The Man Building the Muslim Startup Ecosystem

As-salamu Alaykum

Abdul Haseeb Basit is the Co-Founder and Principal of Elipses, a Board Member and CFO of Global Digital Finance, and the Chair of the Muslim CEOs Collective. With over 25 years of experience spanning tier-1 banking, fintech, and digital assets, Abdul Haseeb has spent his career at the intersection of finance, technology, and community.

In this conversation, Hash Assad and Sh. Navaid Aziz sit down with Abdul Haseeb to explore what it actually takes to build a thriving Muslim economy, from the boardroom to the ummah at large. We'll dig into the origin story of the Muslim CEOs Collective and why community-building among Muslim founders and executives has become so essential. From there, the discussion turns to angel investing: what it is, how it works, and the lessons, and wins.

We'll also zoom out. Is Abdul Haseeb optimistic about where the ummah is headed, and why? Where is Islamic finance actually going, beyond the buzzwords? What are the real barriers facing Muslim startups today, and what resources exist to help them clear those barriers? And finally, what capital structures, the funding, the institutions, the systems, does the Muslim world actually need in place to thrive, not just survive?

This is a conversation about vision, capital, and community, and what it will take to build an ecosystem where Muslim entrepreneurs and investors can do more than just get by.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• The story behind the Muslim CEOs Collective, and why it exists

• What angel investing really is, and the lessons learned from backing Muslim founders through Madinah Angels

• Whether there's reason for optimism about where the ummah is headed, and what that optimism is built on

• Where Islamic finance is actually heading, beyond the industry hype

• The real challenges facing Muslim startups today, and the resources founders should know about

• What capital structures need to exist for the Muslim world to build lasting, generational wealth