< PreviousEntrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIALEntrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Man with a Plan HARMEEK SINGH @harmeek3 FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, PLAN B GROUP Focus, acumen and foresight have helped Harmeek Singh make Plan B one of the go-to marketing and events firm in the UAE, offering a variety of services; including marketing campaigns, experiential events management, branding services, activations and launches and other projects. The evolution of the group is a classic example of going from Ground Zero to great heights as it started with only one individual and is now a strong team of 500 people and eight companies. Plan B’s success lies in its history of retaining clients; they have been contracted for the Fazza Championship for the next two years along with a few sports initiatives for the government. They also bagged the interactive marketing campaign for Pro-Soccer League for UAE Season 2020-21. Plan B has also extended its influence outside of the UAE, going into Russia recently, having been given the responsibility to market and represent a couple of strong regions from the country in the Middle East. The project, he says, has helped break professional and personal stereotypes and he hopes to create new bonds between the two nations. Innovative projects aside, Harmeek spares no effort when it comes to humanitarian initiatives. Among the many that he is involved in, Box of Hope, targeted at the blue-collar fraternity and the underprivileged, is closest to his heart – it has helped over 100 people get their rights and become legal to work in the UAE. Another much-talked about venture that Plan B organised was the Dubai Women’s Run. It gave Harmeek an opportunity to realise his vision of establishing gender equality, while also reaching out to men to support the women in their lives and recognise their roles. In the new year, Harmeek says his target is to expand further with offices initiated in KSA and Singapore. Plan B is moving towards being a franchise in the coming year to make a home grown brand go global. His strong belief: Dreams do come true and straight lines are the ones that lead you to your destiny. His resolution for 2020 is to be true to himself, touch as many lives with positivity and do his bit for society. And spend more time with his loved ones! WORDS: MASALA!; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Retail King ZAIN SHAHZAD @nishatlinen EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NISHAT CHUNIAN GROUP, PAKISTAN The multi-million dollar Nishat Chunian Group (NCG), one of Pakistan’s most powerful business conglomerates started its operations with textile manufacturing in 1990, and over the years has established strong businesses in the country’s retail and power sector. Currently, NCG consists of four companies – Nishat Chunian (textiles), Nishat Chunian Power (power generation), Nishat Chunian USA and NC Electric Company (a captive power generation company). Zain leads the retail division where his responsibility is to oversee The Linen Company – the leading bedding store in Pakistan. It was Zain who led the expansion of the company’s retail division into the US by launching a new bedding brand. While the suave and dapper Zain may have cut his teeth in the family business, he honed his business skills from the Kellogg School of Management where he completed his MBA. At Kellogg, Zain was one of the few students who completed a triple major. To him also goes the credit of starting a cinema business in Pakistan where he launched the movie-mad nation’s largest and highest grossing multiplex. One of the young and prominent voices of Pakistani industry, Zain has taken forward the legacy of the group to newer, global heights ever since he took charge. WORDS: MASALA!; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL A Piece of Emotion Amreen Iqbal, @pieceofyou.ae FOUNDER, PIECE OF YOU The last day of university in the UK was Amreen Iqbal’s first day at work. As soon as she completed her bachelors in business and marketing, she started working in the family jewellery business in various departments. Tutelage under her father, Firoz Merchant, Founder-Chairman of Pure Gold, taught this mum-of-three nearly everything about the business. Support from her husband and inspiration from her children led Amreen to start Piece of You – a line of personalised jewellery that gave a channel to express her passion for designing. The USP of Piece of You is the brand’s ability to transform a client’s dream into reality – special moments, occasions, dates etc are crafted into a piece of jewellery creating something that is special and bespoke. The reasonable pricing is another attraction. The designer-entrepreneur says three pieces are special to her – her wedding band that she designed, the necklace she made when her first son, Zayed, was born and the three-figurine necklace she designed when her third child was born to represent all her angels. A hands-on mother, Amreen does everything she can to do the balancing act between parenting and running a business. Her trick: working from the car while she picks and drops her kids