Tamakkan Profile: Sean Graham
Sean GrahamInternational Business Development, CreatorUp! Sean Graham has lived within cultures and entertainment from around the world. With a degree in Cognitive Sciences and Psychology, he’s led student diplomacy programs, efforts to document the 2010 revolution in Cairo, and after a few years of film, music video, and digital content in LA & SF Sean now heads CreatorUp! operations in India and the UAE, hosting workshops with platforms, brands, and educational institutions like YouTube, L’Oréal, and GEMS. Sean Graham has given digital media training workshops at Tamakkan. Like us on Facebook Follow us on...
Find Happiness by Owning Your Success!
Recognizing the Success Paradox and Avoiding Stereotype Traps By Sana Bagersh How many times have you heard, “She is so successful, I don’t know how she does it”? Or “I wish I could be wealthy like him”? Do you ever think about what ‘success’ means to you? Is it driving a fancy car? Owning a big house? Running your own business? Working for a large company? Is it marrying into wealth? Working for a social cause? Running a charity? I’ve
Omar Ghobash Urges Muslim Youth Towards Moderation
Omar Ghobash, UAE ambassador to Russia and author of the acclaimed new book “Letters to a Young Muslim,” called for a less didactic, more open approach to Islamic education for children, at a Tamakkan seminar at twofour54.
Ghobash, who wrote the book with his sons, Saif, aged 16, and Abdullah, 12, in mind, encourages moderation in religious thinking and teaching, especially at a time of political turmoil where young Muslims can be susceptible to extremist online propaganda.
Tamakkan Profile: Omar Ghobash
Omar Saif Ghobash was appointed Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Russian Federation in 2008. He began his career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a diplomat at the UAE Mission to the United Nations. Prior to his appointment in Moscow, Ghobash founded The Third Line, Dubai’s first international contemporary art gallery showcasing artists from the Middle East. He is a founding trustee of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, which runs with the support of the Booker Prize Foundation in London. Ghobash also sponsors the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation in memory of his father, Saif Ghobash, who was the UAE’s first Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Ghobash recently authored a book entitled “Letters to a Young Muslim” that has been highly acclaimed and enthusiastically...
Tamakkan Hosts the First Screening of “Lemonade” in Abu Dhabi
Tamakkan hosted a screening of the Documentary Film Lemonade produced by US born Emirati author and speaker, Dedra L. Stevenson, on home schooling an adult with Autism. The movie is directed by Emirati, Sara Al Hashemi, titled after the famous English phrase: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. It follows the daily life and struggles of Dedra’s son, Ibrahim, a 23-year old adult living with Autism. The movie screening was also an awareness event on the life of people living with Autism here in the UAE, and how even those with a disability can be given a purpose in life that gives them happiness and meaning. The session was attended by family members of Ibrahim, various film personalities, guests who have an autistic relative, and fellow community members who were there to support the cause. It was heart-warming to see Ibrahim’s family there to support him and to bravely share their experience of overcoming their struggles. Tamakkan founder Sana Bagersh found the documentary film very interesting as it tackled the plight and relationship of a mother and her son with autism. “Film-making is a very powerful tool that can be used to entertain and also to educate. Dedra’s film captured my heart as it showcased a sensitive yet crucial topic that needs to be addressed here in the UAE.” The movie screening was followed by a Q&A session where Dedra L. Stevenson, the executive producer, along with the Director Sara Al Hashemi, Creative Director Sheikha Bin Jarsh, and Ibrahim’s nurses, Arden Kristoffer Onayan and Mark Vincent Salazar. They answered questions on what the struggles were in their life to come to where they are now, what more could be done to help other families in similar situations, and how people could help in making such families feel welcome and at ease in public spaces. When asked why she waited this long to show this story, Dedra Stevenson, said it was something that had been in the back of her mind for a while but it was brought out when Ibrahim’s former nurse Kaleb Habtamu, told her about a boy he met in the Al Thiqa Club. “These guys need a reason to wake up every morning just like all of us do. We go to jobs, we go to schools, we go to exercise, and all that so what about them? They need purpose”, said Dedra. About Tamakkan: Tamakkan is an initiative aimed at nurturing entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation. Established in June 2009 by BrandMoxie, a leading advertising and marketing company in the UAE, Tamakkan support s the growth of SMEs and startups by providing access to information...