Escaping the revolution in Iran, engineering entrepreneur Shirin Dehghan moved to the UK at the age of 14. Despite the challenges, she learned the language and pursued a degree in engineering and electronics. Shirin's perseverance paid off when she founded her first company, eventually selling it for £85 million.
Now the CEO of Oxford Algorithms, Shirin shares her inspiring journey of hope, from a childhood passion for science through the challenges of losing a multi-million euro deal to becoming one of the UK's most successful women in tech.
GO TO Highlights from this episode (Scroll-to points)
(02:04) - Growing up in Tehran, life before and after the revolution
(07:05) - Moving to the UK – the culture shock, integrating into UK society
(11:10) - Making connections From STEM subjects to a career in mobile communications
(13:44) - Forming the future – delivering 3G and 4G at Vodafone
(15:10) - It started with a kernel of an idea – The birth of Arieso
(17:13) - From a back of an envelope calculation to saving £100 million
(22:48) - Jumping off a cliff - The uncertainty of starting a new business
(24:27) - The 10 year journey from incorporation to sale, the highs and the lows
(29:37) - Putting on a brave face – it pays to persevere
(35:33) - The relief after sale - work hard – play hard
(38:20) - A virtuous circle , female role models
(40:41) - Investing, mentoring and imparting wisdom
(43:10) -The buzz for building companies never leaves – welcome Oxford Algorithms a true family affair
(49:15) -Quick fire questions, books, podcasts or films and switching off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.