Talk to Ali

Ali Khawaja
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business
  • Updated Monthly

Why a podcast? Why now? One day, just like any other; I was talking to one of my students about something. The conversation jumped from topic to topic and after a while the student asked me how I knew the things I did, the answer was simple. I talked to people. In that moment I took pause and looked back at how many people over the years I had the chance to sit down with and just have a chat; and heard all the amazing things they told me. This podcast follows the same; conversations I have with my friends. The only difference is that I will try to get them to be more focused and concise. If you want to sit over a cup of coffee, drop me a text and lets meet up.

Episodes

  1. Sep 10

    S02E04 - Greeneration - Roman Ulyanov

    In this episode, host Ali sits down with Roman Ulyanov, founder and CEO of Greeneration, to explore what the future of food and farming could look like in the UAE. With extreme heat, water scarcity and limited agricultural land, the region presents a unique challenge for food production. Ali and Roman unpack how vertical farming is addressing some of those constraints, and how Greeneration is using controlled indoor environments to grow microgreens, edible flowers, specialty leaves and other premium produce for the UAE's hospitality industry. Ali takes the conversation beyond the technology to ask some of the questions consumers naturally have about food grown indoors. Is hydroponically grown produce as nutritious as traditionally farmed food? Does it taste the same? Are pesticides still required? And can vertical farms genuinely produce more food using fewer resources? Roman explains the science behind controlled-environment agriculture while also acknowledging its limitations, including why vertical farming makes sense for certain crops but is unlikely to replace traditional agriculture altogether.The conversation then expands into the bigger question of food security in the UAE. Ali and Roman discuss the country's reliance on imports, the importance of local production, dependence on imported seeds and where the biggest opportunities for agricultural innovation may lie. Roman also shares his journey from private equity to founding Greeneration and the commercial realities of building an agricultural business from the ground up. It's a conversation about much more than vertical farms: it's about how technology, biology, entrepreneurship and local production could reshape the way food reaches our tables. Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.comRoman Ulyanov | https://www.instagram.com/greeneration.ae/Talk to Ali Website | https://talktoali.com/Talk to Ali IG | https://www.instagram.com/talktokhawaja/ Outline 00:00 - The Future of Food: Ali introduces the episode and explores how technology is changing the way we think about farming and food production. 02:00 - Meet Roman & Greeneration: Roman Ulyanov introduces Greeneration and its mission to grow premium ingredients locally in Dubai. 03:09 - Traditional vs. Vertical Farming: Roman explains how indoor farms recreate climate, sunlight, water and nutrition in a controlled environment. 07:39 - How Vertical Farming Actually Works: A simple "library bookshelf" analogy explains multi-layer growing systems and why different crops require different setups. 11:01 - Does Vertical Farming Really Produce More?: Why efficiency depends heavily on the crop and why vertical farming isn't the right solution for everything. 17:46 - Nutrition & Hydroponics: Roman addresses the misconception that hydroponically grown produce is less nutritious than traditionally farmed produce. 19:43 - Does Indoor-Grown Food Taste Different?: The conversation explores whether consumers can actually distinguish hydroponic produce from soil-grown produce. 21:25 - Pesticides, Food Safety & Biological Pest Control: How controlled farming can reduce environmental risks and even use beneficial insects instead of chemical pesticides. 24:19 - Food Security & Local Production in the UAE: Roman discusses imports, local supply chains, seed dependency and opportunities for agricultural innovation in the region. 30:26 - From Private Equity to Farming: Roman shares why he left a more conventional career to build Greeneration and the commercial challenges of creating a vertically integrated food-tech business.

