The Founder Institute, the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, announced today that it is exploring a new semester launch in Karachi this Autumn 2014.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 7,500 companies, which have created over 30,000 new jobs. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
If you'd like to help bring a semester to Karachi, then fill out an Interest Form. If enough people complete this form by Sunday, November 2nd 2014, then the Founder Institute will formally launch a program in Karachi.
The Founder Institute is a part-time, four-month program where promising entrepreneurs can "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit your day job to participate, so you can begin building a business around your ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.
In order to test demand for a Karachi program, the Founder Institute will host several free startup events;
- What is Entrepreneur DNA? Insights from 15 Years of Social Science Research: 6:00am, Nov 26, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359847
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- How to Build a Product-Driven Go-to-Market Strategy : 11:00pm, Nov 26, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359880
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Jacob Jackson: 11:00pm, Nov 27, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359961
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 11:00pm, Dec 02, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359967
- What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 11:00pm, Dec 04, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359973
- Venture Trailblazers, featuring Ilya A. Strebulaev from Stanford: 10:00pm, Dec 05, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359977
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 11:00pm, Dec 09, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359985
- Enterprise Sales 101 for Startup Founders: Closing Big Deals: 11:00pm, Dec 11, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359991
- Get Feedback on Your MVP from Product Experts & Find Early Users: 11:00pm, Dec 16, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/359997
- Founder Showcase: Startup Pitch & Networking Event: 11:00pm, Dec 18, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/360003
- Startup Funding AMA & Founder Institute Info Session, with Jonathan Greechan (CEO, Founder Institute): 11:00pm, Dec 30, 2024 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/360267
- Startup Funding AMA & Founder Institute Info Session, with Jonathan Greechan (CEO, Founder Institute): 6:00am, Jan 03, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/360386
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Technical Co-Founder: 11:00pm, Jan 08, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/361646
- Startup to Scale-Up: Mastering Sales & Branding with Mark Kosoglow: 11:00pm, Jan 13, 2025 (Asia/Karachi): https://FI.co/e/361337
Leading the Founder Institute’s efforts in Pakistan are two leaders of the local entrepreneurship scene, Sumaan Azmi, and Hassan Qureshi. Sumaan is a creative workoholic by day, analytics wizard by night, and a value creation entrepreneur by heart – continuously finding ways to fill the gaps of our technology needs. Hassan Qureshi is the Founder of Carimson Commerce (a technology startup enterprise). Hassan has worked in transportation & logistics sector for over 20 years and is passionate about startups & entrepreneurship.
Other successful entrepreneurs who have pledged their support to mentor founders in a Karachi Founder Institute program include:
- Abbas Bilgrami: Campaign Program Manager, Untited States Institute of Peace
- Adeel Javaid: Founder/CEO, CelebConnect Inc.
- Adeel Shaffi: Co-Founder and VP Engineering, Price Oye
- Adi Abdurab: Director Digital Strategy / Co-Founder, Digitacker.com | Intesaab Podcast | Nadeeday Food Blog
- Adnan Faisal: Founder , ScaleX
- Adnan Faisal: serial entrepreneur, Startup coach and Mentor
- Adnan Afaq: Managing Director, Pakistan Credit Rating Agency
- Ahmad Hassan: CEO/ Founder, CodeGini pvt Ltd.
- Ahmed Ayub: Co-Founder, Airlift
- Ahmed Uzair: Partner, AUC | LAW
- Ahmed Sajjad Zaidi: Founder & CEO, Iris Red
- Ahsan Maykan: Senior Consultant, Telenor
- Ahsan Tahir: CEO, www.walee.pk
- Ahsen Mirza: Project Director, Business Incubation Center, International Islamic University
- Aijaz Ather: Founder, The Right Careers
- Ali Hasnain: CEO, DealsMash
- Ali Mukhtar: CEO, Fatima Ventures
- Ali Qasim: Innovation Lead, Business Incubation Center, Bahria University Islamabad
- Ali Dossa: Founder and C.E.O , TSF
- Ali Mohammad Sohani: Ali Mohammad Sohani, Optimizia Inc.
