Well Rooted

Haneen Jarrar

Well Rooted is a platform documenting the intersection of business, culture, politics, and identity as it pertains to the MENA/SWANA experience through the founders, creatives, and advocates moving the cultural needle forward. With an emphasis on narrative reclamation and the reimagining of power structures through enterpreneurship and art, Well Rooted releases weekly episodes featurng long-form interviews with notable guests, as well as solo "Rooted Recap" episodes deep diving into the stories and ideas that matter to us.

  1. 4d ago

    From Ramallah to the UN | Mohammad Qasem on Resilience, Reporting, and Staying Well Rooted

    Mohammad Qasem's path has taken him from a village outside Ramallah to Silicon Valley, and then, to a news desk at Al Jazeera English. Haneen calls his story "a testament to the Palestinian spirit," and it's easy to hear why. In this conversation, Mohammad opens up about the career he lost, the dream he never let go of, and the childhood moment that shaped it: watching Shireen Abu Akleh report in his neighborhood. He shares his firsthand account of covering the UN General Assembly, and the two talk honestly about who gets to tell Palestinian stories, why he sees the two-state framing as a way to stall, and how people with platforms speak out, from Macklemore to his close friend Alana Hadid. It ends with a question that sits at the heart of the show: what does it mean to be well rooted? Well Rooted is brought to you by Jarrar & Associates CPAs, guiding entrepreneurs and creatives for over 20 years. Visit JarrarCPA.com. To follow Mohammad on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Assoiciates CPAs, click HERE   0:00 Cold open 0:15 Welcome and guest intro 1:02 Getting pushed out of Meta for speaking up on Gaza 4:05 The path to Al Jazeera 5:06 Inside Al Jazeera's America's desk 7:27 Growing up in the West Bank and meeting Shireen Abu Akleh 8:59 Was losing the Meta job a blessing in disguise? 11:33 Covering the UN General Assembly 14:19 Netanyahu's arrival, the blackout, and "why was he platformed?" 17:13 The West Bank stories media ignores 19:55 Did delegates really walk out on Netanyahu's speech? 22:07 "They're all the same": Israeli politics and Palestinian policy 27:21 Who gets to tell the Palestinian story? 34:59 Why he rejects the two-state framing 41:36 Macklemore, celebrity advocacy, and speaking out 46:29 Alana Hadid and how they met 49:34 What does being well rooted mean?

  2. Sep 23

    Rola Selbak | Palestinian Filmmaker on Hollywood, Folklore & Safina Filmmaker Project

    A Palestinian horror film. A mentorship project built to break down Hollywood's gates. And a filmmaker who's done playing by anyone else's rules. Haneen sits down with Rola Selbak to talk The Visitor, Safina Filmmaker Project, and what it really takes to make it as a Palestinian in the industry. To follow Rolla on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates, clik HERE

  3. Sep 16

    SWANA Summer Recap: World Cup, AIPAC Losses & Visa Bans

    A solo recap episode covering the biggest SWANA moments of summer 2026: record Arab and Muslim participation in the FIFA World Cup, visa restrictions and discrimination faced by Iranian and African teams, the controversial Egypt vs. Argentina match, and a wave of pro-Palestine, anti-AIPAC political wins spearheaded by Zohran Mamdani including: Abdul El-Sayed, and Aisha Wahhab. Plus: a look back at three Well Rooted guests - comedian Paul Elia, Ya Albi Oil founder Yasmeen Abouremeleh, and Potion Studio founder Aziza Elwani - and the visa-related tour postponements facing Saint Levant.   To learn more about Jarrar & Associates, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE

  4. Aug 5

    The Potion Studio Founder Aziza El Wanni on Palestinian-Carribean Roots and Hair Care Entrepreneurship

    In this episode of Well Rooted, Aziza El Wanni - founder of luxury hair care brand The Potion Studio - breaks down the full arc of building a culturally-rooted beauty company from the ground up: identifying a real gap in the hair care market, the early kitchen-table formulation stage, funding and manufacturing challenges, and the behind-the-scenes story of how The Potion Studio landed on shelves at Nordstrom as a culturally-specific brand. Aziza also opens up about her dual heritage - Palestinian and Curaçaoan - and how inherited beauty rituals, hair oiling traditions, and undocumented generational knowledge shaped both her personal identity and The Potion Studio's actual formulations. We talk about what other brands get wrong about haircare, how growing up between two diasporic identities shaped her as an entrepreneur, and how her own relationship with her hair has evolved over time. To shop The Potion Sutdio, click HERE To follow The Potion Studio on Instragram, click HERE To follow Aziza on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about how Jarrar & Associates and setup your free consultation, click HERE

