Who Is Leila Al Marashi The Emirati Founder Behind CADO Gifting After Shark Tank Dubai
When viewers watched CADO Gifting appear on Shark Tank Dubai, many rushed to search for one thing. They wanted to know who was behind the luxury gifting brand that impressed the judges. That curiosity led them to Leila Al Marashi, an Emirati founder whose journey blends resilience, creativity, corporate mastery, and a deep belief in human connection. Her story feels powerful because it shows how one personal insight can evolve into a company that now serves global names like Netflix, Gucci, Cartier, and American Express.
Fast Facts
- Founder: Leila Al Marashi is the Emirati entrepreneur behind CADO Gifting, featured on Shark Tank Dubai.
- Turning Point: A nine minute investor meeting saved CADO from shutting down early in the pandemic.
- Strategic Pivot: CADO shifted from a B2C gifting app to a premium B2B corporate gifting powerhouse.
- Leadership Style: Leila leads with “Quiet Power,” prioritizing emotional intelligence, culture, and creative purpose.
- Future Vision: CADO is expanding into Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and New York with new scalable tech.
The Personal Journey That Shaped Her Vision
Leila grew up in Dubai during a time when the city was changing quickly, and her early life blended freedom, creativity, and strong family values. Her mother, Najah, played a central role in shaping her confidence and sense of purpose.
Losing both her mother and sister to cancer changed her perspective on time, energy, and the meaning behind personal gestures. These experiences influenced her belief that gifts carry emotional weight and that thoughtful giving strengthens relationships.
Her education also reflects her global mindset. Leila studied Marketing at the American University in Dubai and later completed a Master of Science in European Business from EDHEC Business School. These years strengthened her communication skills, cultural fluency, and strategic thinking. This personal foundation later became the emotional center of CADO, a business built on meaning as much as efficiency.
“Understanding that you are literally just God’s pencil is a very important lesson.”
Leila Al Marashi
From Corporate Leader to Startup Founder
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Leila spent more than twelve years in corporate roles that shaped her leadership style and strategic depth. She worked at Shell, Arab Media Group, and later at Tabreed, where she became the first Emirati woman to join the company’s leadership team.
Her LinkedIn profile highlights how she led communication strategies for major acquisitions and built teams that supported long term business growth.
Yet the same world that built her career also drained her energy. By 2018 she was burnt out, overwhelmed by the pace of the industry, and searching for work that felt more personal. The turning point came during her sister’s birthday.
She realized she had missed many family moments because of work and even resorted to regifting. While talking with her sister about the rise of food delivery apps, a new idea formed. What if gifting could be as seamless as placing a delivery order.
Two months later, she resigned, used her settlement as seed capital, and began the long process of building what started as a B2C gifting app. It took eighteen months of scouting developers, pitching early investors, reviewing branding, and shaping the platform before CADO launched in November 2019.
A Near Collapse and a Nine Minute Turnaround
The launch came just months before the pandemic. As Dubai locked down, delivery costs soared and the team was running out of money. At one point, Leila called a coffee shop in advance to check prices because she was not sure she could cover the bill for a potential investor.
This moment showed her commitment to survival, and it paid off. During that meeting, a young crypto founder listened to her story and wrote a 300,000 dollar check within nine minutes. His decision validated her resilience more than any pitch deck.
“I was about to shut down the company and in 9 minutes he said, ‘I’m writing you a check for $300,000.’ And that really saved the business.”
Leila Al Marashi
Another breakthrough arrived when Gwen, a French entrepreneur with fifteen years of corporate gifting experience, gifted CADO her entire database of three thousand premium clients. She believed Leila was the right successor for luxury gifting in the region. This gesture shifted CADO from a consumer app to a corporate gifting specialist almost overnight.
The Strategic Pivot That Built a Premium Brand
By early 2022, Leila and her leadership team realized that the B2C model could not sustain the company. High delivery costs and low margins created constant pressure. After a difficult Valentine’s Day period, her CFO and COO warned that the business needed a new direction. The team pivoted to a pure B2B model, focusing on six figure contracts and long term client relationships.
This shift transformed CADO. The company began serving clients like LinkedIn, Google, and luxury hospitality groups. It also developed a philosophy of conscious gifting, choosing items with purpose and story.
Examples include recycled blankets from Canada, olive oil that supports Palestinian farmers, and artistic plates that fund meals for children. The result was a lean operation that reached nearly two million dollars in revenue.
A Leadership Style Built on EQ, Culture, and Creative Vision
“Hire people that are smarter than you. It’s a team. Your team is what will make it work or not.”
Leila Al Marashi
Leila calls her approach Quiet Power. She leads with emotional intelligence and clear decision making. She believes a founder’s energy shapes a company’s culture, so she steps back to reset when needed.
Leila also encourages women to understand financial literacy, cap tables, and negotiations so they can navigate the biases often present in entrepreneurship.
Her creativity extends beyond business. She created The Power of Pink, a storytelling art installation dedicated to her mother, which explores how women move through different decades of life. This project helped her transform grief into something meaningful and educational.
The Future of CADO Gifting
CADO is now preparing for major expansion. Saudi Arabia is a priority market, along with Kuwait, Qatar, and New York. The company is building new technology to turn gifting insights into a scalable global product. Leila believes the next frontier is the Orange Economy, a space where design, creativity, and commerce meet to create economic value.
Her journey shows how personal moments can evolve into powerful solutions. After Shark Tank Dubai, many viewers wanted to understand the founder behind the idea. What they discovered is a story shaped by resilience, a willingness to pivot, and a commitment to making every gesture meaningful.
