Building our own table

THE SOMALI CIRCLE EVENT

AMSTERDAM

For (aspiring) Somali entrepreneurs

Join us on August 8th at Soho House Amsterdam to write the next chapter of Somali entrepreneurship.

After three sold-out events in Amsterdam, London and Stockholm, it's clear:

Your next breakthrough doesn’t come from a podcast, a book, or another generic business event. It comes from your own people. Now, all eyes are on Amsterdam again.

When 100 Somali founders and aspiring entrepreneurs come together in one room, something special happens.

Most people walk in not knowing how many brilliant Somali entrepreneurs live just down the street. They walk out with new clients, new collaborations, and sometimes even a new co‑founder.

They arrive with scattered ideas and uncertainty. They leave with clarity, momentum, and mentors who’ve already walked their path, saving them years of trial and error.

That’s what happened in London, that’s what we saw in Stockholm, and that’s exactly what we’re bringing to Amsterdam.

This time, we're taking things to another level. For the first time in the Netherlands, we're launching something new: The Goat Herder, a pitch competition for Somali founders. Win here, and you'll secure a spot at the finals during Somali Week in London, where real investors are ready to fund and mentor the next generation of Somali‑led businesses.

The right room changes everything. Be there.

What we offer

Funding. Community.

Mentorship.

We provide a space where your struggles are understood, your ambitions are celebrated, and your success becomes inevitable.

What you'll hear

Inspiring panel talks

with special guests

Hear firsthand stories and actionable advice from successful Somali entrepreneurs.

Why it matters

Participate in The Goat Herder

Pitch your business directly to Somali investors for a chance to secure funding and mentorship.

The power of connection

Find your mentor

Someone in this room could save you years of trial and error or spark inspiration for your next bold move.

Event schedule

Amsterdam

Amsterdam will be our most valuable event yet. With top speakers, beautiful location and the launch of the first ever Somali Shark Tank.

19:00
Network & Arrival
19:00 to 19:30

Meet the community, grab a drink and find your people. Settle in and feel the energy.

19:30
Opening Remarks
19:30 to 20:00

Jibril and Guleed welcome you to Somali Circle, share the mission and map out the evening.

Speakers

Jibril Qorane
Jibril Qorane
Co-Founder • Engineer & Productivity Strategist
Guleed Afhakame
Guleed Afhakame
Co-Founder • Marketing Strategist
20:00
Keynote: Preserving and Reimagining Somali Heritage
20:00 to 21:00

Idel Rasheed shares her approach to building inclusive, community-defined archives through Waaberi Phone and Koor Archives, emphasizing intergenerational dialogue to ensure Somali culture is preserved and reimagined by future generations.

Speaker

Idel Rasheed
Idel Rasheed
Founder of Waaberi Phone • Koor Archives
21:00
Keynote: Harnessing Street Culture for Community Resilience
21:00 to 22:00

Malique Mohamud unveils his three step approach to translate the heritage of super diverse post colonial neighbourhoods into urban interventions that boost civic engagement, drive sustainable development and shape adaptable cityscapes.

Speaker

Malique Mohamud
Malique Mohamud
Founder • Urban Strategist
22:00
Circle Sessions
22:00 to 23:15

Small circles of five to seven founders share challenges, swap insights and push each other forward.

23:15
The Goat Herder
23:15 to 00:00

Live pitch round meets panel talk. Founders pitch, judges respond and the room decides who advances to Somali Week in London.

Speakers & Investors

Get the roadmap to six-figure success from Somali entrepreneurs.

Guleed Afhakame

Co-Founder • Marketing Strategist

Guleed Afhakame is a brand and community strategist with over a decade of experience, leading campaigns for global names like Nike, Ben & Jerry’s, Volvo, and Red Bull. After building his own successful agency, he turned his focus to something deeper, helping his own people grow.

As the co founder of The Somali Circle, Guleed brings world-class strategy to Somali entrepreneurs ready to level up. His work blends cultural identity with cutting-edge marketingturning bold ideas into movements, and solo founders into tribal leaders.

Idel Rasheed

Founder of Waaberi Phone • Koor Archives

Idel Rasheed’s work is guided by a strong sense of ethics and cultural responsibility, shaped by an upbringing rooted in Somali culture. She has come to understand that Somalis engage with their heritage from many different starting points, each shaped by personal histories, migration, and access.

As founder of Waaberi Phone and Koor Archives, Idel builds a global digital archive and physical spaces for cultural engagement and repatriation. Her work is grounded in the belief that communities should define how and when they interact with their history, and she centers intergenerational dialogue so that culture is preserved and reimagined by future generations.

Jibril Qorane

Co-Founder • Engineer & Productivity Strategist

Jibril Qorane is a mechanical engineer and the co-founder of the fastest-growing tutoring business in the Netherlands.

With a mind wired for systems and a heart for impact, he’s built a company that transforms potential into performance.

Through his work, Jibril teaches goal-mapping, productivity design, and AI-powered growth frameworks, helping ambitious individuals turn big dreams into clear, actionable systems that create real momentum. At The Somali Circle, he brings structure to vision and shows founders how to build with clarity from day one.

Malique Mohamud

Creative Director • Urban Strategist

Malique Mohamud is the founder and creative director of Concrete Blossom, Rotterdam’s futurist urban culture consultancy.

With a designer’s eye, a rapper’s pulse and a philosopher’s curiosity, he’s built a studio that decodes post‑colonial, super‑diverse street culture into resilient city strategies.

Through cultural audits, tactical interventions and community‑driven design frameworks, Malique helps cities harness grassroots energy for sustainable growth and social cohesion. At our event he’ll map out his signature playbook and show you how to embed counter‑culture into urban planning from day one.

Our Purpose

The circle that moves you forward

The Somali Circle takes its inspiration from a familiar scene: a circle of adeeros sitting beneath the shade of a tree, exchanging stories, wisdom and guidance.

Growing up, Jibril and Guleed watched these gatherings countless times. Elders quietly discussed important matters, solved problems together and made decisions that shaped the community’s future.

Under that tree, great ideas were born and strong connections formed.

Years later, as Somali entrepreneurs scattered around the world, we realised something essential was missing.

A place to come together and build real economic power as a community.

That is why The Somali Circle exists. It recreates that feeling of unity and collective strength we felt watching our adeeros.

It is a global community for Somali entrepreneurs to connect, share knowledge and grow together, no matter where they are in the world.

On August 8th, that tree will be Soho House in Amsterdam.

Ticket deadline

Time is running out to claim your ticket

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Next Pitch Stop: Amsterdam August 8th

Pitch Live in

Amsterdam

Pitch in front of a live audience, win funding, gain lifelong mentorship, and secure your place in the grand finals during Somali Week in London.

Walk away with more than feedback. Walk away with belief, backing and a circle that has your back.

don't miss out

Ready to join us in
amsterdam?

Location: Soho house, Amsterdam

Date: 08-08-2025

Time: 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Price: €70.00