Each one teach one: Patta Academy & giving back to the community: presented by NMK Electronics

As the sun began to set on the first day of Sole DXB 2024, Dazed MENA’s content director, Fady Nageeb, sat down with Patta Academy founder and CEO Edson Sabajo and the talent school’s head, Fatima Elatik for a raw conversation about their vision of fostering a global community of young entrepreneurs and creatives, and Patta’s evolution since being established two decades ago. The discussion traced the personal journeys that have brought Edson and Fatima’s burgeoning initiative from Amsterdam to Dubai – and beyond.

Over the course of 50 minutes, Edson and Fatima touched on everything from their first impressions of each other to the powerful impact they made in just four days at Sole DXB. Edson reflected on how his love for sneakers, football, and hip-hop sparked the long journey that ultimately became Patta Academy – to provide young, driven creatives the platform to reach their dreams, no matter how ambitious. Fatima, a self-proclaimed “professional meddler,” shared insights from her 20-year career in Amsterdam politics, how she was drawn to Edson’s authenticity, and her commitment to providing budding artists and entrepreneurs with the network that eludes them.