In this conversation, Arfah Farooq, co-founder of Muslamic Makers and Muslim Tech Fest, shares her inspiring journey in building communities that celebrate Muslim talent in tech. She discusses the challenges Muslim women face in balancing careers and family life, emphasizing the importance of support networks. Arfah reflects on the evolution of the Muslim tech community, her commitment to diversity, and the impact of societal issues like Islamophobia. She also addresses the idea of 'having it all' for women and how community can empower ambitious individuals.

In this episode, Abdul Rahman Abbas, founder and CEO of the Pillars app, discusses building a privacy-focused Muslim prayer app and the entrepreneurial challenges and cultural dynamics Muslims face in the UK. He shares insights on bootstrapping vs. VC funding, the importance of community-oriented solutions, and his mission to foster an “abundance mindset” among Muslim entrepreneurs.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/Timestamp Breakdown:00:00 - Intro 02:32 – The inspiration for Pillars05:31 – Building in Public on X (Twitter)07:03 – Do people care about data privacy?08:45 – How Pillars hit 1m+ users13:18 – Balancing Medicine with Entrepreneurship18:55 – Building infrastructure for Muslims (Prayer, Fiqh, Finance)23:57 – Why did Abdul-Rahman become a doctor?26:59 – The Bay Area vs. London mindsets32:49 –Abundance vs. Scarcity mindsets in US/UK Muslims37:42 – Female representation in Muslim Tech39:27 – The Biggest Mistakes founders make44:01 – Finding a co-founder49:44 – Debate: VC funding vs. bootstrapping55:21 – Impact of VC funding on growth and business focus58:57 – Final thoughts on organic growth vs. VC-backed expansion1:07:58 – Announcement: New premium features on Pillars app

In this episode of Muslim Money Talk, host Areeb Siddiqui speaks with Sakib Ahmed, co-founder of Simply Smash, London’s highest-rated burger joint. Sakib shares his journey from fintech to food service, discussing the challenges of launching a values-driven restaurant and overcoming adversity, including a review-bombing incident that led the community to rally in support of his business.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 2:06 - Discussion on mutual connections in the London Muslim tech scene3:00 - Saqib’s fintech background and degree apprenticeship at Goldman Sachs8:05 - Founding Minideed, a charity-focused social media platform15:34 - Developing a meaningful and positive social media experience16:57 - Saqib’s transition from fintech to entrepreneurship with Minideed17:56 - Decision to open a restaurant, leveraging family experience in the food industry23:23 - Challenges of running a restaurant during the pandemic lockdown24:32 - Tiramisu and “Help Our Heroes” campaigns to keep the restaurant afloat29:05 - Transition to Simply Smash; inspiration for starting a new restaurant concept32:13 - The “140-Day Challenge” to launch multiple brands and see which succeeds38:34 - Simply Smash emerges as the winning concept; focus on data-driven burgers41:39 - Emphasis on customer feedback and delivery experience as success metrics45:07 - Saqib discusses the review-bomb incident over pro-Palestinian stance47:51 - Community support through 200+ positive reviews49:14 - Saqib’s commitment to integrating values into his business model51:58 - Muslim values in business as a differentiator52:18 - Financial and tech industry parallels with data-driven business models54:19 - Saqib introduces Simply Smash’s Wagyu Beef Brisket burger58:01 - Future plans: Scaling Simply Smash with potential new locations1:04:01 - Discussion on balancing growth strategies: franchising vs. bootstrapping1:06:50 - Saqib’s lessons from working with his brother to balance quality and operations1:07:05 - Saqib’s high points: Impactful community work and building a values-based legacy

