AUS Alumna Fatema Tapya Turns Family Legacy into Community Impact. Building with Purpose

Building with Purpose: How AUS Alumna Fatema Tapya Turns Family Legacy into Community Impact

For Fatema Tapya (SBA, 2007), business is more than creating furniture. It’s about creating impact.
As Business Development Lead for the Middle East and Africa at Empress Furniture and Najmi
Furniture, Fatema continues a proud four-generation family legacy while championing purpose-
driven leadership and youth empowerment.
A Foundation Built at AUS

“My time at AUS was truly transformative,” Fatema recalls. “It wasn’t just about academics — it was
about learning to think critically, embrace diversity, and build meaningful connections.”
Inspired by world-class faculty, she developed values that guide her today: integrity, purpose, and
excellence. “AUS taught me to use my platform to make a difference,” she says. “Some of the
connections I made there have become lifelong friendships that continue to add value to my work
across Sharjah and Tanzania.”
Carrying Forward a Family Legacy

Fatema’s family has been passionate about furniture for generations — from her great-grandfather’s
beginnings in Dar es Salaam to her grandfather founding Najmi Furniture in Sharjah 50 years ago.
Today, Empress Furniture in Tanzania and Najmi Furniture in the UAE remain women-led and family-
run, focusing on ergonomic design, comfort, and sustainability. “Our goal isn’t just to make beautiful
furniture,” she explains. “It’s to empower people — our employees, customers, and communities.”
AUS Connection Sparks Change

Fatema’s collaboration with Larchfield Children’s Home in Tanzania began unexpectedly, through a
conversation with AUS faculty about giving back. She discovered that AUS students and alumni had
helped design an orphanage in Mkuranga, inspiring her to continue that spirit of giving.
What began as a simple donation turned into a partnership focused on skill development and youth
empowerment, including sponsoring Merciana Evance Leonard, a young woman who pursued
carpentry in a male-dominated field. “We wanted to give her an opportunity to break barriers,”
Fatema says. Watching Merciana graduate was deeply rewarding. “Empowerment has a ripple
effect: when one person rises, they inspire others.”
To mark the occasion, Fatema gifted Merciana a watch, symbolizing “her time to shine, to create,
and to lead.”

Empowerment as a Core Value
For Fatema, sustainability begins with people. “Investing in youth means investing in the future,” she
explains. “Even as a small, family-run business, we’ve seen how education and mentorship can
transform lives.”
Her philosophy echoes her grandfather’s words: “Do your duty, more than your duty.” “True success
isn’t measured by what we earn,” she says, “but by how much we contribute.”