Most Innovative Business Leaders Of The Year | Exeleon Magazine | Business Magazine

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Martin
Mobarak
DavidPawlan-
Leading
Transparencyin
theSoftware
Development
Economy
IN - FOCUS
K E E P I N G T H E L E G E N D O F
F R I D A K A H L O A L I V E
INN VATIVE
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BUSINESS LEADERS
OF THE YEAR
ElyseKaye:
UpliftingWomen
IN - FOCUS

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Embracing Excellence

C O N T E N T S
MARTIN MOBARAK
12

C O N T E N T S
DAYNA ALTMAN
30

C O N T E N T S
JEFF HEGGIE
42

MARTIN MOBARAK
Founder | Frida.NFT
12 EXELEON MAGAZINE
C O V E R S T O R Y

K E E P I N G T H E L E G E N D O F
WWW.EXELEONMAGAZINE.COM 13

– F R I D A K A H L O
he legacy of an
artist can often be
determined by the
impact and
in luence their art
holds across
generations,
across communities, and across
geographical boundaries.
Renowned as Mexico's most
popular painter – Frida Kahlo was
an example of excellence whose
artistry continues to have an impact
in our lives and in our society.
Her artistic legacy molds into the
form of an incredible biographical
narrative in which, using drama and
rich symbolism, Frida shares the
story of her intimate experiences,
her despair, her beliefs, and her
values.
Growing up in Mexican City, Martin
Mobarak was someone who was
introduced to the works of Frida at
an early age. He was fascinated with
her paintings and the cultural
impact Frida had in extending the
history of Mexico.
As Martin grew up, his
understanding of art expanded
and simultaneously his
appreciation for Frida's work and
her life beyond.
Today, Martin Mobarak, a global
entrepreneur and visionary, aims
to immortalize the legacy of Frida
Kahlo with Frida.NFT, a
pioneering innovative blockchain
technology reforming the charity
industry to increase transparency,
donation frequency, and donor
incentive.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Martin grew up in a
Lebanese/Mexican household
with a strong in luence of
Lebanese culture.
For him, the food, the music, and
art were a diﬀerent world
altogether. He discovered Mexican
culture as he started his high
school years.
Through his school trips to
cultural sites, Martin grasped
more understanding of the
country's rich history.
He recalls his irst visit to the
Museum of Frida and getting
introduced to her artworks. “It
was a very typical ield trip on
every school in Mexico. But to me
it was extraordinary as I was
immediately fascinated with her
paintings, like love at irst sight,
even though I visited the museum
several times during my school
years, each time was like a irst
time.”
Martin's involvement with arts
increased during his high school
years, when he signed up for
artistic shop classes and plastic
arts school.
“One of my best friends was a
prominent painter, and a teacher
in Mexico City in the school of
Plastic Arts, which is how I got
more serious with art and
education myself in the school.”
Martin eventually moved to a
diﬀerent state, pursued college,
and started his professional
journey. However, he brought his
love for admiring and collecting
art with him in this journey.
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C O V E R S T O R Y

As a Mexican Native, Martin's vision is to bring the work of
Frida Kahlo into the metaverse and bring together a
communityofcollectors,creators,andlovers.
Frida had an impactful presence in Martin's growing up
years. As he learned more about her life of pain and
suﬀering, it impacted him to take notice of her struggles
and how she conveyed these emotions through her
paintings. Martin mentions, “Frida Kahlo lived a
tumultuouslifetosaytheleast,fromPolio,tobeingtoldshe
would never walk again after a terrible bus accident, to
marrying a notorious womanizer Diego Rivera, Frida
paintedheremotionsandlifeuntilherpainfuldeath.”
He adds, “I share her feelings of pain in this material world,
and yet, still not giving up helping the needy and try to ix
the broken system. In my case it is the health system and
thepeoplethatsuﬀerfromit.“
Through Frida.NFT, Martin hopes to share the artworks of
Frida with the world, instead of holding it in his possession
whilemakingaglobalimpact.
16 EXELEON MAGAZINE

