I lead partnerships for an edtech company based in the US - working with governments, foundations, and CSRs for public upskilling programs to expedite youth and workforce skillsets into job-ready practitioners. I’m an ex strategy consultant (excuse future jargon, if any) and at a family business in Africa before that. After almost 15 years of work, I’m hoping to unlock a new level of proper intellectual stimulation on a professional level - informally, “to build cool things with cool people” - most likely in the entrepreneurial arena.

In line with my response to the previous question, 1833’s aim to break silos is aligned with my observations after living in the city for almost 10 years. Admittedly, my own circle of “quality friends” in Dubai has become tighter with time - though “quality” is a highly subjective topic, elements of 1833 align to my definition. Richness of the human connection can only grow for all humans involved through interaction - and I hope to see that through a membership at 1833 (informally, as a 34 year old male curious and ready to offer on all things tech, culture, art, music, and spirituality, and who prefers a Sunday morning hike to a wild Friday night, Dubai isn’t exactly the kindest city). In my western world travels, I notice those silos being a little less built only due to physical and sociological diversity, but still sometimes lack that cultural affinity we sometimes feel the need to connect with - that’s where, in my limited view, a forum like 1833 could bridge the gap and allow the diversity to flourish. Getting like minded people in Dubai together without the noise that it usually comes with - is exquisite. I would use my membership in 2 ways - give and receive. I would make new friends, learn from and offer new perspectives, engage in healthy debates on varying views, and get cultural with people who understand - essentially make free time higher quality for myself and hopefully, for others - on levels of profession, culture, and social. Ultimately, I also hope to both help and be a part of the premise that Dubai can compete globally on the power of community - and to do so with breadth - a key critical element that complements the city’s human connections but needs a forum like 1833 to thrive - through the curation of talks, trips, gatherings, and more.

Besides the standard gym importance, I’d prioritize nature & intellectual stimulation for free time and interests. With nature being slightly more challenging in Dubai, I resort to travel for that satiation (top recent fixes were Bhutan and the Dolomites). Intellectual stimulation can come in the conventional form of reading (anywhere between historic fiction and Tibetan psychology), or in my favorite solo act: the Dubai opera (mostly classical music). I try to diversify through local galleries (Quoz - though classical Impressionism will always win for me), panels (Fikr), and fairs (D3), but admittedly, they don’t always hit the spot - there seems to be a missing element of genuine human connection. That said, the most powerful form for me would be that human connection: conversations - a tool that I’ve learned works best for Dubai, and that I’m selective over but deeply immersed in once engaged. A visiting techie through my network (I’m into the tech-VC scene and a small time angel investor myself), a neighbor, a barista, or a friend of a friend. The city’s silos - both physical (urban structure inherited from the 80’s) and figurative (the inherited Canary Wharf/Hong Kong model) make this tool of conversation a little more difficult. I would hope that a forum like 1833 helps bridge that gap in a city that has a lot to offer.