Mojo Mustapha, entrepreneur and activist: “You can make money while doing good for those around you.”

Mojo Mustapha, a former Muslim who converted to ecofeminism and a committed feminist, is undoubtedly one of the unconventional figures who bring a distinctive “je ne sais quoi” to the MontréalCowork community.

From Thai curry to Montréal poutine is just a small step for a globetrotter like Mojo Mustapha. In April 2024, he decided to settle in Montréal and eventually at Montréal CoWork, after spending much of the year in Thailand’s humid heat.

Why Montréal? “Because Montréal is the most European city in America,” he says. This American by adoption knows a thing or two about that.

“Here, people are open-minded when you talk about sexuality, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and women are friendly. There are fewer political aspects than on the dating scene in the United States,” he continues.

Born in London, England, he holds three citizenships—British, American and Canadian—and speaks fluent English, Arabic, German and Japanese, and is learning French.

His energy is so contagious that within six months, Mojo quickly became a regular at Montréal CoWork activities, with a particular fondness for after-work get-togethers.

He is certainly unconventional, particularly in his ability to mix an excellent red wine with Pepsi or Seven-Up before the horrified eyes of some French members of the coworking community.

But behind this colourful character and broad smile is a person of conviction with a rich life story.

From Islam to feminism

“I began life as a Muslim. When I was a teenager, I was incredibly troubled by the blatant inequality between men and women within the religion,” he recalls.

At 17, Mojo left Islam, a decision made during the 1979 Iranian Revolution that transformed Iran into an Islamic republic.

“After reading in the newspapers that women had had their lipstick removed with sandpaper, I asked myself: what is the opposite of this religion?”

He found the answer in Canada. In Toronto, he decided to enrol at university to study sociology, political science and feminism.

“In Toronto, I witnessed the beginnings of identity politics, which emerged from Anglo-American feminism,” he recounts.

At the end of his university studies, this former Muslim converted again: “I became a feminist,” he states.

Fascinated by women since the age of 12, he made them the common thread running through his life.

After his studies, he travelled the world and discovered that feminism means different things in different countries. In his view, feminism works in Denmark and Israel, whereas in the United States and England it creates a backlash, tensions and even polarization in relationships between men and women.

Drawing on his experience, he wanted to teach women’s leadership. In 2004, in Hawaii, he brought together everything he had learned through experience and travel to create an entire business model based on ecofeminism.

Ecofeminism: women’s leadership

“I created an ecofeminist community, Hedonisia Hawaii, which operated from 2004 to 2018 and was enormously successful,” he says.

According to Mojo, ecofeminism is “the connection between what has happened to women throughout history and what happens to nature. Men drill, extract, cut down and violate the environment, and use it in the same way for their own resources,” he analyzes.

For him, the connection between sexism and global warming is clear. “Feminism is the desire for women’s equality. Our feminism was very pragmatic,” he explains. Leadership and empowerment were at the heart of his program.

Then, on May 3, 2018, hell arrived in paradise. “The Kilauea volcano, on the Big Island, erupted and destroyed the entire community and the whole surrounding neighbourhood,” Mojo recalls, his voice flat and restrained.

Nearly 14 years of hard work went up in smoke in a matter of hours. After this trauma, Mojo took refuge in Portland, underwent therapy and eventually processed the shock by giving it meaning: making a drastic life change.

A life lesson

“The volcano took away my identity and my place in society. I still haven’t fully recovered, especially financially. I’m looking for a rebirth that’s different from my past life,” he confides.

The spirit of the volcano also made him more spiritual. The message he received: “Your life has been destroyed so you can move on to a new chapter.”

Montréal and the Montréal CoWork community would become an unexpected stopover for this citizen of the world. A stopover filled with meaningful encounters that would help his projects mature.

“Here, I’m focusing on my workshop on diversity and freedom of expression, which I developed after my experiences. It’s my way of trying to bring America together again.”

Mojo rejects the American view of feminism, “where the focus is on victimization, politics and controlling language.”

Instead, the entrepreneur places his faith in freedom of speech. “In Hawaii, we also welcomed people who opposed our ideas: anti-abortion advocates, fundamentalist Christians, Republicans... Always respectfully.”

Mojo also challenges the overly money-focused view of American capitalism, choosing instead to invest in conscious capitalism.

“You can make money while doing good for those around you. You can be an entrepreneur and an activist,” he concludes confidently.

Article credit: Hélène Lequitte Photo credit: Mojo Mustapha