Columnist

Author

Sara Hamdan

Sara Hamdan is a former Merrill Lynch banker, NYT journalist and editor at Google. She writes on startups, women in business, and post-COVID-19 work trends.

Twitter: @SaraHamdan

Latest published

The rise of NFTs — non-fungible tokens

A year ago, a non-fungible token — or NFT — was just a scary-sounding phrase to most people; a digital asset largely unrecognized by the traditional art scene. Today, NFT launches are big, flashy events that attract an elite clientele.

January 31, 2022

Meet the crypto kids

I became super interested in the crypto space in April 2021, when I saw the ROI was higher in blockchain than conventional financial instruments,” said Mukund Gandhi. “That’s when I jumped into the DeFi space.”

January 20, 2022

Women in crypto: Raise your hands (so we can see you)

Boardrooms and banks have historically been dominated by men. But with a brand new industry like the cryptocurrency market — one that is built on the openness of the internet — are there more women at the virtual table?

November 18, 2021

Making a living through art: Is it possible in the Gulf?

I left a steady job to work on my craft as a writer earlier this year. It was scary, but it led to major milestones like winning a short story competition hosted by Netflix and The Evening Standard in the UK.

November 04, 2021

Sustainable fashion: What will we wear in the future?

Every morning, it is the same cycle: What do I wear? This question becomes nuanced when we consider how technology, social media and climate change will affect fashion in the future. It is no longer a consideration of trends, but a matter of long-term sustainability.

October 25, 2021

Listen up: Podcasts mean business when done right

Podcasts used to be the companion of choice on the daily drive to work or while exercising. But when COVID-19 hit and we had nowhere to go and nothing to do … were people still tuning in? It turns out, podcast listeners escaped reality by tuning to podcasts even more than usual.

October 16, 2021

Look good to feel better: The rise of pandemic fashion and beauty startups in MENA

In 2020 — the year that time stood still and we were all homebound — a surprising new consumer trend emerged. It made me feel better to put on mascara and earrings every morning as if I was going to my office rather than my sofa.

September 20, 2021