Introduction

Shaden Awad is the CEO and Founder of QUWA Labs, an engineering products studio. She began her career as a software engineer at Microsoft and was also involved in community leadership. QUWA Labs partners with engineers to design, build, and scale various products, helping US-based startups with their MVPs, improving business models, and integrating AI/ML solutions. (View the full interview on YouTube).

Personal Journey

• Early influences and education: Shaden’s career choice was driven by practical necessity; she needed to fund her education at the University of Southern California (USC). She switched from pre-med to computer science after securing a paid software engineering internship. She faced significant academic challenges, realizing the playing field was not level compared to more privileged peers, but persevered through effort and building relationships with professors.

• Role of Islamic faith in career choices: Her faith has been a central guide, instilling a strong sense of ethics, gratitude, and responsibility. This influenced her to avoid cheating in college, advocate for Palestinian rights at Microsoft, and now, to run her business with Islamic principles, such as ensuring fair and non-negotiable salaries for her employees.

• Challenges faced as a Muslim professional: She experienced imposter syndrome and the challenge of navigating a corporate environment where her company (Microsoft) was complicit in actions that conflicted with her values. She also highlighted the difficulty of balancing financial stability with ethical responsibilities.

• Key turning points and decisions: A key decision was leaving her job at Microsoft to found QUWA Labs, driven by a desire to create economic opportunity, particularly for Palestinians. Another was the realization that she could succeed professionally without being the “smartest” in the room by focusing on effort, integrity, and networking.

Industry Deep Dive

• Current role and responsibilities: As CEO of QUWA Labs, Shaden manages a team of ~25. Her responsibilities include client acquisition (often via LinkedIn), project management for 7-8 concurrent client projects, strategic development of the company’s own SaaS products, and all logistical operations like payroll.

• Corporate ethics discussion: She provides a nuanced view, stating that while it is ideal to work for ethical companies, Islamically, one is not required to quit an unethical job if it would jeopardize their ability to provide for their family. However, one should never be helpless and should engage in activism within their means.

• Specific cases of corporate misconduct in their field: She explicitly names Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon as being complicit in genocide and surveillance, stating they have “blood on their hands” for their role in funding and supporting the genocide in Gaza.

• How Muslim professionals can navigate ethical dilemmas: She advises a three-tiered approach: 1) If you can find a more ethical job, do so. 2) If you cannot quit, do not succumb to “learned helplessness”—get involved in internal activism, mentorship, or advocacy. 3) Always move intentionally, consulting with family and making dua, rather than making rash decisions.

Resources and Advice Segment

• Essential resources for aspiring professionals: Actively use and post on LinkedIn to build credibility and network. She also recommends using ethical business tools like Plain for payments and Mercury for banking.

• Mentorship opportunities: Shaden highlights the importance of casual coffee chats and leveraging one’s network. She recommends reaching out to mentors like Senet from Uproar (a speakers agency for Muslim women) and Fatima Cardart, a Muslim leader at Microsoft.

• Organizations supporting Muslim professionals: She recommends Alif (based in SF, runs value-aligned hiring pipelines), VIAKA (a MENA organization in NY for professional development), and Friday (a community for Muslim founders).

• Practical advice for industry newcomers: “Fake it till you make it.” Show up with confidence because you deserve to be there. Network intentionally, set up coffee chats, and remember that “the worst thing someone can say is no.”

Accountability Focus

• Discussion of specific corporations with problematic records: Microsoft, Meta (Facebook), and Amazon are identified as being directly involved in and profiting from war crimes and genocide through surveillance technology and government contracts.

• Analysis of human rights violations or war crimes connections: These companies provide the software and infrastructure that enables surveillance and military operations, making them complicit in the genocide in Gaza.

• Ways to advocate for corporate accountability: From within, employees can sign petitions, talk to managers, join internal affinity groups (like Palestinians And Allies at Microsoft – PAAM), and participate in mentorship programs for affected communities. From the outside, consumers and business owners can boycott their services and use alternative platforms.

• Alternative ethical options within the industry: She suggests using alternative platforms like Plain and Mercury. For employment, she points to value-aligned companies promoted by Alif and VIAKA.

Closing Reflections

• Final advice from guest: “Move in a way that reflects that you deserve to be there.” Act with confidence, believe in the gifts Allah has given you, and proactively build your network. Maintain your ethics and show up authentically in professional spaces.

• Contact Information to reach guest speaker: Reach out via LinkedIn or email her at shaden@quwalabs.com. You can also fill out the contact form on quwalabs.com.

• Call to action for listeners: Support QUWA Labs by reaching out if your business needs engineering, AI, design, or marketing solutions to modernize and grow ethically.