Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of the Capital Series brought the community back together for a high-energy morning focused on one question: how leaders turn strategy into capital in today’s market.

The session featured Farbod Sadeghian, Founder of The Block, Mitesh Jesani ACA, Founder of Jesani Advisory, and Mohamed Abu El-Makarem, Managing Partner and Chairman. Together, they shared real-world lessons on resilience, decision-making under pressure, and what investors actually respond to when markets get noisy.

The discussion was moderated by Oliver von Wolff, Co-Founder and CEO of Handle Capital, who guided the conversation toward the practical realities of capital formation, credibility, and execution in the region.

A consistent theme emerged throughout the session. The most effective strategy is often the simplest one. Show up with clarity, communicate with honesty, and build credibility through execution. In the UAE especially, authenticity and consistency are not soft traits. They are competitive advantages.

September’s chapter reinforced what the Capital Series has become at its core: a space where operators, investors, and founders exchange practical insight, challenge assumptions, and leave sharper than they arrived.