FASCINATION WITH
TECHNOLOGY
Throughout his professional
journey as an entrepreneur and
business leader, Martin has been a
passionate visionary of technology.
He mentions “I owned one of the
irst ISP providers in anchorage
Alaska. I was involved in the
development of the Internet
between 1993 - 1998. I've always
been involved in technology.”
Moreover, when Martin was
introduced to the burgeoning
blockchain technology and Bitcoin
in 2009, he became obsessed with
the potential of the industry. The
led him to start his own
cryptocurrency AGCoin, which is a
silver-backed crypto.
“AGCoin is the irst crypto platform
to invest in Silver, and it's the next
generation precious metal
tokenization model with
continuous access to liquidity and
availability. Creating a silver-backed
tokenomy while tokenizing vault
deposits, we have attempted to
produce innovative solutions that
address customers' needs but also
provides consistent support. “
Martin learned about blockchain
through various diﬀerent
conferences in Dubai and the US,
while in the last year, he has learnt
all about NFTs.
FRIDA.NFT
Martin realized the potential of the
NFT market and how the
technology can be leveraged to
bring forth a change in the charity
space. This prompted him to
introduce Frida.NFT.
Frida.NFT's vision is to create the
bridge between the traditional art
world and the expanding potential
of Web 3.0. This community-driven
initiative has a vision to introduce
Frida's work into the metaverse and
leverage her powerful likeness to
bring together a community of
collectors, creators, and art lovers
on a mission to merge the
traditional art world with the
digital art world's expanding
potential and immortalize
humanities story.
“Like a Phoenix rising from its
ashes, this collection of 10,000
NFT's represents the rebirth &
immortality of a timeless piece by
Frida Kahlo “Fantasmones
Siniestros or “Massive Sinister
Ghosts.”. This piece will be
transformed to live eternally in the
digital realm.”
Valued over $10,000,000, Martin
has decided to take this to be the
irst perpetual royalty charity
initiative.
The mission for Martin and team is
to create a consistent donation
stream to charities, while
rewarding the ones who are willing
to be a part of this journey.
He mentions, “Each Fantasmones
Siniestros NFT grants the holder
membership to our exclusive art-
driven charity foundation along
with a host of ever-evolving
bene its including, but not limited
to, access to luxurious amenities,
unique experiences, and exclusive
events around the globe.”
NFTS AND CHARITY
According to Martin, NFT holds the
key in revolutionizing the entire
charity industry!
He elaborates, “Blockchain
technologies are the answer, if
managed correctly to raise capitals
for many industries, why not
charitable ventures? It's a very
viable solution for possible
perpetual pipeline of funds,
transparent and secure.”
Over the last decade, Martin has
collected timeless pieces of history.
“As the current owner of the
paintings, I have a vision of creating
perpetual donations to multiple
organizations for the needy with
royalties from the NFT sale and
collection.”
Martin's goal is to make an impact
by providing donors full
transparency of foundation funds,
increasing donation frequency
through perpetual donations, and
dramatically increasing a much
larger incentive for the community
to donate.
The charity industry has struggled
to keep up with the advancements
in technology and digitalization,
thereby prompting the public to
take notice. “Inef icient
bookkeeping, unpleasant user
experiences, and distrusting donors
make for an industry that is quickly
losing public interest.”
Owing to scandals surrounding
mismanagement of donors' gifts
and general lack of transparency,
public con idence in charity leaders
has seen a sharp decline in the last
C O V E R S T O R Y
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decade.
According to the Give.org Donor
Trust Report, 32 percent of
respondents trust charities less
today than they did ive years ago.
GIVING BACK
For Martin, giving back to the
society is an integral part of his
value system. Moreover, his
personal experiences with his
daughter have given him this
unique perspective “It is bigger
than, me, you, and Frida would have
understood it if she was alive.”
During his early years living in
Alaska, Martin's irst daughter was
diagnosed with a rare congenital
disease and due to this he had spent
countless sleepless nights in the
hospital, broken and helpless. This
was 30 years ago. And that changed
him completely.
“I was myself in need of a place to
stay, and these inancial and
logistical dif iculties, as well as the
broken health system in this
country, made me want to take
things into my own hands, just like
Frida had done. Years later, when I
became wealthy, I helped countless
patients, their parents whenever I
was in the hospitals, this time for
my second daughter Elektra (now
11 years old) who was diagnosed
with Crouzon Syndrome. Anytime, I
see a person in need in the broken
health system I had to interfere.
Therefore, the proceeds from the
sale of all the NFTs will go to the
Charities that are dear and near to
my heart and very important for my
family,” he recalls.
Similar to him, Martin saw a
number of other families who were
facing this struggle to aﬀord the
care they needed. He tried to help
them in whatever capacity he
possibly could. Along with his
daughter's battle, Martin prepared
himself to combat the broken
healthcare system of the country.
“While my daughter had surgery
after surgery (21 surgeries in total)
and recovery of 3 months each
time….it was dif icult, but I
managed, I got help from a loving
family and other giving people.
There are many families in need of
help all the time and not enough
resources.”
This impacted Martin to make a
bigger diﬀerence and impact.
Through Frida.NFT Martin is
dedicated to bringing forth a
disruption that contributes to the
overall welfare of the industry and
the society at large.
20 EXELEON MAGAZINE

We Embrace Excellence!
Exeleon Magazine features some of the
leading players in business and shares
their journey of excellence to inspire
aspiring leaders across the globe.
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David
Pawlan
Co-Founder | Aloa
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I N - F O C U S

