The Lighthouse Conversations with Hashem Montasser The Lighthouse
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- Society & Culture
Hashem Montasser, Founder of the The Lighthouse Restaurant & Concept Store in the UAE, is a raconteur who avidly follows the work of arts, culture, technology and, of course, food. In a series of conversations aimed at introducing its audience to the Middle East’s entrepreneurial landscape, Hashem asks his guests about their life journeys, inspirations, successes and failures and everything in-between.
New episodes available every second Thursday.
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“I’m an art pragmatist. You need a balance.” Hashem Montasser talks to Caroline Louca about growing up around art, themes in his current collection, and how The Lighthouse fits in with his mission to support Arab artists.
This week, we’re flipping the script. Art consultant Caroline Louca gets behind the host’s mic to chat with Hashem the art collector! As a long-time friend of Hashem’s, an art advisor, and former Managing Director of Christie’s Dubai, Caroline digs deep into Hashem’s passion for art. They talk about Hashem’s art enthusiast and academic mother, who exposed him to the world of art, how memories of Egypt’s bygone era continue to influence his collection, and why the introduction to seminal GCC artists such as Hassan Sharif was so pivotal to him.
Hashem and Caroline also discuss the evolution of The Lighthouse into a vibrant community hub that fosters connections between art-curious individuals and artists. And here’s a sneak peek: Hashem comes from art royalty, the father of modern Egyptian painting, Mahmoud Said, being his great granduncle.
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Hashem Montasser tells Youssef el Deeb about his journey from Wall Street to building The Lighthouse
Artists & Designers on The Lighthouse Conversations:
Maha Mahmoun
Myrna Ayad
Nada Debs
Anoud Alzaben
Vilma Jurkute, Alserkal Avenue
Tarik Al-Zaharna
Maya Allison
Isabelle van den Eynde, Gallery IVDE
David & Nicholas
Cyril Zammit
Bokja: Huda Baroudi & Maria Hibri
Brendan McGetrick, Museum of the Future
Sunny Rahbar, Third Line Gallery
Meshary AlNasser
Nakkash Gallery: Wajih, Aya & Omar Nakkash
Elie Khouri -
“When I see a few characters in a painting, I create my own stories.” Elie Khouri on his multiple career pivots, the joy of collecting art & having fun on hit reality series ‘Shark Tank’
Hashem catches up with the renowned art collector and CEO of Vivium Holding, his newly established family office.
Elie, a self-made man who grew up during Beirut's civil war has had a fascinating career journey, pivoting to advertising early in his career and then building & leading Omnicom Media Group MENA for 18 years. In 2017, he established Vivium Holding, a family office focused on all things Elie, a portfolio that includes real estate, tech and hospitality.
This wide-ranging conversation covers the evolution of advertising in the region, the current state of the Dubai art and design scene as well as his patronage and interest in art. Elie is also a "Shark" on the Dubai edition of the hit reality series Shark Tank and shares key advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
As someone with a keen eye for detail, Elie also picks up on Hashem's unwavering commitment to wearing black! -
“When I see everybody walking in a certain direction, I like to choose the other path” Hamad Al Awar on juggling founding burger brand 'High Joint', being a police officer, visual animator and father
Hashem catches up with Hamad Al Awar, the founder of the home-grown burger brand, High Joint, a police officer and a creative artist. Having met at a shawarma place in a very interesting coincidence, Hashem decided to bring their conversation to The Lighthouse Podcast room and explore the man with multiple hats. Hamad walks us through how he is able to balance between all of his roles while being a father of four.
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Teaser: Hamed Al Awar
Catch our brand new episode this Thursday with Hamad Al Awar, the founder of the beloved home-grown burger brand 'High Joint'.
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"Dubai is like a millefeuille. There are layers and layers." Mohamed Maktabi on the rich history of his family’s business 'Iwan Maktabi' and his passion for storytelling through the intricate artistry of carpets
Hashem catches up with Mohamed Maktabi, the CEO of Iwan Maktabi, the go-to address for rare carpets and textile art in the MENA region. They go back in time as Mohamed reveals the captivating tale of his family's heritage: from his grandfather's migration from Iran to Lebanon, fueled by a passion for collecting the most exquisite carpets, to the present-day business in Beirut and Dubai. Mohamed shares his passion for storytelling through the intricate artistry of carpets and how the business came to be named ‘Iwan Maktabi’ (spoiler alert: it’s not a family member!).
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Teaser: Mohamed Maktabi
We're back this week with a brand new episode with Mohamed Maktabi, the man behind the carpet dynasty, Iwan Maktabi. Find it in your podcast player this Thursday.