About Beyond Cubicles
📢 #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina D’Souza, born out of her own experience transitioning from a corporate career to independent consulting. Since its launch in June 2024, the series has evolved into a platform that showcases the inspiring journeys of several founders who have redefined the traditional 9-to-5.
Through authentic narratives, #BeyondCubicles highlights themes of courage, resilience, and purpose. The stories feature individuals from diverse industries—ranging from tech and education to wellness and adventure—who share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers.
✨ Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
“My kids sometimes say they miss the ‘corporate version’ of me because my schedule used to be more predictable. At the same time, they are incredibly proud of what we have built,” says Muriel Espagnet, who brought a different rhythm to life through entrepreneurship.
In 2025, she launched Yalla BB, a UAE-based pre-loved fashion marketplace she co-founded with Sébastien Coquet. A platform to buy and sell pre-owned items, it makes fashion more circular and accessible while giving them a second life.
The name reflects both the region and its purpose. “Yalla” is a word heard across the Middle East that means “let’s go,” she explains. “The ‘BB’ stands for ‘bye’ and ‘buy.’ It is about saying bye to the pieces you no longer wear so someone else can buy them, love them, and give them a new life.”
Before launching, Muriel followed a traditional corporate path, spending years in financial data and enterprise solutions sales. Over time she began feeling a stronger pull to build something of her own.
“I wanted to create something tangible and meaningful rather than simply operating within an existing system,” she says. Eventually curiosity outweighed the comfort of stability. “I realized that if I did not take the leap, I would always wonder what could have been.”
The transition required a mindset shift. “The operational side of starting a business can always be learned, but resilience and adaptability are what truly sustain you,” she says, adding she had to learn uncertainty and doubt. “What helped me was focusing on progress rather than perfection and reminding myself why we started.”
Her identity shifted from being defined by a job title to being associated with something she is building. “Today it is much more connected to the mission and the impact we are trying to create with Yalla BB.”
Support remains central to her journey. “My co-founder Sébastien has been a key partner throughout this journey,” she says, alongside friends, family, and Dubai’s entrepreneurial community.
Originally French Lebanese, she came to Dubai for professional opportunities and found the city’s energy and openness to innovation inspiring.
“I never expected that stepping away from a structured career would teach me so much about myself and what I am capable of building.”