Interview with Sana Khalid- CEO of Minerva

I interviewed many people from Pakistan to encourage Entrepreneurship, Literature and Art. Starting from today, I'll be posting interviews every week. If you know someone who has done exceptional work in Pakistan or in any country and deserves to be noticed, Please email at irumzahraofficial@gmail.com and we will get back to you.

Here we go, First interview is of Sana Khalid, a renowned Pakistani Business woman. I have known her for over 3 years and The projects she has done and the work she is doing is beyond exceptional. Here is what she had to say:

So tell me, 

• How would you define ‘Minerva’?

Minerva is a social enterprise that offers a flexible, creative community space for learning, networking and entertainment.

• How big is your team?

The only permanent member of my team is me. All other team members come for a 4-month period during which I train them, groom them and then let them find their way up the professional ladder.

• When you started your journey, did you expect Minerva to come this far?

I actually expected a much different outcome but Minerva has evolved in more ways than I could imagine. The direction I had planned at the start was much different so it is hard to really quantify. If I was to be brutally honest with myself, I expected much better.

• Which was more rewarding: making your startup a success, or being able to continue keeping it successful?

The entire journey is equally rewarding – one’s business venture is like their baby, every little step counts.

• And how much did your family contributed in this time?

I think I can attribute more than half the success to my family without a shred of doubt – they have contributed in every way possible – they’ve pulled me up every time I fell; never for a minute have they doubted me even when I wasn’t doing very well and I can never repay them back for all the support. And when I talk about family, I am not just talking about my siblings and biological parents but my husband and in-laws too. Can’t thank God enough for blessing me with the most amazing people.

• How do you conquer those moments of doubt that so often stifle or trip or stop so many entrepreneurs with great ideas...what pushes you through?

I believe no success comes easy and so I’ve had my ups and downs. There have definitely been times when I’ve wanted to move back to Dubai and never come back but my biggest strength, which frankly comes naturally to me without any effort, is my ability to find opportunity and hope in the bleakest of times. It probably also has to do with how I was raised. I have always come out much stronger and do much better after my lowest dips.

• Can you list some of the most exceptional things Minerva has done?

Minerva has hosted thousands of individuals in these 4 years. It has helped some become excellent photographers. Others associated with Minerva led on to running successful ventures of their own. Most significantly, Minerva has shaped a community of very strong, creative professionals and entrepreneurs who have the potential to be future leaders and impact makers.

• If you could time travel back to day one of your startup and have 15 minutes with your former self to communicate any lessons you've acquired with the intention of saving yourself mistakes and heart ache, what would you tell yourself?

It would have to be two things:

1. Learning to network and build relationships even before launching
2. Spending money more wisely

• Other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
  
  I would love to answer that once I reach my definition of success. But if an answer is truly necessary at this point, I think it is probably the decision to keeping the venture small and personal despite options for funding. The family-like feel has always made us a lot of people’s first choice.
• What was unexpected?

Oh Lord – everything. A lot of good things; a lot of bad things came unexpectedly. Friends backed out on commitments, opportunities popped out of nowhere. Expectations from the market turned out completely untrue.

• Which opportunities should you have followed; what pitfalls would you have avoided?

I don’t think there is any – or I probably didn’t know an opportunity existed. Because when there is an opportunity, I don’t let it go as long as it is in compliance with my underlying philosophy, values and vision.

• Which organizations are inspiring to you?

It may come as a surprise but I avoid reading too much about what other people or organisations are doing. So while a brief idea of the market is definitely important, I feel too much information limits one’s imagination and makes it difficult to think beyond. It also influences your timelines, speed, thought process. So, I take my inspiration from problems around me instead because if a problem persists, a solution must exist too.  

• What projects does Minerva have for this year?

Lots of them but I’d like to talk about projects only once they have materialized.

• Are you satisfied with what you’ve accomplished so far?

Not at all. Definitely not.

• Where do you see Minerva in the next 3 years?

Changing and touching far more lives than it has in the past 4 years.

• If you could meet one entrepreneur from the whole world, who would it be and why?

Com Mirza – From a lemonade stand to a billionaire – he must be doing something right.

• How much has Minerva changed you?

Oh man, it has changed me in more ways than I thought anything could. It has definitely taught me patience, particularly in terms of dealing with people, accepting their ideas and beliefs.

It has also made me fully accept competition. I am a very competitive person and for very long I have hated competition. Now, I take it as a given. I have come to accept that if I fail or if someone does better, I can’t blame anyone but myself and must work to improve.

• What message would you like to give to the future entrepreneurs?

