< PreviousTrendsetters MOST INFLUENTIAL Design Diva RUE KOTHARI @ruekothari DIRECTOR, DOWNTOWN DESIGN London-born Rue has built considerable influence in the Middle East design industry over 15 years of living in the UAE. She helmed Harper’s Bazaar Interiors magazine as editor-in-chief, raising it to become a key consumer title and conceived their Design Awards. Since taking over as director of Downtown Design in 2015, she has established the event as the Middle East’s leading design fair. As a key figure in the regional design industry, she advises international brands on the regional market opportunity, supporting the growth of local design businesses. Rue launched Editions in 2018, the region’s first showcase for limited edition design, bringing together diverse talents from around the world, and shining a spotlight on designers working in the Middle East. As an active mentor of emerging design talent, she has helped fledgling brands to curate their collections, craft their business strategy and gain support from local and international press. As Downtown Design wrapped its seventh and most successful fair to date, Rue continues to be a vocal advocate for regional design, helping to educate and enlighten the global audience on the growth potential of Middle East design brands. WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Trendsetters MOST INFLUENTIAL WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Making an Impact SPANDANA PALAYPU @zoeasyco FOUNDER & CEO, ZOEASY There are four million blue-collar workers in the UAE, many of whom are recruited by middlemen who prey on their desperation. Having taken huge loans, the workers are often trapped in far from ideal work conditions. Spandana Palaypu wanted to come up with a solution to educate such workers and help them make informed decisions. Thus was born ZoEasy which provides job seekers with a fair idea of where they fit in the job market based on their skills, abilities and expectations; educating them about immigration, working conditions and cultural issues. An alumnus of Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth, Spandana is a social entrepreneur addressing gaps in the UAE market via disruptive technology. Her platform, ZoEasy, educates and matches blue collar job seekers with best-fit validated employers in an ethical, transparent manner. Just 25, she has bagged several accolades already: Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum, One Young World’s Global Enterprise for Peace Ambassador and winner of Lead 2030’s United Nations SDG 4 Challenge to name just a few. She was awarded the Enterprise for Peace Scholarship by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ZoEasy has already made it to the list of Forbes 50 Startups to Watch. Spandana was chosen as one of nine social entrepreneurs to join Team Akon where it will receive mentorship and support from the singer and humanitarian. She believes in starting at the grassroots level to create a sustainable impact, so that blue collar workers are treated not as commodities but as human beings. 42 MASALA! Trendsetters MOST INFLUENTIAL What a Stroke! CHIRAG SURI @csuri128 CRICKETER The first and only person from MENA region to play in the IPL, Chirag Suri inherits his love for cricket from father Bobby, who has played Ranji games, English county cricket and still plays in the over-40 league in Dubai. Bobby has been his coach and mentor all these years. Chirag was part of the team at GEMS Modern Academy, where he set an as-yet-unbeaten record of 100 off 28 balls. In an under-12 tournament, he hit a 99 not out against Durham Cricket Club. The turning point came when he was dropped from the UAE Under-17 national team. Chirag then focused on his fitness seriously and at 15, got selected for the UAE Under-19 national squad. He was eventually inducted into the senior team. In 2014, Chirag played his first IPL match for the UAE and scored a brisk 65 in 30 balls against the Rajasthan Royals. IPL franchises took notice and he was picked during the IPL auction for 2017 to play for Gujarat Lions. For the young lad from Dubai, sharing the dressing room with the likes of Virat Kohli and M.S. Dhoni was a surreal moment. His cricket academy, ‘Front Foot Sports’ at Repton School Dubai set up with ex UAE captain Khurram Khan aims to nurture young talent. Besides excelling in cricket, Chirag has also become an influencer and an ambassador to some youth-oriented brands. A true all-rounder indeed! WORDS:SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: AASIYA JAGADEESH Trendsetters MOST INFLUENTIAL The All-Rounder LEENA GAUBA @leenagauba MD, IMPERIAL HEALTHCARE, DANCER AND PHILANTHROPIST With a dizzying range of accomplishments to her credit, Leena has crafted a life that fits in all her interests: dance, healthcare, journalism and gender equality. Born to doctor parents and raised near London, Leena graduated in pharmacology, with a degree in management from King’s College, London. She also holds a journalism diploma from the London School of Journalism and one in image consulting. A beauty pageant finalist, Leena was a model at university. Dance was her love, with performances throughout school and university, and it still remains a huge passion