What investors look for in a founder goes beyond a strong business idea. In this full episode of Notes from the Top, Christine Assouad sits down with Shwan Ibrahim Taha, Chairman of Rabee Securities and a Shark on Shark Tank Iraq, to explore investing, leadership and building businesses in challenging markets.

Shwan shares how a fax to Mark Mobius led to a friendship and a job opportunity, what he learned from his work at Templeton and his partnership with George Soros, and the turning point that brought his focus back to Iraq.

From evaluating founders to leading a growing team, the conversation explores why character, structure and realistic expectations matter. Shwan also reflects on learning from mistakes, leaving ego behind and giving people a clear direction.

IN THIS EPISODE
- What investors look for in the person behind a business.
- How taking initiative can open unexpected doors.
- Why growing businesses need structure as well as passion.
- Leadership, team culture and learning from mistakes.
- Investing in Iraq and lessons from Shark Tank Iraq.

OUR SPONSOR — AMANA

Amana is one of the sponsors of this podcast.
It is an investment and trading platform that gives you access to the global financial markets.
Use code CHRISTINE26 and get your first $100 trading bonus on Amana
https://amana.app

CONNECT WITH SHWAN IBRAHIM TAHA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shwanibrahimtaha/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shwanibrahimtaha/
Rabee Securities: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rabee-securities/

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE ASSOUAD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineassouad/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecatalystofgrowth/

FOLLOW NOTES FROM THE TOP
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Notesfromthetop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notes.from.the.top/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notes.from.the.top

Follow the podcast for more conversations with founders, investors and business leaders about the decisions and lessons behind their journeys.

لماذا توسع حسان عز الدين خلال أزمات لبنان بدل انتظار انتهائها؟

في «شو تعلمنا؟» يحكي لكريستين أسود كيف اتخذ قرار النمو في قطاع التجزئة، وما تعلّمه من العمل في شركة أسّسها والده وقيادة فريقه وقت الضغط.

يحكي حسان عن انتقاله من العمل مع والده إلى تجربته في إدارة أعمال التجزئة بلبنان، وعن التعامل مع أزمات متلاحقة غيّرت حسابات السوق. يناقش مع كريستين قرار التوسع بينما فضّل آخرون الانتظار، وما الذي يجعله يختار توقيت النمو وسط عدم اليقين.

وتفتح الحلقة نقاشًا عن تحديات الشركات العائلية، ودور الفريق في اتخاذ القرارات السريعة، وبناء تجربة تسوّق مختلفة بدل تكرار ما يقدمه المنافسون. تجربة عملية عن القيادة، والتكيّف مع الأزمة، وصناعة هوية واضحة للعمل.

Amana هي إحدى الجهات الراعية للبودكاست.
Amana هي منصة للاستثمار والتداول تتيح لك الوصول إلى الأسواق المالية العالمية.
استخدموا الكود “CHRISTINE26” للحصول على اول $100 وابدؤوا الاستثمار اليوم.
https://amana.app

Amana is one of the sponsors of this podcast.
It is an investment and trading platform that gives you access to the global financial markets.
Use code CHRISTINE26 and get your first $100 trading bonus on Amana
https://amana.app


أفكار تستحق أن تأخذها معك
• النمو المتسارع يحتاج إلى قرارات واعية.
• قيادة مشروع بناه والدك تضعك أمام تحديات خاصة.
• تجاوز أزمات متتالية يتطلب القدرة على التكيّف.
• للقائد أثر مباشر في فريقه.
• بناء منظومة العمل أهم من الاكتفاء بنتيجة سريعة.

