Muslim Founder

Sohaib Ashraf
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Islam
  • Updated Weekly

Conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah.

  1. 1d ago

    Ex-Goldman Banker Exposes The Secret To Building a Billion Dollar Company

    Mariam Ahmed is the co-founder of Menza, an AI intelligence platform for consumer brands.  Born and raised in New York, she studied computer science at King's College London before joining Goldman Sachs. Today she's growing Menza toward a billion-dollar company, backed by Y Combinator and featured in Forbes.  ------------------- Subscribe to the Muslim Founder Newsletter: https://muslimfounder.kit.com/32ea939ddd For the latest updates on events, programs and announcements.  ------------------- Follow Mariam Ahmed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariamaahmed/ https://menza.ai/ ------------------- 0:00 Intro 2:07 Growing up in New York 4:26 From medicine to coding 7:40 Inside Goldman Sachs: how to find winners and losers 11:21 The dinner that ended her finance career 15:02 Last day Friday, flew Saturday, YC on Sunday 17:11 The real reason they got into Y Combinator 20:56 100 conversations in one week to find the idea 22:40 What Menza actually does 23:40 Why 80% of her YC batch is already dead 27:09 The brutal truth about having no boss 33:14 How to build with zero money in 2026 34:06 "You don't need to fundraise anymore" 36:18 Building a billion-dollar company on Islamic values 39:46 America's abundance vs Britain's scarcity 45:59 The failures she's most proud of

    48 min

  2. Jun 8

    What the Prophet ﷺ Understood About Islam That We Forgot

    Iqbal Nasim is the former CEO of the National Zakat Foundation. He studied economics at Cambridge before going into investment banking, then left a seven-figure package to build NZF, transforming how Muslims across the country give their zakat. He's the founder of Transform My Prayer, helping Muslims connect with their salah, and the Last Day Leadership program, helping them find purpose. Over the past year, his podcast "In Good Faith" has become a home for the conversations most people avoid ------------------- Subscribe to the Muslim Founder Newsletter: https://muslimfounder.kit.com/32ea939ddd For the latest updates on events, programs and announcements.  ------------------- Follow Iqbal Nasim: https://www.youtube.com/@UCZ4GnufkU9g_wWUmmfaOKrA  https://www.iqbalnasim.com/ ------------------- 0:00 Intro 1:25 "There's no such thing as Islam" 3:38  What does the Quran say on this? 5:09 The misunderstanding of the word "Islam" 8:23 How we lost the original meaning 10:33 The trap of "Islamic everything" 13:07 Why "non-Muslim" is a dehumanizing word 15:57 Do you believe in Allah because you're "Muslim"?  20:40 Would a non-Muslim really not understand halal? 26:47 Are Islamic schools a help or a harm? 30:05 The hard lines we draw between "us" and "them" 32:29 "The Muslim ummah is a complete myth" 36:42 Muslim pride & the obsession with "Muslim power" 45:01 "There is no ummah" - so what do you belong to? 49:12 "Why should anyone even care about this?" 52:27 The real harms of clinging to the label 54:38 What keeps Iqbal up at night: NDEs & psychedelics 57:48 Panentheism

    1 hr

  3. May 26

    The Muslim That Makes Millionaires: This Dua Habit Turned $0 to $10k/mo

    Abu Lahya is a Muslim entrepreneur specialising in influencer marketing agencies. He spent 3 years failing in business before making his first $100K. Today, after building a multi-6-figure marketing agency, he runs one of the biggest business mentorship programs in the Muslim space - with over 40,000 applications and students who've changed their lives, quit their jobs, and made hijrah. In this episode, he breaks down the exact roadmap from broke to your first $100K, why your relationship with Allah determines your success in business, and how dua became the foundation of everything he built. ------------------- Join Abu Lahya's mentorship: https://application.imaccelerator.com/sohaib ------------------- Follow Abu Lahya: https://www.youtube.com/@AbuLayha https://www.instagram.com/abu_lahya1/ ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:07 The art of sales & never taking no for an answer 3:25 The origin story: rejection and failed businesses 4:39 Why beginners should start with service-based businesses 8:40 Zero to one: the $100 course that changed everything 10:12 Why Muslims avoid business  13:17 Why most people quit and fail 15:36 How the influencer marketing agency model works 16:54 Finding influencers & how to price deals 19:47 The outreach strategy & how to stand out 24:39 Is your niche saturated, or is it a skill issue? 30:06 This sounds too good to be true? 33:05 "I was crying how broke I was, making dua" 35:01 Fix your relationship with Allah before your business 40:08 "Using Islam to sell your course" 44:31 Meeting Alex Hormozi 49:51 The roadmap for starting. 53:51 Abu Lahya's legacy

