Last night Esquire Middle East hosted its first Lessons From An Entrepreneur evening as part of its on-going Esquire Gentlemen’s Evenings series.
Hosted at Mint Leaf Dubai, in association with SiO2, the Rivoli Group and Chivas Regal, an invite-only crowd were treated to a fantastic evening of talks from some of Dubai’s most notable and influential entrepreneurs.
The keynote speech of the evening was given by founder of the Mara Group and Mara Foundation, Ashish J Thakkar. Since setting up his first business as a 15-year-old, Mr Thakker has overseen the development of a Pan-African multi-sector business services company that now employs more than 11,000 people and is active in 24 countries. As the author of The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa’s Economic Miracle and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, his absorbing and inspiring anecdotes thrilled the gathered audience.
An interactive discussion panel then followed, featuring the collective experience (and talents) of acclaimed dentist Dr Michael Apa; the co-founder of Designer-24, Sara Alemzadeh; and managing partner of the Ahdaaf Sports Club Anas Bukhash each sharing their advice and lessons they have learnt in their careers.
The audience then retired to the dining room for modern Indian cuisine. And as a final surprise, the guest star of the dinner was Hollywood star, Dennis Quaid, fresh from a celebrity golf tournament. His involvement was a fitting way to end a remarkable evening.