popular lifestyle blog which Mohammed started in 2007 to explore the question, “Can Islam teach us productivity?” Today, Mohammed dedicates himself to deliver productivity resources and training aligned with Islamic ethics. He has also published a book, ‘The ProductiveMuslim Book: Where Faith Meets Productivity’ which is a culmination of things he has learnt along the way. In this episode, Mohammed talks about how Islam teaches us productivity, the importance of Barakah and offers some tips that can be implemented in your daily life to boost your own productivity. We really enjoyed our chat with Mohammed. He is very knowledgeable, and we can see why he helps executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs re-balance their lives spiritually, physically and socially to achieve peak performance in their personal and professional lives. There are many take away from this episode, so have you pen and paper ready! Original Broadcast Date: 6th August 2018 If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Mohammed Ali is an award winning artist, curator and creative producer. He is regarded as a pioneer in the Islamic street-art movement, fusing street art with Islamic script and patterns. He has been awarded an MBE for services to Art. Mohammed began as a graffiti artist, painting Islamic inspired street art. He has since evolved his work towards combining street art with live performances, installations, digital projections and moving soundscapes. He has created truly immersive experiences for audiences throughout the world, from street canvases in New York,  Amsterdam, London and Melbourne, to intimate performances in the Vatican. His work serves as a bridge, bringing together communities divided by culture, faith and ethnicity. In 2008, Mohammed founded ‘Soul City Arts’, a global arts movement bringing together artists, activists and communities with the goal of transforming society. In 2013, Mohammed was invited to the Vatican to present at a TedX entitled “Religious Freedom Today” where he painted a street art mural live on stage. On the show today, we discuss his journey as a graffiti artist and becoming a role model to future Islam-inspired artists, the state of the Islamic arts scene today and learning from past experiences, the future of the Islamic Arts and the inspiration behind his Vatican performance. We had an insightful conversation with the pioneer, exploring an area which does not get much media coverage and learning more about the Islamic Arts space. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook. For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected].

Shazad Younas is the founder and CEO of Muzmatch. In 2014, Shahzad quit his job in banking to pursue Muzmatch full time after seeing friends struggling to find a partner. Today, Muzmatch helps Muslims around the world find their perfect marriage partner. The Muzmatch app operates in 190 countries, has over 500,000 members and has had 15,000 successful matches. They have disrupted the Muslim matchmaking market place with their playful approach, high quality offering and engaging content. Today on the show we discuss Shazad’s inspiration behind starting Muzmatch, how it has helped thousands overcome common issues in Muslim communities, the importance of using the service with good intentions and how easy it is for people to use the app to find their perfect partner We had a great time speaking to Shazad, hearing his story and understanding his desire to make a difference whilst helping people. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Tez Ilyas is an award winning British comedian and actor who started comedy in 2010 as a hobby. He is regarded as one of most celebrated rising stars in British comedy. After studying biochemistry at university, Tez went on to work as a civil servant for a decade. He was told by his friends that he was quite funny, so he started to speak at open mic events in London and soon discovered that he was quite good at stand-up comedy! In 2015, Tez left his job to pursue show business full time and achieved phenomenal success with his debut tour, Tez Talks, followed by his own series on BBC based on his show. In 2016, his highly anticipated follow up show, Made in Britain, debuted at the infamous Edinburgh Festival Fringe and went on to sell out every performances. In 2018, Tez toured with his latest show, Teztify, which he also performed at the prestigious venue, Live at the Apollo. Tez also appears on the hit BBC show, Man Like Mobeen, where he plays the character ‘Eight’. On the show today, we talk about how Tez stumbled into comedy, dealing with nerves on the stage, transitioning from stand-up to acting, and so much more! Please excuse our giggles and laughter but it was too hard to resist laughing at Tez’s jokes throughout this episode. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Mikhail Melvin Goh is the founder of Have Halal, Will Travel (HHWT), a media & technology company offering resources and tools to help Muslim travellers plan their perfect trip. In 2016, Mikhail discovered Islam and in turn, experienced the extra precautions required and lack of services a Muslim traveller faces when travelling the world. The Singaporean native was motivated to provide a solution for the struggle, so he teamed up with his wife and friend and founded HHWT. Today, HHWT content reaches over 8.6 million Muslims a month. They are redefining the Muslim travel market with highly shareable social content and technology products to recommend the best things to do, eat and places to pray. On the show today, we discuss Mikhail’s journey to Islam, spreading peace via travelling, holiday trends and often overlooked Muslim-friendly destinations! We really enjoyed speaking to Mikhail and his genuine desire to spread peace via travelling. Our LaunchGood collaboration for this episode is with the ‘Middle Path’, a game created by Binaye Games. Show your support to help them achieve their crowd funding goal! Thanks for listening. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Android or Spotify Follow us on Instagram or Facebook For feedback, banter or any business enquiries, e-mail us at [email protected]

