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.

18:30
Walk-in
18:30 to 19:00

Arrival and informal welcome. Grab a drink, find your seat, and get settled before we begin.

19:00
Circle Sessions
19:00 to 19:45

Small circle groups of 5 to 7 founders share challenges, get to know each other, and support one another to take the next step forward.

19:45
Opening Remarks
19:45 to 20:30

Hosts Jibril and Guleed kick off the evening with a presentation on the Circle + Masterclass, outlining purpose and flow. Small circle groups are introduced to begin connection.

Speakers

Jibril Qorane
Jibril Qorane
Co-Founder • Engineer & Productivity Strategist
Guleed Afhakame
Guleed Afhakame
Co-Founder • Marketing Strategist
20:30
Panel
20:30 to 21:15

Discussion with experienced voices, insights, reflections, and actionable advice for founders.

21:15
Goat Herders
21:15 to 22:15

Four live presentations. Founders pitch, receive feedback, and the audience participates in deciding who advances to Somali Week in London.

22:15
Networking Moment
22:15 to 23:00

Open networking: connect, follow up, and deepen conversations from earlier sessions.

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.

Omar Munie

Founder & Fashion Designer

Omar Munie is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who launched Omar Munie Clothing while in vocational school, turning handmade bags into a recognized brand and building the Dream Factory to give people with difficult employment histories real opportunities. His work blends craftsmanship, cultural identity, and sustainable practice to turn personal story into visible agency. Omar brings resilient, culture-rooted design to Somali and creative founders ready to level up. His approach fuses identity with purpose, helping solo creators become lasting cultural leaders.

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

Event has ended. Join the Circle to keep up.

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Swap stories, ask questions, and grow alongside people who understand exactly where you’re coming from