    S02E04 - Greeneration - Roman Ulyanov

  2. Aug 1

    S02E03 - Bookends - Grace Karim

    In this episode, I sit down with Grace Karim, co-founder of Bookends.ae, to explore how a simple idea born from the challenge of keeping up with children's reading habits evolved into the UAE's largest pre-loved bookstore and one of the country's most vibrant reading communities. We discuss the journey from running a small operation out of a family home to opening a physical bookstore built around the belief that books should be affordable, accessible, and experienced, even in an increasingly digital world. Grace shares the realities of building a purpose-driven startup, from pitching investors and appearing on Shark Tank to making difficult decisions about growth, partnerships, and sustainability. We also dive into one of the darkest chapters in Bookends' story, when catastrophic floods destroyed more than 14,000 books and threatened to end the business. What followed was an extraordinary display of community support that proved their greatest asset wasn't their inventory, but the people who believed in their mission. This conversation is about much more than books. It's about resilience, entrepreneurship, creating value beyond profit, and building something people genuinely care about. Whether you're launching a startup, looking for inspiration, or simply love reading, this episode is a powerful reminder that passion, purpose, and community can carry you through even the toughest challenges. Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.comGrace Karim | https://www.instagram.com/grace.karim/Talk to Ali Website | https://talktoali.com/Talk to Ali IG | https://www.instagram.com/talktokhawaja/ Outline 00:00 Introduction & Meet Grace Karim How a childhood dream became the UAE's largest pre-loved bookstore. 01:00 The Story Behind Bookends.ae Why Grace and Soumya started Bookends and the mission behind it. 03:55 From Home Startup to Physical Store The journey from a spare room to a dedicated bookstore. 05:43 Listening to Customers & Opening the Shop How customer demand inspired their biggest leap yet. 08:11 Building More Than a Bookstore Creating a space where readers connect and community thrives. 12:00 Shark Tank & The Reality of Purpose-Driven Business Why the investors passed and why Grace never gave up. 15:07 The Flood That Almost Ended Bookends The devastating disaster that destroyed over 14,000 books. 20:27 Rebuilding Through Community How volunteers, customers, and supporters helped bring Bookends back. 28:33 The Unmanned Bookshelf Experiment A trust-based model that's changing how people discover books. 31:39 The Future of Bookends Franchising, partnerships, cafés, and expanding the reading movement. 35:25 Supporting Local Authors & Building a Reading Culture Why Bookends is more than a bookstore for UAE writers and readers. 38:23 Blind Date With a Book One of Bookends' most popular and creative reading experiences. 40:49 Advice for Entrepreneurs Grace's biggest lessons on building a business with purpose. 43:23 Closing Thoughts Where to find Bookends and how you can support their mission.

    S02E03 - Bookends - Grace Karim

  3. Jun 20

    S02E02 - MindMe - Nokhez Usama

    In this episode, Ali Khawaja sits down with Nokhez, founder of Mind Me and a practicing psychologist in Dubai, to explore her shift from clinical mental health work into entrepreneurship Nokhez shares how her experience as a psychologist exposed the limitations of traditional mental health support, especially around accessibility, consistency, and scale. That realization led her to build Mind Me, a startup focused on democratizing well being and giving people support they can access more easily. The conversation covers the early founder journey, from testing ideas and speaking to users, to landing the first B2B customer, navigating investor conversations, managing cash flow, and dealing with the emotional weight of building a startup. Ali and Nokhez also discuss the loneliness of entrepreneurship, the importance of community, and the reality of being a female founder in the startup ecosystem. They close with a deep discussion on pivots, including Mind Me’s move from a B2B SaaS well being platform toward a more direct-to-consumer coaching companion. The episode is a candid look at what it really feels like to build, fail, adjust, and keep moving. Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.com Nokhez Usama | https://www.mindme.ae Talk to Ali Website | https://talktoali.com/ Talk to Ali IG | https://www.instagram.com/talktokhawaja/

    S02E02 - MindMe - Nokhez Usama

  4. Jun 6

    S02E01 - Parfumery - Ibrahim Asif

    In this episode, Ali Khawaja sits down with entrepreneur Ibrahim Asif, founder of Parfumery, to unpack his journey from a “hyper” university student experimenting with business to building a scent-focused company with multiple revenue streams. Ibrahim shares the early lessons that shaped him, from entering business without proper agreements, to learning the value of networks, customer feedback, and disciplined pivots. The conversation explores how Parfumery evolved from a simple Typeform and cash-on-delivery model into a business serving individuals, corporate gifting clients, live experiences, and branded scenting solutions for major companies. Ali and Ibrahim also dive into the role of AI in entrepreneurship, not as a shortcut to success, but as a powerful tool for builders willing to ask better questions, prototype quickly, and stay patient through execution.The episode closes with practical advice for anyone thinking about starting something: use the ecosystem around you, test your idea with real customers, take the first step, and have the courage to enjoy the ride. Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.com Ibrahim Asif | https://parfumery.co MHAE Website | https://www.mentalhealth.ae MHAE Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthae

