SINGAPORE – Forbes has announced its eighth annual “30 Under 30 Asia” list, featuring 300 young entrepreneurs, leaders and trailblazers across the Asia-Pacific region, all under the age of 30, including five Pakistani nationals.
These young people are effecting positive change and driving innovation amid global economic uncertainty and a challenging environment.
Shershah Hassan and Waleed Amjad
Shershah Hassan and Waleed Amjad Islam have been picked for Finance & Venture Capital category. The Forbes in their profile wrote, Hassan and Islam are cofounders of Pakistan’s Sharia-compliant buy-now-pay-later startup KalPay, which aims to reach the country’s huge Muslim population.
Launched in June 2021, KalPay has been partnering with other tech companies in Pakistan, like Foodpanda and other BNPL player Muawin, to extend its reach and provide financial access in a country where credit card penetration is less than 1% and almost 90% of transactions are done by cash. One backer of KalPay is Singapore-based Sabr Capital, which invests in Sharia-compliant ventures.
Azam Mahmood
Azam Mahmood, 29, has leveraged his talent as a storyteller to bring stories of queer people of color onto major networks–something he never saw growing up in Karachi.
Mahmood is a story editor for the reboot of drama series “Queer as Folk,” as well as working with Golden Globe-winning actor Ramy Youssef on the show he created, “Ramy.”
Mahmood says he did not initially know how to write honestly, but began telling stories that reflected his own experiences as a South Asian gay man breaking through the entertainment industry, which led him to unpack topics like male vulnerability with sensitivity and humor.
Anas Niaz
The 29-year-old in founder of Bioniks, a social enterprise that develops low-cost bionic arms. The 3D-printed prosthetics are custom-made and equipped with sensors and software that allow the user to hold objects using robotic fingers.
The devices can be updated and monitored via a cloud system. Bioniks, founded in 2016, can make arms for patients as young as 3 years. While the latest bionic arms typically cost $20,000 or more, the ones from Bioniks are a tenth of the cost.
The company also connects those who can’t afford the prosthetics with donors. Niaz holds a bachelor’s degree in mechatronics, robotics and automation from SZABIST Karachi.
Ayesha Mubarak Ali
The 26-year-old is an internationally acclaimed multimedia visual tech-artist. She fuses traditional methods and digital technology to explore themes such as identity politics, light pollution, space applications and the future of humanity.
She is the first Pakistani artist to collaborate with NASA scientists and in July 2022 her art was sent to the International Space Station through SpaceX for Maleth II.
Ali’s fusion-art practice has been featured in NFT NYC, Forbes Middle East, E27, Hello and GRAZIA. Ali also joined Metaverse Fashion Council Advisory Board in June 2022 and has been showcasing her work internationally including at Karachi Biennale and Islington Mill Gallery.
Pakistan’s Sherry Rehman, Justice Ayesha Malik make it to Forbes 50 over 50 list
