Meet the Panelists

Naeem is passionate about empowering humanity and unleashing human potential through use of technology. He is currently building Neem, the leading embedded finance player that is enabling the financial wellness of the underbanked. He has served as the Minister and Chairman Board of Investment, CEO of Acumen Pakistan, CEO of Wateen Telecom (Pub) Ltd., and a founding team member and CSO of Jazz to scale it from a startup to 32m customers. During his time in Silicon Valley with Intel Capital, Naeem invested and managed over 22 venture capital investments. He volunteers his time towards realizing human potential by regularly teaching the Happiness Program and leading Silent Retreats.

Lala Rukh, Founder and CEO of Science Fuse, is a social entrepreneur and science communicator. Her organization curates inspiring science education programs for children, teachers, and communities across Pakistan, focusing on marginalized groups, including girls and deaf students. In the last 6 years, Science Fuse has engaged 85,000 children & 860 teachers across Pakistan. With 11 years of experience, Lala has worked at the Science Museum in London and Forskerfabrikken in Norway. A Malala Fund Education Champion and Acumen Fellow, she has presented at TED Global 2023, The Royal Institution 2024, and Falling Walls Berlin, promoting STEM education and innovation. 

Ayesha leads Acumen's work in Pakistan, setting strategy, managing investments and overseeing the leadership work. Ayesha has a strong background in business strategy, economic policy and international development. She has previously worked as the head of strategy at the largest bank in Pakistan, where she was responsible for aligning corporate focus, defining core capabilities and articulating a comprehensive plan to achieve long-term growth targets. She has also worked in New York as a management consultant with McKinsey and Company. Ayesha also sits on various corporate boards, including Bank Alfalah, Fauji Fertilizer, and NRSP Bank. 

Fahad Ghaffar currently manages his own investments via his family office. His existing investments are focused on precious materials, public equities and bonds, and distressed debt acquisition

Fahad is a graduate of the University of Virginia, studying economics and finance, after which he began his career as a lender at Wachovia, followed by UBS, and finally a partner at Paulson Puerto Rico. 

Malik has worked at the leading edge of global wealth management for over 35 years on Wall Street, Asia and MENA. He has built and run WM businesses that deliver excellence to the clients. In his business roles, Malik has been the Global Wealth Development at HSBC, based in HK; Asia WM head of Citi , President, Citi Wealth US, and WM head of ADIB. At GLGp, he leads the leadership and WM consulting and training of Advisors and Managers. 

Malik is a Board Member of American Pakistan Foundation (APF) and an Advisor to Acumen Pakistan. Malik is passionate about participating in the discussion on moral leadership, severely challenged in the world, women's empowerment, NexGen, mega-trends, and the bottom of the pyramid. He works closely with Roshni Helpline, founded by M Ali, Fellow 2014 (in JN book pgs 242-247). Participation includes giving talks, writing for PWM.FT and moderating WM events. 

Mariya Kassam is the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the Midas Safety Group, the world’s largest private-label industrial gloves manufacturer. Mariya works with established organizations in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and East Africa to empower the underprivileged with quality Education and Healthcare. During the COVID crisis, Mariya spearheaded Midas Safety’s COVID relief program, providing PPE equipment and medical assistance to communities across the Middle East, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and East Africa affected by the pandemic. Mariya is a graduate of The School of Oriental & African Studies with an MA in International Studies & Diplomacy. Mariya has previously worked with the United Nations in New York and Dubai. She also founded Soiree Boutique, a -retail platform, which showcased high-end Pakistani fashion in the GCC. Mariya has lived in Dubai with her family for over 25 years.

Hazwan is with the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation, a government-linked entity entrusted to lead the implementation of Sarawak’s Digital Economy initiatives. His team focuses on building a robust innovation ecosystem that supports local students, startups and digital entrepreneurs in all corners of the state. In his past decade, Hazwan had worked in upstream oil and gas operations, in a multinational e-hailing startup, and co-founded a social enterprise teaching kids coding. He was educated at Melbourne and Oxford in engineering, and loves all things tech.

Associate Director, The Foundry, Acumen

Neha serves as Associate Director of The Foundry, the 1800 strong alumni community of Acumen fellows and accelerator participants. Prior to Acumen, Neha served as Co-Founder/Co-CEO of FLIP Africa, a digital freelance marketplace offering visibility, accountability and upward mobility in the $884 Billion African gig economy. She began her professional career in law, working with Duane Morris in Philadelphia, USA and then spent a decade working in rule of law reform across Africa. Neha is a 2014 Acumen Fellow.

Founder & Executive Coach, Mosaic Leadership

Saima is the Founder of Mosaic Leadership, and a seasoned leadership development practitioner. Prior to founding Mosaic, Saima spent over a decade with Acumen Academy, leading their flagship Fellowship programs in Pakistan and East Africa, where she coached multiple cohorts of emerging change leaders. As a Facilitator, Coach, and Trainer, Saima partners with established corporations, high-growth startups, and mission-driven organizations across sectors and geographies. She also leads the Train-the-Trainer program at Adaptive Change Advisors—a mission-based leadership development firm—where she plays a key role in building global facilitation capacity. Saima is an accredited Executive Coach, a certified Facilitator and co-author of the first published Adaptive Leadership Facilitator Guide. 

