Ep. 17 - Does Palestine have a branding problem? Asked and answered with Saint Levant

Ep. 18 - Nika Gilauri: Prime Minister turned Global Reform Guru. Lessons in curbing corruption, simplifying the rules and growth hacking your country.

Nika Gilauri was Prime Minister of Georgia from 2009 to 2012. He also served as Minister for Energy (2004–2007) and Minister for Finance (2007–2009). Nika's tenure in government was marked by dramatic economic recovery and growth that countries only dream of, whereby his team enacted a series of bold and radical anti-corruption and growth hack tactics.  The results were monumental: Georgia’s GDP rose from -9.0% when Mr Gilauri was appointed to +8.1% when his term came to an end in 2012. Georgia’s budgetary deficit also decreased under his leadership dropping from 9% in 2009 to 3% in 2012.  Mr Gilauri also guided reforms in the energy sector, fiscal policy, healthcare, customs, education and other spheres of economic development, and contributed to efforts to improve Georgia’s overall business environment. His greatest achievement as Minister of Energy was to transform Georgia from being a country of semi-permanent blackouts into a net exporter of electricity to all its neighbors. After his retirement from government, Gilauri established Reformatics, an advisory firm which has worked with more than 20 governments around the world focusing on reform and economic diversification, including Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.  Reformatics partners with several organizations such as McKinsey & Co., The World Bank Group (WBG), The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), The Asian Development Bank, and The Swedish International Development Agency. Nika has written a book entitled "Practical Economics" (Palgrave Macmillan 2017) which reveals his formulas for government reform and economic recovery, including how to fight corruption, reform tax systems, create a competitive education and healthcare system, and streamline procurement. The entire book "Practical Economics" has been available for free: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Practical_Economics/v3IzDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=practical%20economics&pg=PR2&printsec=frontcover&bsq=practical%20economics Follow Howdy Arabia: Twitter: https://twitter.com/howdyarabia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/howdyarabia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyarabia Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/49119733/admin/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoxyVIoN8e2FB-MloX7sBHA/videos Thanks to Ollie Guillou for tech support and editing with patience :)  He can be reached at: ollie.podcastproduction@gmail.com About the host: Imad Shawa is the founder & CEO of Mlabbas, a print-on-demand apparel & accessories business.  Prior to that he worked in corporate banking at Arab Bank in London, and as an underwriter at Hartford Insurance in New York.  Imad is a Chevening Scholar with an MA in Near East Studies and Islamic Law from the University of London, SOAS. He also holds a BSc in Finance and International Business from New York University's Stern Business School.  His interests are politics, technology, economic reform, human rights and graphic design.

Ep. 17 - Does Palestine have a branding problem? Asked and answered with Saint Levant

Meet the young Gaza-raised US-based Palestinian activist, hip-hop artist, influencer, entrepreneur: Marwan AbdelHamid AKA Saint Levant Host Imad Shawa and Marwan talk about Palestinian rights, Israel's ethnic Apartheid, anti-semitism, right of return, Gaza resilience, lobbying in America, connecting diasporas, Tik Tok and making music.  The interview was recorded from a March 18th 2021 ClubHouse room entitled "Does Palestine have a branding problem?" Here's the episode breakdown of topics: 00:00 to 00:48  Sample from "Jerusalem Freestyle" written & performed by Marwan 00:49 to 03:48  Imad's introduction 03:49 to 17:07  Activism for Palestine, echo chambers and narratives 17:08 to 26:00  The smear of Anti-Semitism to silence Palestinian human rights activists 26:01 to 36:11  Knowledge is power, so is economics, connectivity and the need to understand the oppressor 36:12 to 38:33  Jewish supremacy and the right of return 38:34 to 43:50  Resilient Gaza: Israel's scapegoat 43:51 to 01:04:27  Lobbying in America, and leveraging the Diaspora 01:04:28 to 01:12:30  Grow Home, connecting people and solving problems in Palestine and other diasporas 01:12:31 to 01:19:00  Tik Tok and Hip Hop: new tools of influence You can catch Marwan Abdelhamid as Saint Levant on TikTok, Instagram, Spotify and YouTube. This episode is sponsored by Mlabbas.com, the leading print-on-demand apparel & accessories provider in the Middle East. About the Host:  Imad Shawa is the founder of Mlabbas, a print-on-demand apparel & accessories business in Amman.  Imad is a Chevening Scholar with an MA in Near East Studies and Islamic Law from the University of London, SOAS. He also holds a BSc in Finance and International Business from NYU. He is a left-leaning politics buff who is obsessed with social justice issues such as Palestinian rights, and Arab women's rights to pass on their citizenship across the Arab world. Follow Howdy Arabia: Twitter: https://twitter.com/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmZFWlQ2VXpjbXFiM0ZjUnVWWENGN0dNWnhUd3xBQ3Jtc0ttWjVkWXk0X3o5aU9YSWhIYUh1UTQwQmVFV3JITThlMWdkdU90Q3hoWm9wR3RPV01oXzB3blVkZ05MM21kdzhIYnhoeFhfNURlQnNsS3MydEZwNGE0ZUJYU1lLeW11YzUyaGg0UHBnOHNVQ2tPRFlhRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fhowdyarabia] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWhCZzdiUG13Z1pjUTJVUjlqLXlEOFl2aHdaZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsTmQtZG9wSWJUb2kwSlA1MXhURUdxWTBXMzljZm1USzBwT2VIdmctaVAtNXl1WG8yY0NobEkxZDM4MWR5Wi1PX1JzUmRING1QZnYtanMtM0hua2RuOTB6VTE3SUl0NWd3aF9yNGRVcVpKUjN5ZWNaRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpg%2Fhowdyarabia] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0tqTW1mUnBSR1FPM21YUFI3VTYxZEtnNklRZ3xBQ3Jtc0trNGJKbXBzMENjdzItYUZIQzMyTlVFdTFFbnhhYWktTzRFWFgxUW5zblYyZU5lNy1xb3FxVnp2UzB4YjdwY3R3OGJOV3d3TGloV2phbEZYTXNxbE4wUnYwTkZseFhHZThMY2NjYTROQ2E1VjZvYXVQUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fhowdyarabia] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/49119733/admin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/49119733/admin/]

