Hala Taha

Hala Taha is an American entrepreneur, digital media expert, podcaster, and speaker. She is recognized as the host of the Young and Profiting (YAP) Podcast, ranked as the #1 education podcast across all apps, and the CEO of YAP Media, a full-service social media and podcast agency. Taha is known as "The Podcast Princess" due to the success of her podcast, featuring interviews with some of the brightest minds in the world. The show was a 2022 Webby Honoree, and Taha was featured on the cover of Podcast Magazine in 2021. She was also named one of the 40 under 40 in podcasting for 2022.
 
In addition to her podcast and media agency, Taha has expertise in marketing, social media, personal branding, side hustles, entrepreneurship, and podcasting.
==Early life and education==
Taha is a Palestinian American, born and raised in New Jersey. After 9/11, she experienced backlash from teachers and peers. Despite these challenges, Taha secured an internship at Hot97, the world's leading hip-hop radio station. Taha decided to leave her studies behind and dedicated herself to Hot97, where she met numerous celebrities and gained recognition as the "it girl" associated with the station. However, when she was overlooked for a promotion, she left Hot97 and founded "The Sorority of Hip Hop," a WordPress platform designed to empower and assist women in the entertainment industry.
 
Simultaneously, Taha graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and media from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2011. With her team of “The Sorority of Hip Hop,” she ran the popular site, interviewed celebrities, produced radio shows, and hosted parties and concerts. Taha also had a chance to have a reality TV show on MTV, but unfortunately, the show was canceled at the last minute. This led to Taha's decision to leave the entertainment industry and shut down her blog.
 
In 2014, she enrolled at the New Jersey Institute of Technology to pursue an MBA in global strategy and marketing, graduating in 2016 as the top student in her class with a 4.0 GPA.
==Career==
After obtaining her MBA, Taha started an internship at HP and was promoted four times in four years. She founded an employee resource group called "The Young Employee Network" and coordinated the office's first-ever company picnic, Christmas party, and charity events. She was later promoted to Recruitment Chair of the Global Employee Network and founded a company-wide weeklong event called HP Spirit Week. Despite being a deserving candidate, she was not selected for the role of President of the Global Young Employee Network at HP. She then started a podcast called "Young and Profiting" while working at HP and later Disney Streaming Services.
Taha started Young and Profiting in 2019 as a side hustle project and scaled the business to 35+ employees before leaving her executive position at Disney to pursue entrepreneurship. The podcast features star-studded guests like Matthew McConaughey, Seth Godin, and Mark Manson and covers topics such as productivity enhancement, influence cultivation, and the dynamics of side hustles. "Young and Profiting" consistently ranks within the top 100 podcasts worldwide and claims the position of the #1 trending podcast in the education category on Chartable. It garners over 350,000 monthly downloads and has amassed a total of 15 million downloads across various platforms. Taha has been referred to as "The Podcast Princess" due to the success of Young and Profiting. The show was recognized as a 2022 Webby Honoree. 
In 2020, inspired by Heather Monahan, Taha started a marketing agency, YAP Media. YAP Media is an award-winning social media marketing agency and podcast network, focusing on platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube and podcast production for CEOs, celebrities, authors, and prominent podcasters.
YAP Media has since ventured into the YAP Media Podcast Network, a network of over 20 self-improvement and business-oriented shows. The agency offers end-to-end podcast management and production, including audio and video, to top podcasters, influencers, and authors.
Additionally, Taha introduced the "YAP Academy," a recent addition to her business, offering courses such as the "LinkedIn Masterclass" as the inaugural offering within the YAP Academy curriculum.
Taha was featured on the cover of Podcast Magazine in 2021 and named one of the 40 under 40 in podcasting for 2022. She has also given keynote speeches at various conferences, including MIT's 2022 Gathering of Titans Conference.
==In the media==
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==References==
==External links==
* Young and Profiting
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Category:American entrepreneurs
Category:Digital media expert
Category:American podcasters
Category:New Jersey Institute of Technology alumni
Category:People from New Jersey