ing up I was surrounded by rich culinary traditions and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones. Since this time, cooking has become a way for me to express myself, honour my heritage, and foster community and connection with others,” Shahid told Inside Retail. Shahid’s acclaims extend well beyond the kitchen; she has earned many other accolades including Time’s ‘30 under 30 people changing the world’ and Forbes’ ‘30 under 30’. Before founding Our Place, Shahid co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and led the organisation as founding CEO, advocating for and investing in the rights of all girls to school. But it is with Our Place that Shahid has become a household name. The brand’s best-selling pan, the groundbreaking Always Pan, has sold out more than 30 times. Fast forward to today, Our Place is now not only in the US market but also across the Canadian, UK and Australian markets. Reinventing the pan “We had to break the mould when developing the Always Pan — there was and since hasn’t been a product like it,” said Shahid. Our Place set out to create a versatile and do-it-all cookware system that absolved home cooks of a myriad of pain points without compromising on beautiful design. “We also wanted to simplify the cooking experience and promote a sense of connection and togetherness in the kitchen. The Always Pan is multifunctional allowing home cooks to declutter their kitchens and streamline their cooking process,” explained Shahid.  “The goal was to create a product that is not only practical, healthier and efficient but that was accessible at all cooking levels and makes cooking more joyful,” she added. The first-of-its-kind pan was designed to replace a frying pan, steamer, saucier, spatula and spoon rest – giving home cooks a 10-in-1 function with the ability to saute, fry, bake, roast, sear, boil, braise, strain, serve, and store.  “When we brought the product to market it instantly resonated with home cooks and changed the cookware space. We had Oprah mag noting it as ‘The Kitchen Magician’ and a waitlist of over 30,000 people. It was beyond our wildest dreams and we are so thankful to our community for their support,” said Shahid.  Commitment to innovation Shahid’s desire to do things differently goes beyond the product design of the Always Pan and Only Pot. It was important to her that Our Place’s products weren’t laden with the industry-accepted toxic PFAS coatings known as forever chemicals and Teflon. “From day one, we wanted to ensure we were innovating and creating non-toxic products that delivered on functionality without harming this generation and the generations to come. By using non-toxic materials, unlike the industry, we aim to provide a safe and healthy cooking experience and reduce the potential negative impact on both human health and the planet,” explained Shahid. Instead of conforming, Our Place innovated, patterning a healthier non-stick coating called Thermakind.  “It is a culmination of our commitment to innovation, health and sustainability. Our Place is at the forefront of innovation in cookware, and we’ve been challenging the rest of the industry that is still using Teflon/PTFE (forever chemicals) to rid their offerings of forever chemicals and join us in our mission,” said Shahid. But Our Place’s innovation doesn’t stop with its refusal to use toxic coatings, it also uses 100 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium for the iconic Always pan. “By using post-consumer recycled materials, we contribute to reducing waste and minimising our carbon footprint. It allows us to create high-quality products while promoting a circular economy and supporting better and more environmentally responsible practices,” said Shahid.  Shahid is proud of Our Place’s commitment to innovating cookware with healthy and sustainable materials that keep people and the planet safe.  Creating for community For Shahid, cooking is synonymous with community and that same definition applies to Our Place.  It’s even written in the brand’s name, Our Place, which is derived from the warm invitation, “Come over to our place”. The iconic kitchenware brand has garnered tens of thousands of five-star reviews for its unique product line after customers cooked and shared meals of their own. “Our Place resonates with people around the world because it’s rooted in the universal act of cooking and sharing meals with loved ones. And the product design is iconic – from our colours to our mission around sustainability, to our clean and healthy materials – there is nothing else like it on the market,” shared Shahid. Home cooks all over the world have been drawn to Our Place’s colourful pots and pans that instantly differentiate themselves from competitors that sell stainless steel and black cookware. “Our colourful cookware has the power to not only enhance the presentation of meals but also bring a sense of fun and creativity to the cooking experience,” said Shahid.  “Our community is known to always proudly display their Our Place cookware pieces on the stovetop or take it straight to the table – the colourful exterior is a key feature that enables our community to proudly express themselves.”  Our Place is not just selling products, it’s sharing a mission; to bring the world closer together by making connections across the kitchen table by uplifting the differences in how people cook and eat together.