Lina Haj Hussien

“When you start something of your own, you begin to see everything differently: people, relationships, even yourself,” says Lina Haj Hussien.

The journey she describes is less than a year old, yet it made her grow and rise. There were days she woke up confident, and nights she went to bed questioning everything.

“It’s a mix of fear and excitement. Leaving a job wasn’t about money or title. It was about walking away from something to build only what I could see,” she says.

As the Founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Inspire (weinspire.ae), Lina offers a 360° framework to improve wellbeing and productivity for organizations and communities. She spent more than a decade in HR across leading developers and investment groups, learning leadership and accountability but often feeling something was missing.

“The turning point came when I realized engagement and wellbeing were still treated as initiatives rather than the foundation of culture,” she says, adding she had always dreamt of launching her own business by 40.

That purpose took root years earlier when she led employee engagement programs. “After events, people would message: ‘You made my day,’ or ‘I look forward to work again’,” she says.

Those moments later became Inspire’s mission.

As her venture grows, so does its community built on courage. “At work, my team feels like family. We’ve built it together through late nights, laughter, and countless ideas,” she says.

Lina’s gratitude runs deep for those who helped bring her vision to life. “If Inspire stands strong today, it’s because of the people, and above all, because of God, who guided and gave me strength. This journey was never mine alone.”

Her parents gave her the values that shape her work, while her husband and two daughters remain her reason and reminder. Once known for employee engagement, she’s now seen as someone reshaping how workplaces feel.

Raised in Dubai with Jordanian roots, she says the city taught her “what ambition looks like and how dreams turn real when you give them your all.”

Looking back, she adds, “Maybe I needed those years to gather courage, but if I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be: start sooner.”

Her advice: Keep moving forward, even when things feel uncertain. The world eventually catches up.