Most entrepreneurs feel very passionately about their product, service or venture. This passion soon turns into an obsession and we so closely attach ourselves to it that it clouds our judgement. A better approach is to attach yourself to the problem you are solving or the people your product or service is solving a problem for, rather than the solution you have in mind.

• Please list Minerva’s social media links.

www.facebook.com/minervites

www.minervites.org

www.twitter.com/minervites

Here are a few events and workshops  Minerva Organized. You can see the rest of the details from their Facebook Page given below.

Google developers meeting

Filmmaking workshop

ludo Tournament

Visit to oldage home

wordpress 101

Thank you! Sana For this lovely chance.

Sana Khalid For Beyond Sanity Publishing

Interview with *The Alternative Artist* : Adnan Ali

We promised to bring light to our Talented Pakistani gems and here is the first piece of a giant Puzzle. Adnan Ali is a 28 Years old Picasso with skills from Karachi. He is one of a kind. Let's see his deepest inspirations.

So Adnan, What’s integral to the work of an artist?

I consider an artist’s work is a direct result of what drives them, of what the artist truly values and how they sees value in the creation around them. As Erwin McManus beautifully says in his book The Artisan Soul, “Art is an interpretation of life. Art is an expression of our emotions; art is an interpretation of our experiences; art in its highest form is a mirror of life. Thus, for me, what we hold in our heads, we try to portray that on the screen. It's basically achieving what our imagination and how we fulfill that gap between the head and the screen. How perfectly we achieve to catch or make other to see through that mirror.

What role does the artist have in society?

 Learn to create peace and harmony. Art piece is simply not for entertainment it is also to broaden the perspective of life’s viewer.

 How has your practice change over time?

Yes, my practice has altered over time. Many flaws and weakness are recovered now. I see my today’s art work more detailed and more substantial than the previous work. Gradually we start shaping up in whatever we are practicing.

What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?

Haha..!! There are lots of but I remember the one clearly me and my younger sister use to watch wrestling, one day we plan to try it out at home so we climb up to the closet and jump from it to the mattress and I guess what we forgot it got springs in it, ha-ha you can imagine what had happened we both bounced, my sister bounced on the floor and I was stuck with the wall.

Who’s your favorite artist?

My favorite artists and inspiration is my master by whom I learned a lot and keep on learning is Saad Irfan, he is the most gifted person I come across his art and knowledge about is like a deep sea, Anas Riasat, Jibran Nasir, Shahan zaidi whose work are really my favorite and internationally I just love Dave Rapoza his work is marvelous he's my biggest inspiration.

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

Well, yes whenever we meet people some left their imprints on our mind and some of them we hardly remember, teachers are the assets of a nation whose work is worth appreciating they unleashed our generation with the knowledge. I have seen my elder teaching and transferring whatever the artistic creation and knowledge they have to the coming generation which really inspires me and I also want to share my knowledge with the world whatever I have learned.

Why art?

Art develops a willingness to explore what has not existed before. Art is the definition of what is hidden in our head. Through art one can show what he/she just can't define.

What is an artistic outlook on life?

  We are connected to each other with some mean. Everything is like little parts of a machine/cell working together to a destination. We are incomplete if any of the characters is missing. We are completing each other without recognizing it.

What do you like about your work?

 In my work I usually try to make things the way I assume them, making each of them with a different perspective that's what I like about my work. Trying out something fresh, each time.

Should art be funded, explain with reference to Pakistan.

Art defines culture, without culture no society exists. Each land has its own some heritage of art which depicts culture. We discover and transfer art generation to generation for which it requires funding. Art suffers in Pakistani society due to lack of knowledge and less investment. Then it definitely requires funding.

What superpower would you have and why?

Flash's superpower, To make my family, acquaintances and clients happy I have to manage time for that purpose.

Name something you love, and why. Name something you don’t love, and why.

I love to learn new things which enhance my knowledge; I always try new things as it gives me new ideas and ways. I don't appreciate the mentality that expensive gadget/ tools do wonders, no, that's your potential which does wonders nothing else.

 What is your dream project?

Yes my dream is to work on a project with the team of “Steambot” studio.

Where are you finding ideas for your work these days?

 Now days I take ideas and inspiration from movies and games and also from my favorite artists.

What's the first artwork you ever sold? LOL..!! In childhood I use to watch one TV show “Beavis and Butt head” so I use to draw its cartoon. One of my cousin also use to like that show when he saw that cartoon he asked me, I said “NO” then he said give it in 15 Rupees. I made the deal and that was my first artwork I ever sold. Ha-ha.

Thank you so much Adnan, We hope to see so much more of your work in the future!

