CaterpillHERs

Our impact report is live! 2024 was a year of empowering women, creating opportunities, and driving real change. From mentorship to skill-building, we helped women step into their full potential. Discover the impact we created. United States Institute of Peace | Enchanté | Rahnuma | Invest2Innovate (i2i) | Arbisoft | WomenInTechPK | UN Women | Aurora Tech Award | Accountability Lab Pakistan Hira S. | Faiza Yousuf | Arooma N. | Huma I. | Mahum Hamza | Mukti Prem Chand #BreakingBarriers #WomenEmpowerment #CaterpillHERs #Impact2024

Stepping Into Leadership: Lessons from Farah Ali Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about action. Over the past few years, I’ve been building Gift Footprints, navigating the challenges of growth, strategy, and decision-making. But stepping into leadership is an ongoing journey, and I recently had the opportunity to learn from one of the best. Being part of CaterpillHERs's "How to Step Into Leadership" by Farah Ali, a seasoned tech leader with experience at Microsoft, eBay and Electronic Arts (EA) was an eye-opener. Some key takeaways that deeply resonated with me: ?? Leadership is learned on the job—no one starts as an expert. ?? Confidence comes with clarity—when you articulate your thoughts well, it strengthens your ability to lead. ?? Best leaders stay in the trenches—they continue doing the work while guiding others. ?? Planning is key—intentional leaders make time to plan and execute effectively. ?? Mentorship matters—surrounding yourself with the right mentors accelerates growth. This session reinforced that leadership is about showing up, taking ownership, and being willing to do the hard work. Grateful to Faiza Yousuf and Hira S. for organising this and for the insights and looking forward to applying them as I continue scaling Gift Footprints. #Leadership #Growth #Learning #Mentorship #GiftFootprints #FarahAli

How do you get your seat at the table? Reflections from CaterpillHERs IWD2025 Webinar with Farah Ali. - Learning to speak up and advocate for yourself is a really important skill. Take time to frame your ideas and plan your conversations so that you have confidence and clarity in your work, ideas, and abilities. Lean into the discomfort and practice your pitching skills and public speaking.? - Don’t downplay your achievements. Experiment, learn, and document your progress. Be really good at what you do and have the receipts to show it. The credibility you build will keep the imposter syndrome away.? - People usually mirror behaviors, be it kindness, support, or authenticity. Become who you think/say you are.?? - Find allies within and outside your organization and build authentic relationships with them. Don't try to do this in a desperate need. Invest in relationships and bring mutual respect and value to them. People are generally kind and generous, but if they can't accommodate your request, remind yourself that everyone has a life to live, and we should always assume good intentions. Also, create a personal board of advisors to guide you through life. - Difficult conversations will stay difficult and will hardly ever become easy. Don’t get into one without preparation. Have a problem-solving mindset instead of making it a barrier for yourself. Giving and receiving feedback is a gift. We should offer it with empathy and kindness and accept it with grace and gratitude. Feedback shouldn’t be a surprise; it should be timely, periodic, authentic, and actionable.? - Practice leadership in a low-risk environment. Volunteerism/community work is an excellent way to polish your skills. You can learn all about doing something by watching videos, taking a course, and reading all the relevant books, but the only way you really learn is by doing it, be it sports, cooking, building an app, or becoming a leader.? - Prioritize data/facts over feelings. But instead of pushing your feelings to the side, step back, understand your feelings, and process them. This will help you get into a better mindset for rational decision-making.? - If you don’t know what you want, follow your envy.? - If a comment or conversation hurts or triggers you, see it as an opportunity to explore and understand yourself better. - Put in the work, especially early in your career, to master all the foundational skills/stuff. Be the best in your field. Learn to be intentional with your time and efforts, and make sure you plan your growth and follow through. Leadership is a journey and not a destination, and the only way to become a better leader is to genuinely care about the people you work with and the value your work generates. If you want to participate in these conversations, reach out! We love hearing diverse perspectives and learning to do/be better! Hira S. Arooma N. Mahum Hamza Huma I. Farah R. Kashish F. Huma H.

Prioritising women's healthcare is prioritising a healthier, stronger future for all. Get mentorship, funding access, networking, and hybrid incubation to scale your impact through Femtech Innovation Hub for Pakistan. Open to startups at any stage and founders of all genders, all across Pakistan. Watch the video to learn more about our focus areas. Deadline: March 30, 2025 Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/djvm2cmu Zia Imran, Syed Ali Usman Gardezi, Salwa Akhtar, Hira Yousaf, LCE - LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship, INNOVentures Global Private Limited, PITB Incubation Wing, LMKT, Ahmad Junaid, Cynia Ejaz, Farah N. Samuel, Telenor, Faiza Yousuf, CaterpillHERs, Urooj Zia, Faizan Laghari, Startup Syndicate, Nida Athar, WomenInTechPK , Ignite - National Technology Fund

