Nafisa Bakkar is a Creative Director, entrepreneur and author whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, culture and community. As the Co-founder and CEO of Amaliah, she has spent the past decade building one of the UK’s leading media companies for Muslim women, reaching millions each month through editorial, social and experiential content. Alongside its media business, Amaliah operates a creative agency and cultural insights consultancy, helping brands create campaigns that authentically connect with Muslim audiences through strategy, creative direction and audience insight.
Under her creative leadership, Amaliah has partnered with brands including IKEA, Sainsbury’s, Spotify, Dove, Lush, Tesco, Universal, Lloyds Bank and eBay, delivering award-winning campaigns spanning strategy, creative direction, editorial and experiential marketing. Her work has helped redefine how brands engage with Muslim audiences, creating campaigns that reach millions across digital, social and out-of-home media while setting new standards for culturally relevant advertising.
Nafisa’s contributions to the creative industries have earned her recognition including Forbes 30 Under 30, Ad Age Women to Watch Europe and the Evening Standard Progress 1000 Most Influential in Media. She is the author of How To Make Money: An Honest Guide to Starting and Building a Six-Figure, Successful Business (HarperCollins), has written for Campaign, Ad Age, Forbes and The Independent, and contributed an essay on the representation of Muslim women in media to the bestselling anthology It’s Not About the Burqa.