    57 min

  4. May 14

    The Prophet's ﷺ Lost Ring, Mansa Musa & The African Muslims Who Discovered America (Before Columbus)

    Sh Mustafa Briggs is an Islamic historian, author, and specialist in Arabic and Islamic texts. He converted to Islam at 13 and went on to study across West Africa, Mauritania, Morocco, and Al-Azhar University in Cairo.  Today he's a leading voice for uncovering the hidden, forgotten, and erased stories of Islamic history, having delivered over 100 lectures across 50+ universities worldwide and authored two books - Beyond Bilal and Islam and the Making of the Modern World. In this episode, he breaks down the lost ring of the Prophet ﷺ and the fitna that followed, the Black poets and scholars who shaped Islamic civilization, and the theory that Muslims discovered America 200 years before Columbus ever set sail. ------------------- Follow Mustafa Briggs https://www.instagram.com/mustafabriggs/ https://mustafabriggs.com/ ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:07 How Mustafa uncovers hidden Islamic history 4:23 The lost ring of the Prophet ﷺ 6:44 Why anti-Blackness exists in Muslim history 12:44 The scholars who defended Black Muslims 14:01 The Black Sahaba you've never heard of 15:36 Ubada bin Samit and the opening of Palestine 17:53 Why race matters in Islamic history 23:28 Crows of the Arabs: the Black poets of Arabia 26:24 Antara & Abla: the Romeo and Juliet of Arabia 29:43 Did Muslims discover America before Columbus? 33:33 The 2,000 ships that vanished 36:51 Mustafa's journey to Islam at 13 40:19 Studying across West Africa, Mauritania & Cairo 44:14 What's next for Mustafa Briggs

    47 min

  5. May 14

    Muslim Money Expert: If I Started A Business in 2026, I'd Do This

    Omar Waseem is the 21-year-old CEO of Alif, an investment fund for Muslim founders based in Silicon Valley. By 19, he had built multiple seven-figure businesses and served as CMO of Fei Protocol, a startup that peaked at a $2B valuation. Today he invests in early-stage Muslim founders and runs an ecosystem that hosts entrepreneurs and investors from across the world. In this episode, he breaks down how Muslim entrepreneurs can build wealth and start companies in 2026. ------------------- Join Alif Sessions: https://alif.build/sessions  Use promo code "muslimfounder" in your application for 20% off and a guaranteed spot in the program. Program starts on 10th May. ------------------- Follow Omar Waseem: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarwaseem/ https://x.com/omarwasm https://www.youtube.com/@omarwasm ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:14 Omar's entrepreneurial journey 4:26 The car accident that changed everything 6:53 The Fund backing Muslim founders 10:14 What Omar looks for in founders 11:26 The mission: 25 Muslim billionaires 12:15 Do Muslims sell out to build big? 14:53 How Alif actually makes money 16:32 The best business to start in 2026 18:56 Why 2026 is the moment 21:22 Building Muslim entrepreneurial power 23:56 Why San Francisco wins 26:44 Is money the real problem? 28:27 How to hire a world-class team 36:42 Omar's role models 38:10 How he made it so young 40:20 Who keeps Omar grounded 44:14 Rapid fire

    46 min

  6. May 14

    Pakistani Immigrant to Scotland’s Prime Minister | Humza Yousaf

    Humza Yousaf is a Scottish-Pakistani politician and the former First Minister of Scotland - the first Muslim to ever lead a Western nation.  The son of Pakistani immigrants, he entered politics at 22 and, over 15 years rose to the top of Scottish politics. During his time in office, he became the first Western leader to call for a ceasefire in Gaza - while his own wife's family was trapped there. ------------------- Join Alif Sessions: https://alif.build/sessions  Use promo code "muslimfounder" in your application for 20% off and a guaranteed spot with the Alif team. ------------------- Follow Humza: https://x.com/HumzaYousaf https://www.instagram.com/humzayousaf/ ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:31 Family background and early political career 5:44 Was becoming First Minister the end goal? 7:18 The moment he became First Minister 9:28 Praying Maghrib inside Bute House 10:13 Islamophobia and navigating politics as a Muslim 13:54 Palestine and his wife's family trapped in Gaza 19:33 Elon Musk calling him a racist 22:04 Navigating conflicts between Islam and politics 25:02 The Prophet ﷺ as the ultimate peacemaker 27:08 What's next for Humza Yousaf 28:31 Standing before God - what Humza would say

