Voices of LIFE

In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Habib Kairouz (LIFE Member; Managing Partner at Rho Capital Partners) about building lasting companies, backing entrepreneurs through periods of change, and knowing when to stay the course or rethink the path forward.

Habib reflects on more than three decades in venture capital, from entering the industry as the internet was beginning to transform the business landscape to navigating today’s rapid acceleration of AI. 

He shares what he looks for in founders, why passion, drive and conviction matter, and how the strongest entrepreneurs learn to balance persistence with the ability to listen to the market and adapt. Habib also explores what it takes to turn an innovative idea into a lasting business, the importance of alignment between founders and investors, and why companies can never afford to stop innovating. 

Finally, he reflects on the role of LIFE in creating meaningful professional connections, how the Lebanese diaspora can open global opportunities for entrepreneurs, and why his connection to Lebanon remains so strong.

Podcast hosted by Sally Diab (LIFE Member; Strategic Advisor & Executive Coach, Cultivate and Scale Coaching Inc.).

About LIFE

LIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Tarek Mouganie (LIFE Member; Founder and Group CEO, Affinity Africa) about leaving a successful career in finance, building a bank from the ground up, and using financial services to create meaningful social impact.

Tarek reflects on his journey from academia and hedge funds to returning to Ghana without a clear next step, eventually identifying financial inclusion as the challenge he wanted to tackle. He shares the realities of building Affinity Africa, from securing Ghana’s first new banking licence in 15 years to designing financial services for people traditionally excluded by conventional banking. He also opens up about the pressures of entrepreneurship, the role of sport, therapy and community in navigating difficult periods, and why purpose keeps him moving forward. 

Finally, Tarek reflects on his Lebanese-Ghanaian identity, the personal connection that brought him to LIFE, and the importance of surrounding yourself with communities that create a sense of belonging.

Podcast hosted by Karim Jalbout (LIFE Member; Founder, Konstellation Advisory).

About LIFE

LIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Yalda Aoukar (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Bracket Capital) about resilience, entrepreneurship, and turning conviction into action.Yalda reflects on leaving Lebanon during the Civil War and how an unsettled childhood prepared her to navigate pressure and uncertainty. She shares defining moments from her career—from joining Lehman Brothers shortly before its collapse to building a network from scratch in Doha. She also recounts leaving a successful role while eight months pregnant to launch Bracket Capital, transforming her vision into a global investment firm through determination, storytelling, and hard work. Yalda discusses what she looks for in founders, the opportunities and risks surrounding AI, and how her foundation uses technology to protect children online. Finally, she reflects on the importance of paying opportunities forward and supporting the next generation of Lebanese talent.

Podcast hosted by Karim Jalbout (Founder, Constellation Advisory).

About LIFE

LIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonukL

inkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Elias Ghanem (LIFE Member; Senior Client Partner, Capgemini) about the major shifts reshaping financial services—from generational wealth transfer to the evolving role of payments and the power of professional communities.Elias explores one of the largest wealth transfers in history, with trillions expected to change hands from baby boomers to Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z, and what this means for the future of wealth management and financial institutions. He also unpacks why payments sit at the heart of modern commerce, shaping how people interact with businesses, technology, and each other. 

Finally, Elias reflects on the strength of the Lebanese diaspora and the role communities like LIFE play in connecting ambitious professionals, creating opportunities, and giving back.

Podcast hosted by Ronnie Hammad (LIFE Member; Managing Partner, The Sublime Institute).About LIFELIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. 

Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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 In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Anna Germanos (LIFE Board Member; Group Director, FMCG, Meta) about what it really takes to build brands on social media today—where content is judged in real time, performance matters, and context is everything.

Anna breaks down why social media strategy is never one-size-fits-all. From retail brands focused on conversion and sales, to luxury brands rooted in aspiration and storytelling, she explains how strong content is shaped by audience behaviour, industry dynamics, and clear business goals. She also shares why social media can backfire when messaging is insensitive, tone-deaf, or culturally misaligned—and how brands can recover through authenticity, active listening, and responding with clarity and responsibility. Finally, Anna reflects on what it means to carry Lebanese identity beyond borders, and how being part of communities like LIFE creates a meaningful avenue to stay connected and give back.

