Fatima Zaidi
{{Short description|Canadian entrepreneur}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
Fatima Zaidi (born in 1989) is a Canadian entrepreneur,{{Cite web |title=38 companies we love that are run by women in honour of International Women's Day |url=https://ca.style.yahoo.com/women-run-companies-223258388.html |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=ca.style.yahoo.com |language=en-CA}} University lecturer at the University of Toronto,{{Cite web |title=Fatima Zaidi |url=https://learn.utoronto.ca/why-continuing-studies/about-our-instructors/instructors/fatima-zaidi |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=School of Continuing Studies - University of Toronto |language=en}} and co-chair of Tech4SickKids at SickKids Hospital.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-18 |title=Tech4SickKids names new co-chairs as campaign reaches $5 million fundraising milestone {{!}} BetaKit |url=https://betakit.com/tech4sickkids-names-new-co-chairs-as-campaign-reaches-5-million-fundraising-milestone/ |access-date=2022-10-24 |language=en-CA}}
She is the founder and CEO of Quill Inc, a Canadian podcast agency,{{Cite web |last=Amato |first=Diane |date=2021-07-13 |title=Quill: How They're Growing Both Their Business and the Podcasting Industry |url=https://discover.rbcroyalbank.com/quill-how-theyre-growing-both-their-business-and-the-podcasting-industry/ |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=Discover & Learn |language=en-CA}} and CoHost, a podcast hosting and analytics tool for brands and agencies.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-25 |title=Toronto-based company launches platform to help solve podcasters' challenges {{!}} IT World Canada News |url=https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/toronto-based-company-launches-platform-to-help-solve-podcasters-challenges/485598 |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=www.itworldcanada.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Notable Life {{!}} Making Audio Waves: How This CEO is Making Podcasts a Non-Negotiable for Brands |url=https://notablelife.com/making-audio-waves-how-this-ceo-is-making-podcasts-a-non-negotiable-for-brands/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=notablelife.com|date=September 23, 2022 }}
Early life and family
Zaidi was born in Muscat, Oman, to Pakistani parents.{{Cite web|url=https://canadiansme.ca/inspiring-woman-entrepreneur-to-follow-fatima-zaidi/|title=Fatima Zaidi – Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur to follow - CanadianSME Small Business Magazine|date=August 16, 2021|website=canadiansme.ca}} She moved to Toronto, Canada, in 2007.{{Cite web |last=Vernieri |first=Demian |date=2022-12-21 |title="A Day in The Life" with entrepreneur and podcaster, Fatima Zaidi |url=https://torontoguardian.com/2022/12/toronto-artist-fatima-zaidi/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Toronto Guardian |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |date=October 17, 2016 |first1=Rebecca |last1=Harris |title=30 Under 30 – Fatima Zaidi |url=http://marketingmag.ca/brands/30-under-30-fatima-zaidi-184686 |access-date=2023-01-09 |language=en-US}}
Career
In 2016, Zaidi became the VP of Business Development for the Toronto marketing agency, Eighty-Eight.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-03 |title=Up to the Minute: BICOM makes an acquisition |url=https://strategyonline.ca/2017/03/03/up-to-the-minute-bicom-makes-an-acquisition/ |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=strategy}} In the same year, she began appearing on segments for BNN Bloomberg on the challenges female founders face in entrepreneurship.{{Citation |title=Women need capital and access to funding to stay competitive: Fatima Zaidi |date=2021-03-08 |url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/video/women-need-capital-and-access-to-funding-to-stay-competitive-fatima-zaidi~2156247 |access-date=2022-10-27}}
In 2019, Zaidi launched Quill Inc, a branded podcast agency that works with North American brands.{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Dene |date=2020-10-01 |title=COVID-19 crisis forces small businesses to get creative |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/featured-reports/article-covid-19-crisis-forces-small-businesses-to-get-creative/ |access-date=2022-10-24}}{{Cite news |last=Dunfield |first=Allison |date=2022-07-19 |title=Bootstrapping requires guts, 'scrappiness' and a willingness to grow slowly |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-women-founders-startups-canada/ |access-date=2022-10-24}}{{Cite web |date=2022-09-29 |title=Fatima Zaidi: The Reward for Hardwork and Merit |url=https://canadiansme.ca/fatima-zaidi-the-reward-for-hardwork-and-merit/ |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=Canadian SME Small Business Magazine |language=en-US}} In 2021, Quill Inc launched CoHost, a podcast hosting and analytics tool for brands and agencies.
Since 2016, Zaidi has been an advisor for startup companies Willful and Abacus Agency. In 2021, Zaidi took on a teaching position at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Education to educate students on podcasting.
In 2020, Zaidi became the co-chair of the #Tech4SickKids{{Cite web |last=Swift |first=Julian |date=2021-03-30 |title=Charitable Choices: Tech4SickKids, modern healthcare solutions |url=https://torontoguardian.com/2021/03/toronto-charities-tech4sickkids/ |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=Toronto Guardian |language=en-CA}} council for SickKids Hospital.
Awards and recognition
Since 2016, Zaidi has won two Top 30 under 30 awards by Marketing Magazine{{Cite web |date=October 17, 2016 |first=Rebecca |last=Harris |title=30 Under 30 – Fatima Zaidi |url=http://marketingmag.ca/brands/30-under-30-fatima-zaidi-184686 |access-date=2022-10-04 |language=en-US}} and Bay Street Bull,{{Cite web |date=2020-05-14 |title=Get To Know This Year's 30x30 Leading Women |url=https://baystbull.com/get-to-know-this-years-30x30-leading-women/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806065158/https://www.baystbull.com/get-to-know-this-years-30x30-leading-women/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=Bay Street Bull |language=en-US}} the Young Professional of the Year by Notable Life,{{Cite web |title=Notable Life {{!}} Announcing The 2018 Notable Award Winners |url=https://notablelife.com/announcing-the-2018-notable-award-winners/ |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=notablelife.com|date=November 22, 2018 }} Veuve Clicquot's Bold Future Award,{{Cite web |title=Champagne Brand Veuve Clicquot's Newest Collaboration With Yayoi Kusama Is Iconic |url=http://www.ellecanada.com/culture/food-and-drink/veuve-clicquot-yayoi-kusama-collaboration |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=Elle Canada |language=en}} The Women in Content Marketing Award, Bay Street Bull's Woman of the Year,{{Cite web |date=2022-10-27 |title=Women of the Year 2022: Canada's Most Incredible Women Leaders |url=https://baystbull.com/women-of-the-year-2022/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027202430/https://baystbull.com/women-of-the-year-2022/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 27, 2022 |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Bay Street Bull |language=en-US}} and one of Flare Magazine's Top 100 Women.