AUD Podcast Channel

Everyone talks about building a community. Very few people understand what one actually is.

Rony Hage is a serial entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Founder Connects, a premium community for tech founders and startups across the MENA region with over 300+ members and a broader ecosystem of 5,000 founders. 

In this episode we get into what separates a real community from a networking event, why vibe is the thing you can't scale, the difference between followers & community and the key learning that changed how he thinks about building anything. 

Follow Rony:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronyh/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderconnects/
Website: https://www.founderconnects.com/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UChP7l3woeKzgbeHn5pDXMQg 

Mahdi Shafiei is the founder & CEO of Trifid Media one of the region's biggest social-media and content agencies delivering over 10 billion views and more than USD 100 million in media sales for global brands, with operations spanning across the globe. 

In this episode we discuss why speed not talent is the real edge behind every company he's built, how documenting your "boring" daily life builds a real fan base instead of just followers, why he tells founders they have no choice but to become content creators and the moment his ego nearly cost him everything. 

Follow Mahdi:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahdi-shafiei-trifidmedia/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahdiishafiei/
Website: https://trifidmedia.com/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UChP7l3woeKzgbeHn5pDXMQg

Dr. Armen V. Papazian is a Cambridge-trained financial economist & Associate Professor of Space Economics at the American University in Dubai. He has spent his career making one argument that the defining obstacle to space expansion isn't technological, It's financial.

In this episode we discuss why every financial model ever built ignores the variable of space completely, why the space vs earth debate is based on a misconception, and what it would actually take to fund humanity's expansion to becoming a multi-planetary species.

Follow Dr. Armen:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armenpapazi/

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Dr. Edgar Chedrawy is an accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon and brings 20+ years of experience. He is the Chief Medical & Clinical Officer at Clemenceau Medical Centre specialized in building high performing teams in the medical sector and leading health systems academically and private systems throughout system governance and providing high quality patient care.

In this episode he brings a rare perspective on how we live, why heart disease is so prevalent in our region, how stress and burnout are silently damaging your heart and why sleep might be the most underrated health intervention available.

Key Learnings:
Stress and burnout damage your heart long before symptoms appear
Sleep is the most underused health tool most people have
Heart disease in our region is driven by lifestyle, not just genetics
AI will change surgery, but the human element isn't going anywhere

0:00 Intro
1:12 Who is Dr. Edgar Chedrawy?
1:48 Cardiologist vs Cardiothoracic Surgeon
2:43 What is the Most Important Organ in the Body?
4:01 Heart Attack Risk Factors You Need to Know
6:42 Why Blood Pressure Management Could Save Your Life
9:33 The Goldilocks Principle in Heart Health
11:16 Why Heart Disease Is So Common in Our Region
12:28 Sleep More, Live Longer
15:15 The Stress and Burnout Crisis in Healthcare
25:41 Why Doctors Need Support Too
29:04 Is Being Healthy Actually Easy?
30:39 How a Heart Surgeon Thinks About Death
32:51 Advice to Young Doctors
35:18 What It Feels Like to Save a Life
37:03 The Longest Surgery of His Career
38:58 AI, Technology and the Future of Surgery
43:39 What You Need to Know About Heart Attacks
46:09 Game Changer Learning

Follow Dr. Edgar:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgarchedrawymd/
Website: https://chedrawymd.com/
Website: https://cmcdubai.ae/

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Dr. Heba Chehade is a foresight researcher and Head of Foresight Research at the Dubai Future Foundation, one of the world's leading organisations dedicated to anticipating and shaping what comes next. At the intersection of academia, social sciences and strategic foresight, she helps governments, institutions and communities navigate a world defined by uncertainty.

In this episode we get into what foresight research actually is and why it matters, we get a deeper insight into the role the Dubai Future Foundation plays in helping shape the future of Dubai, why technology is never a certainty and always an assumption, and what the relationship between young people and the future tells us about the decisions we're making today.

Key Learnings:
The future isn't predicted, it's prepared for
Technology is an assumption, not a certainty
The problems we choose to focus on define the future we build
Young people are shaping the future today

0:00 Intro
1:04 Dr Heba’s background
6:05 Where Academia Meets Social Sciences
8:28 What Is the Dubai Future Foundation?
13:50 The Global 50 Report 
21:00 How Do You Choose Which Problem to Focus On?
24:44 Why Technology Is an Assumption and Uncertainty 
27:34 Human-Machine Collaboration and the ICON System
33:33 How to Actually Plan for the Future
37:55 The Link Between Youth and the Future
43:23 Game Changer Learning

Follow Dr. Heba:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hebachehade/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dubaifuture/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AUDubai

Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar is an education expert, former cancer researcher, and CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, one of the largest education-focused philanthropic organizations in the Arab world. She walked away from a career in research and stepped into education, driven by a single belief that everyone deserves the opportunity and the resources to learn. 

In this episode we discuss why teaching is one of the most underappreciated professions in the world, we talk about whether the education system needs reform or a full revolution, how AI is going to disrupt schools faster than anyone is ready for, and what it really means to scale impact without losing the community at the center of it.

Key Learnings:
The skills you were never taught in school?
What makes someone a real teacher?
How do you scale without losing people?
Is education ready for AI?

Follow Sonia:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-ben-jaafar-70aba012/
Website: https://www.alghurairfoundation.org/dr-sonia-ben-jaafar/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AUDubai

Shant Oknayan is a global technology and strategy leader and the VP of Global Business at Bytedance/Tiktok. He has spent his career at the intersection of innovation, culture, and digital transformation, with experience across consulting, big tech, and emerging platforms, he has helped organizations and governments navigate how technology reshapes industries, economies, and communication.

Key Learnings:
The Builder vs Optimizer Mindset
Technology Disrupts Faster Than Organizations Adapt
The Creator Economy Is Reshaping Influence
Diversity Drives Innovation

Follow Shant:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shant-oknayan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shantoknayan/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AUDubai 

Marisa Kamall is a leadership professional and Founder of GAIA, a community focused on supporting and empowering women. Built on exploring how identity, expectations, and workplace culture shape the way women grow in their careers.

In this episode we discuss why many women are impacted by imposter syndrome, the challenges of navigating male-dominated environments, the likability tax, and why real progress for women requires changing systems, not just confidence.

Key Learnings:
Confidence isn’t an individual problem
The “likability tax” affects decision-making 
Diversity fails without education 
How community accelerates growth 

Follow Marisa:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisakamall/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gaiarises/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaia_rises/?hl=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marisa_kamall_dxb/

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Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@audpodcastchannel
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AUDubai 

Luca Allam is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and communication coach with over 20 years of experience in marketing and media. In 2024 he left the corporate world to focus on speaking and coaching full-time, launching the MasterPitch public speaking program and hosting Luca’s Insight Track, an online talk show that has rapidly become one of MENA’s fastest-growing podcasts.

Key Learnings:
How to reduce your anxiety when public speaking 
The importance of knowing your audience
The secret to winning your next pitch
Why you need to build your own brand and treat yourself like a business 

Follow Luca:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucaallam/
Website: https://lucaallam.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luca.allam/
Youtube:  @lucasinsighttrack  

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Jeff Strachan is the Associate VP at the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). A hospitality expert with over 30 years of industry experience on a mission to train & develop the next generation of Dubai’s tourist facing workforce. 

Key Learnings:
The skills you need to succeed in the hospitality industry
How travel will change across the region
The true definition of “What is a Tourist?”
Dubai’s tourism vision for the future 

Follow Jeff:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstrachan/
Website: https://dct.ac.ae/en/

Stay Tuned For More Inspiring Conversations:
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