- In total, 7 Pakistanis made it to Forbers’ 30 under 30 Asia list, two of which include Aleena Nadeem and Bushra Sultan.
- Aleena Nadeem founded EduFi, a Lahore-based startup with the motto “Study Now Pay Later,” which partners with 27 Pakistani colleges to provide monthly tuition payment plans for students from paycheck-to-paycheck families.
- Bushra Sultan, a prominent Pakistani filmmaker, creative director, and production designer, is known for her bold fashion and beauty campaigns. Her notable works include “Guria,” a critique of the wedding industry’s pressures on brides, and “Chimera,” featuring headless women.
Aleena Nadeem – Founder, EduFi
Aleena Nadeem, founder of EduFi, a Lahore-based startup with the motto “Study Now Pay Later” just might be the answer to millions of Pakistani students’ prayers.
Nadeem’s concept is straightforward. She noticed that some families living paycheck-to-paycheck struggled with lump sum tuition payments at the beginning of each semester but could manage monthly payments. EduFi has partnered with 27 Pakistani colleges, a figure that has doubled in the last six months, to direct potential customers to them.
EduFi handles its credit-vetting process and pays the tuition for approved students, who then repay the loan every month while studying. Nadeem, an MIT graduate with experience interning at McKinsey and working in London for Goldman Sachs and Ventura Capital, has been passionate about educational issues since high school.
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After a successful pilot launch in 2021, EduFi began disbursing loans earlier this year. Investors were impressed: EduFi’s $6.1 million pre-seed round in November, led by Zayn VC, became the largest such round in Pakistani startup history.
Moreover, Aleena Nadeem spent her summers with Progressive Education Network, a nonprofit in Lahore that runs schools for underprivileged children.
“My EduFi is an extension of the work that I’ve been doing since I was a kid,” Nadeem says, “trying to bring education to the masses.” That’s a big need in Pakistan. According to a 2021 World Bank projection, only 13% of Pakistanis get a tertiary education.
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Bushra Sultan – Pakistani Filmmaker, Creative Director and Production Designer
“Her most prominent work is in fashion and beauty,” stated the magazine. “One campaign for Demesne Couture, titled ‘Guria,’ showcased two lavishly dressed women being manipulated like puppets by giant hands pulling strings, commenting on the country’s wedding industry and the pressures placed on brides.”
“Sultan is also renowned for her bold ‘Chimera’ campaign, which features headless women,” it added.
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In total, 7 Pakistanis made it to Forbers’ 30 under 30 Asia list, two of which include Nadeem and Sultan
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