KARACHI: Dawood Global Foundation just launched Pakistan’s first all-female incubator. The Buraq Center by LADIESFUND is a collaboration between Dawood Global Foundation, the German Consulate in Karachi and LUMS National Incubation Center (LUMS NIC), which offers a world of possibilities to women entrepreneurs and innovators. The slogan of the center is Watch Her Fly and the logo is that of a magenta pink pegasus.
[huge_it_slider id=”519″]
“It is humbling to launch today Pakistan’s first all-female incubation center, something so needed for our nation,” stated Tara Uzra Dawood, President, Dawood Global Foundation and LADIESFUND, addressing a gathering of VIPs and more than 400 women entrepreneurs or budding entrepreneurs. “Women need a safe and culturally comfortable community space that celebrates and supports their dreams, while providing solid training and scaleable techniques, all the while recognizing the pure Islamic legacy of women entrepreneurship dating back to Hazrat Khadija. We strive to create women-led unicorns for Pakistan, or in the name of our center, buraqs for our country.”
“Congratulations,” stated Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, “This Center adds value to Sindh.” The Governor spoke about possible collaborations including having The Buraq Center be a loan-center for women SMEs.
The German Cooperation supported the scaling and creation of the center and Guest of Honour at the launch was German Consul General His Excellency Eugen Wollfarth, who has been a great supporter of LADIESFUND. LADIESFUND has sponsored the international fellowships of 8 girls for travel to study in Germany.
The Buraq Center will be shortlisting and selecting its first 10 incubated by end of March. Each incubator will be trained by a curriculum provided by NIC Lahore and certified by NIC Lahore, along with Dawood Global Foundation.
The women’s co-working space is also accepting applications from interested female-led start-ups, who want to be part of a community space just for women in business.
The evening was compered by Moneeza Butt, with National Anthem performed by Nabila Bano, and a special recitation of the Prophet’s flight from the Quran by Hira Naz Imtiaz. Tours of the space we’re given, showcasing the bold, pink look that was both feminine and powerful, featuring wired incubatee desks, networking tables, soundproofed interviewing space and pink bean bags. The center is looking for a collaborator for a meeting room.
Spotted at the event which had a few hundred guests were Idris Kothari, Khalid Mirza, Ameena Saiyid, Senator Nasreen Jalil, Nazneen Tariq Khan, Moidul & Seema Hassan, Fazal Dadabhoy, Caroline Bates, Shannon Grewer, Shanaz Ramzi, Khursheed Hyder, Pervez Madraswala, and various diplomats.
