Four Pakistanis make it to Forbes

ISLAMABAD: Four Pakistani entrepreneurs became the reason of pride for the entire country as they made their way to the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ Asia list for 2022.

The business magazine features Zain Ahmed, Dur-e-Aziz Amna, Muhammad Saad and Shawana Shah, who have been selected for their contributions in the fields of e-commerce, enterprise technology and other. The entrepreneurs have featured in the categories of art and style, industry and manufacturing, media and marketing and social impact, respectively

According to Forbes, over 4,000 candidates applied to be on this year’s list, of which 300 young game-changers were recognised across numerous fields.

Zain Ahmad featured in the category of art, style, food, and drink. Muhammad Saad featured in the category of industry and manufacturing. Dur-e-Aziz Amna featured in the category of media, marketing, and advertising, while Shawana Shah made a name for herself in the category of social impact.

Zain Ahmad is a co-founder of Rastah — a Lahore-based Pakistani streetwear brand. The brand, according to Forbes, was launched in 2018 and it features “champions sustainable and artisanal designs, with items being designed, sourced and produced by local artisans in limited quantities in Pakistan.”

Rastah's clothes have been spotted being worn by Bollywood producer Karan Johar, rapper French Montana, and Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed, besides being featured in Vogue.

Dur-e-Aziz Amna is a Pakistani-born Yale graduate. Her writings are inspired by her cross-cultural experiences in South Asia and the US and her debut novel, American Fever, tells the coming-of-age story of a Pakistani Muslim girl in rural Oregon. Amna is an award-winning author who has written for Dawn, Al Jazeera, Financial Times and New York Times.

Muhammad Saad is the co-founder of BridgeLinx, a Lahore-based startup that helps manufacturers and exporters in Pakistan move goods more efficiently by connecting them with truckers and private fleets through a marketplace. It also provides technology solutions to ensure document validation, timely pickups and cargo safety.

BridgeLinx raised $10 million in the largest seed round in Pakistan, led by Harry Stebbings' 20 VC, Buckley Ventures and Indus Valley Capital in September 2020, which was just nine months after its launch.

Shawana Shah has been featured in Forbes for her social impact work on gender equality. She is the co-founder of Da Hawwa Lur — a platform that provides political, social and economic support to girls, women and transgender persons in Pakistan.

Besides this, Shah has launched several feminist movements and became the first Asian to win the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award in 2016. She later got selected to join the UN Women's Beijing+25 Youth Task Force in 2019.