This podcast episode explores the journey of Fahan Ibrahim Hashi, founder of Nisa Invest, a financial platform tailored for Muslim women navigating personal finance in alignment with Islamic values. Fahan discusses her transition from investment banking to entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by Muslim women in finance.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro  02:11 – Fahan’s career story and her decision to transition from banking to financial planning. 03:34 – Education background and early career in investment banking. 06:12 – Fahan describes investment competitions in university.08:10 – Explanation of her decision to pursue personal finance content creation.11:04 – Participation in a boot camp for software development as preparation for Nisa Invest.13:11 – The moment Fahan decided to focus on financial literacy for Muslim women.16:13 – Early validation of Nisa Invest’s concept through community events.19:20 – Fahan’s interest in modest fashion and its parallels with Islamic finance.24:08 – Encounter with a modest fashion client sparks thoughts on entrepreneurship.26:54 – Decision to fully commit to Nisa Invest and family’s support.29:21 – Discussion on financial planning challenges for Muslim women.30:49 – Explanation of Nisa Invest’s vision and services.32:42 – Audience feedback and financial literacy tools provided by Nisa Invest.34:23 – Description of Nisa Invest as a life-stage-focused financial planning platform.38:30 – Importance of financial planning and breaking down taboos around money.42:29 – Biggest challenges faced by Muslim women in finance.51:01 – Simple starting advice for financial planning.56:50 – Personal anecdotes and strategies for financial literacy.1:02:16 – Fahan’s future goals for Nisa Invest and her current development work.1:04:56 – Rapid-fire questions covering Fahan’s favorite books, influencers, and inspiration.1:08:10 – Closing remarks and where to follow Fahan’s work with Nisa Invest.

Meet Mudassar Chaudhry, creator of the LARGEST professional Muslim Community in the World at EY. We delved into his journey from a school leaver to becoming a key figure his company. Mudassar discusses the value of personal branding, community building, and navigating corporate life while maintaining his faith and identity.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction03:09 - Early years and influences 06:04 - Finding the EY internship and School Leavers programme 11:47 - the benefits of EY vs University 15:09 - Family reactions to leaving University 21:27 - A natural born leader?24:05 - Identifying the problem for Muslims in EY29:01 - Becoming the chair for EY’s Muslim Community32:51 - What was the mission?36:20 - The impact and value of Personal Brand38:18 - Getting EY’s CEO in the Ramadan Video 43:35 - The ‘fast for a day’ Ramadan challenge45:13 - What made the community so successful?50:19 - Succession planning 52:10 - Fighting Islamophobia and creating a safe space for Muslims1:00:26 - Personal Finance views and challenges 1:04:46 - Muslims’ misconceptions about money and career1:10:07 - Why Muslims need communities at work

In this episode of Muslim Money Talk, host Areeb Siddiqui speaks with Khalid Howlader, a decentralised finance (DeFi) evangelist and chairman of Marhaba Network. They explore the origins and future potential of decentralised finance and Bitcoin within the framework of halal finance, discussing how cryptocurrency can offer a fairer, Sharia-compliant alternative to traditional centralised banking systems, especially in light of the flaws exposed by fiat currency and financial crises.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro02:44 – Khaled explains decentralised finance (DeFi) and its benefits over centralised banking.05:19 – Discussion on Khaled’s career shift from centralised finance to DeFi and Bitcoin.08:00 – How Islamic finance aligns with decentralised technology and Bitcoin.09:59 – How Bitcoin and decentralised systems represent an alternative to traditional banking.12:16 – Explanation of Bitcoin’s uniqueness and comparison with other cryptocurrencies.17:28 – History of fiat currency and the end of the gold standard.20:05 – Inflation and monetary debasement after the breakdown of the gold standard.25:08 – How decentralised finance and crypto offer a different economic model.35:42 – Possibilities for countries like Pakistan to adopt Bitcoin as a currency.41:06 – Risks and potential issues of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).50:01 – Khaled’s experience with the Marhaba project and its Sharia-compliant offerings.59:24 – Explanation of Marhaba’s wallet, its decentralised features, and Sharia-compliance.1:04:11 – Discussion on mass adoption of decentralised finance and potential roadblocks.1:09:07 – Potential role of Islamic insurance in accelerating decentralised finance adoption.1:16:00 – Conclusion and how Islamic banks could innovate using decentralised finance.

