The story of Muslim Tech Fest is not about seeking validation. It is about reclaiming a legacy.
For centuries, Muslims were the architects of the modern world. From the foundations of optics and medicine to the invention of algebra as the very language of code; innovation is in the Muslim DNA. Today, that legacy continues with Muslim founders of platforms like YouTube, Cursor and Replit shaping the digital age.
Yet, despite outsized contributions to the modern age, the narrative has shifted. Muslims are too often caricatured, marginalised, or viewed through a lens of deficit.
Zahid Mahmood and Arfah Farooq, founders of Muslim Tech Fest (MTF), realised that technology and entrepreneurship are the levers that will move the future. To be stewards (Khalifa) on earth, Muslims cannot afford to be on the sidelines. They need to be at the forefront.
The Foundation
A lifelong community builder
The groundwork for this movement was laid by Arfah's work with Muslamic Makers. She is a lifelong community builder with a career that spans the highest levels of the public and private sectors. From launching the No. 10 Innovation Fellowship for the UK Government to building AI communities for NHSx. Arfah has spent over a decade operating where policy meets people. As the co-founder of Muslamic Makers, she built Europe's largest network of Muslim talent, creating a vital sanctuary for thousands. Her free, volunteer-led community had limits: like many grassroots initiatives, it relied on goodwill rather than capital.
The Architect
Excellence or nothing
Zahid's journey began teaching himself to code in East London internet cafes, selling his first tech business at just 14. Today, he is a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder, backed by Silicon Valley heavyweights like Sequoia for his startups in AI and Healthcare. He brings this relentless commercial mind to the community. After steering Muslamic Makers through the turbulance of the COVID19 lockdown he looked past the sentiment of the skills he volunteered to the organisation and saw an untapped asset class. He realised that as long as the ecosystem relies on charity and 'safe spaces', it will never command the respect or the capital that the talent within it deserves.
Superpowers
A collaboration of superpowers
In May 2022, Zahid registered the domain muslimtechfest.com and shared his intentions with Arfah. She immediately came onboard and so the transition from a volunteer network to a commercial powerhouse was underway. Arfah brings the government-level credibility and deep trust that takes years to earn. Recognised as a Top 30 Changemaker and one of Computer Weekly's Most Influential Women in tech, she has an uncanny ability to make the community listen. Zahid drives the grand vision, provides the strategic roadmap, takes on the risk appetite, and handles the operational rigour. He is the silent engine that makes the mission work and scale.
Global Mandate
From local to global influence
Under this unified leadership, Muslim Tech Fest shifts from local representation to global influence. The brand now pushes the frontier in all corners of the world including London, San Francisco, Jakarta and Istanbul. Today, Muslim Tech Fest operates with a commercially robust foundation. It elevates the hard work of grassroots organisations in every city where a cornerstone Muslim Tech Fest event lands. It champions a culture of Ihsaan (Excellence) in technology and entrepreneurship throughout the Ummah.
The groundwork for this movement was laid by Arfah's work with Muslamic Makers. She is a lifelong community builder with a career that spans the highest levels of the public and private sectors. From launching the No. 10 Innovation Fellowship for the UK Government to building AI communities for NHSx. Arfah has spent over a decade operating where policy meets people. As the co-founder of Muslamic Makers, she built Europe's largest network of Muslim talent, creating a vital sanctuary for thousands. Her free, volunteer-led community had limits: like many grassroots initiatives, it relied on goodwill rather than capital.
Zahid's journey began teaching himself to code in East London internet cafes, selling his first tech business at just 14. Today, he is a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder, backed by Silicon Valley heavyweights like Sequoia for his startups in AI and Healthcare. He brings this relentless commercial mind to the community. After steering Muslamic Makers through the turbulance of the COVID19 lockdown he looked past the sentiment of the skills he volunteered to the organisation and saw an untapped asset class. He realised that as long as the ecosystem relies on charity and 'safe spaces', it will never command the respect or the capital that the talent within it deserves.
In May 2022, Zahid registered the domain muslimtechfest.com and shared his intentions with Arfah. She immediately came onboard and so the transition from a volunteer network to a commercial powerhouse was underway. Arfah brings the government-level credibility and deep trust that takes years to earn. Recognised as a Top 30 Changemaker and one of Computer Weekly's Most Influential Women in tech, she has an uncanny ability to make the community listen. Zahid drives the grand vision, provides the strategic roadmap, takes on the risk appetite, and handles the operational rigour. He is the silent engine that makes the mission work and scale.
Under this unified leadership, Muslim Tech Fest shifts from local representation to global influence. The brand now pushes the frontier in all corners of the world including London, San Francisco, Jakarta and Istanbul. Today, Muslim Tech Fest operates with a commercially robust foundation. It elevates the hard work of grassroots organisations in every city where a cornerstone Muslim Tech Fest event lands. It champions a culture of Ihsaan (Excellence) in technology and entrepreneurship throughout the Ummah.
The founders of Muslim Tech Fest are reclaiming the legacy of Excellence.
They are no longer just asking for a seat at the table.
Nor are they merely building their own table.
They are building the room.