The Art Of Giving Back: Palestinian-American Entrepreneur Fadie Musallet on Building Businesses Rooted in Philanthropy
“Across all my businesses, my vision is simple: build sustainable platforms that serve people, create opportunities, and give back more than they take.”
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Fadie Musallet is today the owner of a number of business ventures including FadieCakes, a Bundt cake brand running a year-round “Buy One, Feed One” campaign via Careem and pop-ups; Em Fadie, which offers heritage-driven Palestinian olive oil with proceeds supporting families in need; The Giving Family, a UAE-based non-profit supporting labor workers and vulnerable families through donations and community campaigns; and most recently, One Of Us, which is an ultra-luxury Al Quoz event space for curated brand experiences. “But I didn’t reach here following a traditional entrepreneurial path,” Musallet says. “My education gave me discipline, but most of my learning came from life, work, and experience. Growing up, I watched my mother raise five children on her own after my father passed away. That taught me resilience, gratitude, and responsibility early on. I never set out to build companies for status. I wanted to create value and solve real problems. Every venture started from a genuine need I saw. Across all my businesses, my vision is simple: build sustainable platforms that serve people, create opportunities, and give back more than they take.”
Indeed, ensuring tangible social impact is the common thread that connects all of Musallet’s brands. As such, within a few minutes of speaking with Musallet it becomes clear why “giving is the new rich,” is a phrase the Palestinian-American often uses in his conversations. “I’ve always been this way,” he says. “My values haven’t changed. What did change was my environment. At one point, I was around the wrong crowd, and I made a conscious decision to surround myself with people who carry the same values and purpose as I do. I’ve never been materialistic. You can have all the money in the world, but it doesn’t bring real fulfillment. Success without purpose feels empty. Seeing hardships up close always reminds me that impact matters more than image. Since then, every decision I make is guided by one question: Does this help people? If it doesn’t, I walk away.”
Musallet’s very first entrepreneurial foray was therefore The Giving Family, which he launched a decade ago in 2016. A UAE-based organization dedicated to helping blue collared workers in the country, The Giving Family through regular meal donation drives as well as other services that are designed to help those in need during times of crisis. “Donations come from volunteers, corporate sponsorships, and community campaigns,” Musallet explains. “The mission is simple: provide dignity, support, and hope where it’s needed most.”
“The Giving Family has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life,” he continues. “We’ve distributed over one million meals to labor workers. But the real impact is personal. It’s in the smiles, gratitude, and dignity restored. One worker once told us it was the first time in months someone had asked how he was doing. Moments like that remind me why we do this.”
It is this same sentiment that Musallet carried forward when he launched Em Fadie in 2024 and FadieCakes in 2025. “Focused on Bundt cakes, FadieCakes combines indulgence with impact through our year-round “Buy One, Feed One” campaign, feeding labor workers with every cake sold,” Musallet explains. “Our brand welcomes everyone.. all ages! Living by our motto: “Cake brings us together.” Revenue comes through Careem delivery and pop-ups throughout the year, with seven signature flavors and monthly featured flavors available for a limited time. Meanwhile, Em Fadie offers pure olive oil hand-pressed in my mother’s backyard in Palestine. It’s for anyone who appreciates quality, heritage-driven products. Sales are made via delivery, with a portion of proceeds supporting families in need in Palestine.”
With Em Fadie, however, Musallet gets a chance to highlight the resilience and beauty of his Palestinian heritage. “For me, success isn’t just financial; it’s about how many lives we touch and how responsibly we use our platform, especially in a world facing so much hardship and injustice,” he says. “With Em Fadie, this responsibility feels deeply personal. Our olive oil comes from my mother’s backyard in Palestine, hand pressed and rooted in generations of tradition. It represents resilience, heritage, and dignity. Sharing that with the world isn’t just business. It’s honoring where I come from and what I stand for. Every bottle reminds me that my work must always mean more than profit.”