Ep. 16 - Vytalize Health transforms patient care, and everybody wins. With co-founder Faris Ghawi

A bright spot in America's bloated healthcare system.  CEO and co-founder Faris Ghawi sat with Imad Shawa back in January at Mlabbas studios on Rainbow street in Amman to explain the quiet revolution that's taking place in Medicare cost cutting and beyond. Faris is heading up a wildly successful American health care company called Vitalyze Health, which makes a fortune by transforming healthcare delivery to senior patients, not by charging their clients, but by sharing the savings their value-based care achieves. Medical costs for most of the 60 million American seniors are paid for by Medicare, a government program.  To alleviate some of that burden, the government has been offering private healthcare providers and ACOs like Vytalize a financial incentive to improve outcomes and lower costs. So Faris and his team have taken on that challenge with incredible results.  Vytalize Health is projected to be a billion dollar player in healthcare very soon. And what’s equally exciting is this alignment of goals & incentives potentially revolutionizing not only healthcare, but also other critical human endeavors as well. You can reach Faris at faris.ghawi@vytalizehealth.com This episode is sponsored by Mlabbas.com, the leading print-on-demand apparel & accessories provider in the Middle East. About the Host:  Imad Shawa is the founder & CEO of Mlabbas, a  print-on-demand apparel & accessories business.  Prior to that he worked in corporate banking at Arab Bank in London, and as an underwriter at Hartford Insurance in New York.  Imad is a Chevening Scholar with an MA in Near East Studies and Islamic Law from the University of London, SOAS. He also holds a BSc in Finance and International Business from New York University's Stern Business School.  His interests are politics, technology and graphic design. Follow Howdy Arabia: Twitter: https://twitter.com/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmZFWlQ2VXpjbXFiM0ZjUnVWWENGN0dNWnhUd3xBQ3Jtc0ttWjVkWXk0X3o5aU9YSWhIYUh1UTQwQmVFV3JITThlMWdkdU90Q3hoWm9wR3RPV01oXzB3blVkZ05MM21kdzhIYnhoeFhfNURlQnNsS3MydEZwNGE0ZUJYU1lLeW11YzUyaGg0UHBnOHNVQ2tPRFlhRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fhowdyarabia] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWhCZzdiUG13Z1pjUTJVUjlqLXlEOFl2aHdaZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsTmQtZG9wSWJUb2kwSlA1MXhURUdxWTBXMzljZm1USzBwT2VIdmctaVAtNXl1WG8yY0NobEkxZDM4MWR5Wi1PX1JzUmRING1QZnYtanMtM0hua2RuOTB6VTE3SUl0NWd3aF9yNGRVcVpKUjN5ZWNaRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpg%2Fhowdyarabia] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0tqTW1mUnBSR1FPM21YUFI3VTYxZEtnNklRZ3xBQ3Jtc0trNGJKbXBzMENjdzItYUZIQzMyTlVFdTFFbnhhYWktTzRFWFgxUW5zblYyZU5lNy1xb3FxVnp2UzB4YjdwY3R3OGJOV3d3TGloV2phbEZYTXNxbE4wUnYwTkZseFhHZThMY2NjYTROQ2E1VjZvYXVQUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fhowdyarabia] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/49119733/admin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/49119733/admin/]

Ep. 15 - Disciplined, profitable, niche e-commerce. Ghassan Halazon talks IPO, mantra, pipeline and mental health.