Amal Kassir is a Syrian-American, international spoken word poet. If you asked Amal to describe herself in 3 words, she would say ‘Story-Telling Activist’ Amal has spoken in 10 countries and over 70 cities in venues ranging from youth prisons to orphanages, universities to refugee camps. She is widely known for her famous Ted Talk, ‘The Muslim on the airplane’, which has over 3 million views on Youtube alone! The Denver-born poet has lost countless members of her family to the violence in Syria in the last eight years. Amal feels that it is pertinent to write about the injustices to her people in the form of spoken word. In this episode, Amal shares with us her story, where her passion to speak about injustice stems from and why she channelled her energy towards poetry, to speak about the ones who are not spoken for. We also talk about the art of storytelling and how you can become a better storyteller. Amal shares an experience of failure and what she learnt from it and also provides some useful tips on engaging with your community. We hope you like this powerful episode. Don’t forget to share the episode, subscribe to the podcast, check out past episodes with amazing guests, give us  5-star reviews on your podcast app and why not e-mail us at [email protected] and tell us how good (or bad) of a job we’re doing!

Peter Gould returns to share his reflections from his recent journey to Hajj in 2018 (1439). Peter provides a powerful reflection based on his experiences , encounters with diverse pilgrims, looking at Hajj from a designer’s perspective and talking about some of the gadgets he came across.  He also shares his views on the importance of creating a community, how he created a community of global creative Muslims, and the power of creativity within the youth and what we can do to empower it. We had a great time hearing Peter’s Hajj stories. We think this episode will inspire you to start thinking about planning your own journey to perform the Hajj Insh’Allah! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Peter Gould is a celebrated designer, creative entrepreneur and artist. His innovative, award-winning work is highly sought after globally and it has touched millions with positive, inspirational creative projects. He has won several awards, launched his own apps & games, created popular online platforms, teaches workshops internationally, and has work published in several books. In 2002, while studying graphic design, Peter embraced Islam. He began travelling abroad to the Middle East and fell in love with the beautiful old cities of Fes, Damascus, Istanbul and Medina. In 2016, Peter joined Zileej as Design Executive Officer to develop a new generation of lifestyle brands, products and creative experiences for Muslims. Some of the brands that he has been part of are the 5Pillars game, Salaam Sisters and many more! In part one of our chat with Peter, we talk about his journey to Islam, Islamic influence in design, unlocking your creative potential, design thinking and so much more! We were honoured to have Peter on the show. He is one of the most influential thought leaders amongst global urban Muslims and has been an inspiration to us. It was great to hear his story, pick his brains and get our creative juices flowing! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Zahra Shah is from the UK, she is on a mission to grow Iraq’s tech ecosystem and build talent among youth, so that they can solve local issues using technology. Zahra is a Program Manager for Re:Coded, whose purpose is to provide opportunities for young people affected by conflict to enter the tech industry and become entrepreneurs. Zahra is a ‘tech humanitarian’. She has previously worked at Gaza Sky Geeks, Gaza’s first accelerator and coding school, the UN, and various startups based in London and Amsterdam, including Groupon. In this episode we speak to Zahra about her mission in helping displaced and conflict affected youth to enter the digital economy and become entrepreneurs. We talk about her work with the UN, how technology can help in solving many humanitarian issues, Gaza Sky Geeks, living and working in Iraq, women in tech, her tips for entering the tech industry and so much more! We really enjoyed our chat with our fellow Londoner. We learnt a lot about how technology and a startup ecosystem can greatly benefit a generation of conflict affected youth to step in to the digital space, something that we didn't know existed before we spoke with Zahra If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Remona Aly is a journalist, broadcaster and commentator with a focus on faith, lifestyle and identity. She writes for The Guardian and other media outlets, often promoting positive stories about Muslims in the West. Her articles range from The Great British Bake Off to burkinis, Ramadan to interfaith football, fashion and rock music! As a commentator, she has appeared on TV and radio such a BBC, ITV and Sky News.   