Podcast hosted by Joumanna Nasr Bercetche (LIFE Member; Anchor, Bloomberg Horizons Middle East & Africa).

About LIFE

LIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Anis Rahal (CEO, Xfolio AI) about building and scaling with a clear end goal, thinking globally from day one, and competing creatively when you’re the smaller name in the room.Anis shares an unconventional early move that helped him raise funds: proposing a system to automate his own role and negotiating his exit instead of letting it become a setback. He then unpacks the mindset behind growth and exits—why companies need to be on the radar of global players, and why your brand and visibility often need to be far bigger than your current size if you want to sell and exit. 

Finally, Anis explains the strategy he calls “annoying the competition”: showing up consistently against much larger rivals, pricing in a way they can’t ignore, and pushing until the market is forced to pay attention.

Podcast hosted by Ronnie Hammad (LIFE Board Member; Managing Partner, The Sublime Institute).

About LIFELIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Wahid Chammas (Founder & CIO, TyreGate Capital) about trust, ambition, and the deeper role community can play in shaping identity and belonging.

Wahid reflects on how trust today is increasingly built around personalities—and why the real differentiator is not perfection, but resonance. He also speaks about setbacks and what they teach you: luck rarely comes without substance, and progress is built through hard work, ambition, humility, and leaving room for the unexpected. Finally, Wahid offers a deeply personal perspective on identity—what it means to feel “in between” places, and how joining LIFE gave him a sense of home, community, and belonging when he struggled to find it elsewhere.

Podcast hosted by Joumanna Nasr Bercetche (Anchor, Bloomberg Horizons Middle East & Africa).

About LIFE

LIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Dina Geha (Global Head of Distribution, BNP Paribas, based in London; LIFE Board Member) about resilience, reinvention, and the people and choices that shape a long-term career.

Dina reflects on starting her career on Wall Street during 9/11 and how that experience brought everything into focus, including what “home” means and the kind of life she wanted to build in finance. She shares what drove her success early on: working extremely hard with clear milestones, taking chances, and remembering that success is a collective game built with mentors, sponsors, and strong teams. She also speaks candidly about balance, using the “juggler” metaphor to explain why it is okay to drop a ball sometimes, and why learning to accept you cannot give 100% to everything takes time and looks different for everyone.

Podcast hosted by Ronnie Hammad (LIFE Board Member and Chair of the Advocate Committee; Managing Partner, The Sublime Institute).

About LIFE

LIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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In this episode of Voices of LIFE, we speak with Paul Raphael (Founding Chairman; Founder Managing Partner, Aurea Group) about his journey breaking into finance in New York and the mindset that later shaped LIFE: building structures of support through solidarity.

Together, we explore:

• What it takes to grow in a high-pressure environment early in your career (finding your voice, learning the “language”, and pushing through the pressure). • Why solidarity became the word that rallied the community—and how it translated into action.

• The early London roundtable and how the vision crystallised into LIFE’s pillars—connect, nurture, and promote.

Podcast hosted by Ronnie Hammad (LIFE Board Member; Managing Partner, The Sublime Institute).

About LIFE

LIFE is a worldwide membership organisation (non-political and non-religious) for Lebanese professionals in the diaspora. Founded in 2009, LIFE empowers the community through four pillars: Connect, Nurture, Promote, and Advocate—supporting the next generation through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and reform.

Follow LIFE.

Instagram: @lifelebanonuk

LinkedIn: LIFE Lebanon

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Welcome to Voices of LIFE, the podcast that brings together the stories, insights, and experiences of Lebanese professionals from around the world who are striving to build a better future for Lebanon.

In each episode, we’ll speak with LIFE members; leaders in their industries and key players shaping Lebanon’s future, as they share their knowledge, experiences, and personal journeys.LIFE is a global network of over 1,900 Lebanese professionals united across more than 20 chapters worldwide.

From America to Asia, LIFE supports and connects Lebanese talent, empowering both professionals and the next generation. Since its inception, LIFE has supported more than 1,300 university students, building a stronger, more connected Lebanese community around the world.

Stay tuned as we spotlight the stories that matter, the voices shaping tomorrow, and the power of the Lebanese diaspora to make a difference.

Follow LIFE on Instagram and LinkedIn to catch the launch of Voices of LIFE, and join the movement.

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