- August 24, 2021
EPISODE #
Sexual what? KETISH, the new startup on the block
About this episode
Emaan Abbas is an Egyptian-American entrepreneur who has recently moved to the UAE to follow her dream of working with her idol Huda Kattan, the famous Co-Founder of the Billion Dollar Huda Beauty brand. Working under the stewardship of the Kattan sisters, Emaan quickly learned everything about product development and gave herself the permission to dream about creating her own, one day.
We talk to Emaan about grasping opportunities as they arise, pitching her dream business to her boss and mentor Huda Kattan and then kicking off her journey with Ketish.
What is striking about Ketish is that for the first time in the MENA region, feminine health and sexual wellness is being discussed openly with Emaan tackling a culturally sensitive topic head-on. The goal is not to offend she notes, the goal is to educate and to ensure that we start having a conversation around women’s health and wellness without the shame and stigma typically that typically ensue.
We will be watching Emaan’s journey as she forges head on while facing a number of hurdles that have already started making their way. We hope you find her story and her courage inspiring.
SPONSORS:
This episode is sponsored by our friends at Astrolabs. Check out: www.Astrolabs.com/loulou to avail exclusive discounts on company registration in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, co-working space as well as discounts on online courses covering coding, social media, digital marketing and more.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00 | Sponsor’s message and exclusive offer to listeners www.astrolabs.com/loulou
01:20 | The story behind Ketish, the luxury feminine and sexual wellness brand
05:51 | Chasing her dream job with her idol Huda Beauty
08:50 | Pitching her idea and launching Ketish
16:12 | Dealing with blowback and appreciation on social media
23:50 | Growing as a leader with the support of HB Angels
29:04 | The ideation process for consumer products
33:55 | What’s next on the fundraising side
35:10 | Confronting shame and finding the courage to open up to family
40:58 | Advice for entrepreneurs working on consumer products
42:40 | 5 short questions on anxiety, vibrators and more
45:43 | Loulou’s closing remarks
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To reach out to Emaan you can ping her on Instagram @theycallme_emaan
To shop the Quickie, visit the Ketish website.
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listen to the episode
guest profile
Emaan Abbass
Emaan Abbas is Egyptian-American and was raised in California in the US. Prior to moving the the UAE and joining her idol Huda Beauty as a product manager in 2016, Emaan had built a career in retail and Beauty having worked with Target and Sephora in the US.
Emaan holds an MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Bachelor’s of Science from UC Santa Barbara.
Emaan initially pitched her business idea to Huda Kattan the Co-Founder of Huda Beauty in 2018, and was later incubated at HB Angels, an incubator launched by HB Investments (HBI).
HB Investments (HBI) is the private investment office of the founders of Huda Beauty: Huda (Chairwoman), Mona (President), Alya Kattan, Christopher Goncalo and is led by CEO Karan Wats. HBI invests in visionary entrepreneurs that share a common desire to build world-class consumer brands while creating meaningful impact.
Going beyond traditional investment partnerships, HBI also runs a comprehensive incubator program called HB Angels, which provides seed funding and a brand-building ecosystem to a carefully selected group of in-house entrepreneurs. With a robust team of top marketing, PR, operations and supply chain talent, HBI is co-creating businesses that can change the world for the better.