21st November 2024: Event brings together industry leaders who call for trust in Pakistan’s youth Karachi

The Institute of Business Administration’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (IBA-CED) rolled out the first university-based angel investor network in Pakistan at “Entrepreneurs Connect” at the IBA main campus on Thursday.

The event brought together some of the brightest minds in the entrepreneurial ecosystem as the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development marked Global Entrepreneurship Week 2024.

Dr Lalarukh Ejaz, the CED Director, launched the initiative that aims to bridge the gap between angel investor networks, venture capital clubs and funding opportunities for early-stage startups in the country – as it is still in the nascent stages.

The event featured two panel discussions along with a fireside chat. The first panel discussion titled titled “Sustainable Impact: How to build resilient and scalable social enterprises” was moderated by Kanza Sohail, Incubation Lead at CED and a lecturer at IBA.

The panel included Azima Dhamjee, Co-founder and CEO of ConnectHear, JS Bank Group Head of Investment International and Transactional Banking Jaffar, Founder of Synapse Ayesha Mian, CEO of DOCTHERS Khaqqan Sikander and CEO Karachi Down Syndrome Program Tabish Shahzad.

The speakers shed light on how social enterprises and their importance were unheard of until only recently. They also underscored how making a difference in Pakistan was a driving force in the rise of more social enterprises in the country.

This was followed by the Fireside chat between Katalyst Labs CEO Jehan Ara and IBA faculty and writer Jawwad Farid titled “Entrepreneurship tales of triumphs and trials”.

The pair highlighted how Pakistanis who move overseas achieve immense success. However, their burgeoning talent and their innovative startup ideas are overlooked in their own country.

“I have paid it forward and helped many young entrepreneurs in Pakistan not because I gained anything apart from the joy in seeing them flourish,” Jehan said.

The second panel discussion titled “Fueling Early-Stage Innovation: The role of niversity-ased angel investor networks” was moderated by Assistant Professor at IBA and CEO Trimline Sohaib Saleem.

Founder of Neem Nadeem Sheikh, YoupitchLive Founding Partner Amin Sheikh, Legal Adviser and Investor Darakhshan Vohra, Director Business Development Investors Lounge Sennen Desouza  and Hugo Bank CEO Atyab Tahir were the panelists.

The panel highlighted how “angel investors never hand out blank cheques to starups” and funding is always based on return on investment.