Leading Transparency in the
Software Development Economy
In a world where anyone can innovate
freely, there is still a barrier because
software development is a pain point for far
too many.
Driven to ix the problems in this process, a
24-year-old entrepreneur started to ind
sustainable solutions for it. David Pawlan is
the founder of Aloa— a platform for
outsourcing software development for
startups. Four years later, since his college
days, David has grown Aloa to a multi-million-
dollar business.
As an ardent believer in changing the world,
he is also involved in social initiatives like
Fifth Star Funds. David, along with other
Chicago entrepreneurs, recognized the
inequality in the entrepreneurial landscape
and decided to make a difference by helping
startups grow.
His ultimate goal is to create wholesome
environments that empower innovators to
plan, experiment and build incredible things.
In an Exclusive Interview, David talks about
his journey and Aloa.
What according to you makes one a
transformational leader? How do you
integrate the same thought into your
leadership?
In my opinion, all leadership should be built
upon the values of transformational
leadership. An effective leader is one who
empowers those they are leading to a point
where the leader is no longer needed. That is
exactly how I view it as an integration to
business leadership. My goal is always to
eliminate my own job, and it's the most fun
part of it. In this way, I'm helping to build an
effective and self-suf icient organization.
Talk to us about your growing up years.
What prompted your interest and
subsequently your foray into the tech
space?
I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but I
really was never a tech kid. I didn't play video
games; they never really caught my attention.
My interest in tech I think is just a
consequence of the way the world is moving.
Brief us about Aloa and what led to the
inception of this platform.
Aloa is a platform for outsourcing software
development for startups. You can think of us
as software outsourcing infrastructure.
While in college, we were building out apps
and doing student tech consulting. We wanted
to expand our development team, so we began
looking for resources. We looked domestically,
but it was too expensive, so we outsourced.
We had a horrible experience. To us, that
didn't make sense. Why haven't we been able
to igure out a predictable and consistent
experience for software, the most remote
industry there is.
At Aloa, we believe in a world where anyone
T
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can innovate freely, and at this
point, we see software development
as a barrier to innovation for far too
many. So, rather than trying to build
a blanket solution as a dev shop, we
studied the pain points themselves
and fell in love with the problem of
outsourcing software development
itself.
Four years later, since those college
days, we've grown Aloa to a multi-
million-dollar business. We've
vetted through 10,000+ software
irms around the world and have
quali ied just 8 to be in our
Network.
We built Aloa Manage so anyone,
even non-technicals, can manage
their dev team. We built AloaPay so
clients don't have to deal with
foreign transaction fees or
international tax compliance. A
dedicated Account Manager will
curate a match to the proper irm in
our network. We'll build out custom
development strategies and
continuously audit. The beauty is
that we've automated so much of
our process that we can do all of
this at the same rate as other
outsourcing competitors. In our
opinion, just providing you a
developer isn't suf icient.
Being the Co-Founder, what role
do you play in the day-to-day
proceedings of the company?
As a Co-Founder, you're wearing
tons of different hats. My main role
is de initely sales and lead
generation as ultimately that is
what keeps the lights on. However,
most recently I've been
spearheading a lot of our marketing
efforts as well as working on
process and operational ef iciency.
I'll also serve as our legal liaison
and help out with taxes. There are
no two days that are the same!
What is the approach followed by
the company when it comes to
providing optimal client
satisfaction?
We're a very mission driven
company, so that is what truly
guides our decision-making. Each
one of us tries to act sel lessly: what
would I truly do if I were in their
position? We lead with empathy,
resonate with the client experience,
and ensure that we prioritize the
core mission of what we're doing.
As long as we maintain our
integrity and quality of service, the
pro its will come.
You are an ardent believer in
changing the world. Talk to us
about some of your social
involvements and why it is
important for you.
The most important social
involvement I have is being the Co-
Founder of Fifth Star Funds. Along
with other Chicago entrepreneurs,
we recognized the inequality in the
entrepreneurial landscape and
decided to dedicate our nights and
weekends to make a difference.
Only 1% of VC capital goes towards
Black founders, and more curiously,
from 2009-2017, only .0006% of VC
funding went to Black women. Now,
let's take this one step further. The
average Black-owned startup has
roughly $500 of outside equity
when starting. The average White-
owned startup has roughly $18,500
of outside equity.
Fifth Star Funds is a venture
philanthropy evergreen fund
seeking to address the funding
epidemic in America where only
1% of venture capital is awarded to
Black founders. We accomplish this
by investing in Black tech founders
in Chicago at the early stage
“Friends & Family” round. We
believe the funding gap at this stage
is the most critical to address, as
centuries of inequity have
prevented these potential
entrepreneurs from having the
initial capital to start their
businesses. 100% of all returns
from our investments are
reinvested into the fund, so as the
startups we invest in grow, the fund
inherently does too, making our
impact compounding.
What has the journey been like
for David Pawlan over the years?
Looking back, what would you
have done differently if you were
to start again?
It’s been a journey of perseverance.
I've always been starting things,
always trying to build companies.
When talking about it to others, I
always say it just feels like I'm
playing a real-life version of
Rollercoaster Tycoon. I always had
a little side business growing up.
My Senior year of High School and
Freshman year of College I dove
into my irst of icial startup. It
failed. I learned a ton. In my Senior
year I joined the Aloa founding
team and I haven't looked back ever
since.
This second part of the question is
pretty funny to me because I'm
actually working really hard on
myself to avoid that thought
exercise. I need to stop looking back
and questioning every little
decision, it's debilitating. So, I guess
in this context, I'd say that I'd tell
my younger self to stop looking
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back. Be present. Live in the
moment. The past is the past. You
can learn from it, but your mind
should be on the present, on what is
in front of you, not behind.
What would be your advice for
aspiring and emerging business
leaders?
The two biggest lessons I've
learned are actually related to one
another. The irst is to fall in love
with the problem, not the solution.
If you are in love with the problem,
then any roadblock or set back is
actually a step forward, because
you found another way that doesn't
work. In the same vein, do
something because you're
passionate about it, not because
you're chasing the money.
Entrepreneurship is really hard.
Money won't come right away.
You're going to fall. You're going to
cry. You're going to question
everything. Only passion, a true
intrinsic motivator, a belief in what
you're doing, will be suf icient to
push you through the journey with
a smile on your face.
What has been the biggest
roadblock during your journey?
What has been your biggest
learning?
I myself am my biggest roadblock.
I'm really hard on myself.
Confrontation scares me. I take
things too personally. I'm not sure
what my biggest learning is yet
because I'm still in the thick of it.
Finally, what does the future look
like for you and Aloa?
We believe in a world where anyone
can innovate freely. We want to
change the world, and we won't
stop short of doing just that. Today
it's software, creating a pathway
where non-technical entrepreneurs
and tech-giants alike can
predictably build their technology.
I'm so proud of our team and what
we've accomplished, but we're far
from the inish line.
I don't know what we'll be in 10
years, but I do know that as long as
we continue to follow our mission,
we're going to create the proper
environments to let innovators do
some truly incredible things.
I N - F O C U S

