Imran Zakir
KARACHI: Visa and HBL joined hands together and announced five winners of the first edition of the She’s next grant program on Wednesday held at the local hotel of Karachi.
Winners included Ziana Sakhia, CEO & Cofounder of Bechlo, Sadaf Rehman, Cofounder of CodeSchool, Rida Zainab, Cofounder of Porter Pakistan, and Ayesha Awan, Cofounder of SocialBlu.
The program also included a People’s Favorite award, where members of the public voted online for their favorite finalist, Hira Javaid, CEO of Foster Learning.
The five winning woman-owned small businesses received a US$10,000 grant each, along with a tailored training program by Katalyst Labs, and access to the She’s Next Club where they will have access to multiple resources including a workshop library and a community of entrepreneurs for mentorship.
Leila Serhan, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for North Africa, Levant and Pakistan (NALP), Visa, said: “We are thrilled to announce the winners of our inaugural edition of She’s Next in Pakistan and recognize the ambition and confidence of these women entrepreneurs.”
Aamir Kureshi, Head Consumer, Agriculture & SME Banking, HBL, said: “HBL is proud to be the exclusive partner of Visa for the She’s Next global program in Pakistan. The program aims to support and empower women entrepreneurs on their path to financial success. This
initiative further supports HBL’s commitment to uplift women entrepreneurs in the country.
“While we have five winners from the 10 shortlisted, the Bank acknowledges and celebrates the exceptional spirit of all 2,500 applicants, each a winner in their own right. HBL
is committed to shaping the financial industry of the country. In this regard, SMEs and in particular women businesses will remain a key focus area for us.”
Deputy Governor State |Bank of Pakistan, Saleemullah and Country Manager Visa Afghanistan and Pakistan Umar Khan also addressed the event.