In this episode of The Silk Narratives , I sit down with Mary Nazzal- award winning social entrepreneur, impact investor who was nominated Most Powerful Arab Woman by Forbes Middle East. An ardent believer in 'doing the right thing' be it  through  conscious entrepreneurship or by speaking up for the rights of Palestinian refugees.

 Also voted  Jordan' Top Businesswoman in 2019, Mary shares her unique journey at the intersection of Justice, building sustainable economies, and the importance of looking inward.  We also speak about raising conscious children, and how to be become a conscious parent! 

Tune in for a powerful conversation, that weaves together courage, clarity and the importance of giving back. An Arab voice that is loud, clear and deeply principled.

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This episode was recorded in homage to the Palestinian people and their unwavering cause. The Silk Narratives lends its mic to remarkable Palestinian voices to share their pain, experience and what their heritage means to them.   

In this episode I am joined by Rania Masri El Khatib who is one of the most prominent players in the Middle Eastern retail industry, with  over 20 years experience in retail, luxury & e-commerce.  Rania is also the founder of The RMK Collective, a boutique advisory that supports authentic innovation while empowering brand experiences and connecting regional talents. She's also the podcast host of ReShape by Rania Masri El Khatib .

Rania is of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, she literally wears her heart on her sleeve with a map of Palestine tattooed on her arm. The mother of two joins me as we discuss: 

1- How she feels about what's happening in Gaza & the West bank today.
2- What her Palestinian heritage means to her 
3-  The importance of speaking up 
4- Boycotting certain brands (including Fashion brands)
5- why we need to see hope amid the darkness & the pain.

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Ricardo Karam, is one of the Arab region's most celebrated Talk Show Hosts. He's worked tirelessly for decades to 'elevate' his audience's interests and knowledge,  so he took the unpopular route of showcasing not singers or politicians but what he calls 'unsung heroes'. 

Apart from his captivating TV shows, Ricardo is public speaker, author and  the founder of 'Takreem' an initiative that sheds a much needed light on  Arab achievement everywhere. 

We speak about everything from his unusual beginnings, how he has managed to keep a 'free voice', what Arabism means to him and why this sentiment is today challenged, to the remarkable women he's met along the way.

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Rana Salam's name is synonymous with Arab pop culture, which she has managed to carefully gather and construct turning old objects and posters into 'vintage chic'. She has partnered with glowing collaborators such as Harvey Nichols in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Paul Smith, Sonia Rykiel, Comptoir Libanais, just to name a very few. The faces of Arab divas and celebrities of the 20th century are beautifully captured and made almost eternal on homeware, posters, porcelain dishes etc. that have become signature items of Rana Salam studio. In this interview we speak about her upbringing, her path, and her most proud achievements. Her number one mission? to become the design Ambassador of the Middle East! 

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Lamia Bousnina is founder and owner of 'Musk & Amber', one of Tunis' most prestigious art galleries. The Tunisian-born mother of two , was raised in Saudi Arabia, where she fully embraced a cosmopolitan environment equipping her with openness towards others, and a curiosity to always know more and see more. 
Having studied law in Paris and Geneva, she initially joined the UN where she dreamt of building a career. Her other passion for art and design lead her however to an entirely different path. Lamia thrives on discovering new talents both in Tunis and in the MENA region and is driven by the duty of supporting budding talents in the region. 
We speak about everything from her upbringing, the strength of Tunisian women to her innate sense for beauty. 

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In conversation with Tamara Chalabi, a cultural entrepreneur and New York Times critically acclaimed author, curator and commissioner who specialises in contemporary Middle Eastern art. The Harvard-trained historian and author of Late for Tea at the Deer Palace, is also co-Founder of Ruya Foundation. 

We speak about her incredible memoir, Iraq's Golden era, what her Iraqi identity means to her, her father's legacy, as well as Ruya's incredible work in representing Iraq at the Venice Biennale among other things, since Ruya was founded. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or the podcast. 

to watch the interview:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6kJ3MqaR-M

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Yasmin Gahtani is Saudi Arabia's 1st female rock climber.  She holds a degree in computer programming but found her passion in a sport that is not for the faint hearted.  Today, the mother of two twin boys, manages the Rock Climbing Federation under the Ministry of Sports in Saudi.  She says she wanted to be a superhero to her boys and speaks about the beauty of the sport. Her fearlessness and softness is admirable to say the least. She also speaks to us about her upbringing and the how the changing climate in Saudi is releasing the potential of many other fearless women.

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In conversation with Amira Behbehani, self- taught Kuwaiti Artist. Amira grew up surrounded by art – her uncle is Jawad Boushahri, a renowned Kuwaiti artist and  owner of Boushahri Gallery, with whom she worked full time before deciding to become a full time artist. Since she started painting in 2001, she has exhibited locally and worldwide. 

Being of Iranian descent, her childhood growing up between Kuwait and Iran often served as an inspiration for her artwork. 

Incredibly compassionate, Amira also uses her art to address important social issues. In 2011, Amira became a member of UN-supported non-profit organisation Peace One Day helping Kuwait become the first Arab country to celebrate Peace Day on 21 September, 2012.

In 2013, she was also appointed as a peace ambassador for the Worldwide Peace Marker project. In 2015, Amira became a member of Abolish 153, a women’s group working to remove Article 153 from Kuwait’s penal code, which covers honour killings. 

Aside from her important work supporting great causes, the proud mother of two has also been featured in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, to name a few.

In this episode, Amira and I speak about everything from how she found her way in the Art world, what Art means to her and what she tries to convey through it as well as her life philosophy.

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Join me as I sit down with Lana Al Taweel in her family home in Amman. Lana who is not 25, is a King's Collage graduate, a clinical psychologist and the proud founder of Be Well.

Lana founded Be Well, with the mission to build a safe space for mental health expression in Jordan through content creation and the provision of psycho-educational therapies that guide self-help and personal development.  A bold yet much needed initiative. 

We discuss how changing attitudes around the topic of mental health is crucial. She tells me about how her journey to finding her purpose started, from volunteering at an early age to help vulnerable communities, She tells me about how she managed to transform the pain she felt when seeing those battling with difficult circumstances, into a journey that allowed her to start the inner work early on, allowing her to channel her empathy to help others.  

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In conversation with Nadine Sayegh, author of Oranges from Jaffa.
Born in Beirut to a Palestinian father and a Syrian mother. Nadine grew up in Vienna, where she's today based. She followed a French education and worked for over 20 years as a manager for Coca-Cola in Europe. She now runs together with her husband, one of Vienna's largest laboratories.  

We discuss her journey into writing Oranges from Jaffa, a true story and a historical document,  where she captures the coming of age of her father Nicola Sayegh and gives us a glimpse of his idyllic childhood in the ancient Arab city of Jaffa in the 1940s before it all comes crumbling down in the spring of 1948.  

We speak about why she wrote it, the misconceptions surrounding Palestinian & Arab identity, before we move on to the principles she lives by, from why it's so necessary to be financially independent to why she thinks privacy is key to happiness in the age of instagram. 

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