Dayna
Altman
Author & Mental Health Entrepreneur
30 EXELEON MAGAZINE
I N - F O C U S

Healing and Empowering People
Through Acceptance
* * *
ince the dawn of time, staying true to life and sharing stories has
been part of humanity. We have always told stories to pass on
knowledge and lessons to future generations. We are constantly
learning,makingnewdiscoveriesthroughstorytelling.
However,themostsigni icantadvantagethathumanshavegarnered
with storytelling is our ability to embrace our and others' stories,
giving us strength and the will to carry on in dif icult times. These
stories show us that we are not alone in this world, and it is support
from others during harsh times that motivate us to move forward
and lourishinlivingthelifeeveryonedeserves.
Dayna Altman, a mental health entrepreneur, author, and public
health professional, couldn't be a better example to showcase the
power storytelling has in healing people. Overcoming and learning
from the challenges that started in her college years, Dayna
embarked on a journey to help others by creating her organizations
specializinginmentalhealthadvocacy.
Exeleonexhibitstheempoweringstoryofthisboldentrepreneur.
THEPROACTIVEMINDSET
Dayna can distinctly remember how she has always been a leader,
even from a young age. Growing up, she loved musical theatre and
every other aspect related to dancing, acting, or singing. Even so, she
createdherownshowduringhersecond-gradeyear.“Icoordinateda
rehearsal schedule with my friends' parents. I did the costumes and set
designaswellastheadvertising,”sharesDayna.
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I N - F O C U S

And when the show was over, all
Dayna could think of was when she
would be able to do something like
that again. This was the active
mindset with which Dayna grew up,
and 20 years later, she still feels the
same. She says, “Every time I get to
lead an initiative and work on a
project that I love, I am so grateful
andcan'twaittodoitagain!”
However, before she could take this
proactive mind into the open world,
Dayna saw herself struggling with
mental health issues, taking a
signi icant toll on her life.
ACCEPTING THE IMPERFECTIONS
Dayna began struggling with her
mental health at the start of her
college years. It was there when she
decided to jot down her
experiences in hopes of publishing
a book about living with mental
illness someday.
What worked for Dayna was the
acceptance of her struggles and her
will to embrace the imperfections
the fate had thrown at her. Those
early years when she couldn't
accept it, Dayna was in the
perception that something was
wrong with her, and she needed to
be happy all the time. “I think
something that held me back from
getting help earlier on was not really
'knowing' about mental health or
seeing other people openly speak
about their struggles,” shares Dayna.
“Had I seen someone living openly
and simultaneously talking about
their mental health struggle, I think
things would have unfolded
diﬀerently.”
And this is what Dayna has been
doing by now. She has led an
authentic life by staying true to her
life's imperfections. Her work is
inspired by her struggles and being
the person who embraced it. “I like
to both lead and live authentically,
which means living with mental
illness.”
This strength to live up to herself
empowered Dayna to help others
with her book Bake it Till You
Make it: Breaking Bread,
Building Resilience. It is a
cookbook with recipes, stories, and
resource pages that encourages
people to realize their inherent
power in their own stories. It
combines the mental health stories
and recipes of over forty diﬀerent
contributors.
The book humanizes mental health
and mitigates people's discomfort
when talking about it by using
recipes and food. Tied together
with resource pages and a diverse
number of perspectives, the book is
written in such a way that anyone
can pick it up and feel the greater
sense of living with imperfections.
CONTINUING THE PROACTIVE
MINDSET
Dayna picks up after her childhood
habit of longing after productive
work even after so many years. To
her, it is essential to lead by
example, especially with
vulnerability and authenticity. In
Dayna's dictionary, a
transformational leader is someone
who has a passion for what they are
doing and believes in their message,
so many others want to become a
part of it.
And as a leader in the mental health
space, Dayna does not pretend to
appear 'perfect' or 'completely
recovered' and takes on the
leadership role in an authentic
manner. “I show up like me and do
my best as well as speak to what I
am passionate about and what I
know. I have found that vulnerability
and authenticity are contagious,”
shares Dayna. She continues,
“Leading with vulnerability has not
only allowed me to help inspire
others, but it has also allowed me to
create meaningful relationships with
people who wanted to be 'seen and
heard'.”
Dayna describes being humane as
the solution to understanding the
current gap in the mental health
industry. In her opinion, the more
the subject is humanized, and
people are reminded that they are
not alone, the more acceptance will
be followed, and there will be more
ways to help struggling people.
Whether it is in a big way through a
community event, book, or
workshop, Dayna wants people to
be invited to be vulnerable and
want to be supported.
That's also the reason why Dayna
inspires emerging and aspiring
women leaders to get rid of any
reasons to hide their struggles. She
advices, “Struggling with your
mental health is not shameful; in
fact, it probably makes you an even
more in-tune and empathetic leader.
You do not have to struggle alone,
nor do you have to lead alone.”
A WILL TO DO BETTER
Dayna's journey has been long and
circuitous, and she has overcome a
lot of roadblocks to reach where
she is today. Her journey has also
been painful, but these moments
brought her the most clarity in
what she wants to achieve today.
However, the most challenging road
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for her has been the judgment and
pressuresheputonherself.
Dayna says, “I put so much pressure
on myself to continue to churn out
products and inspiration and be a
beacon of light for everyone at all
times. When I am learning in reality,
the best thing I can do is be honest
and be myself, even if it is messy and
not necessarily pretty.” And for the
next phase of her life, she wants to
continue to learn that and practice
what she preaches. She wants to
grow by what she is inspired by and
not think about the extra pressure
of feeling good enough.
And to do that, Dayna imagines a
future where there will be a
continuation and broadening of all
things Bake it Till You Make it. She
will mix everything from new
books, workshops, and multimedia
elements to live by her mission.
On the personal side of things,
Dayna hopes to continue to live
authentically and continue to be
close to those she loves, both
metaphorically and literally.
I N - F O C U S