to and from school, designing and visiting the factory and running errands while they are at school and spending time with them towards bedtime. This superwoman believes in being equally devoted to family and work! Her desire is to expand the brand such that the first name that should come to people’s minds when they want customised or personalised jewellery, should be Piece of You. And going by Amreen’s determination and passion to take it global, this is a dream we can certainly see turning int o reality. WORDS BY LEKHA MENON, PHOTOGRAPHER: AASIYA JAGADEESHEntrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Taste of Home SAIRA AHMED @littlelahoreuae MANAGING DIRECTOR, LITTLE LAHORE For Saira Ahmed, a dish is much more than just measuring spices and ingredients to hit the sweet spot of flawlessness. Her love affair with flavours flourished from her need to prove her baking prowess. She then moved on to trying different cuisines from traditional Pakistani fare to Thai, Chinese and continental dishes. Known for her exceptional culinary skills and warm hospitality among family and friends, Saira was encouraged to start Little Lahore that brought Lahore’s revered specialties and famed hospitality to a charming corner in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. To ensure that every dish at Little Lahore evokes a sense of nostalgic comfort and authentic flavours, Saira travelled to Lahore, to master the balance of spices for dishes like Lahori Chana, Halwa Poori, Chicken Karahi, among others and trained her team to ensure that each dish is special. Besides managing Little Lahore, Saira also has a special catering menu featuring her private collection of recipes, aptly titled Saira’s Kitchen. An exceptional baker, a master at recreating flavours from Lahore and proficient in cuisines ranging from Chinese to Thai, Italian and Continental favourites, Saira dons many hats and executes her passion with great expertise, creating phenomenal dishes and culinary masterpieces that are truly a labour of love. WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: ADEL RASHID Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL ‘Verv’acious SHAMIRA MITHA @shamiramitha FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, VERVE MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS For the past 20 years, Shamira Mitha has been setting new trends in PR and marketing for the hospitality, tourism and luxury industry. Recognising the need for a specialist PR agency, dedicated to the burgeoning hospitality and tourism sector, Shamira founded her company that offers bespoke solutions to this segment. Her enviable client list includes coveted luxury properties but what sets her apart is the innovative ways in which she positions a destination. Equally passionate about women’s development, the elegant and soft-spoken Shamira has lent her services to projects that encourage women of her community and others to become economically independent. Most of her weekends are spent counselling women who require her guidance. She is deeply involved with the Aga Khan Development Network, managing their media communications in this region since 2003. She also managed the communications for the international sporting event – Jubilee Games in 2017 and the recent Jubilee Arts event held in Lisbon, Portugal. However, her best is yet to come. Over the past many months, Shamira has turned her eye on Africa, lending her expertise to projects that brings the continent closer to the UAE. Her work and success has led to several accolades like the Best PR by Middle East Hospitality in 2012, the UN-Recognised Women’s International Day Award in 2011 and the Middle East Women Leadership Awards at the World Women Leadership Congress & Awards, to name just a few. And the way she is headed, there will be a lot more glories to come! WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: AASIYA JAGADEESH; LOCATION: BEBEMOS DUBAI 56 MASALA! Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL The Pursuit of Happiness AYESHAH WAKKAS AND RABI NAWAZ @thehappinessftt CO-FOUNDERS, THE HAPPINESS FTT Even before the Ministry of Happiness was established in the UAE, it had a company dedicated to happiness where perspective, soul searching and music had a part to play. The Happiness Ftt, co-founded by Ayeshah Wakkas and Rabi Nawaz, is a social, holistic wellbeing enterprise whose purpose is to build a community of positive people and happy organisations. Using a combo of mind, body and soul therapies, it helps organisations and individuals reach their highest potential and be more productive. After 18 years in financial services, Rabi moved from Washington DC to Dubai with two suitcases, a one- way ticket and no real plan, except knowing she loved three things: making a difference, motivating people to live their purpose and spreading happiness. She met Ayeshah, who shared the same values, and the company was born. A mother of three boys, Ayeshah brings 25 years of work experience as a fitness trainer, Montessori teacher, energy healer, regression therapist, meditation & wellness coach. A personal milestone for Rabi was the decision to stop colouring her hair. Her striking