In this episode, we had fun talking with Remona about journalism, how she ended up writing for a Muslim lifestyle magazine and then The Guardian, the work that goes in to researching a story, PR campaigns, trolls, dealing with word count and so much more! If you are curious to know about Muslims in the media, portraying the right image of Islam in the media or getting a taste of behind-the-scenes of journalism, have a listen and share it with others who may be interested! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Mohammed Faris is an international coach, author, speaker and the founder of Productive Muslim. Productive Muslim is a popular lifestyle blog which Mohammed started in 2007 to explore the question, “Can Islam teach us productivity?” Today, Mohammed dedicates himself to deliver productivity resources and training aligned with Islamic ethics. He has also published a book, ‘The ProductiveMuslim Book: Where Faith Meets Productivity’ which is a culmination of things he has learnt along the way. In this episode, Mohammed talks about how Islam teaches us productivity, the importance of Barakah and offers some tips that can be implemented in your daily life to boost your own productivity. We really enjoyed our chat with Mohammed. He is very knowledgeable, and we can see why he helps executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs re-balance their lives spiritually, physically and socially to achieve peak performance in their personal and professional lives. There are many take away from this episode, so have you pen and paper ready! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

As Hajj is around the corner, we decided to rebroadcast our previous episode with Sayfullah Nasir to inspire you on your own Hajj journey. In July 2017, a group of 8 British Muslims embarked on a journey of a lifetime by cycling from London to Madinah to perform the Hajj. Cycling over 3,500 kilometers, across 8 countries and 3 continents, they reached Madinah after 6 weeks and raised over £250,000 to buy medical aid for Syria with the Human Aid charity. Sayfullah Nasir is one of the ‘Hajj Riders’ and on behalf of the other riders, he shares the story of their epic journey. He shares how the idea began, planning the journey, the outpouring support from the Muslim communities en route, obstacles faced and and so much more! Original Broadcast Date: 18th December 2017 If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Haroon Mota is a fundraising manager for PennyAppeal, a charity which raises money for noteworthy causes. He is also the head of Challenges at PennyAppeal which means he cooks up some amazing ideas for charitable causes. Haroon is known as the Marathon Man after he completed running a ‘4 marathons in 4 weeks’ challenge, dedicated to his father who died tragically in a car accident. The aim was to raise money for a solar water power centre in Africa which has since been successfully built. To date, Haroon has raised over £1 million via many different challenges such as climbing to the Everest base camp, London marathon, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya, the Machu Picchu trail in Peru, Palestine Marathon and so much more! Haroon talks about how he accidentally stumbled upon his current career choice whilst trekking Mount Snowdon in the UK and meeting a group of Muslim women hikers. He discusses how the act of doing good was instilled in him from a young age via the influence of his father and being sent to an Islamic boarding school to learn the Holy Quran. Today, Haroon dedicates his time in helping others fundraise for their charity campaigns and thinking up various unique challenges to push you through your limits. On this episode we discuss the challenges of fundraising, motivations for overcoming barriers, how to get involved in charitable causes and so much more! We really enjoyed talking with Haroon and being infected by his passion and enthusiasm for raising money for charities. So much so we ended up signing up for a few events in the process! Haroon is a real inspiration, he trains hard and works hard to raise money for noteworthy causes impacting Muslims around the world, he inspires others to take part in achieving their own goals as well as helping them raise money for charity. Haroon was recently presented with the ‘Good Citizen Award’ by his local Mayor, an award that he quite rightly deserves.