UPLIFTING
WOMEN
Elyse Kaye
Founder & CEO | Bloom Bras
ashion has always been at the
Fforefront of human evolution.
As human civilization has
continued to grow and expand,
trends in fashion has
simultaneously evolved.
In many cases, fashion has been a
voice for change and a statement of
progress. Recent years has seen
brands becoming more and more
aware of their audience, prompting
them to commit to a more inclusive
future.
At the heart of this change is Elyse
Kaye, the Founder of Bloom Bras.
For this transformational leader, a
quest to ind the right sports bra led
her to research and subsequently
engineer a line of body-inclusive
bras that customizes according to
your body type.
Through Bloom Bras, Elyse is
uplifting women across ages and
sizes by not only oﬀering them
comfort but also addressing real
health issues.
In this Exclusive Interview, Elyse
Kaye talks about her idea behind
Bloom Bras, the industry, and the
future.
What according to you makes one
a powerful women? How do you
integrate the same thought into
your leadership?
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A powerful woman is one that
surrounds herself with people who
can help her to achieve success.
Bringing on mentors early in my
career not only helped me to
become the leader I am but also
taught me how to mentor others.
Talk to us about your growing up
years. What is your earliest
memory as a
leader/entrepreneur that you
can remember?
I was the kid who ran every
lemonade stand, created the
babysitters club with games and
activities, joined every leadership
club. My parents instilled in me I
could be anything that I wanted to
be. My irst job out of college was
working for the company that
makes Lava Lamps. My boss was let
go a few months after starting
(nothing that had to do with me) so
I did not have a boss. I pulled out
my old marketing notes and built a
marketing plan to present to the
CEO. To my surprise, he said “great,
it is all yours.”
I was 22, bright-eyed and ready to
take on the world. First phase was
to build out a licensing department.
This brought in ancillary income
and allowed me to hire a team. One
of the potential licensees asked if
we could get one their characters to
loat around in a Lava Lamp. The R
& D team and I started playing
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around in the lab which got me
hooked on innovation and product
development. The glitter lamp
outsold the Lava Lamp that year
opening up new channels and
consumers. That became the path
for me.
What was the idea that led to the
formation of Bloom Bras?
I could not ind a sports bra that
worked. 70% of women in the US
are a D-cup or above. The average
dress size is a 14 - 16 which is a 44 -
46 band and yet no companies were
focusing on this. It is not the same
mechanism to lift a 3 lb rock as a 12
lb so why would we not engineer a
product that works with larger
breasts. I brought in top minds from
NASA, Oprah's corset maker and
shipping/packaging experts to
bring the vision to life. We are now
the most body-inclusive line on the
market ranging in sizes from 28C -
56L designed to lift vs. squish.
Talk to us about the engineering
challenges of designing a bra and
how Bloom Bras are standing out
from the competition.
The Bloom Bra features patented
lifting straps and cinching cups
allowing the bra to customize to
your body and exercise type. It has
been designed without underwire,
both for comfort and to address the
health concerns.
Working like a shelf to lift the
breasts rather than squashing them,
the Bloom Bra distributes weight
throughout the back and sides
rather than putting pressure over
the shoulders and across the ribs,
allowing for natural movement of
the breast and uninterrupted
circulation of the body's essential
systems. State-of-the-art
compression materials and cooling,
moisture-wicking power mesh
combined with a reinforced front
zipper to “lift, not squish”.
More and more brands are now
talking about size-inclusivity.
What prompted this shift in the
industry?
The demand continues to rise,
Brands like Nike have been printing
money for decades producing the
same bra in different colors, adding
a feature, changing a material.
Adding new sizes is not as simple as
taking that bra and making it
bigger. It is a different engineering
challenge. If you put 10 people who
are a 38DDD next to each other, we
hold differently with different
expectations on how a bra should
it. Our bodies change 10% a month
naturally. For a B cup, not a big deal
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but for a DDD, that is a full cup size.
If you have children or a major shift
in weight, imagine what that does
to our breasts.
Being the CEO and Founder, what
role do you play in the day-to-day
proceedings of the company?
As the CEO, it is my responsibility to
lead the strategy. The mission
statement of Bloom Bras is to
empower women of all shapes,
sizes, and stages of life to feel good
while moving. Everything we do
encompasses that. Our social media
and events are designed to support
our community. Every hire matches
our ethos. I make decisions daily
from mil thickness of a business
card to whether we take on outside
funding so staying the course is one
of the most important roles I can
play as a leader.
Looking at your journey, what
would you have done diﬀerently
if you were to start again?
I would have paid more attention in
my accounting classes. It is the area
that I always feel the least
comfortable in. I also would
consider a co-founder. Being a
leader is amazing but can be very
lonely. I tell all of the aspiring
entrepreneurs that your company
will take everything - your money,
time, personal life, energy so make
sure you have a strong support
system.
like for you and Bloom Bras?
The new product development
pipeline includes channel and
product expansion. Using the
patented functionality, the next
three major categories include pre-
and post-maternity (4 million new
moms annually), breast cancer
survivors who have gone through
non-elective reconstructive surgery
(1 in 8 women) and the ever-
growing active senior population
(<20 million women).
Using our patented adjustable
lifting system, we will design
beautiful, comfortable safe
solutions in sports bras, sleep
shirts, and tops, Bloom pays
homage to my grandmother, a
casualty of breast cancer. I will
always oﬀer the option for
contributors to donate bras to
breast cancer survivors and we will
match.
I N - F O C U S

