The Ismaili Connection

Rasool Verjee, originally from Kenya, has gone through many ups and downs and different journeys throughout his life.  Having to learn to be independent early on in his education years and discover what career path he wanted to pursue through university, there have been many roadblocks as well as triumphs of success. In Rasool’s later years he was blindsided by a medical emergency. Through this time, he was inspired to write his book “Nugget Road.” He talks about people he has met through his journey and inspirational stories that helped discover his Ikigai. * Connect with Rasool on LinkedIn  

Aahil and Zohran are the founders and owners of Safekids.ai, an open source that  intercepts inappropriate content and teaches children how to make safer choices. During COVID Zohran and Aahil had noticed alot of their peers consuming more of their time on their phones and on the web. They wanted to create a platform that would make the internet a safer place to use. Still being in school the two brothers have successfully balanced their education and their business at the same time.  SafeKids website: https://safekids.ai/ Watch their Presentation today: https://youtu.be/E7vhpFryVAc?feature=shared

Ashraf is the founder and owner of the Heritage Collection, a South Asian fashion brand she started 17 years ago. In 2022, she became one of the first Ismaili fashion designers to display her work at New York Fashion Week. The event happens semi-annually and gives designers from around the world an opportunity to showcase their latest designs and work. Growing up in Pakistan, Ashraf found that happiness and celebrations were her key inspiration for her designs, going as far as designing outfits for her Barbies that matched her own. That sentiment shifted slightly when she immigrated to Virginia. Ashraf’s website: https://myheritagecollection.com Connect with Ashraf on LinkedIn  

Ashraf is the founder and owner of the Heritage Collection, a South Asian fashion brand she started 17 years ago. In 2022, she became one of the first Ismaili fashion designers to display her work at New York Fashion Week. The event happens semi-annually and gives designers from around the world an opportunity to showcase their latest designs and work. Growing up in Pakistan, Ashraf found that happiness and celebrations were her key inspiration for her designs, going as far as designing outfits for her Barbies that matched her own. That sentiment shifted slightly when she immigrated to Virginia. Ashraf’s website: https://myheritagecollection.com Connect with Ashraf on LinkedIn  

Riaz Patel serves as an Executive Producer/Director in Los Angeles, specializing in transformative and perspective-shifting TV series and media projects. With two Emmy Award nominations and an NAACP Image Award, he creatively leads shows for major networks like NBC/Universal, Lifetime, Discovery, and others. Riaz’s productions span 21 countries, distributed globally by A&E, MTV, Hulu, and Netflix. Notably, "The RAD Impact Awards," featuring renowned figures like Priyanka Chopra and Margot Robbie, garnered 138.4 million online impressions. Riaz is a board member of Odyssey/Impact (NYC) and The Jenesse Center (LA).   Connect with Riaz on LinkedIn Check out interview with Riaz here