Rimla Akhtar MBE is the chair of the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation and the first Muslim woman to sit on the English Football Association council. She is also on the Forbes list of ‘the most powerful women in international sports in 2018’. In 2005 she captained the British Muslim Women’s football team. Since an early age, she has been a sports fanatic and today she champions inclusivity in sports, particularly for women from ethnic minorities to participate in sports that take in to consideration religious and cultural sensitivities. In 2007, she was part of a team to help overturn FIFA’s ban on the hijab. Rimla shares her story on how she was influenced in to sports via her older brothers, being the only girl playing football with them. She talks about her experiences of being part of sports teams, wearing the hijab and standing out in sporting events, and participating in a world record game in Jordan. We discuss how young Muslim girls can be more involved in sports, how they can get support via the Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation, advice on ensuring your modesty whilst competing and the remarkable impact of the footballer, Mohamed Salah from Liverpool FC. We really enjoyed talking to Rimla and seeing the increasing trend of more Muslims taking part in sports and having a positive impact. Mohammed Ali left a lasting legacy as the most recognised Muslim sportsman. Today there are many amazing Muslims in sports such as Ibtihaj Muhammad (American fencer), Sir Mo Farah (long distance runner), Moeen Ali (English cricketer) and Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand Rugby) player.

Nazia Nasreen is the founder of Ibraheem Toy House, the world’s leading online Islamic toy store. She’s also a mum of 2 children, a wife and an audiologist. In 2014, Nazia founded Ibraheem Toy House whilst on maternity leave for her second child. She always struggled to find good quality Islamic toys for her daughter to make religious education fun. She decided to create her own online toy store and via word of mouth, this quickly spread and ending up being a full-time business. Nazia shares her story on how, as an introverted and a shy person, she would attend networking events and, whilst being the only Muslim woman, she would volunteer to present her business and really throw herself outside of her comfort zone. She talks about running out of money and going back to her old job to raise cash, how her product inspired someone to accept Islam and why she wanted to quit and sell her business but instead Allah had other plans! Nazia has an inspiring story. From selling toys on a single Facebook page to now having a team of people working for her. We were inspired by her and proud to see a Muslim woman on top of her game! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Fikra Yel is the founder of Ramadan Sharing Fridges, an initiative that serves the less fortunate community workers and labourers with free food and drink during Ramadan.  In 2015, Fikra had a spare fridge and wondered what to do with it. She decided to put the fridge in her front yard and stock it with free food and drink for workers in the neighbourhood. It was also a great way of instilling the value of sharing in her children. Fast forward a few years, her single fridge evolved in to a Dubai wide initiative where members of the community share a fridge outside their houses and stock it with food for the less fortunate. Today, there are over 150 fridges across Dubai, bringing communities together and breaking barriers. Fridges are stocked voluntarily by generous members of community multiple times a day. The movement is now an annual event in the Dubai Ramadan calendar and is backed by many schools and large household names as corporate sponsors. Fikra discusses how it all started, building a community led initiative, the true value of Ramadan Fridges. Fikra’s story is so inspiring. She could have sold her fridge for some profit but instead decided to use it for a good cause. Her idea was unique. The initiative not only provides free food for the less fortunate, but establishes a relationship with them which would have been possible before. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

In the final episode of our ‘Ramadan prep’ series, we speak to Hiba Masood from Drama Mama about making Ramadan fun for kids! We talk to Hiba about teaching children about Ramadan in a fun way, instilling the spirit of Ramadan into children, craft activities, creating traditions, tips on getting children involved in charity, how can adults who don’t have children make Ramadan special for kids and lots more! Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss out on future episodes! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple PodcastFind us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