حسان عز الدين — ضيف الحلقة
رئيس مجلس الإدارة التنفيذي لشركة Gray Mackenzie Retail Lebanon.
https://www.gmrlgroup.com/OurTeam
https://lb.linkedin.com/in/hassan-ezzeldine-011348181
https://www.instagram.com/hassanezzeldineofficial/

كريستين أسود — Christine Assouad
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineassouad/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecatalystofgrowth/

تابع «شو تعلمنا؟» والمنصات المرتبطة بالبرنامج:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Shut3alamna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shut3alamna/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notes.from.the.top
English YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Notesfromthetop
English Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notes.from.the.top/

استمع عبر المنصات الصوتية:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0B0LiP9hAF792xIGCMfZFL
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/notes-from-the-top-shu-t3alamna/id6810747112
Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/episode/1301395104

كتاب كريستين أسود — The Power to Say YES
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Say-Yes-Working-Creating/dp/196548039X
Amazon UAE: https://www.amazon.ae/Power-Say-Yes-Christine-Assouad/dp/995306704X
Antoine: https://www.antoineonline.com/intr/en/p/The%20Power%20to%20say%20yes-Christine%20Assouad/9789953067049
فصول الحلقة
00:00 حسان عز الدين: من شركة العائلة إلى سبينيز وGrab & Go
06:00 تحديات الشركات العائلية: العمل مع الأب وتغيير الإدارة
12:07 من بيع شركة والده إلى بناء مسار جديد في تجارة التجزئة
24:24 إدارة الأعمال خلال أزمات لبنان وتغيّر السوق
32:28 التوسع وقت الأزمات: لماذا اختار النمو بدل الانتظار؟
36:20 كيف تميّز مشروعك عن المنافسين؟
40:39 Shark Tank لبنان: تقييم المشاريع والاستثمار
51:07 قيادة الفريق: الثقة وتطوير الناس واتخاذ القرار
60:53 العائلة والعمل: ما تعلّمه حسان من أولاده ووالده

#حسان_عز_الدين #كريستين_أسود #ريادة_الأعمال

At 22, Nishita Shah walked into her family business during one of its hardest financial crises and suddenly found herself helping rebuild what three generations had built before her.

Today, as part of a fourth-generation family business, entrepreneur, investor and Shark, Nishita has experienced business through very different lenses. In this conversation with Christine Assouad, she reflects on what family businesses need to survive across generations, what crisis taught her about leadership, why preserving family stories matters, the ventures that didn’t work out, and what she really looks for when an entrepreneur walks into Shark Tank.

OUR SPONSOR

Amana is one of our sponsors.

Use code CHRISTINE26 and get your $100 first trade on Amana!

https://amana.app

IN THIS CONVERSATION

00:00 The Journey of Nishita Shah
01:19 Five lessons Nishita carries across life and business
09:17 Building a fourth-generation family business and surviving crisis
21:22 What strong leaders and businesses do differently during a crisis
27:38 Preparing the next generation to carry a family business forward
34:11 Becoming a pilot, building ventures and learning through failure
48:16 What family business taught her about entrepreneurship and investing
52:46 Shark Tank, betting on people and what makes a pitch worth remembering

A FEW THOUGHTS THAT STAY WITH YOU

Not taking a risk can be a risk in itself.

Great leaders often reveal themselves during the hardest periods, when communication, trust and transparency matter most.

The most valuable inheritance in a family business isn’t only the business itself. It’s the stories, values, relationships and sense of identity passed between generations.

A business that doesn’t work out doesn’t have to be wasted. Sometimes the real return is understanding what you’re good at, what you’re not, and who you want to become.

And when Nishita looks at entrepreneurs on Shark Tank, she isn’t only looking at the numbers. She wants to understand the person, their resilience, their relationship with failure and whether they can keep going when the original idea doesn’t work.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Nishita Shah
Entrepreneur, Investor & Shark

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishita-shah-145804/

ABOUT THE HOST

Christine Assouad
Host, Notes from the Top

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineassouad/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecatalystofgrowth/

CHRISTINE'S BOOK

📕 The Power to Say YES

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Say-Yes-Working-Creating/dp/196548039X

Amazon UAE:
https://www.amazon.ae/Power-Say-Yes-Christine-Assouad/dp/995306704X

Antoine:
https://www.antoineonline.com/intr/en/p/The%20Power%20to%20say%20yes-Christine%20Assouad/9789953067049

#NotesFromTheTop #FamilyBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #SharkTank #Investing #BusinessLegacy #NextGeneration