"I’m competing with white space”: Heba El Gabaly on designing the future

The Lighthouse Conversations with Hashem Montasser
11/06/2025 1h 2min Episodio 92
"I’m competing with white space”: Heba El Gabaly on designing the future

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Episode Synopsis

Heba El Gabaly, co-founder and CEO of Efreshli, discusses her journey from corporate to entrepreneurship, scaling a tech-driven design-led business, and the importance of blending online and offline experiences. The episode explores her unique blend of leadership, what it felt like to bring on a co-founder and her mission to make quality design accessible to everyone.

Chapters
0:01 Coming up…
2:36 The Efreshli journey
3:11 Building a business online vs offline
7:21 The Challenges of Entrepreneurship
8:53 First Customers and Social Media Success
14:15 Navigating VC Funding
19:31 Men vs Women Entrepreneurs
25:21 Bringing in a co-founder
35:16 Scaling and expanding Efreshli
38:47 The Impact of AI
47:42 ‘Good design companies sell taste’
53:26 Expanding Efreshli to the UAE & Saudi Arabia
57:13 Creating keeps you young

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