In this episode we talk to Amnah, Rabia and Mahnoor Nasim about what it was like growing up in a small town in the United Kingdom, relatively secluded and not as ethnically or culturally diverse as London. We talk about their experiences going to a Catholic all girls school and what it means to 'fit in' and how to balance this with being proud of their identities as Muslims. We also talk through their upbringing, the values and attitudes that their parents instilled in them growing up. We talk about how this led to all three sisters pursuing mathematics and economics at university and then going on to secure successful careers in the corporate world - first in professional services firms and now working in internal audit. We discuss how they were able to learn from each others journeys and supported each other in making the right decisions along the way. We also explore the sisters passions and plans for the future, including talking about make-up, fashion and (maybe) becoming insta-famous. Finally the sisters share their valuable advice for the young people listening !

In this episode we chat to CEO and co-founder of Islamic Finance Guru ('IFG'), Ibrahim Khan about what Islamic finance is and why he is passionate about the work IFG does to help promote and develop the market for Islamic finance products through free information and education. We talk about the differences between Islamic finance and ethical investing and the journey of how IFG was started through an online blog at university and developed into the impressive platform and knowledge bank it is today. Through financial education and supporting Muslim entrepreneurs Ibrahim and his co-founder decided to use IFG as a vehicle to target the challenge of Muslims being a quarter of the world's population but 20% poorer than the rest of the world. We talk about how IFG tries to demystify Islamic finance products and IFG's investment arm which invests in startups which work on solving real world problems. Ibrahim talks us through his journey from working as a corporate lawyer, thinking through what he really wanted to achieve and transitioning into the Islamic finance and venture capital space. Ibrahim finally talks about the opportunities for innovation in the Islamic finance space and how we all can can get more involved.

We return from our summer break with our highest profile guest yet. Born and brought up in Tooting, South West London, Imran talks to us about his childhood - being raised by his mum after losing his dad very early on in his life, and how his mother's strong grounding in Islamic values instilled in him the principles by which he lives his life today. Imran talks to us about his journey through education; finding out that he was both dyslexic and dyspraxic at school and how learning about what learning styles worked best for him helped him to make better progress academically. We go on to talk about his experience studying Law at Westminster University and how in his first year he discovered a passion for politics by getting involved with the Patchwork Foundation, a voluntary organisation that works for a more representative kind of politics. Now, as the CEO of the Patchwork Foundation (which became a charity in 2016), Imran talks about the responsibility he feels for representing young and disadvantaged minority groups in political and often high profile places, ensuring that minority communities have a 'seat at the table' and a 'voice in the room. Imran also shares his advice for young people looking to pursue a role in the charity or public sectors and the things to take into account.

In this fascinating episode, we talk to Nazia Faiz who is a British born, Sri Lankan Muslim. Nazia talks to us about what it was like growing up in Sri Lanka within a Muslim minority community in a family with two other sisters and no boys, and how her parents' choices ensured that she and her sisters were given a full education and encouraged to pursue careers as independent, successful women. We talk about her experience moving back to the United Kingdom for university and how her connection with her identity and faith as a Muslim women has evolved over the years. We also talk about how in 2019 the attitude towards the Muslim minority community living in Sri Lanka changed drastically, as a result of the rise of nationalism fueled by political game playing. Nazia talks us through her journey from achieving some of the world's top grades in economics at A-level to securing her first job, and how she was one of the first women from her community to work abroad. Nazia shares passionately her view on how women can and should feel like they are able to have a successful career and also look after their homes. We talk about the cultural differences between our home countries and the United Kingdom and how we've both coped with having to straddle these two worlds. We end by talking about Nazia's experience working at a Big Four accountancy firm as a management consultant and how she made the conscious decision to transition, after 6 years, to a smaller firm working as a Strategic Initiatives lead. The conversation ends with an inspiring message to all women from Nazia.

In this very special episode we talk to two young and ambitious Muslim women who have opened the first Ballet school for Muslims. Grace & Poise academy uniquely combines Ballet with Poetry instead of music to cater for the Muslim community. In combining Ballet with Poetry, Maisie and Sajedah have introduced a 'new Islamic art form' to the world. Their academy harnesses the power of both these creative art forms to powerfully support the development of the children they work with. Maisie and Sajedah talk to us about how they met and discovered a shared passion for education and nurturing young children to help them reach their full potential. We talk about how both Ballet and Islam encourage excellence in everything we do. We also talk about some of the challenges with Muslim parents prioritising STEM related subjects over the arts as a preferred career pathway for their children. We discuss the crucial life skills that extra-curricular activities such as Ballet and Poetry have to teach our children that should not be overlooked or understated. Our conversation concludes by talking about how the process of learning Ballet with Poetry allows children to acquire life skills such as determination, passion and creativity. These life skills, in turn, allow them to better fulfil their purpose in life as Muslims and grow up into more well rounded individuals that are able to have a positive impact on the world.

In this week's episode we talk to Doctor Imran Haq who is an Ophthalmic, Oculoplastic and Reconstructive surgeon. We talk about how faith and coincidence played a role in his journey from in his own words; 'not being good at much else other than cricket' at school to securing a place to read Medicine at the prestigious Queen's college, Oxford. We also talk about how Dr. Imran reconciles scientific fact with religious belief, including talking briefly about his view on string theory. We then talk across subjects on Dr. Imran's perspective of our outdated education system, having gone through a period of homeschooling himself. We end by talking about his experience working within the NHS as a junior doctor in training and now as an experienced consultant, as part of which, he shares his view on the fundamental principles that he feels the NHS stands for and some of the challenges it currently faces.

In this special extended episode, Ahmed talks to us about his experience moving from South Africa to the United Kingdom at the age of 11. We talk about the impact that going to a faith based school has had on his personality and experiences growing up. Ahmed then talks about his experience working 7 days a week through university, finding a job in consulting and deciding to transition to the world of accountancy. We also explore how sometimes in life you have to make the most of the opportunity that is available to you - even if it may not be what you want to do in the long term. We end by talking about his role as a financial planning, analysis and change specialist in the insurance industry and how he reconciles working for an insurer with his faith, as a Muslim.

In our second episode of this series we talk to Usaama Kaweesa, who works with a leading youth and education charity that tackles inequalities in our education system in the United Kingdom and a number of other countries around the globe. Usaama shares his experience of growing up as a first generation immigrant Muslim, who's family migrated from Uganda to London in the 90s. He talks to us about how going to one of the worst performing schools in South West London inspired him to pursue his current line of work. We also talk about how critically thinking about your beliefs is important in helping you to better connect with your faith.