Fouad Bajwa is the Co-founder and CEO Digital Dera Climate Resilient Smart Villages Network Pakistan. Fouad is a public policy entrepreneur and technology innovator. He has been engaged with food security, climate change, rights of rural communities, regenerative agriculture, rural Internet connectivity, technological innovation and policy initiatives across national, regional and global settings that are helping shape the future of innovation, sectoral industrialization and future economic growth. He has contributed to various multilateral, bilateral, government, private sector, research, academic and civil society programs across the globe in various capacities. Fouad has served as a member of the United Nations Secretary General’s advisory group and has consulted and advised various UN bodies in various capacities. 

Director,  Institute for Development Studies and Practices 

Safdar Hussain's career is dedicated to community development and youth empowerment in Pakistan. Since joining IDSP in 1999, he has played a key role in establishing Information and Learning Centers. His work has expanded into environmental and health research, innovative resource generation, and sustainable livelihood models. He has led initiatives in fundraising, strategic planning, and organizational efficiency. Safdar's focus remains on youth-driven societal transformation and sustainable development in Pakistan 

Founder, Netkitaab/theWazirs

Rabia is the co-founder and Managing Director of Netkitaab, an educational initiative that introduces children of all ages to the concepts of peace and conflict resolution through storytelling, identity exploration, and multiple perspectives. The initiative uses digital platforms and innovative methods to empower students to ask questions and consider all sides of a story before forming conclusions. Netkitaab develops teaching materials, offers in-person and online training, runs research programs, and supports school libraries—believing that “libraries are windows that open up new ideas, new worlds, and new possibilities, making us reimagine how life could be.”

As a working mother, Rabia enjoys reading uplifting stories to her child. She is passionate about teaching, writing, traveling, and blogging, and actively volunteers for social causes.

Research Data Specialist , Institute for Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) 

Ali is a Research Data Manager at ISTA and a Data Specialist for the UNCDF. He is a research specialist with experience in both the public and private sectors, focusing on randomized control trials, A/B testing, statistical and economic analysis, and technology to build evidence-based policies. Ali has previously worked with the World Bank on migration models and predictions and Precision Development (PxD) on developing interventions to enhance Pakistan’s agriculture sector. He is a certified Google Data Analyst and holds a BSc in Accounting and Finance from the University of London (UK) and a MA in Economic Analysis and MSc in Economic Policy in Global Markets from the Central European University (Austria). 

Investment Director, Acumen

Kashif Thanvi is the Investment Director at Acumen Climate Action Pakistan Fund. He started his career with Engro where he was awarded the coveted "Marketing Excellence Award" for his lead role in supply chain optmization. He moved into banking building up on his expertise in microfinance and rural banking. He was the head of Rural Banking at HBL where the Bank attained a leadership role in agricultural finance becoming the top provider of loans to the farmers. He has also been part of a leading global Agtech company working with them on financial inclusion and digitalization. 

Visiting Faculty, University of Central Punjab

Salma is a graduate in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, Salma has worked previously as Director Programs and Talent  at Rabtt, which engaged with children to improve their critical thinking, creativity, confidence and empathy skills. She has also worked with UNDP Pakistan and as visiting faculty at Government College University and University of Central Punjab, Lahore.

Deputy CEO, SVDP

Kamran is Deputy CEO at Soon Valley Development Program (SVDP) in Khushab, which promotes community development through grant-based interventions and microfinance programs focused on sectors like agriculture, livestock and renewable energy.

Sr. UX Designer

Nauman is a Senior Product Design Manager with expertise in AI, fintech, software, and web application design. He is also the founder of Xander Crafts, bringing a decade of experience in crafting handcrafted outdoor sports equipment. With a strong background in products and startups, he specializes in innovation, user-centered design, and purpose-driven solutions. Nauman is passionate about identifying impactful ideas and building business solutions that support emerging changemakers.

Learning Manager, Global Schools Forum 

Ajay Pinjani is a learning manager at the Global Schools Forum (GSF), and educator at Ek Nuqta. He has been actively associated with the education landscape of Pakistan holding diverse portfolios and leadership positions, including with The Citizens Foundation and Aga Khan University Examination Board. Ajay creates spaces of dialogue that amplify youth voices across the Global South. He collaborates with both young people and organisations dedicated to supporting their journey of growth in-school and beyond. 

Deputy Director at Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering & Management Sciences, Quetta,

Imran heads the Career Services Office at the Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS), where he links unemployed youth in Balochistan to employment opportunities. He provides career counseling and engages industry experts in mentoring sessions to guide students towards professional career development. He is also a visiting faculty member and mentor at the university’s Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Center. Imran holds an MBA from BUITEMS.

Senior Legal Expert, UNODC

A seasoned management expert, social entrepreneur, legal advisor and governance specialist with 30+ years of global experience in leadership, strategy, law and capacity building. Passionate about driving impactful social and policy reforms.

As a management consultant for the Govt. of Punjab/Pakistan, he led reengineering and restructuring in 9+ Govt. Dept./Ministries establishing various institutions. He served as founding Project Director of the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Center and Head of the Chief Minister Stunting Reduction Program (BPS-21).