till today: hip hop, Bollywood to belly dancing – she does them all. Leena turned entrepreneur at a young age, with a snack box vending business that also raised funds for children’s charities, growing it to over 20 franchises. In 2008 Leena met her husband, Dr Vinod Gauba, moved to Dubai and the couple opened Imperial Healthcare. An award-winning facility, it provides a full spectrum of eye care and the patient list routinely includes royalty, celebrities, socialites and politicians. Leena herself has received several leadership and business awards in recognition of her stellar work. While the work-life balance can be challenging (she is a mum of two), Leena has made family a priority, even making a crèche at the hospital. Meanwhile, she continues teaching children about the importance of education, health and gender equality. Recently, she started work with the United Nations Global Compact as a proxy to a board member. She is also part of the UAE SDG5 focus group, set up to support gender equality projects between the private and public sector. WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: ADEL RASHID Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Brand, Stardom ROHINI IYER @rohiniyer FOUNDER, RAINDROP MEDIA One of the most influential women in showbiz, Rohini Iyer founded India’s only reputation management firm that builds and manages some of the biggest stars and talents of this era. Rohini and her team handle everything related to a star, film or fashion – reputation management, emerging talent, merchandising, packaging, digital media and content creation. Starting off as a journalist for a short while, Rohini moved to television and then decided to build a company to put, as she says, “a little method to the madness”. Raindrop happened in 2004 when Main Hoon Naa, Farah Khan’s directorial debut was offered to her. She took up the project and never looked back since then. Currently, Raindrop’s client roster includes Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Anil Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao and Saif Ali Khan among others. In the past, she has managed A-listers such as Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan and Hrithik Roshan. Even top filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ekta Kapoor, R. Balki, Farah Khan and Abhishek Kapoor rely on her expertise, business acumen and advice. It’s no wonder that Rohini’s name is counted among Bollywood power lists. Honours like Business Today’s Most Powerful Women Award and India Today’s 50 Most Influential Under 50 are just two of the many awards she has got over the years. After successfully managing a group of companies for the past decade, Rohini is now looking at global pastures. Dubai is on her radar as she prepares to set up an office by early 2020. She is also focused on setting up three new divisions by March. The force of T’town is certainly ensconced within this ‘raindrop’! WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PHOTOGRAPHER: ROHAN SHRESTHAEntrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Inner Beauty NINA UBHI @ninaubhi MAKEUP ARTISTE, BEAUTY TRAINER AND INFLUENCER Born in London, Nina grew up with a passion for art and creativity. As a teen, she took up modelling but was never happy with the final look. She would sneak backstage and change things up, perfecting every detail – and became a self-taught makeup artist in the process. Nina’s worked for large beauty brands such as Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and Kanebo. She has also been a beauty editor, collaborating with brands and celebs for high- fashion editorials. Today, Nina is one of the most experienced makeup artists and beauty experts in the Middle East. Her fresh, rule-breaking approach to makeup has earned her an international reputation. Backed by 17 years of industry experience, Nina launched her own product line this year, which made its debut with false eye lashes – the Mink Collection comes in nine different styles ranging from a soft, lightweight feel for easy wearing and application to a more dramatic lash to amplify your look. With a rapidly growing social media following, Nina is also a beauty influencer who has worked with brands such as Dior, Becca Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, MAC, Illamasqua, Tom Ford, Inglot and Benefit Cosmetics. In Nina’s online classes found on her YouTube channel and Instagram, she teaches the art of makeup in tutorial videos. The Nina Ubhi brand stems from the philosophy that makeup and beauty should be playful, bold, unexpected but most importantly, encourage women to embrace their inner beauty. Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIALEntrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Spice Route DHANANJAY DATAR @dhananjay_datar CHAIRMAN AND MD, AL ADIL TRADING One of the most-talked-about success stories of Asians in the UAE, Dhananjay Datar is an example of how determination, acumen and self-belief can lead to fantastic results even in a tough market. He came up the hard way, facing plenty of struggles in his youth but today, the owner of Al Adil Trading boasts a chain of nearly 40 stores across the Gulf, spice factories, flour mills and an import-export business. The entrepreneur has successfully tapped into the Indian expat’s longing for products from his home. In the last three years, Al Adil has made rapid growth, expanding their brick and mortar stores, enhancing their digital presence and ensuring great footfalls and online buyers. Dhananjay’s success in challenging market conditions is inspiring. The trick lies in his thorough study of the market, which helps him select the right locality for a store. When he needs solutions or gets stuck, he turns to his sounding board and biggest support system – wife Vandana! The ‘Spice King’ now aims to increase the footprints of Al Adil to newer areas. He is also aiming to target non-Indian customers, not for footfalls but because he wants to create awareness about purely desi products among foreigners too. Ask him his formula for success and he comes up with a list: hard work, dedication, attention to detail, providing customers with what they want, wide product range with affordable pricing, right team members and… blessings of his parents! His sons have now joined the business and the proud father says he wants them to follow his footsteps of charting a business path where there is no compromise on honesty and integrity. Earlier this year, Dhananjay Datar achieved another feather in his cap when he was awarded the 10-year golden visa by the UAE, an honour and privilege he cherishes greatly. He feels the visa is further proof of not just the largesse of the UAE’s rulers but also the fact that the leaders are looking at measures that will help residents strengthen their relationship with the country. WORDS: MASALA!; PICTURE: AJITH NARENDRA Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL The Real Spice Girl NATASHA MUDHAR @natashamudhar CEO, STERLING GLOBAL Whether it’s breaking the Internet with the Spice Girls’ Wannabe video remake (over 150 million views and counting), championing purposeful campaigns for gender diversity and ending world hunger, taking Indian cinema global or launching iconic British brands internationally, Natasha’s company, Sterling Global has been winning recognition as campaign experts. Using the hashtag #WhatIReallyReallyWant, Sterling helped produce a Spice Girls video remake advocating for female empowerment. It featured Jacqueline Fernandez, Seyi Shay, Gigi Lamayne, M.O, Larsen Thompson and Taylor Hatala. Sterling Media was established in 1995 by Natasha’s biggest inspiration, her mother Teji Singh – a pioneer in communications as she was one of the handful of women from an ethnic minority in the field. Natasha graduated from City University London, with a degree in sociology and media and then began her professional career with Sterling Media, where she is now CEO. Representing corporates, charities, celebrities, consumer brands, governments, influencers and institutions such as the Commonwealth and United Nations, Natasha has shaped the company into Sterling Global, a multi-disciplinary, international business consultancy with a robust communications backbone. When she is not spearheading brand launches and representing personalities such as Al Pacino, Salma Hayek and Akshay Kumar, Natasha runs The World We Want, a global impact enterprise helping achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. She recently participated in the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74) in New York City. WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Creating a Splash ANJILI SAMTANI-RADIA, @anjilisamtani MANAGING DIRECTOR, SPLASH ‘N’ PARTY A British Indian, born and raised in Hong Kong, Anjili is a true global citizen. Of course, spending 20 years in Dubai has made her fall in love with the city. Splash ‘n’ Party is her gift to families here. The idea of creating a kids’ water park came up when Anjili’s own children were little and would go to Wild Wadi and Aquaventure only to be forced to use the toddlers’ area because of height restrictions. Currently, Splash ‘n’ Party is the city’s largest aqua park and go-to for families. What makes Splash ‘n’ Party special is that it caters to the whole family. While children can enjoy splash pads and water slides, parents can kick back at the restaurant and juice bar. The park also serves as an ideal venue for birthday parties and special events. From princess themed parties to live entertainment shows, kids meals and special picture opportunities to name just a few, Anjili ensures that every event at the venue leaves great memories. She also organises summer camps to keep kids busy through the h oliday season. A focused and dynamic businesswoman, Anjili balances her household responsibilities and requirements of her ventures remarkably well. Her mantra at work: strengthen skills, plan well, build relationships and be self-motivated. Above all, she gives a lot of importance to fitness and devotes a lot of time for her favourite workout activities like kick-boxing, canoeing, paddle boarding etc. Anjili is aiming high and planning to open a second Splash ‘n’ Party at a good location. Perhaps that’s exactly what Dubai’s kids need. Especially for parents, if you want children to be weaned away from the iPad and television, the address is right here in Jumeirah. WORDS: MASALA!; PICTURE: AASIYA JAGADEESH Next >