In our third episode of the ‘Ramadan prep’ series, we speak to nutritionist Nazima Qureshi about eating healthy during Ramadan. We talk about what we should be eating, foods to avoid, sunnah foods, tips on getting through the long summer days, some great recipes to make sure we have a healthy Ramadan and much more! Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss out on future episodes! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

In the second episode of our ‘Ramadan prep’ series, we speak to Imam Sayfullah Nasir about getting in to the spiritual mindset and how to make the most of the blessed month.   We talk about the benefits of Ramadan, times when Dua's are more likely to be accepted, Dua's to make, the last 10 days of Ramadan, tips on connecting with the Quran and much more! Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss out on future episodes! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

This is the first of our bitesize ‘Ramadan prep’ bonus episodes. In order to get in to the Ramadan spirit, we are releasing an episode a day for the next 4 days to get you primed and ready for the month of success. In this episode, we speak to past and future guests about how they prepare for Ramadan and what are their goals for the Holy Month. We hope that these conversations will inspire you to plan your goals for Ramadan and we hope you achieve all of them. We’d love to hear your goals! Share them via our social media pages. Ramadan Kareem from Anees & Foz If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Chris Abdur Rahman Blauvelt is the founder and CEO of Launchgood, the world's largest faith-inspired crowdfunding platform. They have helped raise more than $37 million across 104 countries for inspiring people doing great work in Muslim communities. At the age of 16, Chris accepted Islam after becoming inspired in part through the autobiography of Malcolm X. He has had a varied background from working for Intel, teaching at a boarding school, producing an award-winning Sundance film and now CEO of Launchgood. Chris shares his story about discovering Islam at a young age, the conflicts that he faced with his new religion, especially in the 9/11 era, and how Chris is committed to reviving the goodness of humanity by helping others do good. Chris also shares his views on the future of the Islamic economy and why he thinks that it is still in its infancy with a huge growth potential. Chris has an amazing story and we are honoured to share it. We are inspired by, how at such a young age, he had the maturity to make a big decision to convert and remain steadfast. His motto in life is truly selfless and he is determined to leave a legacy. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Melanie Elturk is the founder of Haute Hijab, one of the leading US modest fashion brands. In 2010, she set out with the vision to bring hijabs into the mainstream and to empower hijab wearing women worldwide. She is a regular contributor to Elle.com and has appeared on many mainstream media outlets in the US. Melanie shares how at a young age, her close friends had a big influence in her becoming close to Islam. She describes her early experiences at school whilst wearing the hijab and how she was determined from a young age to show wearing a hijab did not change people. Her story starts in Detroit and moves to Chicago, Dubai and New York. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about Melanie’s upbringing from a mixed background The motivation for wearing a Hijab Her Law career Why she started a modest fashion business The challenges on drawing the boundaries between modest fashion and keeping it Halal Building a community of loyal supporters And so much more! Melanie’s brand echoes her loud and colourful personality. Her passion for empowering women is infectious. She has built a strong brand with a tribe of loyal supporters. We had a blast speaking with Melanie, the episode covers so many subjects and Melanie is a true inspiration. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Sukaina Dada is the founder of SMILE Canada, an organization dedicated to supporting children and families in the Muslim community living with disabilities. A mother of two, Sukaina is passionate about helping Muslim communities become physically, socially accessible and inclusive. She is also the author the book, “A Bedtime Prayer for Peace”, an award-winning children's book inspired by a personal experience. In 2009, Sukaina conducted an academic study that examined the lived experiences of Muslim families who had children living with developmental and physical disabilities. The results of the study highlighted several challenges faced by minority communities in Canada, including the various Muslim communities. This laid the foundation of SMILE's mission over the next few years. Today, SMILE has over 200 volunteers, serves over 150 families in Toronto and provides support to new refugees arriving in Canada. The charity organises a wide range of events from parental education workshops, sporting events, community lectures, hospital Eid visits and much more. Sukaina shares a personal story of a family member with disabilities and seeing the difficulties the family experienced settling in to a new country, whilst navigating healthcare system and integrating with the local Muslim community. This highlighted to her the need to provide a service which raises awareness about disabilities within Muslim communities and supports families who have children with disabilities. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Teakster is one of the leading Muslim digital artists in the world, who offers a refreshing new take on Islamic art in the 21st century. He has exhibited his work to a diverse range of audiences, including various world leaders and Middle Eastern royalty. His artistic style is a fusion of Islamic artistic traditions and modern techniques inspired by his British upbringing. Teakster shares how he secretly pursued his passion in an environment where creativity was not encouraged and overcame the obstacles to becoming a multi-award-winning artist. He shares his insight on the Islamic undertone in his work and offers advice on finding your creativity. Speaking with Teakster opened our eyes to everyday creativity that we take for granted and made us realise that everyone has a creative spark within them which needs to be found. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Fazal Bahardeen is the founder of HalalTrip, the TripAdvisor for Muslims, and Crescent Rating, the world’s leading authority on scoring hotels, airports restaurants and lots more as being halal-friendly. Fazal is an expert on the Muslim Travel Industry, he even advises hotels and countries on the Muslim travel industry. He went from a highly successful executive career in the corporate world to become a successful entrepreneur. Fazal shares his story of how he left a well established and successful corporate career to start his first start up Crescent Rating. He shares the challenges, lessons and how transitioned into life as an entrepreneur as well as giving some valuable advice for anyone looking to make the same move. He also gives a fascinating insight into the Muslim travel industry, sharing trends and tips for Muslim travellers. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Heraa Hashmi is the creator of the Muslims Condemn list, a list of Muslims who condemn negative things such as terrorism, climate change, discrimination against women, and more. She started the list after she engaged in discussions with a classmate who said that Muslims did not do enough to "condemn violence when perpetrators committed such acts in the name of Islam”. After many hours of ‘googling’, the list grew to over 700 pages of evidences where Muslims have condemned. She tweeted the list and it went viral! The list was converted to an interactive website and is now merging with Georgetown University’s The Bridge Initiative. The Bridge Initiative is part research initiative, part counter-campaign to the Islamophobia industry. Heraa is also the winner of the 2017 Mohammed Ali Confident Muslim Award. In this episode, Heraa shares the story of how the Muslims Condemn list started, the role she plays on social media and meeting the daughters of Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. She also offers her advice on responsibilities on social media, how to get involved in your local community programs and volunteering and how she prepares for her ‘TED talk style’ speeches. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Ayaz Bhuta is a Wheelchair Rugby Paralympian for Great Britain. Born with Robert’s Syndrome, a genetic disorder which impairs growth. Ayaz has gone on to becoming a professional athlete, competing in the Rio 2016 Paralympics, winning two European championships, a Bronze medalist and a fans’ MVP. Born in Bolton (UK), Ayaz shares his story about being born with disabilities, how he has adapted to a world designed for ‘able-bodied’ people, disability in the Muslim community, experiences as a professional Muslim athlete and much more! We really enjoyed speaking with Ayaz. His story is inspirational and provides a good insight into disability, life as a professional athlete and dealing with hardship. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

In 2015, Amanda Saab appeared on season 6 of MasterChef (U.S), becoming the first Hijab wearing Muslim on a reality TV show. We dig into the different aspects of being on Masterchef, how she was perceived by the American public and how she used her fame to launch a new amazing initiative called “Dinner with your Muslim Neighbour”. Amanda shares some of the stories and experiences of these dinners and then gives some useful cooking tips along with some great resources If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Learning Roots is a company founded by Zaheer Khatri. He was born in London and gave up teaching to start Learning Roots to spread the beautiful religion of Islam to young children. Zaheer started the business after handing in his resignation while his wife was pregnant with their first child. We hear the challenges faced and the determination of Zaheer to fulfil his vision of being able to apply modern teaching techniques to how Islam is taught to children today. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