    30 min

  7. Apr 21

    FaZe Apex: The Secret Muslim Behind a $2 Billion Empire

    Yousef "FaZe Apex" is a Palestinian-American YouTuber and entrepreneur and co-founder of FaZe Clan, one of the biggest gaming and entertainment brands in history. He joined at 14, grew his channel to over 6 million subscribers, and over 15 years helped build it into a cultural phenomenon that peaked at a $2 billion valuation.  After the company collapsed, he walked away. Throughout his career, he kept his Muslim identity hidden - praying behind locked doors, never revealing his real name to his audience. ------------------- Join Alif Sessions: https://alif.build/sessions Use promo code "muslimfounder" in your application to get 20% off and a guaranteed spot.  ------------------- Follow Yousef: https://www.youtube.com/@apex https://www.instagram.com/apex ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 1:07 Growing up Palestinian-American in Orange County 4:29 Visiting Palestine for the first time at 21 7:27 The story of his cousin who was killed 10:54 Studying Arabic and enrolling in Islamic studies 14:56 How 14-year-old Yousef discovered YouTube and gaming 16:58 Joining FaZe Clan  19:57 First $200 from YouTube  20:45 Why he hid his Muslim identity online 22:11 Getting hacked and swatted at his family home 24:03 Moving to New York at 18 and holding onto his faith 28:28 The moment a friend stopped him from smoking weed 30:10 FaZe Clan's explosive growth and business evolution 36:29 Learning business through experience vs education 39:49 The IPO, $2 billion peak, and the crash 44:55 Watching FaZe collapse and accepting Allah's decree 48:40 Why he deleted 1,200 YouTube videos after reading a Quran ayah 54:07 Advice to young Muslim creators on content 59:25 Khabib's influence and going public about being Muslim 1:04:29 Guilt over Palestine and trying to do enough 1:07:06 Building a new startup after FaZe 1:11:42 Why he paused content creation to focus on building 1:15:36 Applying to YC and learning the startup world 1:17:14 What legacy means to him 1:20:50 Stories of Abu Bakr and Omar that shaped his worldview _____________ Muslim Founder Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/ https://www.instagram.com/muslimfounderpodcast/ https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97/

    1h 27m

  8. Mar 10

    Muslim Entrepreneur: I Rejected Israel Then Turned $1 into $M's

    Yusuf Adam is a 24-year-old entrepreneur from Blackburn who's done over £3 million in sales.  He started scanning £1 products in clearance aisles with his dad, scaled to £450,000 in profit, rejected a £200,000 deal with an Israeli company on principle, and built a software company along the way.  He now mentors young Muslims on building real wealth outside the traditional 9-to-5 blueprint. Follow Yusuf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yusuf-a-ceo/ https://www.instagram.com/_ceoyusuf/ https://www.youtube.com/@CEOyusuf Join his mentorship: https://apply.amzfbanetwork.com/vsl3?el=youtube-about&htrafficsource=youtube 00:00 Introduction 02:28 How He Made His First Million in Revenue 04:18 Discovering Amazon FBA 05:33 Scanning Clearance Aisles With His Dad 07:01 Amazon FBA Explained For Beginners 09:42 How Much Capital Do You Need to Start? 15:22 Secret Sauce: Finding Your Competitive Edge 17:25 Biggest Headaches When Starting Out 20:00 Replacing Yourself: Outsourcing Low-ROI Tasks 22:31 How He Scaled to Seven Figures So Fast 24:31 Why He Didn't Drop Out of Uni 27:24 Building a SaaS for Amazon Sellers  30:27 When to Go Full-Time on Amazon 34:35 Rejecting a £200K Deal With an Israeli Company 38:38 Why Muslims Stay Stuck in the Traditional Blueprint 43:06 Why He Started a Paid Mentorship Group _____________ Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations.  Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah. _____________ Follow Sohaib (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/ https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97 _____________ Podcast Studio: https://www.dubaipodcaststudio.com/ Apply 15% off all services with the promo code "MuslimFOUNDER".

    46 min
See All (30)

About

Conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah.

Information

  • Creator
    Sohaib Ashraf
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sohaib Ashraf
  • Show Website
    Muslim Founder

You Might Also Like