But Musallet is also quick to address that showcasing his homeland’s culture isn’t a business shtick. “There are a lot of people who want to advertise Palestine because it gets them eyeballs now,” he laments. “But my Palestinian roots are who I am; not a marketing strategy. They taught me resilience, dignity, and generosity. These values guide how I lead and grow. As we scale, I focus on staying honest, respectful, and rooted in truth. Growth means nothing if you lose yourself. And I believe success and integrity can coexist with accountability, transparency, and humility. Money is a tool. It can grow ego, or it can grow impact. I choose impact!”
In staying true to his vision, Musallet has built an impressive network of connections over the years. At The Giving Family, he’s had the opportunity to partner with Hollywood star Terry Crews and Kevin Hart. Crews, in fact, was a part of one of The Giving Family’s Iftaar pack distributions during Ramadan last year, notably having delayed his flight back home to be a part of the meal drive. Earlier this year, when renowned beauty entrepreneur Huda Kattan launched a new line of Huda Beauty Easy Bake loose baking and setting powder, FadieCakes was an official part of the event, where the brand’s bundtkins —bite-sized versions of its signature bundts— emerged as fan favorites. He’s also been a cast member of Netflix’s popular reality show Dubai Bling.
“Partnerships have been key in amplifying impact, but we are very selective with who we work with,” Musallet says. “We don’t collaborate with influencers; we work with people who influence, people who use their platform to create real, lasting change in the world. That applies to both my business and The Giving Family. Collaborations with Huda Beauty, Kevin Hart, and Terry Crews weren’t about visibility or trendiness, they were about joining forces with people who share our purpose, who care about making a meaningful difference, and who can help us touch lives on a larger scale. When you align with people who genuinely care, the impact grows far beyond what one person or one company can do alone. That’s what makes partnerships truly powerful.”
As Musallet now moves into 2026, he hopes the impact of his work is felt, first and foremost, by his now two-year-old son, Hessan. “More than anything, I want my son to be proud … not of what I own, but of how I lived,” he says. “I hope people remember that I built successful businesses without losing my humanity. I want him to grow up seeing that his father chose kindness over convenience, integrity over shortcuts, and service over ego.Inshallah he learns that true success is measured by how you treat people when no one is watching. If my work continues helping others long after I’m gone, and if my values live on through him, that’s real legacy.”
Fadie Musallet is today the owner of a number of business ventures including FadieCakes, a Bundt cake brand running a year-round “Buy One, Feed One” campaign via Careem and pop-ups; Em Fadie, which offers heritage-driven Palestinian olive oil with proceeds supporting families in need; The Giving Family, a UAE-based non-profit supporting labor workers and vulnerable families through donations and community campaigns; and most recently, One Of Us, which is an ultra-luxury Al Quoz event space for curated brand experiences. “But I didn’t reach here following a traditional entrepreneurial path,” Musallet says. “My education gave me discipline, but most of my learning came from life, work, and experience. Growing up, I watched my mother raise five children on her own after my father passed away. That taught me resilience, gratitude, and responsibility early on. I never set out to build companies for status. I wanted to create value and solve real problems. Every venture started from a genuine need I saw. Across all my businesses, my vision is simple: build sustainable platforms that serve people, create opportunities, and give back more than they take.”
Indeed, ensuring tangible social impact is the common thread that connects all of Musallet’s brands. As such, within a few minutes of speaking with Musallet it becomes clear why “giving is the new rich,” is a phrase the Palestinian-American often uses in his conversations. “I’ve always been this way,” he says. “My values haven’t changed. What did change was my environment. At one point, I was around the wrong crowd, and I made a conscious decision to surround myself with people who carry the same values and purpose as I do. I’ve never been materialistic. You can have all the money in the world, but it doesn’t bring real fulfillment. Success without purpose feels empty. Seeing hardships up close always reminds me that impact matters more than image. Since then, every decision I make is guided by one question: Does this help people? If it doesn’t, I walk away.”
Musallet’s very first entrepreneurial foray was therefore The Giving Family, which he launched a decade ago in 2016. A UAE-based organization dedicated to helping blue collared workers in the country, The Giving Family through regular meal donation drives as well as other services that are designed to help those in need during times of crisis. “Donations come from volunteers, corporate sponsorships, and community campaigns,” Musallet explains. “The mission is simple: provide dignity, support, and hope where it’s needed most.”