Here are a few:

My Personal Favorite: Marilyn Manson

Adnan Ali for Beyond Sanity Publishing

Psychaotic Review By Colin Andersen

Colin Andersen rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this enticing debut collection, Irum Zahra gives us lyrical poems that seem to evolve straight from the heart. In her writing Irum talks about life, love and the hurt that accompanies human beings, and the anguishes a young woman often has to endure while traveling through life. The writings offered in the collection are evidence of the author's poetic strength and depth of expression.

Almost all the poems are enjoyable and it's hard to resist quoting lines that are examples of splendid poetry, like the ones below:

I speak, I cry, I read, I write,
I like, I hate, I scar, I bleed,
I drown, I feel, I run, I sing,
I say, I yell, I make, I break
"Psychaotic: See The World In Red" is sprinkled with many other gems like the above. Once you complete the book you realize Irum Zahra is a writer capable of delivering poetry which is passionate but does not disintegrate in cheap sentimentality. I highly recommend the collection, it's a must read for poetry lovers.

Friends to Keep

I read a quote a few days before: You meet a lot of temporary people from the age of 18-22. And I kept wondering about all the people I have interacted with, all the people I left, I moved on from etc. 

Is it true? Do people and their shadows walk away from us over the years?

There are people who always stay by our side and then there are people who tend to distance themselves from you because what? you're 'Flawed' or have 'Issues' they can't put up with. These are the people who represent the temporary people in your life.

I say pull them out. They are weeds. Weeds in your life. Keep friends who stay by you no matter what, who love you for the big screw up you are and who listen, while others disappear.

This Holiday season, call your friends who love you for who you are.

Leave the friends who don't.

Cheers!

Writer's Block

Everyday I wonder if I'll write...And if I'll write good enough. These thoughts make me go over and over the things I have already written and even, sometimes, makes me doubt myself.
Evolution in writing is a necessary entity. If one day you're writing about love and the next day about how to survive without that love, I think you're doing good.
There must be something new, but indirectly related to the history words.
These days, I'm stuck in words because I am overwhelmed by all things around me. It can be laziness too, for the love of winters. But mostly it's too much of everything.
If you're having the same experience, take a day off. If you can't, take an hour off.
Have a big cup of latte or a bowl of soup (Because winters)
This too, shall pass.

Psychaotic: See The World In Red And Black

Psychaotic Book Launch in Lahore

Literature is the essence of civilization in a society and striving to get literature the importance it deserves is exactly what people at 'Daastan' are doing. 'Daastan - A Literary Forum' held its brand launch in the city of Lahore at Arfa Kareem Technology Park on April 16, 2015. The event, in itself, was an inspiring experience for the 50+ young literary enthusiasts present there.

 The show started with Syeda Aisha Ameer, co-founder of Daastan, welcoming the guests followed by a video displaying the journey of Daastan so far. The video had been prepared by Abdul Wahab from Revolution Flame: an NGO. Once the guests had witnessed Daastan's accomplishments in its short journey, Daastan's young founder, Ommar Amer came forward to share his views. He emphasized upon the crucial status of literature from every dimension and explained how 'writing' is way more significant than the credit people of Pakistan happen to give it. He also shared his beliefs about how Daastan aims to fill the gap and that his brand would soon be the center of international attention for the quality writers it would produce.

Interests further heightened when young speakers from various literary backgrounds were given a chance on the stage. These included Mughees Anwar: founding member of AniMAG, the first ever anime magazine of Pakistan; Hassan Siddiqui: Pakistan's first comic book writer; Ghalib Khalil: founder of Rescue Pakistan Youth Forum with its applaudable projects for the country including the magnificent Project Azaad Pakistan and Rutaba Yaqoob: the emerging singer/songwriter who has been a part of Nescafe Basement. The author Irum Zahra was there who is our country's first Free Verse Gothic Poet and there she launched a poetic masterpiece named 'Psychaotic: See The World In Black And Red' which promises a strict reality check! She talked to the media and also distributed signed copies of her book among her readers.

The event's closing ceremony came last with Sarah Tariq Gilani, the assistant manager of Plan 9, distributing awards and shields to partners of Dastaan including its media partners which were SBN, Da Artist, Radio FM 89 and Express News.

 The mere fact that they were all young people there achieving all these milestones was a wake up call for people who somehow still don't believe in our youth. Pakistan's literature industry has done its rightful share of waiting and now it deserves a sincere effort towards the fulfilment of Daastan's aims.

Credits: Noor.ul.Ain from Beyond Sanity Publishing

AGAHI Awards 2015

ISLAMABAD: As many as 30 media persons and civil society representatives were given Agahi awards at a ceremony held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Saturday.

The third annual Agahi award distribution ceremony was jointly organised by NGOs, Agahi and Mishal.