In today's episode, Areeb interviews Raza Ullah, founder and CEO of Pfida, an Islamic fintech company providing debt-free homeownership solutions as an ALTERNATIVE to Islamic Mortgages. Raza shares his journey from a successful actuarial career to creating an innovative, Sharia-compliant alternative to conventional mortgages, driven by his desire to align his work with Islamic values and serve the Muslim community.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/Timestamp Breakdown00:00 - Introduction03:33 - Raza's career background06:54 - The conversation that changed EVERYTHING08:17 - Inspiration on Hajj11:29 - Choosing to work in Islamic Finance12:20 - Comparing Hajj experiences14:20 - Raza’s wife’s reaction15:35 - The problems with Islamic Mortgages19:44 - The dangers of dual contracts (commodity Murabaha)22:21 - Why are Islamic Banks more expensive?25:04 - A step in the right direction 26:28 - Why do Islamic Scholars sign off on these products?28:38 - What is PFIDA and how it works?31:59 - Pfida cost vs Conventional Mortgages34:40 - How to buy a house Debt Free 41:22 - Finding a Co-Founder & Shariah Scholar45:10 - Community support and fundraising 52:02 - What does Pfida look like today?54:21 - Hopes for collaboration between FinTechs56:06 - The power of a Mother’s Prayer59:36 - Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in Islamic finance

In a Muslim Money Talk first I’m joined by my own brother! Ali Siddiqui, corporate lawyer, Kestrl’s head of legal and a student of Islamic Finance.Ali gives an overview of Islamic Finance’s origins and how the industry operates despite a seemingly flawed ecosystem. He also goes into how Islamic Finance proved to be a route to combining his career with his faith.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro and guest’s background02:45 – What is Islamic finance?06:08 – Finance pre and post Islam 09:14 – From Gold to Fiat 12:42 – The Mudharaba model15:11 - The Musharaka model16:10 – Interest-free loans 21:59: Credit sales 25:46 – Islamic vs Conventional Mortgages30:02 - Aligning faith and a career in law 35:00 - Learning from the Ottomans and founding RFF39:21 – Interest: why is it forbidden in Islam?51:37 – Next steps for RIBA Free Foundation54:53 – A hopeful future for Islamic Finance1:00:24 - Why Muslims Cannot give up on this industry

Shinaz Navas, founder and CEO of Niyyah and former EdTech VC investor, shares his transformative journey from venture capital to startup founder. He discusses the unique challenges faced by the Muslim community in education and faith. Shinaz delves into fundraising hurdles, the importance of product-market fit, and the inspiration behind his Quran app. He also confronts biases in VC funding and emphasizes the crucial role of technology in deepening Muslim engagement with the Quran, ultimately paving the way for a better educational experience.

In this episode of Muslim Money Talk, Nadir Abrar, shares his personal journey growing up as an immigrant in the UK, navigating issues of identity, race, and financial hardship. He discusses how these experiences shaped his professional ambitions, leading him to a career in banking, and ultimately changing his relationship with money, community, and family values.This podcast is powered by Kestrl. Kestrl is an app that helps Muslim to grow their wealth without compromising their beliefs Kestrl - The Muslim Money App https://kestrl.io/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro02:11 – Nadir’s background, growing up in Pakistan and moving to the UK.06:48 – Culture shock in a predominantly white neighborhood.08:13 – Experiences with racism in school and feelings of embarrassment.16:54 – Challenges of university and financial struggles.19:29 – Visa issues, family sacrifices, and financial pressures.24:48 – Transition into banking; importance of role models.34:28 – Nadir’s reflections on how fintech impacts underrepresented communities.46:33 – Overcoming imposter syndrome and starting a career at Barclays.57:41 – Leading Barclays Fintech Accelerator and meeting Kestrl’s team.1:02:21 – Reflections on working in a large financial institution as a Muslim.1:09:03 – Nadir’s personal life: meeting his wife and building a family.1:10:22 – Closing thoughts on money, family, and identity.