The Transit Lounge with Mohamad Zaoud

LaunchGood has become the biggest Muslim-specific crowdfunding platform across the globe. Whilst many comfortably use the platform, they are unaware of the story behind its inception. Co-Founder Omar Hamid's journey started in late high school, as he kicked off his design career by starting his own agency - that’s right - during high school. The design agency turned out to be a stunning success, and all was well and good, until Omar got his most engaging project yet - the LaunchGood website. He would soon realise that this project drew him in like none other before and lit a passion deep inside. Eventually, Omar went all in as a Co-Founder and began his journey to develop the Muslim World's largest crowd funding platform   Visit toledosociety.com for more info

Magid Magid may have lived the most unconventional journey to politics there is. After leaving Somalia as a refugee, he arrived at Britain at the tender age of 5. After schooling and working long shifts at factories for cash, Magid eventually enrolled into university to study Aquatic Zoology. Apart from an exotic degree, Magid got a lot out of his time at university. He found a voice to speak out for things he believed in passionately, and eventually got elected as the President of the University Union. A strong believer in principle over politics, Magid joined the Greens party and quickly became an active member. Before he knew it, he would be elected as the youngest Lord Mayor of Sheffield (with quite a fancy inauguration). We trace Magid's journey and the challenges he's faced as a proud Muslim in politics. The Transit Lounge chronicles the journeys of people who’ve had a considerable impact on the Muslim world. In season 1, we hear from successful entrepreneurs, academics, scholars and politicians. Hosted by Mohamad Zaoud, each episode explores the highs and lows of our guests, and tackles the question of our time - what does it take to find balance when living a contemporary Muslim life. Mohamad Zaoud is a brand enthusiast and consults businesses and NGOs on brand & growth strategies. He’s currently the Manager of Digital Growth – EMEA, and formerly Head of Marketing MENA, at Al Jazeera Media Network where he’s worked on flagship brands including Al Jazeera and AJ+. Visit toledosociety.com for more info.

Arguably the forerunner in Islamic related design across the world, Peter Gould's journey is fascinating on both a personal and business level. By the time Peter hit university, he discovered two crucial things that would inform his work to come; his passion for design and his belief in Islam. Instead of working at a corporate firm to channel his design talents, Peter took the road less travelled by and started his own design agency from scratch. From here on, Peter worked with some of the biggest brands in and out of the Muslim World - from icons like Sami Yusuf to brands like Emirates Park Zoo and Colgate. Alongside servicing major clients, Peter is now working on some projects of his own. In the episode, Peter walks us through the journey that finally culminated in his most recent project, Zileej - a design agency creating the next generation of meaningful toys, games and creative experiences for the Muslim World. The Transit Lounge chronicles the journeys of people who’ve had a considerable impact on the Muslim world. In season 1, we hear from successful entrepreneurs, academics, scholars and politicians. Hosted by Mohamad Zaoud, each episode explores the highs and lows of our guests, and tackles the question of our time - what does it take to find balance when living a contemporary Muslim life. Mohamad Zaoud is a brand enthusiast and consults businesses and NGOs on brand & growth strategies. He’s currently the Manager of Digital Growth – EMEA, and formerly Head of Marketing MENA, at Al Jazeera Media Network where he’s worked on flagship brands including Al Jazeera and AJ+. Visit toledosociety.com for more info.

If there is anyone who has walked the world through his career, its Shahed Amanullah. He's worked at several major engineer firms, at the World Bank, in real estate development and a in the US State Department. But these jobs have only been in between what Shahed is truly passionate about - creating, leading and supporting impactful start-ups. A Silicon Valley native, he founded Zabihah.com - a Yelp for Muslims (before Yelp was a thing), Zakatify - an app changing the way we do Zakat and is currently the founder and CTO of Affinis Labs. We cover all bases with Shahed - from Muslims in Silicon Valley, to what makes a successful start-up and how Muslims should approach business today. The Transit Lounge chronicles the journeys of people who’ve had a considerable impact on the Muslim world. In season 1, we hear from successful entrepreneurs, academics, scholars and politicians. Hosted by Mohamad Zaoud, each episode explores the highs and lows of our guests, and tackles the question of our time - what does it take to find balance when living a contemporary Muslim life. Mohamad Zaoud is a brand enthusiast and consults businesses and NGOs on brand & growth strategies. He’s currently the Manager of Digital Growth – EMEA, and formerly Head of Marketing MENA, at Al Jazeera Media Network where he’s worked on flagship brands including Al Jazeera and AJ+. Visit ToledoSociety.com for more info.

Recent times have seen massive strides in Muslim mental health awareness. The ways in which we understand wellness have shifted a great deal and it's increasingly clear that mental illness is not to be pushed under the rug. However, we often don't hear of the individuals who tirelessly work on the ground to create this awareness. One such personality is Hanan Dover: Vice President of the International Association of Muslim Psychologists and a Founder of PsychCentral. Hanan’s fight against the taboos and superstitions surrounding Muslim mental health, alongside the struggles of being an outspoken Muslim woman, mother and community leader (who's on her fifth degree and counting!), Hanan's story is nothing short of inspiring.   The Transit Lounge chronicles the journeys of people who’ve had a considerable impact on the Muslim world. In season 1, we hear from successful entrepreneurs, academics, scholars and politicians. Hosted by Mohamad Zaoud, each episode explores the highs and lows of our guests, and tackles the question of our time - what does it take to find balance when living a contemporary Muslim life. Mohamad Zaoud is a brand enthusiast and consults businesses and NGOs on brand & growth strategies. He’s currently the Manager of Digital Growth – EMEA, and formerly Head of Marketing MENA, at Al Jazeera Media Network where he’s worked on flagship brands including Al Jazeera and AJ+. Visit ToledoSociety.com for more info.