T H E G R OW T H M I N D S E T
J E F F H E G G I E
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What according to you makes one a
transformational leader? How do you
integrate the same thought into your
leadership?
We live in a fast-paced world where things are
changing rapidly. In the past, many businesses
developed a culture where employees resisted
change. Change was uncomfortable, and they
didn't want it. I believe over the years we have
seen more and more transformational leaders
rise to the top of organizations as they have to
be willing to change and adapt with the world
around them.
A transformational leader helps to guide a team
and organization forward with growth and
advancement. It's a leader that isn't afraid of
change and stepping out of their comfort zone.
This means that they are willing to accept the
possibility of failure to achieve their bigger
vision.
Implementing this type of leadership requires
great communication within the entire
organization. The team has to understand the
direction they are going, what the plan looks
like, and why they are doing it.
Talk to us about your growing up years.
What is your earliest memory as a leader
that you can remember?
I grew up in Southern Alberta and had the
opportunity to be involved in many diﬀerent
sports. Sports were a great place for me to
experience leadership at a young age and learn
a lot from my coaches. There are many things I
learned as a young athlete that are a part of my
life today.
What prompted your interest and
subsequently your foray into the business
coaching space?
I've always loved business and
entrepreneurship. As a bank manager I had a
lot of opportunity to spend time with
entrepreneurs. I learned a lot from them and a
lot about their businesses. Throughout the
years I had many opportunities to mentor and
coach entrepreneurs. As I was running my
business, I had many conversations with one of
my business partners, Dave, about the lessons
we were learning from our successes and
failures and how I wanted to use that to help
other entrepreneurs. After many years of this,
in addition to some coaching certi ications, I
decided to become more serious about the
coaching.
What is the process followed by you to take
entrepreneurs to the next level with your
coaching?
I don't have a speci ic set process that I use
with every client because every client is unique
and so are their businesses. But one thing that I
do put a lot of eﬀort and focus into is helping
them to understand their own mindsets and
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how to improve them.
A lot of the work I do with my clients focuses a
lot on the individual to help them become more
successful in all they are doing, which, in turn,
directly impacts their leadership and decisions
in their business.
By helping them improve their mindsets, they
in turn have more powerful thinking, learning
and behaviors which makes them more
successful in their work, life, and leadership.
Being an entrepreneur, industry leader,
success coach, father, and a husband, how
do you ensure work-life balance?
I believe it's important to understand that a
work-life balance is a myth. At different times,
some things are going to carry more weight,
priority, and time than others. It's not a
balancing act. To me it's important to have a
clear understanding of your goals and
priorities in all areas of your life so you can
allocate the appropriate time and energy.
For myself, I do put a lot of time and effort into
my coaching. But my family is my number one
priority overall. That doesn't mean that I spend
more of my time with my family than my work
necessarily. But it does mean that when it
comes to things that are important with my
family, they take priority, and I am there.
Nine years ago, when we adopted my son from
the DR Congo, I moved my of ice to our home
and have worked from home since then. Even if
I'm working longer hours, I can still be close to
my family.
I have been a basketball coach for 20+ years
and many of those years were coaching my
daughter. Recently I actually coached with her
as her assistant coach.
What has the journey been like for Jeff
Heggie over the years?
As with any entrepreneur, the journey is a
roller coaster. There have been the highest of
highs and the lowest of lows.
But the experiences have been invaluable.
There have been many lessons from all of my
businesses, both good and bad. Some of the
failures have been extremely hard. They've
caused incredible anxiety and stress. But even
with the incredible lessons learned, that didn't
make it any easier. Those were some tough
lessons to go through.
It has been all about the people. Everything you
do as an entrepreneur involves people.
Customers, suppliers, partners, investors, staff,
and on and on. Just like some of my failures,
I've had failed relationships. But overall, I look
back and the relationships I built were
incredible. Everyone from employees, to
customers, to investors were unique and great
relationships. I had people I worked with on
our team who I have such a deep respect for
because of the people they were.
My mentors and business partners have been
amazing and are still people I look up to today.
Looking back, what would you have done
differently if you were to start again?
That is such a tough question because some of
the hardest failures were my biggest lessons.
But if there is something I could change it
would be to accept sooner that failure is an
option. In the end I made some decisions in my
manufacturing company that were based on
emotions too much. I took a “failure isn't an
option” attitude because one of my number one
concerns was protecting our investors. But the
reality is, we had already past the point of
recovery and failure was going to happen. The
only thing that dragging it out longer did was
created a bigger hole and bigger losses.
What has been the biggest roadblock during
your journey? What has been your biggest
learning?
Starting such a capital-intensive company was
dif icult. It was such an expensive operation to
set up and run that cash low was often a
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problem. This put us in a position to base
decision on cash low, even if it wasn't the best
option for the business. In hindsight, I wouldn't
have started a business that was so capital
intensive.
Then going back to what I said earlier about
acknowledging that failure is an option would
have made a big diﬀerence for me personally.
At the point I should have accepted failure, I
continued to try to save things with my own
funds, some of which were leveraged. This
obviously caused more pain when things didn't
work out.
What would be your advice for aspiring and
emerging business leaders in this current
changing work environment?
Regardless of your background and experience,
get a coach or a mentor. Someone who is not
close to you and will hold you accountable for
your success.
Finally, what does the future look like for
you, professionally and personally?
I will continue to grow both my mortgage
business and my coaching business. I will
continue to coach clients one-on-one but will
expand my reach with more of my group
coaching programs and courses. My podcasts
will grow and be a positive in luence on many.
I'll continue to work with elite athletes in The
Con ident Athlete Program. I will always keep
my family Number One!