Ghassan Halazon is the CEO & founder of Emerge Commerce, a diversified, rapidly growing acquirer and operator of niche e-commerce brands across North America,  with a market cap of $135 million after only a month of listing on the Toronto exchange (TSXV: ECOM). Ghassan speaks to Imad Shawa about the mantra and approach of EMerge, the profile of target acquisitions, employee equity, and the mental toll of being an entrepreneur and CEO. Ghassan Halazon is a Jordanian-Canadian technology and e-commerce entrepreneur, born and raised in Amman, Jordan. He attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, and holds an MBA from Georgetown University.  Halazon worked with Citigroup as an investment banker in New York before founding TeamBuy, Canada's first group buying marketplace, in 2009. Follow Ghassan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghassan-halazon/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghassan-halazon/] This episode is sponsored by Mlabbas.com, the leading print-on-demand apparel & accessories provider in the Middle East. About the Host:  Imad Shawa is the founder & CEO of Mlabbas, a  print-on-demand apparel & accessories business.  Prior to that he worked in corporate banking at Arab Bank in London, and as an underwriter at Hartford Insurance in New York.  Imad is a Chevening Scholar with an MA in Near East Studies and Islamic Law from the University of London, SOAS. He also holds a BSc in Finance and International Business from New York University's Stern Business School.  His interests are politics, technology and graphic design. Follow Howdy Arabia: Twitter: https://twitter.com/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmZFWlQ2VXpjbXFiM0ZjUnVWWENGN0dNWnhUd3xBQ3Jtc0ttWjVkWXk0X3o5aU9YSWhIYUh1UTQwQmVFV3JITThlMWdkdU90Q3hoWm9wR3RPV01oXzB3blVkZ05MM21kdzhIYnhoeFhfNURlQnNsS3MydEZwNGE0ZUJYU1lLeW11YzUyaGg0UHBnOHNVQ2tPRFlhRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fhowdyarabia]​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWhCZzdiUG13Z1pjUTJVUjlqLXlEOFl2aHdaZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsTmQtZG9wSWJUb2kwSlA1MXhURUdxWTBXMzljZm1USzBwT2VIdmctaVAtNXl1WG8yY0NobEkxZDM4MWR5Wi1PX1JzUmRING1QZnYtanMtM0hua2RuOTB6VTE3SUl0NWd3aF9yNGRVcVpKUjN5ZWNaRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpg%2Fhowdyarabia] ​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyarabia [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0tqTW1mUnBSR1FPM21YUFI3VTYxZEtnNklRZ3xBQ3Jtc0trNGJKbXBzMENjdzItYUZIQzMyTlVFdTFFbnhhYWktTzRFWFgxUW5zblYyZU5lNy1xb3FxVnp2UzB4YjdwY3R3OGJOV3d3TGloV2phbEZYTXNxbE4wUnYwTkZseFhHZThMY2NjYTROQ2E1VjZvYXVQUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fhowdyarabia] ​Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/49119733/admin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/49119733/admin/]

Ep. 14 - Tribalism, Islamism, Meritocracy and the Need for Political Parties, with Kais Zayadin

The absence of political party maturity and political freedom is an ailment that infects most of the Arab world.  In Jordan virtually no one is a serious member of any political party, and the vast majority of elections and voting is based on tribal relationships rather than policy.  Enter the "Maan List" in 2016. Kais Khalil Zayadin is a young lawyer who jumped into politics and became an elected member of Jordan's parliament since 2016.  But the platform he and his colleague Khaled Ramadan ran on was brazenly secular and liberal.  So it was a shock to most (except Kais) that they won 2 seats amongst a sea of conservative & religious MPs. Kais discusses his platform's tenets: Equality, Social Justice, Civil State Democracy, Citizenship and Rule of Law.  These headers sound generic, but for Jordanian politics if you act on these values in a literal sense, you're ahead of the pack and in a league of your own. Why are Jordan and its Arab league nations politically underdeveloped? How has this weakness effected policy making and reforms across all sectors?  And is there a path forward? Follow Kais on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kais.zayadin Follow Maan Political Platform: https://www.facebook.com/MaanList/