Theme: The Future is Young

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad, Islamabad, 44000
Pakistan

Asra Nadeem

Asra is the first female Pakistani venture capitalist. She heads up the entrepreneurial programs and partnerships at DraperU, a pre-accelerator for global startups tackling the world’s most intractable problems and is also a Partner at DraperU Venture, an early stage venture fund. Apart from designing and delivering programs, she works directly with governments, universities and international incubators to establish local entrepreneurial hubs, investment opportunities and corporate innovation initiatives. DraperU alumni have raised $250M+ in investments and include companies like QTUM ($5B) and nVision ($275M acq). Before working at DraperU, Asra worked on product and market development for startups in the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia. She was an early employee and the first female product manager in Pakistan for rozee.pk (jobsite) and naseeb.com (matchmaking for Muslims). She later led Bayt.com's special projects team to build web infrastructure for government organizations and MNC's in the MENA region. She frequently speaks and writes about empowerment through technology and automation and mentors entrepreneurs in emerging markets to enable social change. Asra can be found reading and funding researches to build vertical cities or inventing new recipes for world's best hummus.

Faheem Azam

Though a passionate and serious individual and artist, Faheem Azam employs comedy in almost everything that he does or says. He captivates, entertains & educates people through various forms of Entertainment and Academia . He is a Writer, Director, Actor, Motivational Speaker, Stand-up Comedy performer and an Acting Coach. He's been seen on TEDx platform before as well with his talks, performances and hosting skills. Faheem Azam has been Writing and Directing for the critically acclaimed and popular digital channel called TEELI, with millions of views on videos like 'Darzi ki Marzi', 'Rishta for Sale', 'Log Kya Kahengay' etc. Apart from the successful Stand-up Comedy Solo shows called 'Don't Laugh I'm Serious', he has been a part of hundreds of theatre Performances of various genres across the country. These include Original Comedy Plays like 'Laakhon Mein Teen', 'We All Fall Down' etc penned by Faheem Azam himself.

Gumaan Band

Gumaan is surmise and transformation of hidden sparks and energy of pulsating blood into a fathomable form- the music. A presumption of expressing the passion, glee, gloom and amalgam of instruments hoping to turn limited to limitless.

Kabeer Naqvi

Kabeer

Nabeel Qadeer

Nabeel Qadeer is the driving force behind Idea Croron Ka, Pakistan’s First Business Reality Show in Pakistan. His vision always was to promote entrepreneurship and has played a key role in establishing the startup ecosystem in Pakistan, but soon realized that without investment these startup die down. Thus, with the notion to help entrepreneurs scale their startups into large scale companies, he laid the foundation to this TV show in 2017, which acts as a platform between investors and aspiring entrepreneurs. With over twelve years of managerial experience, Nabeel Akmal Qadeer also assumed the role of Director of Entrepreneurship at Punjab Information Technology Board. His work experience encompasses multiple domains including management information systems, entrepreneurship, change management, strategy & planning, business analysis and project management. Not just this, he is also the co-founder of a business & IT consultancy firm by the name of Technopsis. With offices in two major cities of Pakistan and a client base spanning across the Middle East, Asia and United Kingdom; he has ample experience in effective strategy development, positioning a brand in new markets and managing end to end operations of an organization effectively. Nabeel as the former Director of Entrepreneurship steered all initiatives that fell in the space of technology entrepreneurship backed by the Government. Projects like Plan9 – Pakistan’s Largest Technology Incubator, PlanX – Technology Accelerator and TechHub Connect – a co-working space for freelancers, Herself – an initiative to empower women and Whizkids – an initiative to instill entrepreneurial spirit in school going students are the initiatives he took charge of under this umbrella. Nabeel has recently assumed the role of Chief Innovation Officer at Superior Group. As the CIO of the group, he has the responsibility of instilling the agenda of innovation in the education system of Superior Network- (which includes 1 university, 150+ colleges & 350+ schools). Apart from academia, his role spans across the entire media group that includes Neo television Network, Nai Baat Newspaper and Radio FM 106.6 - Entrepreneurs ki Awaaz, respectively. Last but not the least, Nabeel is also the founder of a new incubator called Innovation District 92 (ID92). Innovation District 92 will operate on a model that is new to Pakistan's entrepreneurial ecosystem & startups would get first hand access to resources of NEO TV network & FM 106.6 to market their accomplishments. Nabeel has been involved as a Project Manager with numerous SMEs across Pakistan helping them streamline and automate their business processes. He is currently the best known teacher of entrepreneurship in Lahore, teaching at multiple institutes including FAST and ITU. He is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He topped the batch at one of the best business schools in UK; Strathclyde Business School. Among his major achievements is the Young Leaders Award 2016 presented to him by the Government for his exemplary services in entrepreneurship. He is a true patriot and all his efforts are backed by his motivation to make Pakistan an economic force. He hopes to achieve this by bringing a positive impact in the entrepreneurial landscape of Pakistan.

Shaheer Niazi

Muhammad Shaheer Niazi is a 17 year old student currently in his first year of Alevels. At the age of 16 he participated in the International Young Physicists Tournament, introducing Pakistan to this prestigious event for the first time. After the competition he continued research into his problem "The Electric Honeycomb" which he then published in the Royal Society Open Science Journal. Currently He is team Leader of the first ever Pakistani Highschool team to take part in the International Genetically Engineered Machines 2018 and is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia alumni.

Shameem Akhtar

Shameem Akhtar is a dedicated development enthusiastic professional, with special interest in the field of Gender, Education, Social Mobilization, Emergency / Relief, Management and Literature. Besides doing different jobs. Shameem Akhtar is also engaged currently in research studies, with reference to rural development. In this pursuit, recently Shameem Akhtar has successfully defended her Ph.D at university of Sindh. She is fellow of Pakistan Acumen, organization which is working on social-entrepreneurship. She is also member of Individual Land (Friedrich Naumann Stiftung) Organization and participated online and offline courses of Individual land and also selected by Acumen Pakistan Fellows Program 2015 for their one year course program and had been rewarded best leader of year by Acumen at the end of fellowship. Shameem Akhtar is highly contributing in print media and literary magazines that has brought her close to the study of important social issues including gender, issues of children Rights like; malnutrition, child labor, marginalization and other core problems of the province. Shameem Akhtar has been very active in the training of teachers, children, women and other segments of society in the field of education, health, livelihood, disaster management, relation, under the banner of prestigious organizations of social service sector and in this regard she has extensively travelled through in Pakistan and out of Pakistan (Bangladesh), (Kenya) and in Sindh, especially to the costal belt, arid & semi arid areas. And now she is working as teacher in a remote area of Mirpurkhas Sindh as to empower girls.

Shazia Batool

Shazia Batool was honored by Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by Government of Pakistan. She became paralyzed by polio at the age of three but her disability couldn't enslave the artist inside her and later on she went to receive a Master's in Fine Arts. Shazia belongs to Quetta and is in a constant struggle to promote fine arts in Pakistan and encourage our new generation.