By: Asad Farooq
KARACHI: The 3rd LADIESFUND Entrepreneurship Conference (LEC) 2012, featuring success stories of fabulous personalities, career and networking opportunities with a vast circle of over 600 VIPs, women entrepreneurs, male and female students, media, and a grand exhibition is going to be held on Saturday, September 15, 2012 at the Bahria Auditorium.
This was announced by the LADIESFUND chief and prominent women entrepreneurship activist, Tara Uzra Dawood in a press conference held at her office on Monday. She said that the exhibition would be the first ever ‘Student Entrepreneurship Exhibition’ in the history of Pakistan. It would include the work of deaf student entrepreneurs from the JS Academy, besides young female students who intend to become an entrepreneur.
Talking about the exhibition, Dawood said that the theme of the conference this year would be ‘Jidat Ka Safar’. Panelists for the conference would be Frieha Altaf (Catwalk), Amin Gulgee, Azmay and Samia Shahzada (Shoes), Madiha Sultan Tai & Lal Majid (Lal’s), Dr Saadia Virk Rizvi (South City Hospital), Moonis Rahman (rozee.pk) and Rabia Gareeb (CIO Pakistan).
To a question, she said that their series of conferences had been benefiting a number of people. Because of these conference, several people get employment, extend their businesses, get investments and technical support to become an entrepreneur after being inspired by the success stories of trailblazer and courageous women, who proved themselves through prolonged and steadfast struggle.
She further said that though entrepreneurship was not an easy task and required a lot of struggle and hard work, it was a gateway to women empowerment. She further said that entrepreneurship not only empowers women, but also strengthens the families, society, state and the world.Shedding light on the journey of LADIESFUND, she said that the fund was formally established in 2008 as a corporate service responsibility of the Dawood Global Foundation. Dawood said, “Now we have approximately 12,000 women and youth in our network and our motto is Inspire-Connect-Educate.
We currently have 120 local and international partners working with us and our main goal for 2013 is to hold the LADIESFUND Global Summit as we have been asked by Women’s Forum in France to help shape a similar model for Morocco. Under the fund, women’s awards, entrepreneurship conferences, women of influence luncheons, magazine, internships, scholarships, fellowships and nominations are made to other sponsoring organisations.
First Women Bank Limited President Shafqat Sultana, LADIESFUND Partner Shamain Faruque, LADIESFUND® Brand Ambassadors Pomme Gohar (Phenomena) and Zeenat Saeed Ahmed (Taneez), Begum Salma Ahmed, 2012 Spa Partner Rain Tree’s founder Lubna Lakhani and two student advisory council members Fatima Ahmed and Maheen Khan were also present in the conference.
Speaking on the occasion, they shared their views and experiences with media and in their message to female entrepreneurs and those interested in this regard they advised not to loose courage and enthusiasm incase of failure in the initial stages as mistakes were the best way to learn to be successful.It is pertinent to mention here that the tickets to LEC 2012 are available from DGF offices 111-DAWOOD (111-329663) and all LADIESFUND Brand Ambassadors in more than ten universities across Pakistan.