    S02E01 - Parfumery - Ibrahim Asif

  5. 02/08/2020

    S01E06 - Grace Karim – Bookends

    More than 675m books were sold in the US alone in 2019. We are insatiable consumers and still pro print. With print books massively outselling digital books, seems they are here to stay. I talked with Grace, she is the co-founder of a simple, yet wonderful initiative. They are supporting sustainability by adopting 2 of the 3 waste hierarchy R’s. Their platform, bookends.ae allows for simple purchase and sale of pre-loved books. Allowing multiple “reuse” and finally “recycle”.Have a listen to our talk, perhaps it may inspire you to make your idea into reality.

    S01E06 - Grace Karim – Bookends

  6. 09/18/2019

    S01E05 - Ansar Babu - Who Took My Breath Away

    We all get hung up on our work so much that we forget to take out time for the things that matter the most. Ansar talks about his journey through Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a fatal lung disease. Going through this life-threatening condition, opened his eyes to the importance of spending more time with the people you love most.

    S01E05 - Ansar Babu - Who Took My Breath Away

  7. 02/26/2019

    S01E04 - Simran Chowdhry - BluPhin

    Our Talk - We have destroyed the planet we live on. This is evident in so many ways, none more obvious than the great Pacific garbage patch. Simran, talks to me about her new venture in cleaning up the oceans. A simple, yet brilliant idea of catching the trash before it escapes to the oceans. Her company BluPhin has a working prototype and soon we will see them everywhere.

    S01E04 - Simran Chowdhry - BluPhin

  8. 12/04/2018

    S01E03 - Badar Farooq - Sustainability & You

    Out Talk - Talk with Badar and the state of sustainability. Badar also talks to us about his initiative, Sustainimate; a transparent communication digital media initiative. Also discussion about the job hunting and networking in the environmental/sustainability space.

    S01E03 - Badar Farooq - Sustainability & You

  9. 10/25/2018

    S01E02 - John Katsos - Sustainability & Tesla

    Our Talk -After having a great talk with my friend John about sustainability and Tesla a few weeks back, he scribbled a nice article on Medium. An invite to chat on the podcast was a must. We had a wonderful chat about what sustainability really is. Also discussed if Tesla is or is not sustainable. Finally, a few nice recommendations on what we can do today to make a change for a better tomorrow.Have a listen, feel free to share feedback.John KatsosJohn E. Katsos is Associate Professor of Management at the American University of Sharjah (UAE). John researches business operations in conflict zones. He looks specifically at how businesses can mitigate political risk and enhance peace in conflict and post-conflict zones and how international businesses can limit their legal exposure as a result of foreign operations in conflict and post-conflict zones. John teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Business and Peace, Business Ethics, Negotiations, and Business Law.Prior to AUS, John worked at Occidental Petroleum, the US Small Business Administration, the New York County District Attorney’s Office, the US State Department, the George Washington University, and the American University of Dubai. John has his JD and MBA from the George Washington University in Washington, DC and his BA in Religion from Haverford College in Haverford, PA. He is licensed to practice law in New York.Reach out to my guest.Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jekatsos/Medium | https://medium.com/@jekatsosEmail | jkatsos@aus.edu

    S01E02 - John Katsos - Sustainability & Tesla

  10. 10/08/2018

    S01E01 - Abdullah and Ali

    Our Talk -I had the privilege of being interviewed by my son, Abdullah. The plan was to talk about why I am doing this podcast and why now. I don't think we got to that; too busy having fun and laughing. Looks like we may need to do a part 2 of this interview.None the less, here it is, enjoy.www.talktoali.com

    S01E01 - Abdullah and Ali
  • 10 Episodes

About

Why a podcast? Why now? One day, just like any other; I was talking to one of my students about something. The conversation jumped from topic to topic and after a while the student asked me how I knew the things I did, the answer was simple. I talked to people. In that moment I took pause and looked back at how many people over the years I had the chance to sit down with and just have a chat; and heard all the amazing things they told me. This podcast follows the same; conversations I have with my friends. The only difference is that I will try to get them to be more focused and concise. If you want to sit over a cup of coffee, drop me a text and lets meet up.

Information

  • Creator
    Ali Khawaja
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ali Khawaja
  • Show Website
    Talk to Ali