  5. Jul 30

    Ebraheem Al Samadi | Star of Dubai Bling on Building Forever Rose, Reality TV, & Staying Unfiltered

    This week on Well Rooted, we're revisiting our episode featuring Ebraheem Al Samadi - the breakout star of Dubai Bling and founder of Forever Rose and Forever Rose Café - for a conversation that's as candid as it is captivating. Ebraheem takes us from his Florida roots to the glittering world he's built in the UAE, sharing the story behind the empire with humor, heart, and zero filter. We talk entrepreneurship from the ground up, the mindset that fueled his rise, and the confidence he brings to using his platform for the causes he cares about. He also pulls back the curtain on life on a hit Netflix show, gets real about relationships and the cost of fame, and reflects on what it actually takes to stay grounded while reaching higher. Bold, honest, and full of laughs this is one episode you definitely need to relive.   To follow Ebraheem on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates and schedule a free consultation, click HERE

  6. Jul 15

    Palestinian Olive Oil, Diaspora Identity, and the Business of Reclamation with Ya Albi Founder Yasmeen Abouremeleh

    Yasmeen co-founded Ya Albi with her mother to put Palestinian olive oil back in the hands of people who understand what it means. What she built is one of the most visually striking food brands in the diaspora: hot pink tins, Y2K aesthetics, custom bottles for a Huda Beauty event - proof that Palestinian products don't have to look like grief to be taken seriously. We get into the truth about the global olive oil supply, the decade in fashion that shaped the brand's entire identity, and the resistance she's faced as a founder, including being pulled from a Los Angeles shelf for no reason other than being Palestinian. This is a conversation about land, lineage, and building something beautiful in the middle of an erasure.   To follow Ya Albi on Instagram, click HERE To order Ya Albi, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates CPAs, click HERE

  7. Jul 3

    Roots, Land, & the Power of Indigenous Storytelling with Jenan Matari

    Award-winning author, publicist, and activist Jenan Matari joins Well Rooted to discuss her upcoming Palestinian children's book, Everything Grows in Jiddo's Garden, and the deeper mission behind it: raising children with a strong connection to their roots and and their land. In this episode, Jenan opens up about reclaiming and preserving Palestinian identity through storytelling, and what it means to parent within a diaspora that often challenges indigenous connection to land. We talk about the sacred relationship between indigenous people and their land, and how protecting that bond becomes its own form of resistance and reclamation. We also go beyond the book to explore Jenan's entrepreneurial path - from founding MISSMUSLIM, one of the first lifestyle platforms built for Muslim women, to launching ZAYTOUN Publicity, a PR agency dedicated to amplifying native, Arab, and Muslim voices. A conversation about identity, motherhood, land, and the power of storytelling rooted in culture - from the voices leading the SWANA cultural shift forward.   To follow Jenan on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To follow us on YouTube, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates and book your free consultation, click HERE

  8. Jun 11

    Abeer: Arab Girl Problems, Palestine & Why We Still Laugh | ICYMI

    In this episode, we're joined by Arab comedian and content creator, Abeer, for an honest conversation about dating as an Arab woman, advocacy for Palestine, and using humor to challenge cultural expectations. Abeer shares how she built her platform, what drives her creative voice, and why she believes comedy and activism belong in the same space. This episode is for anyone that's ever been made to feel like they're too much but knows they're meant for a lot more.   To follow Abeer on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates and schedule your free consultation, click HERE

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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Well Rooted is a platform documenting the intersection of business, culture, politics, and identity as it pertains to the MENA/SWANA experience through the founders, creatives, and advocates moving the cultural needle forward. With an emphasis on narrative reclamation and the reimagining of power structures through enterpreneurship and art, Well Rooted releases weekly episodes featurng long-form interviews with notable guests, as well as solo "Rooted Recap" episodes deep diving into the stories and ideas that matter to us.

Information

  • Creator
    Haneen Jarrar
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024