I’m Izzy. I grew up in the 90s, on a little-known-island (at the time) of Abu Dhabi, before the influx of skyscrapers and Hollywood references to the Arabian Gulf.
In 2013 l landed back in Dubai after some time studying and working between the UK and UAE. I was frustrated with the lack of clear infrastructure in the local creative economy.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that seed planted in the soil of creativity, storytelling and business would be the foundations of my first business and all the branches that came after.
You might wonder why I surf between “we” or “I” when I share this story. We are who we are through our stories in relation with others around us. Whilst Freshly began as one person, I eventually hired a team, partnered with others and it grew into something bigger and beyond me. So much so that over 10 years later, the root remained grounded enough that a new iteration was born in 2024.
On this page you’ll find a few of my stories, our stories and Freshly’s stories that provide an insight into the worked and lived experiences that created Freshly Ground Stories today.
So, settle in, grab a hot cup of something and enjoy diving into Freshly through storytelling.
Not a reader? Jump to the end to read about the awards we won, mistakes we learnt from, headlines we made and the good humans we collected during the journey.
2013
The first brand in this story, Freshly Ground Sounds, was born out of frustration of a lack of infrastructure for independent artists to create or perform.
What began as a community initiative starting a local cafe gained so much community following, press attention and recognition for helping local start-ups that it turned into a business: the UAE’s first social enterprise for independent music and venues.
Start here
2014
The crowds grew bigger and so did the artist community. At its peak, it had 1135 artists, 48 independent venues and crowds of 1000s.
Freshly Ground Sounds began gaining recognition from the local government and international brands.
The first trailer for an on-going documentary was released.
2015
The popularity of the Freshly Ground Sounds brand and branding took on a life of its own and a second business was created under the Freshly banner: Freshly Pressed DXB, releasing the UAE’s first community in-print magazine.
The business began to support local creative start-ups through branding and production projects. Alongside it, we recorded and released an original EP keeping everything from the artwork, sound production, distribution and sales within the independent creative business ecosystem.
Freshly felt like something bigger and so we began to document our story.
2016
Freshly kept growing beyond music and became synonymous with the growth of creative businesses and engagement of the creative community.
International brands approached Freshly for partnerships including Careem (Uber), Moscot, MINI, Adidas, Microsoft and Palladium. To explore our brand love, we even crafted and sold our own branded local jam. It sold out in four hours. No regrets and never again.
After a reshuffle and recalibration of life as a result of some personal tragedies, I left Freshly to be run by my team and moved to a production studio to do more work behind the camera and off the stage with my business and media law skills.
2017
Whilst at OSN, I created my third brand: Creative Couch, designed to empower storytellers with knowledge of the industry and bridge the gap between studios and independent creatives.
2018
After several pitches, I secured funding for a start-up within OSN, ASLI Studios.
We created several initiatives for original content creators, produced short films, licensed local content, built MENA’s first 24/7 studio for creators and went on and went on roadshows from Beirut to Cairo to support writers and producers. It was celebrated as a win as to how powerful storytelling from the region could be shared globally.
2018
I joined Netflix as they were about to embark on creating original content in different regions of the world including EMEA.
I worked on all sorts of projects in different stages from script to screen. After working on the marketing contracts for some global hit titles, I began setting up deals for some of Netflix’s first originals in the Middle East and Africa.
2019
Briefly living and working in Hollywood , I completed Netflix’s award-winning Production Legal Lab. I began to dip back into executive production with independent projects, short films, advising storytellers and creative businesses where I could.
2020
Festivals moved online and over the next few years, I did a lot of work on building bridges between production industries around the world through education and equity including hosting script-to-screen workshops for new and seasoned producers in MENA, Europe and the US.
2022
There was still a gap in the global creative community for commercial support.
From my advisory board roles with small businesses and founders. I noticed there was a need for Freshly’s creative-first, story-based approach. With an increasing focus in recent years on healthy headspace for creatives and corporations, I embarked on getting trained professionally as a coach.
2024
It was time for another chapter. I said goodbye to the studio world, and the latest branch of Freshly was officially launched to empower storytellers: Freshly Ground Stories.
Who is a storyteller? We all are. Each of us is the sum of our stories: past, present and future.
On our first official day of business, we were already on the road with a booking at a global storytelling forum - a sign that the gap we had felt between business, industry and creativity was real, and bridgeable.
In our first year, we attracted a wide range of clients: from executives navigating career pivots, to founders building their stories, to international festivals and creative businesses seeking strategic guidance with a Freshly lens.
2025
By the start of the year, we found ourselves pulled in unexpected (but welcome) directions.
So far, we’ve worked on social impact storytelling projects, designed courses for businesses, guided founders on strategy, created workshops for major festivals, and welcomed several new members of The Freshly Collective.
When we say our story began over 10 years ago, we really mean it.
Freshly’s story is one of measuring success through the power of storytelling, community and creativity.
The Freshly Collective
Along the way, we picked up some awards that recognised our impact on the creative economy.
More importantly, we picked up powerful stories and storytellers, some of which are still part of Freshly today.
The Freshly Collective is a global group of independent creatives, artist, writers, designers, agents, lawyers, founders, producers, publicists and organisations who align with Freshly work, mission and values. Working with Freshly Ground Stories gives you access to the Freshly Collective, depending on your project. Get in touch to work with or be part of the Freshly Collective.
Special thanks to Dina Sami (illustrations), Eliot Sleep (design and illustrations), Elisabetta Nebbia (design and illustrations) Kevin Sebastian, Rooman Latif, Anna Neilsen and various publications for the many images from the archives. Get in touch if we’ve missed your credit
