crew: The Entrepreneurial Community that Redefines Connection in Dubai

• crew is emerging as one of Dubai’s most intentional entrepreneurial communities by prioritizing genuine connections over transactional relationships.
• Founder Carmen Taubman is reshaping the networking experience into one that focuses on trust and relevance.
• From the perspective of Sameer Somal, a serial entrepreneur, crew stands out as a space that values authenticity and community driven growth

A New Kind of Entrepreneurial Circle

Dubai is a city where ambition and opportunity move fast. Entrepreneurs have countless events, groups, and meetups to choose from to network with fellow founders, yet many leave feeling drained rather than energized. As a serial entrepreneur who values real friendships and meaningful relationships, I had the chance to attend a crew meetup at the special invitation of my friend Michael Edge. That experience introduced me to the founder of crew, Carmen Taubman, a serendipitous meeting that confirmed that there is a better way to bring founders together.

crew is not a typical networking group. It is a community designed for entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses by building genuine connections. It attracts intentional founders who care about results, collaboration, and trust. Members don’t attend the event to collect business cards or pose for photos alone. They join because they want to meet the right people, work beside peers, and accelerate their progress through quality relationships.

What crew Stands For

What sets this community apart is its emphasis on intention over noise. It is a curated founder network rather than a chaotic networking room, built on meaningful, non-transactional connections. The approach is human-first, not platform- or technology-led. While AI is used as a tool, it supports the work rather than defining it, because the business is fundamentally driven by people. The focus is on outcomes, not optics. It is not about filling rooms or chasing visibility, but about creating real return on time, energy, and relationships. At its core, it is designed for founders who value depth, substance, and long-term impact over surface-level engagement.

Why Carmen Created crew

Carmen has been building communities for more than a decade across global tech companies and consulting clients. When she moved to Dubai, she attended countless networking events but quickly noticed the same patterns.

People asked what she did without wanting to know who she was. Many attendees were hobbyists, clout chasers, or individuals with no real intention of growing a business. The events lacked structure, context, and facilitation. Founders were paying for the privilege of entering rooms full of suffocating crowds where they often spoke to only a handful of people. There was no clarity on who was in the room, what they needed, or whether these interactions had any value at all.

Carmen knew there had to be a better way.

She created crew as a community built with intention. Founders apply to join, share their business details, describe their goals, and specify the types of people they hope to meet. Only legitimate, Dubai-based entrepreneurs are accepted to ensure that connections remain real, relevant, and accessible. Every match is curated, human, and contextual.

How crew Works

At crew, the process is personal. Carmen plays the role of a business matchmaker. She reviews applications, understands the goals of each founder, and introduces them to people who can truly help them grow. Every introduction is made over email with individual context, the reason for the match, and suggestions to guide their conversation.

This process eliminates the guesswork that dominates traditional networking, empowering introverts and experienced founders alike. It allows people to skip the noise and get straight to the conversations that matter.

The outcomes speak for themselves. Some members had met each other at other events before, but never collaborated until crew connected them with a clear intention. One meetup alone generated a minimum of 35,000 dirhams (approximately $9500) in business outcomes, with additional long-term proposals taking the total into six figures. These results reflect why crew is not an events company. It is a community designed for growth and measurable return on investment.

The crew Meetup Experience

• Small, curated groups = Attendance is intentionally capped. You are not walking into a crowded room. You are walking into a room where everyone has been vetted and there for a reason. Carmen also knows who exactly has RSVP’d and is already setting the groundwork for potential introductions to take place during the regular meetups hosted
• Guided conversations, not forced pitches = There are no elevator pitches or awkward self-promotion rounds. Conversations are designed to feel natural while still being purposeful and business-relevant. 
• High signal introductions = Connections are often made during the session (or they’ve been sent before the meetup), with clear context on why those two people should speak and what the conversation could lead to.
• Meetup locations change to suit founders based all over Dubai, but we are intentional about the locations chosen also! 

A Personal Reflection

As someone who travels often and participates in many professional circles, I immediately felt the difference at crew. The environment was relaxed but productive. Founders brought their laptops, their ideas, and their challenges. Some spent hours working. Others spent more time connecting and sharing knowledge. The freedom to do both created a strong sense of purpose and trust.

Most importantly, every participant was intentional. There was no pressure to perform, impress, or pretend. Founders came to build relationships, learn from one another, and form partnerships. The energy was warm, collaborative, and grounded in genuine friendship.

If you are an entrepreneur in Dubai and you want to grow your business surrounded by people who listen, support, and show up with integrity, crew is worth your time.

The Vision Ahead

Carmen is focused on Dubai for now because the city is full of opportunities, but lacks meaningful support systems for founders. Her vision is to build a community that entrepreneurs deserve today. 

However, she wishes to expand to other chapters in the future. crew will grow inevitably through long-term partnerships, shared success, and a model built on what she calls the “win-win-win”. A win for the founder, a win for the partnership, and a win for crew.

Her intentional and personalized approach ensures that the community thrives through its members’ success.

Success in entrepreneurship is a factor of both what you know and who you know. In a fast-moving city like Dubai, finding the right people can change everything. crew offers founders a place where business growth, real connection, and friendship come together.

If you are ready for intentional relationships and comfortable with a thoughtful vetting process, crew may be the most valuable community and the turning point in your entrepreneurial journey.

If you’re in Dubai, you can find more information and apply to join crew here!
crew is on IG