KARACHI: A total of 9 Pakistanis have made it to Forbes’ coveted 30 under 30 Asia list. The list includes 5 individual and one company.
The list comprises 300 entrepreneurs and game-changers, representing 23 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region. The list is divided into different categories such as The Arts, Media &Marketing, Celebrities, Social Entrepreneurs and so on.
Following are the Pakistanis who made to this year’s list:
1. Ahmed Rauf Essa: Founder, Telemart
Essa, 27, cofounded Telemart, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Pakistan, at the age of 23, writes Forbes. His name is listed under Retail & Commerce. “Outside of B2C, the company also has an extensive wholesale channel which caters to more than 500 dealers online, and is an end-to-end solutions provider for major firms such as P&G, Lucky Cement and Ufone,” according to Forbes.
2. Karishma Ali: President, Chitral Womens Sports Club
Ali, who hails from Chitral, is the only female football player from her hometown playing national and international club level, according to Forbes. She is included under Entertainment & Sports. Ali, 21, “has represented Pakistan at the Jubilee Games in Dubai, and her team was the first women’s team from Pakistan to participate in the AFL International Cup. Ali is also the founder of the Chitral Women’s Sports Club.”
3. Laila Kasuri: Water Analyst, Global Green Growth Institute
Kasuri works as a water analyst with Global Green Growth Investment’s Policy Solutions. She was listed under Healthcare & Science. “As climate change takes its toll on the developing world, water specialists like Laila Kasuri are becoming increasingly important in taking a preventative approach to sustainability.” Kasuri, 29, has led research at organisations such as the World Bank, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences on climate-smart irrigation, flood risk reduction, and river basin planning, according to Forbes.
4. Hanaa Lakhani, Hasan Usmani,Gia Farooqi and Moneeb Mian: Cofounders, Roshni Rides
Roshni Rides is a women-friendly carpooling platform for commuters based in Pakistan. The company was founded by Hanaa Lakhani, Hasan Usmani,Gia Farooqi and Moneeb Mian. “The four Rutgers classmates wanted to provide a reliable transportation service for refugees, and their company arranges affordable rickshaw rides along designated routes between a refugee camp and common destinations such as markets and hospitals. The idea helped Roshni Rides win the $1 million Hult Prize in 2017, and the team are now focused on working with companies to provide safe rides for female employees in the country,” writes Forbes. They were listed under Enterprise Technology 2019.
5. Zain Ashraf: Founder, Seed Out
Seed Out is Pakistan’s first crowdfunding platform that works to end poverty by establishing entrepreneurs with interest-free micro financing. “Donors can choose to donate or lend to projects listed on the nonprofit’s website and can track progress along the way. When repayment is made, the organization helps to reinvest the sum into other projects. According to the company, Seed Out has a 97% repayment rate and has helped 538 locals raise funding. In 2018, Ashraf won the Commonwealth Youth Award for his efforts in development work,” according to Forbes. Ashraf, 28, was listed under the Social Entrepreneurs 2019 category.
6. Zainab Bibi: Founder, Pakistan Society for Green Energy (PSGE)
Bibi established the Pakistan Society for Green Energy in 2013 to develop new methods of renewable energy, writes Forbes. The company has successfully developed a bio-fuel from waste tissue paper, and introduced Camelina Sativa, a drought-resistant plant that can be made into bio-diesel. “In 2016 Bibi was honored with a Queen’s Young Leaders Award for her success in creating public support in Pakistan for environmentally friendly initiatives.”
