Karachi: Acumen Fund, a pioneering nonprofit global venture firm addressing poverty across Africa and in South Asia, held a selection conference in Karachi as part of the process to identify the inaugural class of Pakistan Fellows. In partnership with JS Bank, Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation and the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations, Acumen is working to develop the next generation of social change leaders who are building innovative businesses and strong institutions across Pakistan.
The first cohort of Acumen Fund Pakistan Fellows will include 20 individuals who are actively driving social change initiatives in Pakistan to participate in the year-long fellowship. Fellows then directly apply learnings from the fellowship to the work they are doing as social entrepreneurs and leaders within the private, NGO and government sectors.
“This new program is designed to support a new generation of Pakistani leaders who see opportunities where others see only challenges,” said Farrukh Khan, Country Director, Acumen Fund Pakistan. “It is invigorating to see the amount of interest we have received, both in number and quality of applicants from across Pakistan. We are grateful for the overwhelming support from our partners and local communities. Through this collaboration, we are broadening the community of leaders with financial skills, operational excellence and moral imagination to address pressing social and leadership issues faced by Pakistan today..”**