Telenor Velocity’s DuckStories is back with a bang!
After the success of last year’s sessions featuring industry experts and leaders, Telenor Pakistan has brought back DuckStories, allowing audiences to hear about seasoned entrepreneurs’ experiences in empowerment. The first episode featured entrepreneurs talking about breaking barriers and stereotypes within the startup space.
DuckStories is an event series where entrepreneurs share their stories of challenges and obstacles with participants through their early experiences and provide a blueprint for finding success. Through DuckStories, Telenor Velocity aims to create the perfect recipe for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from experience.
During the pandemic, DuckStories provided a platform for young aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from industry experts. Some of the most successful DuckStories sessions ranged from personal stories to challenges in doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the number of COVID-19 cases declining, the first physical session of DuckStories ‘Breaking and Challenging the Bias in the Startup Ecosystem’ was organized earlier in March in collaboration with Daftarkhwan Telenor Pakistan’s community partner.
The panel included Dr. Zunaira Saqib, Founder of Merafuture. pk, Fasieh Mehta, Business Operations Lead, Quixel Pakistan, and Madiha Pervez, Head Corporate Innovation, Telenor Pakistan.
The panelists spoke about their entrepreneurial journeys and experiences regarding bias and challenges against women in the startup ecosystem. The session also shed light on the guests’ experiences in building capacities and growing proactively as women in the startup ecosystem.
Fasieh Mehta spoke about the challenges mothers face in balancing home and work life and the importance of daycares within the workplace. He also shared his experience in achieving the same.
Dr. Zunaira spoke of the challenges she faced in setting up Merafuture.pk, Pakistan’s first AI-based career counseling platform. Her journey as an entrepreneur was demanding as she was also working full-time at a university. Dr. Zunaira also shared that it is critical for young entrepreneurs, especially women, not to burn their boats in their entrepreneurial journey, since not all may have that ‘luxury’.
When it comes to thinking outside the box and breaking bounds, Madiha Pervez spoke of resilience and discipline in achieving dreams. She talked about the importance of getting back up after falling to build resilience and break barriers.
The session once again proved to be a fantastic opportunity to change advocacy narratives and ended with a 15-minute Q&A session on the policy challenges of the startup ecosystem.
Telenor Velocity’s startup from the 7th cohort, DeafTawk volunteered to complete the sign-language interpretation for the entire session.
