Founder Stories

We are now at the season finale of Founder Stories, but don’t worry, we’ll be back with more insightful stories soon! And to mark our last episode of the season, we couldn’t be more excited about our guests. Our founders today are bringing optimism back to small businesses. Both Hasid Malik and Iman Jamal grew up in Pakistan, studied in the UK, and returned home to start their FinTech business which focuses on digitizing small mom and pop shops in Pakistan. This couple’s dedication to their business stems from the belief that even mom and pop shops should have access to affordable financial services. This is the story of Creditbook.

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Today’s founder is always looking for inspiration. Steven Vlahos has built two companies from the ground up. His philosophy? Dive in and learn along the way. Steven struggled to find anything motivating about selling municipal bonds or underwriting loans for businesses so he decided to take a leap and start his own business. What he discovered would lead him to the next business and what really matters, good wine, food, and family. This is the story of Bellhops and Gratsi wine.

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Our founder today may sound familiar to those of you who listen to his podcast. Chris Hutchins is a money optimizer who has spent a lifetime building products. He inspired his friends and family by traveling the world on a shoestring budget. He never thought his tricks for getting the most bang for his buck would lead him to being a popular podcast host. His goal? Make your money go farther than you thought possible. This is the story of All the Hacks.

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Today’s founder knew success at a young age by talking to the right people at the right time. Kane Sarhan burned the candle at both ends working long hours as a personal assistant becoming a jack of all trades. From opening bars, working in tech and launching one of the most successful new hotel brands. With the right connections and a lifelong entrepreneurial spirit Kane partnered with experts to create a wellness retreat in the heart of New York City. With locations around the world it’s becoming an operating system for wellness. This is the story of The Well.

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Where there is art, there is a collector. Today’s founder is a big name in the NFT space. And even though we don’t know his real name, he’s well respected as an investor, an advocate and a fan of digital art. With a background in investment management, online poker, and fantasy sports, this collector knows a lot about knowing how to play their cards right. But when they started collecting NFTs they found more than just high risk, high reward - they found a family. This is the story of Anonymoux. 

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Our founder today is bred by resilience and persistence. And on his chosen path – through the notoriously unforgiving fashion industry – he needs both. Having celebrities wear his eponymous line is a thrill, but his real success, he says, stems from the fiercely loyal customers who love his brand. With immense competition and a constantly changing retail landscape, the greatest currency is care and conviction. This is the story…of Jason Scott.

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No one could have predicted the path of today’s founder. Emily Rasmussen may have grown up in a log cabin in the Sierras, but that didn’t stop her from having big city dreams. Her love of dance brought her to New York with the hope of becoming a ballerina. 9/11, coupled with an injury forced Rasmussen to rethink her path and so she opted to slip off her ballet shoes and go to college where she focused on studying international relations and interned at the UN. From there she traveled to India where she harnessed her talent for combining community and philanthropy in the form of microfinance loans, eventually starting her very own model. This is the story of Grapevine.

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Today’s founder, Kalsoom Lakhani, is a force to be reckoned with. She’s lived all over the world and before launching her current company, she worked for a defense contracting firm, started her own current affairs blog, and has been featured in numerous media outlets including the BBC and The Washington Post. Never taking no for an answer, she has helped build a tech ecosystem in Pakistan a decade before the world recognized the country’s promise. She also happens to be our host's sister. This is the story of i2i.

For more information on i2i Ventures, visit: https://www.i2iventures.com/

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Our founders today ventured from across the Atlantic to start a new life in the U.S. Born and raised in Pakistan, Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali are modern day examples of the “American Dream.” Their company soared during the pandemic thanks to their innovation and adaptability. Their masks are ubiquitous, and their shoes are as popular as they are comfy. Today, we bring you the story of Atoms.

For more information on Atoms, you can visit https://www.atoms.com/.

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Our founder today may be Canadian, but she honed her craft in New York’s gritty, competitive media world. Verena Von Pfetten has worn many hats, including one at the Huffington Post in the early days of internet blogging. But it was the cannabis industry that had the creativity, the flexibility, and the culture, that ultimately caught her eye. While it started as a high end publication and continues to be so, it has developed into a sophisticated lifestyle brand for people who also smoke week. This is the story of Gossamer.

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