Shiza Shahid (Our Place) - A Meaningful Entrepreneurial Path
Feb 28, 2024
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Shiza Shahid, co-founder of Our Place and Malala Fund, shares her journey from activism to entrepreneurship. She discusses product design, patents in business strategies, and meaningful work decisions. Shiza also talks about working with a spouse as co-CEOs in a business venture.
Shiza Shahid emphasizes infusing mission and meaning into products and brands, advocating for social impact through entrepreneurship.
Shiza Shahid's diverse experiences at Stanford shaped her perspective, highlighting the importance of addressing community challenges in entrepreneurial journeys.
Deep dives
Shiza Shahid: The Journey of a Mission-Driven Entrepreneur
Shiza Shahid, a Stanford alum and co-founder of OurPlace, started her entrepreneurial journey with the belief that home cooking brings people together. She co-founded the Malala Fund with Malala Yousafzai, advocating for girls' right to education. This experience led her to become a serial entrepreneur, launching ventures like Now Ventures to support female founders. Despite accolades like Forbes 30 under 30, Shiza emphasizes the importance of pursuing meaningful work and creating impact.
The Stanford Experience: An Influential Foundation for Entrepreneurship
Shiza Shahid's time at Stanford, as an international relations graduate on scholarship, shaped her perspective. Despite feeling lonely and out of place at times, she focused on addressing community challenges. Stanford's emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship laid the foundation for Shiza's activism and later entrepreneurial ventures, highlighting the importance of diverse experiences in shaping entrepreneurial journeys.
Taking the Leap: Founding the Malala Fund and Embracing Uncertainty
Shiza Shahid's pivotal decision to co-found the Malala Fund at 22 exemplifies embracing uncertainty and taking a leap of faith. Inspired by Malala Yousafzai's courage in advocating for girls' education, Shiza left her job at McKinsey to create sustainable change. This transformational moment underscored the value of meaningful work and the impact of decisive action in creating opportunities for social change.
Balancing Passion and Business Strategy in Entrepreneurship
Shiza Shahid's approach to entrepreneurship emphasizes the integration of mission-driven work with innovative product design. By disrupting the kitchenware industry through OurPlace, Shiza combines brand culture and aesthetic innovation to foster meaningful connections and celebrations of cultural diversity. While patents serve as a tactical advantage, Shiza emphasizes the importance of aligning product design with a compelling mission for lasting impact and competitive differentiation.
Shiza Shahid is the co-founder and co-CEO of Our Place, a mission-driven startup reimagining kitchenware for the modern, multiethnic, global kitchen. Prior to Our Place, Shahid also co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. She led the organization as founding CEO, advocating for the rights of all girls to attend school. Shahid also launched NOW Ventures, an angel fund to invest in mission-driven startups. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Shahid shares how her life and career have shaped her view of entrepreneurship and offers advice for infusing mission and meaning into products and brands.
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Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. At STVP, we empower aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.
Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://ecorner.stanford.edu/give.
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