MOUSTAFA HAMWI
Where Passion Meets
Leadership
What according to you makes one
a passionate leader? How do you
integrate the same thought into
your leadership?
To de ine a passionate leader, we
have to de ine 2 things i) Passion ii)
A leader
To give you some context on how
much depth the de inition I am
about to give you has: I spent years
of research on the topic of passion
where I travelled the world to
conduct in-person interviews of
160+ leaders, authors, speakers,
coaches, celebrities, Olympians, and
Nobel Prize laureates talking about
one topic…PASSION
So, the de inition that came out is:
Passion is consistently doing what
you love, what you are good at, and
what is of value to the world
So, if it doesn't tick all these boxes,
I'm sorry but it's not passion. You
can call it anything else that you
want, but I promise you that it's not
passion.
The shortest de inition I can give
you of a leader is “someone who
takes ownership and demonstrates
courage, humility and discipline to
walk the talk”
So put both de initions together
and will be “a leader is a person
who walks the talk to deliver on
their true passion”
Brief us into your journey of an
inner search and your
experiences traveling to India.
My journey started by trying to
answer a question: Do You Know
What Makes You Tick?
Without knowing the answer to this
question, you will always feel
like something is missing, no matter
how successful you are, which is
how I felt many years ago when I
was running a multimillion-dollar
business in Dubai while living a
seemingly successful life.
Although my life looked super
successful on the outside, like the
stuﬀ you see in movies and rap
videos, I was all empty on the
inside. Sure enough, I had a nervous
breakdown
My business was great, and my
lifestyle was enviable, but I wanted
more out of life than this golden
cage. I kept asking myself, “WHAT
AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?” It
became increasingly apparent that
having clarity about one's passion
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I N - F O C U S

and purpose aﬀects one more than
just direction; it impacts the quality
of life and increases the probability
of success!
This question triggered me to start
an inner search of true passion,
purpose, and meaning.
After years of courses, workshops,
and books I'm still lost so I was at
the stage now where I had to go
deeper on my journey inwards
before I looked for resources
outwards. I remember waking up
one day with a jolt of energy and a
thought that got stuck in a loop in
my head: “I'm going to India.” And
so, I bought a one-way ticket to
India.
The story of my journey from
Cavalli to Manali is a whole book in
itself, but not the purpose of this
interview. I will, however, share two
key incidents that stand out for me
and that were pivotal in my life.
The irst of them could be described
(for lack of a better word) as a
coincidence—meeting Swami
Yogananda who had been
meditating in caves for over 13
years. He had just stepped out of a
life of solitude and meditation and
started teaching wisdom-seekers in
his ashram in a small village outside
the town of Manali in the
Himalayas. On one of my many deep
conversations with him, trying to
get an answer about life and the
purpose and meaning of everything,
he said, playing with his long beard,
in an Indian accent, “Do you know
what you are thirsty for? If you do
not know what you are thirsty for,
you cannot quench your thirst.”
His words made me realize that
while I had bought this one-way
ticket to India seeking an answer, I
did not even have the most
essential element right: the
question!
As my journey continued from one
place to the next, across the span of
this vast, beautiful landscape that is
India, I experienced another
coincidence (if you still believe in
coincidences). One day, on my way
to the meditation center, I decided
to walk into a hospital to get myself
checked up. When the results came
in, I felt as if my life stopped and
everything crumbled and collapsed
around me; I was told that I had
benign prostate enlargement that
was, at that moment, labelled
medically as an incurable disease!
The summary of that healing
journey is that I dedicated all my
time and energy towards healing
with the help of everything I had
access to: Ayurveda, vegan diets,
juicing, and all kinds of meditations
(including laughter meditation and
crying meditation). You name it,
and I did it. And as you might have
guessed, I eventually healed!
however, this interview is not about
physical healing and medical
miracles.
I am here to talk to you about the
self-re lection I had to go through
when I faced the reality of a serious
“WHAT IF…?” What if these were
the last days of my life? DID MY
LIFE REALLY MATTER?
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Imagine you live your life, thinking
you are on top of the world—
you're ruling, you're the king,
you're “it.” And then, you realize
none of this is worth it. When it's
time for you to die, you are going to
re lect on your life in a totally
diﬀerent manner
That is what triggered me to make a
180-degree shift in my life and
focus on spreading passion &
purpose in the world.
How are you helping leaders and
entrepreneurs ind purpose and
live passionately?
I work with high-preforming
entrepreneurs of passion & purpose
“Passionpreneurs” to help them use
passion to DOMINATE THEIR
MARKET NICHE and leave their
mark.
That's what I call the Way of the
Passionpreneur.
I do this through either one-to-one
coaching but that is very exclusive
as I can only handle a handful of
entrepreneurs, so they need to be
dam serious and already having a
serious level of success, so my job is
to take them to new heights.
Or by helping underdogs write &
publish their books and then use it
to spread their message to the
world, build their personal brand
and
What does a day in the life look
like for you? How do you ensure
work-life balance?
On the long term the work-life
balance is a myth. I aim to have a
life that I do not need much of a
break from. That is a truly
passionate life. The way to do it is
to always ask before you do
something:
1. Does it directly relate to my
passion in life?
2. If not, does it bring me closer to
the direction of my passion?
If neither of the above, I avoid doing
it.

With time you will not need a
break from what you love. This
takes some time and depends on
what responsibilities in life you
have. But remember the
de inition of passion, the irst
word is “consistently” so if it
really matters to you, then you
will not quit on it
Looking back at your journey,
what would you have done
diﬀerently when
starting out?
Very good question, I
would have started the pursuit of
what my passion is at a much
earlier age, and then would have
stayed consistent with it till it
paid oﬀ. Starting late has
advantage of being more mature
but it's much more challenging as
you make a lot of sacri ices. It's
like investing, the earlier you
start the better it is on long run
What would be your advice for
aspiring and young business
leaders?
Find your real purpose as early
as you can and dedicate the rest
of your life to make it happen,
you only have this life to make an
impact. Regardless of you believe
in reincarnation you cannot
guarantee what format you will
come back in as it might be less
powerful. So why leave it to
another life. It's all about this life
to make an impact and leave your
legacy.
like for you, both professionally
and personally?
I have achieved my goal of hitting a
100 authors at Passionpreneur
Publishing (as of date of this
interview) which is the seed for
Passionpreneur Organization where
we are building a community of
Passionpreneurs who are
on a journey of
changing the
world and having fun
while doing it.
As this becomes more in motion, I am
redirecting my attention toward
bring more healing to the world.
Think about it, “Compassion” is the
other side of “passion.”
That will be through writing more
books, speaking, doing retreats in
nature that involve healthy food,
yoga, therapy, etc. Everything that I
used to heal myself in 2012 and then
launch my passion into the world and
connecting all of that into social
impact be it for people or the planet
now it's time to be less on the
business side and more on the giving.
We all need it, i want it for me and for
the world remember, one life to leave
a legacy
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Most Innovative Business Leaders Of The Year | Exeleon Magazine | Business Magazine

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