In April 2017, two Canadian Muslims, Sherry Qureshy and his wife Sara, founded Halal Socks. The idea behind the Muslim-inspired festive socks began when Sara struggled to find a suitable Eid gift for her husband. The husband and wife team started Halal Socks to proudly celebrate Muslim identities in a fun, light hearted way and have engaging conversations with their non-Muslims friends and colleagues about Islam with the backdrop of rising Islamophobia in the west. Today, Halal Socks is being worn by Muslims and Non-Muslims, celebrating diversity, inclusiveness and addressing Islamaphobia. Even the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau wears Halal Socks. Sherry explains the inspiration behind the brand, the creative spark behind the designs, the struggles faced from within the Muslim community, his tips for starting a design focused business, having a bigger purpose behind your brand and the media storm after Justin Trudeau wore their socks…twice in public! If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

In July 2017, a group of 8 British Muslims embarked on a journey of a lifetime by cycling from London to Madinah to perform the Hajj. Cycling over 3,500 kilometers, across eight countries and three continents, they reached Madinah after six weeks and raised over £250,000 to buy medical aid for Syria with the Human Aid charity. Saifullah Nasser is one of the ‘Hajj Riders’ and on behalf of the other riders, he shares the story of their epic journey. Hear how the idea began, planning the journey, the outpouring support from the Muslim communities en route, obstacles faced and how YOU can join them next year! The Hajj Riders dealt with every single scenario imaginable. They are definitely #SuperPoweredMuslims If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

Jeri Villarreal is from St. Louis, USA. She is a mother, a triathlete, an urban farmer and she works full time. Jeri shares her #SuperPoweredMuslim story. Why she lets Islam lead her life, how her children’s severe food allergies made her rethink how they get their food and what motivated her to compete in triathlons whilst dressed modestly in a hijab. Join the guys and find out what urban farming is, how it plays a role in Jeri’s Muslim lifestyle, and her tips for starting a Kickstarter campaign. Jeri’s story is inspirational and offers some useful advice on balancing faith, family and goals. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If you want to get in touch, e-mail us at [email protected]

We are so excited to finally release this episode with the amazing Mohammed (Moe) Khankhara from Halal Paleo. Growing up, Moe was the skinny kid who got overlooked for his school sports teams. In his 20’s he discovered how fitness was beginning to have a positive impact on his mindset and enabled him to push himself to his limits. His #SuperPoweredMuslim story is transforming his lifestyle to becoming a super fit burpee king! We are excited to have Moe on as our first guest as he has been inspirational in assisting us in changing our mindset towards fitness and community engagement whilst living an inclusive Islamic lifestyle.  by not making it a chore but something that we both look forward to everyday. Find out how Moe started his journey and listen to his tips on how you can make small changes in your life towards achieving your goals. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Teaser background music Yusuf Islam - Tala al Badru 'Alayna

In 2016, Walli Datoo along with 2 friends, co-founded  Halalnivore, an online Halal gourmet meat delivery business. Frustrated with the lack of quality Halal meat available at their local butcher’s, the self proclaimed foodies believed it should be easier to buy gourmet halal meat and they were convinced that there was a generation of Muslims that shared their views. Today, Halalnivore is disrupting the Halal meat market. Customers can order their prime cuts of meat online and have it delivered to their door. Walli shares their story with us, the challenges in finding suitable suppliers and why orders started coming in the day Halalnivore was launched.   Walli also shares his top tips on cooking steaks and some common mistakes people make. Keep your ears plugged for an exclusive promotional offer for the podcast listeners that Halalnivore have generously provided. These guys are certainly #SuperPoweredMuslim If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 star review on iTunes Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

What is the One Foot In The Sink podcast? Listen to the preview to find out about the awesome new podcast and hosts.....