An Interview With Our Place Cofounder Shiza Shahid | 2021
Shiza Shahid on Being a Woman Founder and Creating the Internet's Coolest Pan
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You've likely seen the Instagrammable Our Place Always Pan ($145) on your social feed. The functional yet stylish cookware seems to be everywhere right now. I got a chance to try it out myself about a year ago, and I'm a huge fan. As a shopping editor, I test tons of products, many of which I donate or share with my coworkers when I'm finished. This pan though was definitely a keeper and has made its way into my kitchen permanently. It's not just one that I've coveted, but one that I rave about to people.
Aside from how great it works, and how cute it looks sitting on my countertop, there's another thing I love about Our Place: it's woman founded. Cofounder Shiza Shahid, a Pakistani immigrant and a cofounder and former CEO of the nonprofit the Malala Fund, believes that cooking and time spent around the dinner table is what truly brings people together.
In search of a better working pan, she created the Always Pan for more sociable times. A few years down the line, the brand is a hit and has a number of other amazing products in its line. Shahid holds strong to the brand's mission to bring people together. We sat down with her to talk about what being a woman founder means to her in celebration of Women's History Month, and what's next for the hit company. Keep reading to check out what she had to say and shop some of her brand's bestsellers, if you haven't already.
On What Inspired Her to Start Our Place
"My team and I created Our Place to make home-cooking simpler and more joyful, so more people would feel inspired to make something with their hands and to share a meal with their chosen family. Because home-cooking and gathering is about so much more than just the foods we make: it's at the heart of identity, culture and connection."
On What Being a Woman-Founder of a Successful Business Means to Her
"Women of colour are consistently underfunded, under supported, and underestimated. Less than one percent of venture capitalist funding goes to businesses with a CEO who is a woman of colour. I hope Our Place's success will help make the journey easier for other women of colour."
On What's Her Proudest Business Achievement
On What Exciting New Releases the Brand Has Coming
"As we anticipate a world where it's safe to be together again, we're excited to launch products that help you cook a nourishing meal, and (when it's safe) gather with loved ones again. The recent Tahdig Trio is a great example of that, as well as our Bamboo Steamer. It allows us to continue to celebrate our home-cooking traditions that have long been overlooked. Our Place has resonated because it is a brand rooted in representation. So, when people buy a beautiful pan it's a celebration of their home-cooking heritage, not just a pretty colour."
Our Place Always Pan
The bestselling Our Place Always Pan ($145) is a great way to introduce yourself to the brand, if you haven't already. It's made to replace the use of eight traditional pots and pans and save space in your cabinets. Not only is the size great for everything from pancakes to pasta, but it features a spatula and handy spatula rest, a pour spout, and chic design. Plus, it comes in tons of great colours, so you can get the one that most matches your space.
Our Place Main Plates
It doesn't stop at cookware, you can also grab the Our Place Main Plates ($50), which are easily stackable.
Our Place Side Plates
These Our Place Side Plates ($40) are perfect to pair if you have the larger plates, and come in several colours.
Our Place Side Bowls
These Our Place Side Bowls ($45) are a personal favourite. The size is perfect, and I love how they stack and save space.
Our Place Drinking Glasses
These Our Place Drinking Glasses ($50) are another personal favourite of mine from the brand. The quality is grade A and I use them for pretty much anything. The cup sets comes in four different colours or you can snag the multicolored set for some fun.
Our Place Dinner for 4
If you're really convinced and want it all, then treat yourself to the Our Place Dinner for 4 ($250, originally $290). It comes with the pan, cups, plates, and bowls. Buying it this way will save you some money too.
Our Place Spruce Steamer
The Our Place Spruce Steamer ($30) is one of the brand's newest go-to tools. It simply attaches to the pan to steam dumplings, vegetables, fish, tamales . . . the list is endless.
