Talk to Ali

In this episode, host Ali sits down with Roman Ulyanov, founder and CEO of Greeneration, to explore what the future of food and farming could look like in the UAE. With extreme heat, water scarcity and limited agricultural land, the region presents a unique challenge for food production. Ali and Roman unpack how vertical farming is addressing some of those constraints, and how Greeneration is using controlled indoor environments to grow microgreens, edible flowers, specialty leaves and other premium produce for the UAE's hospitality industry.

Ali takes the conversation beyond the technology to ask some of the questions consumers naturally have about food grown indoors. Is hydroponically grown produce as nutritious as traditionally farmed food? Does it taste the same? Are pesticides still required? And can vertical farms genuinely produce more food using fewer resources? Roman explains the science behind controlled-environment agriculture while also acknowledging its limitations, including why vertical farming makes sense for certain crops but is unlikely to replace traditional agriculture altogether.The conversation then expands into the bigger question of food security in the UAE.

Ali and Roman discuss the country's reliance on imports, the importance of local production, dependence on imported seeds and where the biggest opportunities for agricultural innovation may lie. Roman also shares his journey from private equity to founding Greeneration and the commercial realities of building an agricultural business from the ground up. It's a conversation about much more than vertical farms: it's about how technology, biology, entrepreneurship and local production could reshape the way food reaches our tables.

Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.comRoman Ulyanov | https://www.instagram.com/greeneration.ae/Talk to Ali Website | https://talktoali.com/Talk to Ali IG | https://www.instagram.com/talktokhawaja/

Outline

00:00 - The Future of Food:

Ali introduces the episode and explores how technology is changing the way we think about farming and food production.

02:00 - Meet Roman & Greeneration:

Roman Ulyanov introduces Greeneration and its mission to grow premium ingredients locally in Dubai.

03:09 - Traditional vs. Vertical Farming:

Roman explains how indoor farms recreate climate, sunlight, water and nutrition in a controlled environment.

07:39 - How Vertical Farming Actually Works:

A simple "library bookshelf" analogy explains multi-layer growing systems and why different crops require different setups.

11:01 - Does Vertical Farming Really Produce More?:

Why efficiency depends heavily on the crop and why vertical farming isn't the right solution for everything.

17:46 - Nutrition & Hydroponics:

Roman addresses the misconception that hydroponically grown produce is less nutritious than traditionally farmed produce.

19:43 - Does Indoor-Grown Food Taste Different?:

The conversation explores whether consumers can actually distinguish hydroponic produce from soil-grown produce.

21:25 - Pesticides, Food Safety & Biological Pest Control:

How controlled farming can reduce environmental risks and even use beneficial insects instead of chemical pesticides.

24:19 - Food Security & Local Production in the UAE:

Roman discusses imports, local supply chains, seed dependency and opportunities for agricultural innovation in the region.

30:26 - From Private Equity to Farming:

Roman shares why he left a more conventional career to build Greeneration and the commercial challenges of creating a vertically integrated food-tech business.

In this episode, I sit down with Grace Karim, co-founder of Bookends.ae, to explore how a simple idea born from the challenge of keeping up with children's reading habits evolved into the UAE's largest pre-loved bookstore and one of the country's most vibrant reading communities. We discuss the journey from running a small operation out of a family home to opening a physical bookstore built around the belief that books should be affordable, accessible, and experienced, even in an increasingly digital world.

Grace shares the realities of building a purpose-driven startup, from pitching investors and appearing on Shark Tank to making difficult decisions about growth, partnerships, and sustainability. We also dive into one of the darkest chapters in Bookends' story, when catastrophic floods destroyed more than 14,000 books and threatened to end the business. What followed was an extraordinary display of community support that proved their greatest asset wasn't their inventory, but the people who believed in their mission.

This conversation is about much more than books. It's about resilience, entrepreneurship, creating value beyond profit, and building something people genuinely care about. Whether you're launching a startup, looking for inspiration, or simply love reading, this episode is a powerful reminder that passion, purpose, and community can carry you through even the toughest challenges.

Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.comGrace Karim | https://www.instagram.com/grace.karim/Talk to Ali Website | https://talktoali.com/Talk to Ali IG | https://www.instagram.com/talktokhawaja/

Outline

00:00 Introduction & Meet Grace Karim

How a childhood dream became the UAE's largest pre-loved bookstore.

01:00 The Story Behind Bookends.ae

Why Grace and Soumya started Bookends and the mission behind it.

03:55 From Home Startup to Physical Store

The journey from a spare room to a dedicated bookstore.

05:43 Listening to Customers & Opening the Shop

How customer demand inspired their biggest leap yet.

08:11 Building More Than a Bookstore

Creating a space where readers connect and community thrives.

12:00 Shark Tank & The Reality of Purpose-Driven Business

Why the investors passed and why Grace never gave up.

15:07 The Flood That Almost Ended Bookends

The devastating disaster that destroyed over 14,000 books.

20:27 Rebuilding Through Community

How volunteers, customers, and supporters helped bring Bookends back.

28:33 The Unmanned Bookshelf Experiment

A trust-based model that's changing how people discover books.

31:39 The Future of Bookends

Franchising, partnerships, cafés, and expanding the reading movement.

35:25 Supporting Local Authors & Building a Reading Culture

Why Bookends is more than a bookstore for UAE writers and readers.

38:23 Blind Date With a Book

One of Bookends' most popular and creative reading experiences.

40:49 Advice for Entrepreneurs

Grace's biggest lessons on building a business with purpose.

43:23 Closing Thoughts

Where to find Bookends and how you can support their mission.

In this episode, Ali Khawaja sits down with Nokhez, founder of Mind Me and a practicing psychologist in Dubai, to explore her shift from clinical mental health work into entrepreneurship

Nokhez shares how her experience as a psychologist exposed the limitations of traditional mental health support, especially around accessibility, consistency, and scale. That realization led her to build Mind Me, a startup focused on democratizing well being and giving people support they can access more easily.

The conversation covers the early founder journey, from testing ideas and speaking to users, to landing the first B2B customer, navigating investor conversations, managing cash flow, and dealing with the emotional weight of building a startup. Ali and Nokhez also discuss the loneliness of entrepreneurship, the importance of community, and the reality of being a female founder in the startup ecosystem.

They close with a deep discussion on pivots, including Mind Me’s move from a B2B SaaS well being platform toward a more direct-to-consumer coaching companion. The episode is a candid look at what it really feels like to build, fail, adjust, and keep moving.

Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.com

Nokhez Usama | https://www.mindme.ae

Talk to Ali Website | https://talktoali.com/

Talk to Ali IG | https://www.instagram.com/talktokhawaja/

In this episode, Ali Khawaja sits down with entrepreneur Ibrahim Asif, founder of Parfumery, to unpack his journey from a “hyper” university student experimenting with business to building a scent-focused company with multiple revenue streams.

Ibrahim shares the early lessons that shaped him, from entering business without proper agreements, to learning the value of networks, customer feedback, and disciplined pivots. The conversation explores how Parfumery evolved from a simple Typeform and cash-on-delivery model into a business serving individuals, corporate gifting clients, live experiences, and branded scenting solutions for major companies.

Ali and Ibrahim also dive into the role of AI in entrepreneurship, not as a shortcut to success, but as a powerful tool for builders willing to ask better questions, prototype quickly, and stay patient through execution.The episode closes with practical advice for anyone thinking about starting something: use the ecosystem around you, test your idea with real customers, take the first step, and have the courage to enjoy the ride.

Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.com

Ibrahim Asif | https://parfumery.co

MHAE Website | https://www.mentalhealth.ae

MHAE Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthae