Shiva | Gulf Hub
(+ North Africa & East Asia)
1 Why founders come to me
So you know I understand the moment you’re in — and what this work is actually for.
I'll hold you when you're falling apart, but I also won't let you off the hook. Founders come to me when they're between worlds — post-exit, mid-collapse, or before the crash they can see coming. They need someone who's lived through systems falling apart and knows how to sit in the sh*t without flinching. I don't clean up the mess or make it prettier. I help you see what's actually not working, name what you've been avoiding, and figure out what to rebuild. You don't need saving. You need someone who won't look away.
2 What I’m known for
The edge you get with me — beyond “right questions.”
I go where most humans won't — into the messy middle where real transformation happens. I'm known for asking the questions that crack things open, for hearing what you're not saying, and for the stubbornness to not let you perform your way through this. Leaders at Unilever, Randstad, and Generali have worked with me because I don't clean up complexity or sell certainty. I help you break down what's no longer sustainable and rebuild from what's actually true. My edge isn't just frameworks — it's the willingness to stay in the hard part with you.
3 How I work with you
What it feels like to be in the room with me
I probe, question, shake things up. I'm not afraid to tell you when you're bullshitting yourself. We'll sit with the identity void, the fear, the uncertainty — but we'll also do something about it. My approach combines structure (I've built leadership programs for 15 years) with the flexibility to follow what's real in the room. You'll get frameworks when you need them and silence when that's more useful. I hold the container tight enough for safety and loose enough for truth. We move at the pace your nervous system can handle, not the pace your ego wants.
4 Whom I'm the best fit for
So you know quickly if this is “your kind of work
You're in the space between realities — letting go of one identity and stepping into another. Maybe you exited. Maybe the company you built no longer fits who you're becoming. You're discovering which values, assumptions, and loyalties still serve you and which need to go. This work is for founders willing to question everything they thought was true and ready to rebuild from a clearer foundation. If you want someone who'll sit with you while your world reshapes itself and help you figure out what comes next, we'll work well together.
5 Why I can hold real stakes
Credibility, fast — so you don’t have to “take a leap of faith.”
I was born in Iran during war, became a refugee at four, lived across three continents, seven cities, six countries. I've reinvented my life several times, each time better than the last. I built careers and jobs I didn’t even know existed. I've designed transformation programs for Fortune 500 companies through Duke Corporate Education, Headspring (IE and Financial Times joint venture) and Imperial College. I've facilitated change for thousands of leaders globally, spoken at TEDx on living in our power and am a board member of the Right Use of Power Institute. I know what it costs to rebuild — and I know it's possible.
6 What I have been trained in
Enough authority to trust me and the method — without hiding behind credentials.
Adaptive leadership, systems thinking, cultural intelligence, power dynamics, and advanced facilitation. I hold certifications in Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks (GDEIB) and have taught at Universidad Pontificia Comillas and IE School of Human Sciences. I've spent 15+ years designing programs through Duke Corporate Education, Imperial College Business School and Headspring (Financial Times & IE Business School). My approach is kind, not nice. Direct, but also deeply human. I bring authority without hiding behind credentials. The method matters, but so does the person holding it.
7 From where I travel
So scheduling is simple and the partnership is sustainable.
I'm based in Madrid, and the Middle East, and most of North Africa is my region. But honestly? Anywhere. If you need me and we're a fit, I'll find a way to get there. I've been moving across continents for years — logistics don't stop me. What matters is the work, not the distance. Travel is part of how I've always lived: adapting, showing up where I'm needed, building partnerships that work across time zones and cultures. If we're doing this, I'll be there.
8 What I'm here to do & my hobbies
So you meet the real me — not just the professional version.
I love fantasy fiction — stories about people forced to question everything they thought was true, who watch their reality get destroyed and choose what to rebuild. I walk the same overgrown park every day, watching grumpy peacocks and discovering something new each time. Nature teaches me that living systems constantly destroy and recreate themselves. Every winter is different. Every spring is different. That's what we do too — shift, move, rebuild with what's real now. I didn't set out to do this work. But once I found my feet, it became clear I'm good at it.
9 What I wish I could tell you now
One thing, straight from me to you.
Breaking systems isn't hard. Building them is. You've already built a successful system in business — you're more than capable of building one for life. The collapse you're in or heading toward isn't failure. Sometimes it's exactly what needed to happen. Your body remembers how to navigate uncertainty even when your mind panics. Trust that. You don't need certainty to move forward. You need the skills to break down what's no longer working and the stubbornness to rebuild something better. You've done harder things than this. Let's go.
Shiva
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