- Ali Moeen: Co-Founder, ezBike
- Altaf Qureshi: CEO, Co Founder and Barrister, Wukla and Paksign
- Anas Shaikh: COO, Peepu
- Anaskha Afzaal: CEO, Solutions Brigade
- Andeel Ali: Manager Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Development , National Incubation Center - Karachi
- Arsalan Vardag: Partner, J. A. S. B. & Associates, Chartered Accountants
- Asim Ghaffar: Co-founder, Easy Fresh Technologies
- Athar Ahmad: CEO , SA Solutions (Pvt) Ltd
- Atifa Asghar, Tencent Games
- Ayesha Hamid: Chairperson/CEO, George Washington American School of International Academics
- Azhar Basit: Founder, Zuhly Technologies
- Bilal Mumtaz: Director, Apothecare Pvt Ltd
- Bilal Qureshi: Market Engagement Manager , GSMA
- Bilal Sheikh: Founder & CEO, Lettus Kitchens
- Danish Naseer: Assistant Director, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
- Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram: CEO, Sehat Kahani
- Ehtisham Rao: Director Digital, Telenor
- Eram Abbasi: Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Development
- Fahad Tiwana: CEO, Wonderful Engineering
- Fahad Qureshi: CEO, Spaceman Studios
- Faheem Sardar: Managing Director, Tangent TA Consulting
- Faisal Sherjan: Managing Partner, Sustainanl Advisoy LLP
- Faisal Khan: Managing Partner, Khan & Muezzin
- Faisal Khan: CEO/ Founder, Ovex Technologies Pvt Ltd
- Faisal Aftab: Managing Partner
- Faisal Satti, https://easyfreshtech.com
- Faizan Aslam: CEO, Bookme PVt Ltd
- Faraz Maqsood Hamidi: Founder, The D'Hamidi Partnership
- Farhat Bashir: Founding CEO, Seerab Technologies
- Farrukh Maqbool: CEO, Discrete Logix Pvt Ltd
- Farzal Dojki: Founder & CEO, Next Generation Innovation
- Fasieh Mehta: Program Manager, Quixel at Epic Games
- Fathiya Bangash: Founder - Digital Marketing Agency , Digital Power 360
- Fatima Mazhar: COO, COLABS
- Fouad Bajwa: CEO and Co-Founder, Digital Dera Pvt Ltd. and Agriculture Republic Pakistan
- Ghazanfar Azzam: CEO, Waseela Microfinance Bank
- Ghazanfar Iqbal: Head of Business Development Startups AEM (Pakistan, Myanmar, Cambodia) + Malaysia, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Gulfam Baghoor: Director , BICON NUML
- Habib Afzal: CEO/ Founder, T-Admen (pvt) Ltd.
- Haider Raza: CEO, Evolution Partners
- Hamza Iftikhar: COO, Deal Smash
- Hamza Saeed Orakzai: CEO, Obortunity Consulting
- Hanif Jang
- Haris Ali: Chief Executive Officer, Vertechx Technologies Private Limited
- Haroon Javed Qureshi: Founder & CEO , East West Infinity
- Hira Saeed: Founder, CaterpillHERs | Digital Doers
- Huma Beg: Founder, Ministry of Change
- Humaira Sajjad
- Humaira Sajjad: Program Lead , Incubation, National Science and Technology Park (NSTP)
- Humaira Sajjad: Program Manager Incubation, NSTP, NUST
- Humayun Mazhar: Founder & CEO , Crescent Ventures
- Huzaif Khan: Mr., Durshal ( KPITB )
- Imtiaz Rastgar: Chairman, Rastgar Group of Companies
- Imtiaz Khalid: CEO, Multitek Marketing
- Iqbal Mustafa Khan: CEO, Alachisoft
- Ivan Ivanka: CEO / General Partner, i1x Venture Studio / Camel Capital
- Jamal Khan: Managing Director , Stellar Consultancy
- Jameel Hussain Qureshi: Managing Partner, G.N.Q. Advocates and Legal Consultants
- Jaudat Shaikh: Director Software Engineering, LMKT
- Javaid Iqbal: CEO, TransformX
- Kalsoom Lakhani: Co-founder and General Partner , i2i Ventures
- Kamran Khan: Program Manager, NIC Islamabad
- Kamran Niazi: Economic Growth Specialist, USAID / Pakistan
- Khizer Khan: Founder, BaKhabar Kissan
- Khizer Ahmed Siddiqui: Founder, HukumJanab
- Khurram Zafar: Director, 47 Ventures Ltd
- M. Nash: CEO, Integry
- Madiha Parvez: Manager Corporate Innovation, Telenor
- Manzil Manqsood, Oxbridge Innovative Solutions
- Meenah Tariq: Partner, Karavan
- Mehkar Sheikh: CEO, Venture Cup Sweden
- M Ghayas Ahmedani: CEO, Zaaviaa Solutions
- Mobeen Ahmed: VP , Dastgyr
- Mohammad Mansoor: Founder & CEO, Touch'd
- Moin Uddin: Corporate Director , Tourism Promotion Services (Pakistan) Limited
- Monis Rahman: Chairman & CEO, Rozee.pk, Naseeb Networks
- Moqeem Ul Haque: CSO, Ufone
- M. Suleman Anwar: Founder & CEO, Citionlytics
- Mubariz Siddiqui: Legal Advisor & General Counsel, Sarmayacar
- Muhammad Khalid: Founder & CEO, Clicky.pk
- Muhammad Mustafa: CEO, EasyFresh
- Muhammed Bukhari: Mr, Farmdar
- Munir Muhammad: CEO, Biz360
- Murtaza Zaidi: CEO, CyberVision International
- Nadeem Hussain: Founder & CEO , Tameer Microfinance Bank
- Nadia KANOUN: CEO, Senior Adviser, Trainer & Coach, IHSCEN for Startups
- Naeem Zamindar: Founder, Neem
- Najiba Wajiha Mahboob: CEO, Toureela
- Natalya Kamaal: Independent Legal Practitioner , NKLAW
- Nauman Lakhani: Country Manager , Dun & Bradstreet Pakistan
- Naureen Hyat: Founder & CEO, Tez Financial Services
- Nazir Vaid: Founder & CEO , NexSource
- Nida Jaffery: Co-Founder , Nashtaywalay
- Obaidullah Khwaja: Head of Mobile Advertising , Telenor
- Omar Abedin: Project Director, NIC Karachi
- Omar Usman Uppal: CEO/ Founder, GharAsaan
- Omer Jawed Ghani: CEO and Regional Director, Enclude
- Owais Anjum: Founder & CEO, EMumba
- Owais H. Shaikh: National ip Expert, WIPO
- Owais Hassan Shaikh: National IP Expert , WIPO
- Parvez Abbasi: Project Director, National Incubation Center, Islamabad
- Pir Amad: Startup Mentor , Durshal KPITB
- Puruesh Chaudhary: Founder, AGAHI
- Quratulain Asif: CEO, Ain Consulting Private Ltd.
