SHE LOVES TECH by CIRCLE: Increasing Visibility For Women Techpreneurs!

CIRCLE, Pakistan, co-founded by Sadaffe Abid, seeks to promote economic participation for women through various entrepreneurial platforms. Following a short stint in the development industry, Sadaffe Abid joined Kashf Foundation which made her realise the tenacity and potential of an average Pakistani woman. Prior to introducing the latest SHE LOVES TECH initiative this year in an effort to increase visibility for women interested in technology, CIRCLE was responsible for arranging important events such as ‘Momentum-17’, leadership capacity building for women, social innovation and research and advocacy.





The She Loves Tech global startup competition has been introduced to Pakistan this year by CIRCLE.' It took place in eight countries including Indonesia, Canada, Germany and Singapore. The program intends to encourage women in technology and entrepreneurship for Pakistan’s progression and prosperity. CIRCLE’s recent SHE LOVES TECH ‘Demo Day’ event took place on Thursday, July 13th, 2017 at the NEST I/O and was attended by big names in the tech world; ex CEO IBM Humayun Bashir, Raza Matin (Google) and Samara Faisal (product and growth professional in TMT industries.)





The core objective of SHE LOVES TECH ‘Demo Day’ was mentoring pitching strategies, business and entrepreneurial skills. Additionally, Raza Matin’s use of humor while discussing different pitches was a fun learning experience for many contenders; he discussed three pitch types - the elevator pitch, long form pitch and demo day pitch which was emphasised on the most. On the importance of initiatives such as SHE LOVES TECH, CEO and co-founder of CIRCLE Sadaffe Abid said, “I am personally very excited about the possibilities that technology presents to Pakistan’s increasingly ambitious female population.”



Furthermore, expert tips were provided on improving entrepreneurial skills followed by the announcement of eleven finalists led by Sadaffe Abid at the very end. SheKab, Qayyam, ELN, Trash It, Mera Paisa, Kafayak, DoctHERS, IoTA, Aurat Raj, Community Innovation Hub and Edvon were the finalists in the competition and are set to compete in CIRCLE’s follow up SHE LOVES TECH event scheduled on Saturday, August 19th, 2017 from 3PM till 5:30PM at JS Auditorium, IBA City Campus. The four finalists will receive expert mentorship and financial support by the very best in the tech world while the winner will visit Beijing, China to compete against teams from Singapore, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Canada.