25 January, 2025: The final pitch presentations of the first batch of the Spark Start Entrepreneurial Training Program were held at the IBA City Campus on January 25.

A total of 38 startup ventures successfully delivered their pitches to expert evaluators who critiqued their business ideas.

IBA-CED Director Dr Lalarukh Ejaz gave the welcome address, in which she lauded the program for instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in the participants, as well as, highlighting the dire need for training programs such as this to uplift startup culture in Pakistan.

Dr Lalarukh paid rich tribute to the Saylani Welfare International Trust - the largest NGO network in Pakistan- for joining hands with IBA-CED for the Spark Start program.

The expert evaluators included CEO Pegasync Muhammad Hassan Khan, Abu Faisal – Board Member & Trustee at the Saylani School Of Business And Islamic Leadership (SBIL), Nimra Kamran – Senior Manager IBA-CED, Furqan Aslam, Manager CSR & Sustainability at the Saylani Welfare International Trust.

Similarly, Ghayas Uddin, Co-Founder Valeem, Shahzaib Paracha, Head of Saylani SBIL, Mohammad Talha Manager IBA-CED and Zainab Hameed, CEO & CoFounder of TeeSquare were also among the evaluators.