- Rabii Malik: Founder , Notes on Pakistan
- Raza Saeed: CEO, Confiz
- Rozeena Saleha, Kalam4Solutions Pvt Ltd
- Saad Hamid: Developer Community Manager, Google Austria
- Saad Hamid: Community Manager Developer Relations , Google
- Saira Qayyum: Founder & CEO , Dream Factory
- Saira Qayyum: Founder & CEO , Dream Factory
- Samar Hasan: Co Founder, Epiphany Games
- Sami Uddin Ahmad: Director BI and Analytics, Telenor
- Sarah Munir: CEO, Invest2Innovate (i2i)
- Sayyed Ahmad Masud: Regional Director Pakistan, Founder Institute
- Sehrish Raza, BizB
- Shahid Mahmud: Chairman & CEO, Interactive Group
- Shahid Mir: CEO, Systems Research Private Limited
- Shahid Rasool: CTO, PayNest
- Shaikh Ayaz Ali: COO, Cooperative Computing
- Shayan Sohail Sarwar: CEO, Confinality LLC
- Sheeraz Ahmed: Director Enterprise Business, WiTribe Pakistan
- Sheeraz Ahmed: Managing Director, Sharp Telecom
- Shehryar Hydri: Managing Partner, Deosai Ventures
- Shershah Hassan: Founder and CEO, KalPay
- Sidra Jalil: Founder, Inspire Mill
- Sleem Hasan: Founder & CEO, Privity FZ LLE
- Sobia Maqbool: Head of Strategy, Pakistan Microfinance Investment Corporation
- Sulaim Siddiqi: Partner, Metaii
- Suruchi Singh, Charismatic Crayonz Private Limited
- Syed Naseh: CEO, Diya Interactive
- Syed Azfar Hussain: Program Manager , National Incubation Centre Karachi
- Syed Iqbal Raza: Founder & CEO , Raza Works
- Syed Shahzad Sherazi: Founder & COO, Clicky.pk
- Talaal Burny: Manager Ecosystem Affairs (& External Relations), Careem Pakistan
- Talha Bin Shuja: Startup and Business Consultant, High Hope International
- Umair Sheikh: Founder & CEO, Arazi Ventures
- Umer Azmat
- Umer Adnan: CEO, Cowlar
- Usama Abid: Founder & CEO, Invent Hub
- Usman Butt: Founder & CEO, RepairDesk
- Usman Arshad Khan: Chief Growth Officer, Checkmate Consultancy
- Wahaj Siraj: CEO, Nayatel
- Wajiha Ghazal: Founder, Affordable.pk
- Yahya Bajwa: Lead Analyst, World Bank Group
- Yaser Awan: Director, Mindstorm Studios
- Yasir Ahmed: IOT/Cleantech Lead, IGNITE National Technology fund
- Yasser Qayum: Lead - People, Processes and Systems & Workforce planning, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Yusuf Jan: CEO, MixIt
- Yusuf Hussain: COO, Habib Bank Ltd
- Zain Farooq: Founder & CEO, MyTM
- Zartaj Ahmed: CEO & CoFounder, Pi Space Science Education Centre
- Zeeshan Aftab: Co-founder & Managing Director, TenPearls Pvt Ltd
- Zeeshan Rajwani: Founder & CEO, Garage Sale (Private) Limited
- Zia Imran: Founder & CEO , Jul Bujh
- Zibber Mohiuddin: CEO, PANASIAN GROUP
- Zulfiqar Qazilbash: Senior Executive/Consultant/Entrepreneur, Islamabad Consulting
- And many more to be announced.
Help bring the Founder Institute to Karachi and fill out an Interest Form today.
About The Founder Institute
The Founder Institute (www.FI.co) is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, helping aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. In the Founder Institute's four-month, part-time program, promising startup entrepreneurs "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses, practical business-building assignments, and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors. Plus, aspiring founders are not required to quit their day job to participate, so they can begin building a business around their ideas without putting their livelihood at risk.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 7,500 companies, which have created over 30,000 new jobs. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
The Founder Institute was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Adeo Ressi.
