Theme: Challenging Tomorrow

TEDxPIEAS is an initiative to encourage visionary and creative thought process in our local community. TEDxPIEAS aims to create awareness among the people and initiate thought provoking dialogue by welcoming an audience of Thinkers who want to be Doers.

Our theme ‘Challenging Tomorrow’ urges bright minds to construct and build a better future through realization of the power of one’s self. We must be able to rise to whatever challenge the future might hold; as a generation, as a nation, and as the human race.

PIEAS Auditorium
Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Lehtrar Road, Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Islamabad, Islamabad, 44000
Pakistan

Aliya Sarfaraz

A skilled all rounder athlete in Professional Squash, Bowling, Swimming, Badminton, Track Cycling, Pole Vault, Triple Jump, Long Jump, High Jump, Discus Throw and Shot Put. She was the Professional Squash National Champion in Pakistan from 2003-07. Currently, she coaches deaf young players to play Squash, and serves as the Administrator of Operations at Lahore Speech and Language School where she initially started her career as Sports Coach. In her reflection of experiences at both national and international levels, she feels the need for all professionals to speak a truth in all ladders of success that they climb in, and the credentials should speak for themselves, in Pakistan, a country where a lot of people work less and gain more recognition for skills they have less or no expertise in.

Asad Shabbir

Co-founder ChaiChalk

Asad Shabbir is co-founder ChaiChalk, a junior at LUMS, a TEDx speaker, and a novelist. Having grown up in Turkey, Bulgaria, Iran, and Germany, he came to Pakistan in 2013 to find a nation which has readers but no books. After struggling to be published in Pakistan, and being repeatedly advised to approach Indian publishers, he founded ChaiChalk which is an internet digital media company that aspires to provide publication opportunities to Pakistanis. Using ChaiChalk's influence, the company also led a series of powerful campaigns including ‪#‎ProfileForPeace‬ and ‪#‎WhyLoiter‬.

Hisham Sarwar

CEO Infomist Services/ Freelancer

Hisham Sarwar is one of the most successful freelancers in the world, according to the online portal Guru.com. He trains freelancers online for free on a video learning platform: Being Guru. Till now he’s earned more than $1 million in profile sales and been given exclusive coverage in testimonial on front page of Guru.com. From being an ordinary and average guy, to becoming one of the top freelancers in the world, Hisham has a lifetime of experiences to share.

Kiran Masood

Co-founder ChaiChalk

Kiran Masood is a student at LUMS, and co-founder of ChaiChalk which is a social enterprise that strives to revive Pakistani literary heritage, by harnessing the power of local talent. Currently she is also convening the annual LEAF conference which aims to find solutions to environmental problems. Over the past few years, Kiran has worked extensively with various NGOs which provide education to the underprivileged. Her experience working with different organizations has helped ChaiChalk launch several successful commercial events.

Najam Ahmad Shah

CEO Quaid e Azam Solar Power Pvt. Ltd

Mr. Najam Ahmad Shah, a Fulbright Scholar and an Eisenhower Fellow, is an Electrical Engineer and also holds a Masters in Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, as well as Masters in Public Administration(the latter from Harvard). He has worked for Siemens. Currently, Mr. Shah is the CEO Quaid e Azam Solar Power Pvt. Ltd.; the government’s initiative to help solve Pakistan’s energy crisis. He has been working tirelessly to make it a success and under his leadership, enabling the plant to start exporting 100 MW from the plant with immediate effect. As CEO of the company he believes in the importance of renewable energy, and the urgent need to work toward a better and greener future. Along with his post in QA Solar, he has recently been appointed as Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education of the Government of the Punjab. In March 2016, he received the “President’s Pride of Performance Award” for his undying efforts and passionate work.

Noorena Shams

Triathlete

This 19 year old girl is a triathlete; the youngest Pakistani cyclist to have made it to the Junior Olympics (silver medal), she played as part of the Pakistan Under-19 Girls’ Cricket team for a while (fastest junior spin-bowler) and is now one of the best squash players in the country (#45 in all of Asia). She holds a record number of medals; 63 Gold, 24 Silver and 5 Bronze. She’s also an artist, debater and a freelance photographer. She has received the Gul Jee Art Award multiple times and is a 3-time All Pakistan debating champion. She has worked hard to become financially independent. She believes in supporting talent and doesn’t want young girls with sports skills to waste their talent due to lack of support or finances.

Umair Qureshi

Educationist/Teacher

Mr. Qureshi is an expert in one of the finest instructional models of the world; "Understanding by design" and constructivist learning. He aims to establish a chain of connected libraries and bring awareness on legislative advocacy to trickle down the benefits to underprivileged children and teachers. He is also founder and CEO of Islamabad ASCD Connected Community, which is unique educational forum associated with ASCD International. Umair Qureshi is not just a teacher, he is an educational revolutionary. He is also a teacher trainer, training consultant, an advocate of constructivism and connectivism, a writer, and a blogger. His thinking was transformed while doing his certification in instructional leadership from USA. He is striving to shift the educational paradigm from ‘aimless literacy’ to ‘meaningful transfer’. He is the first Pakistani who became part of the "Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Emerging Leader Class" in 2015.

Zara Husain

Zara Husain is the Director­ Principal of Lahore Speech and Language School with a gold Medal in Special Education from Punjab University. She graduated with Masters of Science in Assistive Technology from Johns Hopkins University on a full scholarship from Higher Education Comission, and is now a fifth year PhD candidate of Columbia University in New York City, in USA. She established and is running a non profit school for hearing impaired children from scratch, named as the Lahore Speech and Language School.