The MindTales Collective

Dr. Tai Broach holds a dual-PhD in Organisational Psychology and Clinical Psychology. She's presently an Associate Professor of Practice at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi and an organisational effectiveness consultant! Dr. Broach has worn many hats throughout her career, from organisational development consultant, executive coach, and behavioral interventionist to program designer, trainer and educator.

What do we chat about?

📣 What is dysfunction? Why does it matter in the workplace?

📣 Respecting individuality and building team harmony

📣 Workplaces leveraging communication to create belonging

📣 Effective leadership and emotionally intelligent leaders

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This entrepreneurial duo combined their specialities in healthtech and fintech to build Let’s Rise, which brings together networks of educators, entrepreneurs, parents, innovators and other community leaders to celebrate their achievements, build up their mentorship and coaching skills and work towards personal transformation! 

📣Challenges and inaccessibility of conventional coaching

📣The trajectory of mentored vs non-mentored startups

📣Mindful entrepreneurship and community-building

📣Sustainable transformation through coaching with LetsRise

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Fodhil Benturquia is a serial entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience in the digital innovation space in MENA. He's the Founding CEO of Okadoc, the region’s first instant online booking platform that seamlessly connects healthcare providers and doctors with their patients!

📣 Managing overwhelm when embarking on new and uncertain ventures

📣 Letting go of control and building trust for greater governance at your start-up

📣 Leveraging a board of advisors to build a strong support system

📣 Establishing a healthy work and team culture that prioritises mental health

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Aakanksha Tangri founded Re:Set, a unique, digital platform that brings together communities in inclusive, safe spaces to destigmatise and normalise conversations about mental health, education, inclusion, parenting, gender-based challenges and more!

📣 Destigmatisation of mental health, education, inclusion and gender-based challenges

📣 Building safe and inclusive digital spaces for connection, reflection and community-building

📣 Introversion as an advantage in leadership and innovation

📣 Moving from education and awareness-raising to action and empowerment

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Nur is an entrepreneurship and incubation specialist with Yildiz Teknopark Entrepreneurship Center based in Istanbul. She supports startups by coaching them through development and matching them with investors and mentors. 

📣 What are technoparks? Based within Yildiz Teknopark, how did Yildiz Incubation Center grow to be the largest one in Turkey? 

📣 Why are entrepreneurial university models successful and how do they build a larger thriving startup ecosystem? 

📣 What is the future of Turkey's startup environment? What are it's main challenges? 

📣 How can startup founders and entrepreneurs boost their mental health during uncertain times? 

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YILDIZ INCUBATION CENTER

Dr. Justin Thomas is a psychology Professor and the Head of the Research Cluster for Culture Cognition and Wellbeing at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates. This research cluster focuses on exploring the interface between culture, society and mental health. Join us for an insightful chat as Justin shares his thoughts on how unique, community-based factors influence the way we interact with and perceive our mental health. We discuss how to honour experiences of wellbeing by bringing awareness to these concepts in culturally-informed and individualised ways. 

📣 What are the objectives of the Research Cluster for Culture Cognition and Wellbeing at Zayed University? 

📣 How do social and cultural factors impact recovery rates for psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia? How does this differ in surprising ways between "developing" and "developed" nations? 

📣 When it comes to destigmatising mental health, how can we bring awareness to mental health in culturally-informed ways?

📣 How can nutritious and meaningful connections boost our sense of belonging and act as a protective factor against deteriorating mental health?

Samar Alshorafa is the Founding CEO of She is Arab. This is an innovative platform that connects Arab women whilst enhancing and empowering their leadership and business acumen across a range of industries.

📣 How did Samar's past experiences in policy reform, education and international development lead her to build She is Arab?
📣 How does She is Arab use a community-building approach to magnify the achievements of Arab women? 
📣  Why is women empowerment not a one-size-fits-all approach and what advice can help women find their authentic self?
📣 How has Samar's relationship with mental health changed significantly over the years? How can you take inspiration and reflect on your self-care?

Listen in to the full conversation here. We hope this was as inspirational and as insightful for you as it was for us.

Mim Kleiberg, Co-Owner of THE ROOM Abu Dhabi and THE ROOM Online, uses integrative, non-traditional approaches to help her community boost their physical wellness. Join us to discover more about THE ROOM Abu Dhabi. It's a fascinating concept, with spaces built intentionally for physical wellness, mindfulness, community connection, sound bathing and more.

Jasmine is a certified family coach. She has been living abroad for over fifteen years. Her diverse background and experience has enabled her to relate to all walks of life. Join us as she chats about her work with teens and young adults struggling with self-confidence to find their place in society. Her mission is to create a safe space for teens and young adults to connect, share, and express through kindness, creativity and humour!

Dr. Deena Elsori joined us for a deep-dive into the dynamic nature of her passion and work at Abu Dhabi University. She is an academician, researcher, mother, educator and community-builder. Dr. Deena played a key role in building the Public Health department at Abu Dhabi University. She also shaped the idea for a Happiness course to equip students with essential tools to boost their emotional health. Ultimately, Dr. Deena boosts her students' academic success by prioritising their well-being. Tune in for the full-conversation! 

Zeina Daccache (MA, RDT, BCT) wears many hats... activist, film-maker, theatre director, drama therapist, university teacher, and more. She founded Catharsis, the Lebanese Centre for Drama Therapy. Her brilliant work in drama therapy has been used to share the stories of marginalised prison populations in Lebanon. And her widely acclaimed plays have played a key role in the revision of some of Lebanon's unjust prison laws. We hope this conversation was as inspirational for you as it was for us. Tune in for her full story!

LinkedIn: Zeina Daccache 

Instagram: @zeinadaccachelebanon

Facebook: Catharsis - Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy