Meet the 21 Women Embarking on a Journey of Growth and Limitless Possibilities!
At Katalyst Labs, we firmly believe that the future is female — which is why we want to play our role in encouraging female leadership through our Women Leadership Fellows Program.
Having had two successful cohorts graduate already, we are very excited to introduce you to the next batch of career-driven female professionals and entrepreneurs, ready to take their careers to new heights!
Shaheera Rafiq
A talent acquisition specialist at Contour Software, Shaheera is a keen learner ready to begin developing her leadership qualities!
Shaheera tries to incorporate her intuitive flair into all aspects of her life. She is hoping to further hone her interpersonal skills with the help of the program.
Usra Murtaza
A wearer of many hats, Usra has been part of the content industry for over three years. She is currently working in a PR and communications role at One8nine Media.
Humanizing communication sits at the heart of Usra’s work. This has resulted in the creation of Thought Behind Things – a podcast aiming to shine a light on Pakistan’s rich history and culture. Previously, Usra has worked with Pakistan’s top content creators, acquiring hands-on experience through multiple campaigns with various agencies and advertisers.
Khoula Sohail Shafi
Khoula is a Supply Chain and Logistics Professional currently working as a Client Lead at a Global Integrated Logistics Company (A.P. Moller Maersk). Her journey over the past 8 years has garnered her experience in the sectors of Freight Forwarding, Development, & Distribution Operations.
Dynamic, focused, and steadfast, are the qualities that those closest to Khoula would use to describe her. Through Katalyst Labs’ Women Leadership Fellow Program Khoula intends to explore and refine these qualities to be the best version of herself.
Mahila Hasan
An entrepreneur by profession, Mahila runs a health tech startup called Mentree. Mentree aims to provide the best mental health therapists to South Asian millennials.
Mahila is eager to polish her skills and learn from the successful female founders whom Katalyst Labs’ WLFP will introduce her to.
Alvina Mohsin Lakhani
Alvina is a Senior Software Engineer by profession and an enthusiastic person by nature. She firmly believes women can grow in every field if given the right kinds of opportunities. Alvina is excited to be a part of this program and use this opportunity to meet other women leaders and learn from their experiences.
When not at work, Alvina can be found spending time with her family and experimenting with cooking!
Saba Talha
A mother of two, Saba Talha is currently working as QA lead in Folio 3. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Karachi University in Computer Science and a Masters in SE from MAJU. She is also a gold medalist.
Tazeen Fatima
Tazeen is an entrepreneur, currently working at Folio 3. Through Katalyst Labs’ Women Leadership Fellows Program, she aims to enhance her leadership skills and learn how to utilize her skills to best serve the community at large.
Bakht Awar Tariq
Bakht Awar is a results-driven professional with 5 years of experience in multiple disciplines around Human Resources.
Currently, Bakht Awar leads the People and Culture domain at Blutech consulting. Her experience consists of a proven track record across a diverse portfolio of sectors such as Data Consulting, Information Technology, Telecommunication, Chartered Accountancy & Business Process Outsourcing.
Hira Q Haq
Hira is an entrepreneur who runs District 19, a creative hub in Karachi that has housed over 100 events in its first year alone.
Much like the platform District 19 provides for creatives, Hira hopes to be a part of a bridge that can connect other like-minded individuals by creating bigger platforms and assisting in acceleration.
Hira looks forward to networking with the women of the program in order to create a safe space and community where they can learn from each other.
Marium Farooq
Marium is an individual who believes strongly in unravelling the whys of life and excelling at what she learns.
Head of audit at Unilever, Marium has worked there in various financial roles over the past six years. She has trained as a chartered accountant and is an ICAP gold medalist in the field of business management.
Syeda Abeera Batool
Abeera is working in an executive people engagement role at 10Pearls and is excited to challenge herself through Katalyst Labs’ Women Leadership Fellows Program.
Her goal with this program is to gain a different perspective on professional life – a world she is still attempting to navigate.
As someone who is passionate and eager to push herself to new limits, Abeera believes she has a lot to offer to this world. Ultimately, Abeera aims to be at a stage in life where her true potential as a leader is realized.
Saima Khalid
Saima is currently working in a Business Development and Partnerships role at Tintash, returning to the corporate world after a 17-year gap.
A determined individual, looking to develop both personal and professional aspects of her life, Saima is eager for the guidance she will gain from this experience.
She hopes to learn about the tech ecosystem in order to add value to her current place of employment.
Farheen Firdous Ali Lalwani
Farheen is currently working as an Occupational Health Nurse at Shell. She believes this field is essential, however, sees serious gaps when it comes to Occupational Health in broader industries.
Farheen is also a keen writer currently working on her first novel while simultaneously completing a Screen Writing course at NAPA.
Being a mid-level professional, Farheen believes that the Katalyst Labs Fellowship will enhance her professional competence.
Rida Rasheed
Rida is a Marketing and Communications professional, whose goals for Katalyst Labs’ WLFP revolve around finding her true potential.
She has worked with diverse organizations including educational institutions, marketing agencies, giant content production houses, and even a federal agency. This diversity has enabled Rida to thrive in various working environments and made her well-connected within an intellectual network of individuals.
Sana Nauman Chaudhry
CEO & Co-founder of BreatheIO, Sana is an Architect, WELL AP, and TRUE Advisor with over 10 years of experience in sustainable design. Sana believes in the power of collective intelligence, where programs such as this one serve as learning hubs for collaboration.
Sana’s empathy and resilience are core to her in both a professional and personal capacity. She believes it is essential to be passionate about one’s work and to make a difference in society.
Sadaf Altaf
Sadaf is a passionate individual eager to bring positive change and empowerment to women’s lives on a large scale.
She is the CEO and Co-founder of Superwomen.pk – a Pakistani women-led digital platform that empowers women through feminine hygiene products. Superwomen focuses on providing healthcare consultations and building a community where taboo topics can be discussed in a safe environment.
Sadaf believes that the expertise and mentorship imparted through Katalyst Labs’ WLFP can help accelerate her startup.
Hania Fazal
Hania is a digital enthusiast juggling her full-time job as a Senior Digital Marketing Executive at Hul Hub and a master’s degree in Business Analytics. Her hard work and risk-taking abilities have helped her excel in life and bring her career to fruition.
Hania believes that this is an excellent opportunity for her to gain clarity on her goals and enhance her learning.
Farah Nusrat
Farah is a Senior Software Quality Assurance Engineer currently working at Folio 3. She believes that the WLFP can play a huge role in helping her professional growth and building a strong network.
Sahar Suleman
Sahar holds a Masters in Development Studies and works as a marketing and communications professional at the Indus Hospital & Health Network. She aims to lead a fulfilling life full of adventure, meaningful experiences, and learning. Moreover, Sahar hopes to bring positive change into the world through creative expression and compassion.
Through this program, Sahar hopes to unlock her true leadership potential. Having had managerial experience, Sahar wants to further develop her skill set to progress to key strategic roles.
Kinza Anjum
Kinza’s creative flair and leadership qualities are what she has been appreciated for throughout her professional life. She loves to take up responsibility, come up with creative ideas, and share her knowledge with her peers.
However, Kinza’s imposter syndrome has been a hindrance when it comes to unlocking her true leadership potential.
Kinza feels that this program can help her become the entrepreneur she’s always dreamt of being. She also hopes to regain confidence in herself and learn to value her abilities more.
Ravissh Hasan
Ravissh is currently working as a Regional Marketing Manager at Dun & Bradstreet and has been in the industry for over 10 years.
Having mostly worked for B2B technology companies, Ravissh has previously been associated with renowned IT firms such as Systems Limited, Qordata Software Labs and SS&C Primatics Financial. She is looking forward to networking and learning from like-minded individuals through this program.
To learn more about our Women Leadership Fellows Program click here. To read more about our previous cohort of the WLFP click here!
