AN ENTREPRENEUR WITH SOMETHING TO SHARE
Shereen El Gazaar meets the founder of ExpoChat, an encrypted messaging online platform in Dubai
Dinara Rakhimbaeva is the founder of ExpoChat, an encrypted messaging online platform that allows users to send text messages, documents, videos, images, share locations and even order a taxi.
The Russian national has been living in the UAE for seven years. After receiving her doctorate degree in philosophy and philology from the Academy of Science of Uzbekistan, Ms Rakhimbaeva did her MBA in finance and business at the ESE Milano.
In 2010, she started her business in Dubai – MIRVIPM Horse Racing Events and Consultancy, a firm that combined her love for horses and hobby into a business. Two years later, she established Expo Oil & Gas, an energy and oil investment company. In 2013, Ms Rakhimbaeva moved into the Dubai art scene by becoming an art dealer, exhibitor and collector.
Today, Ms Rakhimbaeva has entered the financial technology sector with the establishing of ExpoChat. With thousands of downloads every day, the messaging platform aims to facilitate communication by connecting businesses in future expos worldwide. Last month, ExpoChat opened in Munich and plans to expand to other European cities in the future. Here Ms Rakhimbaeva talks to
The National about her week.
Sunday
My day starts at 6.30 every morning and, like most people in this world today, I check my phone for important emails and my social media. Then it’s time for me to relax my mind and prepare for my day with some yoga. Now my day begins with a drive to the office from my home on the Palm Jumeriah to either Jafza One or Business Bay. By 9am, I am at the office with a coffee and hold a staff meeting to discuss where we are and our goals for the day.
My Chinese delegation arrives and we now have a day to discuss how our product will arrive in the Chinese market. Time has flown by today and it’s time to take the delegation for dinner and to continue our conversations. It’s 11pm and I am now back at home, checking my emails and my own social media. I speak to my family in my home country and I am ready for my next day.
Monday
Today we have a delegation coming from London. I have known my partners there for seven years and today we will discuss our launch in the UK. I personally go to the airport to welcome them and take them to our office in Jafza One. I have asked also the Chinese delegation to meet us in the evening for a traditional Arabic night, which will start at 10pm. Our whole day we brainstorm about our product in other countries and we sign the agreement with the UK to open our company there.
There are not enough hours in the day and our meeting comes to an end and now it’s time to get ready for the evening. The Chinese arrived with the UK delegation and we all had a perfect end to our day.
Tuesday
My morning has started with emails from the UK and the Chinese thank us for the wonderful evening the day before. I tend to enjoy showing foreign delegations the wonderful entertainment here in Dubai. I often find they understand what a good country this is to do business. I have been here for seven years and I adore the culture and business of this place. Today we take both delegations to our Business Bay office and show them my personal interests in art and horses. I believe that people should understand about my other interests, as you never know where other business can be made.
We discuss further how the Chinese will finalise the investment before they leave on Thursday. Our UK partners have already set up the UK company and now we are partners in our ExpoChat product.
Wednesday
Today we must meet our German data centre partners and work on how we can take our data centres worldwide. Our data centre partners have already clients from Google and Facebook and we want to have our own cloud data centres worldwide for ExpoChat.
We take our delegation with us to the warehouse, where they can see the products and a demonstration of the company’s strengths. I receive an email from my office that our product has now a new section for ordering taxis, so we decide to check it live on our phones. I sit in the evening on my balcony and think about the past few days and where I have come with this product since its inception.
While my investment started this project, now people want to come on board and invest into the product that I have grown from a small idea to what it is now. I am proud of myself and my team.
Thursday
Today I say goodbye to the Chinese and the UK delegations and have time now to go to my office in Jafza One to prepare all contracts with my legal team, discuss all points with our programmers and design team of both the UK and Chinese ideas for their country’s needs.The UK delegation is coming back in a few days to celebrate our partnership once the investment has been received. It’s quiet in the office and this allows me to be able to get on with the day to day running of my companies.
People are always wanting to meet on a Thursday night and I am exhausted. Of course I still go and enjoy the good company of my friends. I would say this is the start to my weekend. But there is no weekend when you run your own business and want to be successful. Time does not stop for business and I work to this rule every day.
Friday
Today is gym and spa day. I like to go to the gym and spa at least three times a week to be able to refresh my body and mind. I need to recharge my batteries before I receive another delegation on Sunday. I try to go for a few hours without looking at my emails, but it is very difficult.
My UK partners are working hard on the marketing of the product and showing us their Google analytics.
It is time now to think about the structure of the company, as it is growing. I need a clear head for this, so I will enjoy my day and relax and have some good food and rest.
Tomorrow I will start on the new company structure. Believe in yourself and others will believe in you, I tell myself.
Saturday
Today, I woke up very fresh and ready to take the world on. I do my yoga and now start to construct the new corporate structure. We have already outgrown our initial projections. I need some professional advice on the correct structure. We all need advice and we cannot be good at everything ourselves. I am very proud of the strong team around me. I called my colleagues who came to me today to discuss the complete new structure of the fintech company.
Five hours later, we raise a glass and have constructed our new corporate structure. I look forward to the next week ahead and I feel excited about ExpoChat’s future here in the UAE and around the world.