#AccessAlberta Original Stories with Founders of Muslim Kids TV
In our #AccessAlberta original stories series, we chatted with Michael Milo, CEO and Co-founder, and Flordeliza Dayrit, Director of Operations and Co-founder at Muslim Kids TV about how they turned an idea into a global streaming platform, sitting just beside Netflix.
Q: What inspired you to start Muslim Kids and what gap did you see in the market?
Flordeliza: Michael and I are Muslims by choice and we wanted to pass the faith to our children. In the early 2000’s we were looking for media resources for our very young children. There were no TV shows or videos and the children’s books were not fun or entertaining either. This search took us all the way to the Middle East in 2006 where Michael became a Director of Programming for an international satellite TV channel. We thought, at last, our children would have an opportunity to learn Muslim culture.
Unfortunately, out of the hundreds of TV channels, there wasn’t a single children's channel. That’s where we saw the opportunity. In 2007 we did a pilot TV series called Hurray for Baba Ali and released it on Youtube. It went viral and has received 31 million views to date. That was such a huge success it boosted our confidence that people are hungry for that type of content.
Q: What is your background or why did you think you could start, and be successful, at building a digital streaming service for the Muslim community?
Michael: I got into the media industry with a BFA from the University of Calgary. When I graduated I started doing independent documentaries and a low-budget feature. In 2004, we released a documentary series on Muslims in Canada, which was done in association with the University of Saskatchewan. It was broadcast on Saskatchewan Communication Network, Vision TV and CLT. It was also broadcast internationally which led to the offer to work in Egypt. Egypt’s film industry began in the 1920’s and is the oldest in the region so it was like working in the Hollywood of the Middle East. But surprisingly, the Arab countries never built a children’s media industry. When we looked closer we found there wasn’t a children’s media industry in most Muslim countries. So it showed us again that there was a blue ocean opportunity for us. So our family came back to Canada. I got an MBA with the vision to start MKTV.
Q: How did you grow the entrepreneurial mindset?
Flordeliza: When we started MKTV I left my position as a Cultural Bridging Facilitator at Immigration Canada. I was influenced by my parents, especially my mom. When I grew up in the Philippines, I was buying and selling things like socks with my mom and we managed a convenience store. That experience helped me become responsive to market needs, the process of buying and selling and resilient with setbacks.
Q: What are your aspirations for Muslim Kids in 2021 and beyond?
Michael: In the past few years our target customers have been Muslims that live in the West - Canada, US, UK and Australia. Our goal this year is to expand to Muslim majority countries. We are currently working with mobile payment and telecommunications companies as well as local marketing partners to launch the service in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Malaysia. Our aspiration for 2021 is to demonstrate that we can capture customers in Muslim majority countries as well. Meanwhile, we look forward to closing our Seed round in order to lay a foundation for Series A funding in the next couple of years.
Q: If there is one thing you want the world to know about Muslim Kids, what would it be?
Flordeliza: We are going to become the Disney of the Muslim world!
Q: Sometimes we have a hard time asking for what we need, but as founders, it really does take a village to grow a global business. What is the one thing, person, or knowledge that you need right now in order to accomplish your goals in 2021?
Michael: Based on the stage of our current business, it’s very important for us to have a key advisor with experience at scaling a content business, or someone from a global media company that works on opening new markets. I think companies like Comcast, AT&T, Warner's Media with venture arms would be interested in what we’re doing. We would really appreciate the lessons that they’ve already learned, the networks they have built and to avoid the same mistake they have made.
Q: You're in a program that we're running right now called Access to Global Capital, designed to help Edmonton-based startups ensure they have product-market fit and a solid presentation in order to raise capital this year. What's been the most valuable insight you've learned that you're excited to apply to your business?
Flordeliza: We have been very focused on our own network and this program has taught us how to look beyond and reach out to people. It’s been amazing!
Q: What advice do you have for founders who are at the starting point where all they have is an inkling of an idea?
Flordeliza: Be patient with your progress. We put our valuation number out there early and have learned that maybe that was a mistake.
Michael: My advice to early-stage founders is that if you believe in your idea, go for it. It will be a tremendous learning and growth experience. You will learn more than you could have ever imagined. You will also meet an amazing breed of like-minded entrepreneurs and you will find a tremendously supportive community that wants to see you succeed.
If you are interested in hearing more about scaling startups in Alberta, please feel free to contact us at jfedeyko@connectionsiliconvalley.com or subscribe to our AccessAlberta newsletter here.