Anar Amin is a regional academic lead for ITREB who oversees 20 Jamat Khanas in the U.S and has spent over a decade in the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP). She went into the STEP system after a personal tragedy put her on a path of rediscovering her faith. On this episode, we learn more about Anar’s childhood and upbringing, her travels teaching in different cities and countries—from Los Angeles to Germany, and her advice for aspiring educators.  Connect with Anar Amin on...

Anar Amin is a regional academic lead for ITREB who oversees 20 Jamat Khanas in the U.S and has spent over a decade in the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP). While empowering people and inspiring minds has always been Anar's purpose, her decision to go into STEP hinged on a faith-shattering moment. At 19 years old, Anar lost her father to a sudden and unfortunate crime. On this episode, Anar dives into her STEP journey, how she rediscovered her faith, and the things that bring her...

Latif Nasser is a storyteller who is always curious about the world around him. He's a science journalist, a podcaster, host of Radiolab, and hosts his own traveling science show on Netflix called Connected. On this episode, Latif takes us through the journey that led him to where he is today, from growing up in Canada, attending boarding school at 16, and studying at Ivy Leagues in the U.S. He also details the challenges and opportunities that he encountered on the way, and shares advice for...

Latif Nasser is a storyteller who is always curious about the world around him. He's a science journalist, a podcaster, host of Radiolab, and hosts his own traveling science show on Netflix called Connected. On the show, he's on a mission to make science accessible, and showcase the connections in our everyday lives that span across the globe, from poop to dust to clouds. In this episode of the Ismaili Connection, Latif takes us on his journey through filming Connected, including his...

The Ismaili Connection podcast is going on a short hiatus during this holiday season and through the start of the new year. We’re taking a quick breather to recharge after this tumultuous year, find more compelling stories, and work on some new and exciting episode formats. In the meantime, stay tuned by following the Ismaili Professionals Network on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We’ll be back before you know it.

Shawn Lopez wears many hats. He’s a father, an ice hockey coach, a stem cell researcher at UCLA, and a joint mobility specialist who just started his own company during the Covid-19 pandemic. But his roles and responsibilities don’t stop there. He also helps out with a youth program through the LA Kings, has partnerships in the works with Netflix and Hulu,  and volunteers to help seniors within his community. He credits his mom for teaching him to practice visualization and make his goals a...

Ghalib Kassam is the chief information officer at the Los Angeles Times, where he’s responsible for leading the news organization’s digital, data, and technology transitions. His past is a remarkable one: He was born in Burundi, raised in Pakistan, and educated in London and the U.S. And when attending Grand Valley State University in Michigan, he left his career up to chance, choosing to major in data processing at the last minute when flipping through a catalog. Ghalib dives deep into his...

Ghalib Kassam is the chief information officer at the Los Angeles Times, where he’s responsible for leading the news organization’s digital, data, and technology transitions. His past is a remarkable one: He was born in Burundi, raised in Pakistan, and educated in London and the U.S. And when attending Grand Valley State University in Michigan, he left his career up to chance, choosing to major in data processing at the last minute when flipping through a catalog. Ghalib dives deep into his...

At 25 years old, Danish Dhamani is his own boss. He runs a startup tech company out of Philadelphia. He co-founded a public-speaking app called Orai about four years ago with his then Drexel University roommate, Paritosh Gupta. Orai has now landed deals with big businesses, including IBM and HP. The idea stemmed from a personal problem Danish had: He was scared of public speaking as a foreigner in the U.S. Born in Pakistan and raised in Tanzania, Danish shares about his life before coming to...

Corporate media mogul by day and comedian by night, Shereen Kassam calls herself a “creative hustler.” That’s because the comedian is also an actress and runs her own podcast called the Creative Breakthrough, which highlights artists and other creative entrepreneurs. She began her career in comedy under the disguise Funny Brown Girl, way before her parents found out about her side gig that turned into a major part of her identity. She talks about how she went from following her parents’...

The Ismaili Professionals Network presents its first podcast: The Ismaili Connection. We'll speak with professionals from all walks of life and across all industries to bring you compelling stories about their career journeys. We'll laugh. We'll learn. And we'll connect. Episode 1 will be available in the coming weeks. If you have someone who you think should be interviewed by us, email us at [email protected]. For more info about IPN, visit IPNOnline.net.