Trailblazers

Nurjehan Mawani is the former chair and CEO of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and her daughter, Her Excellency Aliya Mawani, is the Ambassador of Canada to the state of Kuwait. In a unique interview together, they share their professional journeys and discuss the importance of representation, equity, and inclusion.

Samina Baig is the first Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest and the K2 summit in Pakistan. Samina comes from the small remote village of Shimshal in the Hunza region of Northern Pakistan and began climbing when she was just four years old. By age 23 she had climbed the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. TRA-008

Nadia Verjee, Chief of Staff to the CEO and Minister of State for International Cooperation was responsible for curating and developing the Expo 2020 Dubai's thematic programme with over 200 nations, organizations, and partners from around the world. Nadia’s story will resonate with you and empower you to follow your passion and pursue your goals fearlessly. TRA-007

We are joined by Dr. Eboo Patel, the Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that prepares youth to become interfaith leaders in a changing environment. Patel was also a member of President Barack Obama’s inaugural advisory council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. A Rhodes scholar with a doctorate in sociology from Oxford University, Eboo has authored four books, with a fifth one on the way. TRA-006

Danish Dhamani is the Co-founder of Orai, a public speech coaching app. Cited as the most common phobia amongst humans, Danish struggled with public speaking. His journey as the co-founder of Orai was motivated by his own personal experiences and his drive to improve the quality of life of people across the globe. Danish joins Trailblazers host, Tahira Nizari at the Serena Hotel in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania to discuss his journey as an entrepreneur. TRA-005

Rahim Daya, Head of Barclays Private Bank, Middle East discusses the plans he made and strategies he incorporated into his life and career that led him to his current position. He also talks about his experiences as a drummer in the band Khayal, which has performed all across the globe and during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Lisbon, Portugal. In sharing his strategy for dealing with pressure, Rahim spends his time focusing on what he can control and does not worry about the things he knows he has no influence over. “Focus on what you control, do everything you possibly can to get to the desired outcome. TRA-004  

We are joined by Latif Nasser, the host and executive producer of the Netflix documentary series ‘Connected: The Hidden Science of Everything’, host at ‘RadioLab’ and host of ‘The Other Latif’ mini-podcast series. Receiving a Ph.D. in the history of science from Harvard University, Latif is the recipient of the 2021 Dupont Columbia Award for his series ‘The Other Latif’. In this episode, he is interviewed by his sister, Farah Nasser, a news anchor for Global News. The siblings explore their childhood, share stories about their upbringing and how their parents enabled them to develop a constantly curious attitude towards the world. “This idea, ask questions until their head hurt. That was a thing that our dad would say, there are always more questions, there are always more things you can learn from everybody and not just fancy scientists, everybody. TRA-003

In this episode, we are joined by Farah Williamson, co-founder of Project Shelter Wakadogo, and Director of Gulf and Strategic Partnerships at Plan International Canada. Working closely with the local community in Gulu, Uganda, Farah shares with us what motivated her to co-found Project Shelter Wakadogo whose guiding principle is putting children at the heart of everything. Trailblazers is a new original series, exclusively on Ismaili TV, showcasing Ismailis around the globe who have demonstrated excellence in their fields. TRA-002

Trailblazers Premiere! A new original series, exclusively on Ismaili TV showcasing Ismailis around the globe who have demonstrated excellence in their fields. In our very first episode, we are joined by The Honourable Salma Lakhani, the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. Born in Kampala, Uganda, and expelled in 1972, her Honour gives us insight into her installation ceremony and what it felt like to swear the oath on the Qu’ran. She discusses how the promise of hope for a better future for everyone motivates her to serve her community. Join us as Her Honour kicks off our series in hopes of inspiring other Trailblazers. TRA-001