Impact Talk redefines success by sharing stories of businesses that balance profit with social and environmental impact, proving that purpose and profit can go hand in hand. We amplify the voices of business leaders and entrepreneurs from the MENA region who are shaping a new wave of business.Hosted by Nadine Zidani—an influential advocate for sustainability, impact entrepreneur, and founder of MENA Impact—Impact Talk inspires a fresh approach to business, where generating profit also benefits people and the planet.
In this episode of Impact Talk, we sit down with Andreea Danila, founder and general partner at Global Millennial Capital — a research-driven venture capital firm with $100 million in assets under management, investing at the intersection of technology, innovation, and impact.
Together with our host Nadine, they unpack the "Profit With Purpose" methodology Andreea pioneered, why thematic climate investing has ended, and where the next decade of capital is flowing across MENA, Silicon Valley, and emerging markets.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
Why "Profit With Purpose" rejects standalone impact
How Global Millennial Capital uses research-driven analysis instead of sector chasing
The three principal data problems holding back climate capital deployment
The three fundamental shifts reshaping climate VC right now
Why UAE is positioned to become a global hub for AI, compute, and energy management
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13 Jan 2026
Turning Food Waste Into Protein, Fertilizer, and SAF - Dr. Haythem Riahi
Can insects turn food waste into high-value products — and a profitable climate tech business?
In this episode of Impact Talk, host Nadine Zidani sits down with Dr. Haitham Al Riahi, Co-Founder of Circa Biotech, to explore how nature-based biotech can transform organic waste into valuable resources — creating both environmental and economic impact.
From engineering facilities that raise black soldier flies to processing thousands of tons of pre-consumer food waste, Dr. Haitham shares how Circa Biotech converts waste into three key products: protein for animal feed, organic fertilizer, and a fat byproduct that can be used as feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
In This Episode, You’ll Learn About:
• How Circa Biotech generate value out of food waste
• How a business can mimic nature’s recycling system
• Why industrial climate tech scaling is different from software
• The journey behind creating an entirely new industry category
• How to approach fundraising when you’re not SaaS
• A practical growth path for sustainability ventures
• The role of the UAE in supporting impact startups
About Our Guest:
Dr. Haitham Al Riahi is the Co-Founder of Circa Biotech and a biotechnology and circular economy leader. With a PhD in biotechnology and years of experience across pharma and biotech, he is focused on turning organic waste into valuable resources through nature-based innovation — helping build a thriving circular bio-industry in the UAE.
17 Dec 2025
#31-How Ejaby Is Redefining Food Waste Through Supply Chain E-Commerce - Menna Shahin & Maxim Haartsen
Can technology transform food waste into impact at scale?
In this episode of Impact Talk, host Nadine Zidani sits down with Maxim Harzen and Menna Shahin, co-founders of Ejaby, a next-generation supply chain e-commerce platform reinventing how surplus and slow-moving inventory reaches consumers and businesses.
From tackling food waste and supply-chain inefficiencies to building a startup as a couple, Maxim and Menna share the real story behind Ejaby — including their journey across Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, the role of technology and AI in their model, and how profitability and environmental impact can grow hand in hand.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn About:
• How Ejaby addresses food waste by intervening early in the supply chain
• Why supply-chain e-commerce is a new and critical category
• The transition from B2C to B2B — and what triggered the shift
• How technology and AI enable scale without warehouses or fleets
• Lessons learned from launching in Egypt before expanding to the UAE and KSA
• Why revenue growth and environmental impact don’t have to be trade-offs
• What it’s really like to build and run a startup as a couple
About Our Guests:
Maxim Harzen is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ejaby, bringing deep experience in commercial strategy and supply chains across Europe, Asia, and the GCC.
Menna Shahin is the COO and Co-Founder of Ejaby, an award-winning tech and sustainability entrepreneur with a background in AI and a strong commitment to social and environmental impact.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
28,178
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
48
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
32
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Who hosts Impact Talk with Nadine Zidani?
Nadine Zidani host the show. Published by Nadine Zidani.
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The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
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