Speaking on the occasion, the moderator of the event, Shamoon Hashmi, said since 1947 as many as 90 journalists had sacrificed their lives for the truth. On his request, a one-minute silence was observed in memory of the journalists who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Waleed Tariq of Newsline was given the award in the category of business and economy, Allah Bux from Umerkot in the category of water and food security and Sohail Yousuf from daily Dawn in the category of innovation.

In the category of corporate social responsibility, Imran Malik of PTV got the award. In foreign policy category, the award was bagged by Mubarak Zeb Khan of daily Dawn while Almas Naqvi of daily Dunya got the award in the category of democratic values.

Zahir Shah from Al Jazeera was awarded in the category of extremism and terrorism. Amber Rahim Shamsi of BBC Urdu got the award in the category of law and order. Umer Bin Ajmal from Dawn was awarded in the category of infotainment, Mureeb Mohmand of Express Tribune in the category of human rights and Mansoor Malik from Dawn won the award in the category of curriculum reforms.

Zahid Gishkori of Express Tribune was awarded in the category of sexual and reproductive health, Riaz Sohail from BBC Urdu in the field of interfaith, Lala Hassan of Dunya TV in the category of journalist safety and Mohammad Atif Sheikh from Express in the category of youth empowerment.

Nadeem Malik of Samaa TV was awarded as the most credible television anchor.

In the category of people’s choice, Mubasher Lucman of ARY was awarded as the most popular male anchor, Meher Bukhari of DawnNews as the most popular female anchor and Geo as the most popular TV channel.

Saleemur Rehman from Tribal Union of Journalists and Irfan Haider were awarded in the anti-corruption category. Naqeebullah Tareen was given the award in the category of sports, Anila Ashraf in the field of judiciary, Saba Aitzaz for his story on children dying in Thar, Khalid Khattak from The News in the field of education and Sehrish Wasif of Express Tribune was awarded in the field of out-of-school children.

Amir Zia of Newsline was awarded as the investigative journalist of the year. Moreover, Syed Babar Ali, Sultan Dogar, Fayaz Ahmed and Abdul Shakoor were also given awards in different categories.

Riaz Ahmed from Bunyad was awarded in the category of development, Musarat Misbah for providing refuge and treatment to women affected by acid attacks and Baela Raza Jamil from Idara Taleem-o-Aagahi in the category of development.

Yasir Khan, a youth from Khyber Agency, played Rubab in memory of the children killed in the terror attack on the Army Public School Peshawar.

All the participants stood up when Master Ayub was called to the stage to give away some of the awards.

Master Ayub, a civil defense official by profession, has been teaching children of slums in a park at Sector F-6 for the last 28 years.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

Original Article: http://www.dawn.com/news/1178252/30-journalists-civil-society-representatives-given-agahi-awards

James Hannibal rated it 5 of 5 stars

 

Psychaotic is a collection of predominantly dark poetry from a gifted writer. Irum Zahra creates exquisite imagery with an economy of words. With her melancholy tone — at times almost suicidal and at others overtly homicidal, usually in stream of consciousness style — her work is reminiscent of Edward Young of the eighteenth century Gothic poets. If Zahra’s work does not tug at the empathetic strings of your heart, you may have no heart at all. Five stars.

Review of Psychaotic By Vetle Sivertsen

Vetle Sivertsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Psychaotic is a collection of beautiful poems, which, although many of them are dark, they make you feel optimistic after you've read them (possibly with the exception of "Adept of A murder" - which was more scary than dark). Reason for that, I think, is that the poems manage to put words on feelings which all of us have felt at least one time. It puts shows us the feelings we have about facing the world with words. There's obviously a lot of giving from the author's side and I don't think these poems could have been written without some personal sacrifice - something that I as a reader appreciates. Even if you don't like dark poetry, my three favorite poems in the collection; "Peace to my storm", "A violin's love", and "Turn back time", will surely make you glad you took the time to read this book.

Alexandra Engellmann rated it 5 of 5 stars

"I wonder
If those talks matter
Few done in the clarity of day
Or the many
Done at 3 a.m. in the morning"

It's not often that I find someone who can express in words exactly what I've felt at some points of my life. "Psychaotic" isn't just a collection of poems - it's a collection of feelings, thoughts, emotions, illusions, and realities. It's complex and at the same time clear, and I believe, anyone could see their reflection between the lines of these poems. It didn't matter to me that they were dark; I like realism, and I like reading about raw feelings and see vulnerability mix with strength. If you like poetry, if you have ever been depressed and felt something so deep and dark you had trouble defining it - I think you'll find this book thought-provoking and refreshing. Recommended to all poetry readers.