The Caravan Podcast

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.

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📍 Learn more: ihsan.ventures
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#MuslimFounders #VentureCapital #FaithInBusiness #IhsanVentures #TheCaravanPodcast

Today’s guest is someone who went from modding video games as a kid to building a game engine that might just change how we see reality.Meet Ameer — a computer science grad who fell in love with programming thanks to his early days hacking together custom levels and skins. That passion evolved into a career that’s crossed through Web3, government infrastructure, and now… game engines.Since 2017, Ameer’s been deep in the world of blockchain — co-founding FundBlock, an Ethereum-based crowdfunding dApp, and working with Aventus.io in London. Oh, and in between, he helped digitize essential UK government services used by millions, led research into digital signatures, and somehow still found time to advise foreign governments on emerging tech. No big deal.Now? He’s the founder of Libi Engine — a small but mighty game engine that blends the magic of modding with the power of modern-day tools.https://docs.libiengine.com/

In this episode of The Caravan Podcast, we sit down with Arfah Farooq, the dynamic founder of Muslim Tech Fest—a global gathering that’s redefining what it means to be Muslim in tech. From growing up as the only hijabi in her school to building one of the largest Muslim-led tech events in the world, Arfah shares her journey of resilience, faith, and unapologetic ambition.We talk about the challenges of representation, why she stopped waiting for permission, and how she turned a simple idea into a global movement. Whether you’re a builder, creative, or just someone looking to walk your own path—this conversation will leave you inspired to lead with purpose.

In this episode of The Caravan, we sit down with Zohaib Rattu — co-founder of Muslim Professionals and Head of Growth at Social Snowball — to unpack his deeply personal journey from depression to faith, and ultimately, to building community and scaling startups.Zohaib opens up about the mental health struggles that shaped him, how reconnecting with Islam became his turning point, and how that transformation inspired his mission to uplift others. From getting laid off during a difficult season to leading growth at a company that went on to get acquired, this is a story of resilience, rediscovery, and purpose.

🎧 Topics We Cover:

• Zohaib’s early battles with depression
• Reconnecting with faith and prayer
• The founding story of Muslim Professionals
• Growth tactics and leadership at Social Snowball
• What community building means in a digital age

Whether you’re navigating your own career pivots or exploring what faith can look like in the startup world — this one’s for you.

She left a stable banking career to build a YC-backed startup.But the real story? It's what pushed her to make the leap—and what she discovered on the other side.🔥 This one’s for anyone thinking about walking away from the “safe” path.menza is a modern data analytics platform. Generate proactive insights and interactive dashboards in seconds using menza's AI technology.

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In this episode, we sit down with Hamza Afzal, the founder of the Ummah app — a platform built to centralize local Muslim events, services, and community updates. From humble beginnings selling thobes to building a tech solution for the global Muslim community, Hamza shares his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of serving a faith-based audience, and the vision behind Ummah. Tune in for an inspiring story at the intersection of faith, hustle, and tech.

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On this episode of The Caravan, we sit down with Shazim Mohammad, the founder of Glorious PC Gaming. From his early days in premed to building one of the most beloved brands in the gaming world, Shazim shares the story behind his leap into entrepreneurship, lessons from scaling Glorious, and how staying true to his values helped him build a global community. Tune in for an inspiring journey packed with real talk, founder insight, and some laughs along the way.

In this episode of the Caravan Podcast, we sit down with Mohammed Hassan to explore his journey from a top research institution to founding Soma Clinical Trials. He shares how faith guided his path—like how a Fajr prayer gathering led to his very first client. A story of purpose, perseverance, and building with barakah.

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