Naadiya | Engineer and Serial Entrepreneur | Mom to a toddler, so most activities revolve around kids and food | My companies support women in STEM, from attracting more women in STEM to support female owned businesses | I also co-own a group of Turkish Restaurants | Cape Town, South Africa
Instagram: @naadiyamoosajee
1) THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
We signed our single biggest client at my company WomHub – growing a company in a pandemic is really something to be celebrated.
2) THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
I had Covid, lost family members, had family members on ventilators. It was probably the worse period in my life. It makes you reflect on what is truly important. It’s a humbling experience.
3) YOUR BIGGEST WISH FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
We are opening a new restaurant, and growing a company and family, so my wish is good health, mental and emotional strength and prosperity. As women we always seem to push through it all, but I really wish it could come easier.
4) YOUR BIGGEST WORRY FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
I live in South Africa, and my country is going through a tough time. I worry about the near term political stability, something I have never thought about before. I want every person to be able to wake up without worry of being attacked or losing their livelihoods.
5) A CONTEMPORARY WOMAN YOU CURRENTLY ADMIRE?
I have a network of exceptional women, so hard to choose, but my partner Hema Vallabh is incredible – she is my soul mate (my husband knows this too). There is a comic brain and heart and we laugh because she is the brains and I'm the heart. How she shows up for everyone, building a company together is the most incredible experience.
6) A ONE-SENTENCE MESSAGE TO OTHER WOMEN?
We need to get better at asking for what we want, for more, and I think it's in all aspects of our lives from the boardroom to the bedroom.