Five Pakistanis, startup make it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list

Five Pakistanis and a local startup have been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2019 list.

Forbes said 300 "entrepreneurs and game-changers, representing 23 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region" were chosen who stood out for the right reasons. "From innovating in technology and disrupting age-old industries to demonstrating immense talent and dominating the world stage (cue in Naomi Osaka), this group of young stars shines in more ways than one," the magazine said.

Here are the Pakistanis who made it to the list:

Ahmed Rauf Essa

Ahmed Rauf Essa co-founded Telemart, which Forbes describes as "one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Pakistan, while in business school at the age of 23".

"Outside of B2C, the company also has an extensive wholesale channel which caters to more than 500 dealers online, and is an end-to-end solutions provider for major firms such as P&G, Lucky Cement and Ufone," it said.

Karishma Ali

Karishma Ali, who hails from Chitral, "is the first girl from her hometown to have played football at a national and international level", according to Forbes. She has represented Pakistan at the Jubilee Games in Dubai, and her team was the first women's team from Pakistan to participate in the AFL International Cup. Ali is also the founder of the Chitral Women's Sports Club.

Laila Kasuri

Laila Kasuri is currently a water analyst with Global Green Growth Investment's Policy Solutions Division and has led research at organizations such as the World Bank, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences on climate-smart irrigation, flood risk reduction, and river basin planning.

"As climate change takes its toll on the developing word, water specialists like Laila Kasuri are becoming increasingly important in taking a preventative approach to sustainability," Forbes noted.

Zainab Bibi

Zainab Bibi established the Pakistan Society for Green Energy in 2013 to develop new methods of renewable energy. 

Since its founding, the company has successfully developed a bio-fuel from waste tissue paper, and introduced Camelina Sativa, a drought-resistant plant that can be made into bio-diesel, Forbes stated.

In 2016, Bibi was honoured with a Queen's Young Leaders Award for her success in creating public support in Pakistan for environmentally friendly initiatives.

Zain Ashraf Mughal

Zain Ashraf is the founder of Seed Out, Pakistan's first crowdfunding platform that works to end poverty by establishing entrepreneurs with interest-free micro financing. 

Donors can choose to donate or lend to projects listed on the nonprofit's website and can track progress along the way. When repayment is made, the organization helps to reinvest the sum into other projects. According to the company, Seed Out has a 97% repayment rate and has helped 538 locals raise funding. 

In 2018, Ashraf won the Commonwealth Youth Award for his efforts in development work.

Roshni Rides

Roshni Rides is a women's friendly carpooling platform for commuters based in Pakistan and founded by Hanaa Lakhani, Hasan Usmani,Gia Farooqi and Moneeb Mian. 

The four Rutgers classmates wanted to provide a reliable transportation service for refugees, and their company arranges affordable rickshaw rides along designated routes between a refugee camp and common destinations such as markets and hospitals, Forbes said. The idea helped Roshni Rides win the $1 million Hult Prize in 2017, and the team are now focused on working with companies to provide safe rides for female employees in the country.