At Femtech Innovation Hub Pakistan, we’re looking for startups working in menstrual health, maternal health, mental health, chronic diseases, digital health, AI, and more. The program will empower startups developing impactful health solutions for underserved communities by providing them with the essential resources to scale and succeed. Selected startups will receive: ? Expert mentorship from industry leaders ? Investor access and funding opportunities ? Specialized healthtech curriculum and capacity-building workshops ? Market linkages and networking with key stakeholders ? Office space at LCE for collaboration and growth ? Hybrid incubation and acceleration with both online and in-person support ? Data-driven insights and impact assessment ? Access to CERP’s Global Research Fellows network Your ideas can change lives. Application Deadline: March 30, 2025 Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/djvm2cmu Zia Imran, Syed Ali Usman Gardezi, Salwa Akhtar, Hira Yousaf, LCE - LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship, INNOVentures Global Private Limited, PITB Incubation Wing, LMKT, Ahmad Junaid, Cynia Ejaz, Farah N. Samuel, Telenor, Faiza Yousuf, CaterpillHERs, Urooj Zia, Faizan Laghari, Startup Syndicate, Nida Athar

At Femtech Innovation Hub Pakistan, we’re looking for startups working in menstrual health, maternal health, mental health, chronic diseases, digital health, AI, and more. The program will empower startups developing impactful health solutions for underserved communities by providing them with the essential resources to scale and succeed. Selected startups will receive: ? Expert mentorship from industry leaders ? Investor access and funding opportunities ? Specialized healthtech curriculum and capacity-building workshops ? Market linkages and networking with key stakeholders ? Office space at LCE for collaboration and growth ? Hybrid incubation and acceleration with both online and in-person support ? Data-driven insights and impact assessment ? Access to CERP’s Global Research Fellows network Your ideas can change lives. Application Deadline: March 30, 2025 Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/djvm2cmu Zia Imran, Syed Ali Usman Gardezi, Salwa Akhtar, Hira Yousaf, LCE - LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship, INNOVentures Global Private Limited, PITB Incubation Wing, LMKT, Ahmad Junaid, Cynia Ejaz, Farah N. Samuel, Telenor, Faiza Yousuf, CaterpillHERs, Urooj Zia, Faizan Laghari, Startup Syndicate, Nida Athar

What if the only thing standing between you and leadership was self-doubt? Too often, we wait for the "perfect moment"—the perfect skills, the perfect title, the perfect confidence. But leadership isn’t about waiting. It’s about stepping up, owning your voice, and influencing from where you are. Join Faiza Yousuf & Farah Ali for an exclusive IWD webinar designed to help you: ? Overcome imposter syndrome ? Build executive presence & influence ? Lead with confidence—regardless of your title ?? 17th March | 8:30 PM PKT | Zoom ?? Register now: https://lnkd.in/dDiju6Cu Tag a woman who should be in this conversation! ???? #AccelerateAction #IWD2025 #WomenInLeadership #ConfidenceMatters #LeadWithImpact

In collaboration with Pakistani Women in Computing (PWiC), we bring a special International Women’s Day (IWD) event! An empowering webinar designed to help you overcome ????????-??????????, ?????????? ??????????????????, ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????—regardless of your title. Through real-world insights and practical strategies, we’ll explore how to own your expertise, communicate with conviction, and lead from any position. Join Faiza Yousuf and Farah Ali as they share their experiences, insights, and actionable strategies to help you step into leadership roles with clarity and confidence. ?????????? ??????????????: ?? Date: 17th March 2025 ?? Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM PKT ?? Platform: Zoom Register here: https://lnkd.in/dDiju6Cu ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????: ?? A safe space to connect with like-minded women navigating leadership and career growth. ?? Actionable strategies to combat imposter syndrome and build executive presence. ?? Insights from experienced professionals on influencing and leading from any role. Let’s break barriers, take charge, and accelerate action, together. ? Limited spots available! Secure your seat today! Upon registration, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link. #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction #internationalwomenday #WomenInLeadership #LeadWithConfidence #CareerGrowth #CaterpillHERs #PWiC #LeadershipDevelopment #WomenInTech

Meet the distinguished #judges for?Day 2?of #NICKarachi’s #Cohort13 Inductions. We are excited to welcome another powerhouse panel of visionaries renowned for their expertise in?entrepreneurship, gender inclusion, SME development, strategic communication and corporate innovation. Their diverse perspectives will inspire and challenge our Cohort 13 innovators to think boldly and act purposefully. Joining us on day 2 are Mukesh Kumar Provincial Chief, Sindh at SMEDA Karachi, Asad Abdulla, Executive Director of Genesis Holdings Pvt. Limited, Ambreen Asif Qureshi, Vice President of IntellAct Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Faiza Yousuf, founder and CPO of CaterpillHERs and Babar Khan Javed (???? ??? ?????), Cheif Communications Officer at Z2C . With their leadership, we look forward to unlocking new horizons for Pakistan’s entrepreneurial landscape. #NICKarachi #Cohort13 #JudgingPanel #InnovationLeaders #GenderInclusion #SMEChampions #CreatingBiggerStories

This Women’s Day, we’re not just celebrating—we’re challenging, pushing, and accelerating action. Progress isn’t just about big policies; it’s in everyday choices. It’s in calling out bias, making space for women to lead, and demanding real change. It’s in ensuring opportunities aren’t just available but accessible. Because a world that empowers women moves forward, faster, stronger, and better for everyone. Let’s make it happen. Faiza Yousuf | Arooma N. | Mahum Hamza | Huma I. #AccelerateAction #IWD2025 #CaterpillHERs