The Culture Counter
THE CULTURE COUNTER - Introducing you to some of the most interesting conversations and debates we have about the arts, from our region and beyond, right here from the heart of The Arts Club Dubai. The first international outpost of the historic London private members’ club, The Arts Club Dubai is located in DIFC’s ICD Brookfield Place. The Arts Club was founded in London in 1863 by men of vision, to be a haven for a community of people all connected by their love for the Arts. It has evolved to become a vibrant hub for creative and entrepreneurial members, providing an environment in which they can entertain, exchange ideas and participate in a rich cultural programme of events. The Arts Club Dubai shares this same vision, giving Dubai a unique concept for an extraordinary new membership. For more information, please visit www.theartsclub.ae
The Culture Counter
A Founder’s Story: How Mohamad Ballout built Kitopi
In 2021, Dubai’s Kitopi became a unicorn with a $415 million round led by SoftBank.
Founded in January 2018 by Mohamad Ballout (CEO & co-founder) and his friends Saman Darkan, Bader Ataya, and Andy Arenas, it is today the world’s leading managed cloud kitchen platform.
But where does it all start? Whether from their parents’ garage, or from an enlightening conversation or from having been in the right place at the right time, some of the best founding stories begin like his. Join us with Basel Mufta, general partner at Global Ventures, a Dubai-based, growth-stage venture capital firm, as he dives into the story behind this exciting Dubai-based startup with Mohamad Ballout, as he shares with us his journey as a young innovator.