silver hairdo, she says, is a reflection of her journey to living life “authentically and purposefully”. While Ayeshah counts music and a lot of karaoke as her interests outside of work. Together, the two gorgeous ladies have spread the formula for leading and helping others lead a beautiful life. WORDS: SHALAKA PARDKAR; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Elegant Flourish KONKANA BAKSHI @konkanabakshi PRINCIPAL IMAGE & ETIQUETTE CONSULTANT AND FOUNDER, SAVOIR FAIRE ACADEMIE Having won the ‘Miss Elegance World’ contest in 2008 and the ‘Miss India East’ pageant in 2009, Konkana is a well-known face in India. Her stint as an ambassador for various brands and international pageant experience has fetched her plenty of accolades over the years. Having graduated from the London Image Institute as an image consultant and being exclusively licensed by Emily Post, USA for etiquette training, Konkana realised the market needed a platform that imparted these soft skills to talented professionals, students, budding entrepreneurs and homemakers to face a competitive world with confidence. The result was the Savoir Faire Academie, a finishing school that tailor-makes programmes to suit various groups and individuals. The academy offers intense courses in social and business etiquette, grooming sessions, understanding of cultural nuances and several other aspects that define a global, well-informed and upwardly mobile individual. Her clients include high profile HNIs, leading figures from the corporate world as well as professionals from IT, law, HR and other streams. Konkana is now looking to expand to Dubai and come 2020, will soon be offering workshops and masterclasses in these skills. One of the few pageant winners who actually walks the talk, Konkona works relentlessly for the welfare of orphaned street children, facilitates organ donations through various NGOs and is closely involved with Habitat For Humanity. 58 MASALA! Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Art of the Matter MALINI GULRAJANI @1x1artgallery FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, 1X1 ART GALLERY, DUBAI 1X1 Art Gallery had modest beginnings in 1996 in a small converted office space in Satwa and over the years moved to various spaces in Jumeirah and Al Quoz. Today, the gallery has grown to becoming a leading platform for both established and emerging artists from India and the region. And it’s all thanks to the passion and persistence of its founder, Malini. Located in Dubai’s art hub of Alserkal Avenue, this is the only gallery in the UAE focused on contemporary Indian art. Over the past several years, Malini – who moved to Dubai from India in 1987 – is much in demand as a consultant in building major private collections. Promoting modern and contemporary Indian art in the UAE to a wider, not necessarily Indian audience, Malini continues to support 1X1’s programme through structured collaborations with local and international galleries, art fairs and museums as well as with independent curators and art organisations. Starting off as an avid collector of Indian art, Malini is now a serious gallerist. Publications and archival documentation are an important part of her preoccupation in recording 1X1’s exhibitions and promoting partnerships with art writers and cultural activators. What’s next? WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: ADEL RASHID Entrepreneurs MOST INFLUENTIAL Brew Can Do It! TANIA LODI @taniasteahouse FOUNDER, TANIA’S TEAHOUSE Born in New York City, Tania Lodi moved quite a bit in her childhood: California, Texas and Missouri and relocated in 2005 to Dubai with her family. After her schooling at the Dubai American Academy, the Pakistani national graduated in psychology from the University of Toronto, Canada. Toronto is where her love for the café culture began. Suffering from a condition with chronic pain at this time, Tania looked to tea for its healing benefits. Getting to know many more people dealing with similar issues, she wanted to create a fun, health- focused space themed on tea. A self-taught businesswoman, Tania spent her third year of university researching how to open an F&B outlet in Dubai. Post her graduation, she took a course in mindfulness, writing a dissertation on positive thinking, which inspired her theme of positive-tea. Tania’s Teahouse opened in April 2018. It’s a space that introduces tea in a fun way, with a food menu that makes you feel as good as it looks. The café has quickly become a millennial favourite with its pink, rose gold and white marble theme. Tania’s impeccable attention to detail can be seen in the palm prints and quirky quotes that add to the vibe. From the candy sweet décor and unicorn food to t-shirts emblazoned with ‘Hey Habib-Tea’, it’s all contributed to making the café an Instagram sensation (check out #HeyThereHabibTea to know what we mean). This young entrepreneur is now looking to expand her business with more products and branches across the globe. Her success mantra? “Be confident in yourself and your idea. Life is too short to box yourself into something that your heart is not into.” WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Next >