She’s Next Karachi Completes Six-Week Entrepreneurship Programme for 25 Women

by Sobia Ali

Pakistan’s women entrepreneurs face persistent barriers to finance, business development and digital adoption. A six-week entrepreneurship programme in Karachi has sought to address some of these challenges, with 25 women completing the latest cohort of She’s Next, a platform supported by HBL and Visa in partnership with Katalyst Labs.

The fall 2026 cohort completed its training in the last week of October. Organisers awarded certificates to the graduates at a ceremony held at Katalyst Labs, attended by representatives of HBL and Visa, programme speakers and other guests.

The programme featured six in-person sessions over six weeks, with each two-hour session designed around participants’ business needs and gap-analysis forms. Practitioners with experience in building businesses and leading organisations delivered the training.

Women Entrepreneurs Face Persistent Barriers

Women remain underrepresented in Pakistan’s entrepreneurial and formal business sectors. Figures cited in the source material indicate that women account for a small share of entrepreneurs and registered enterprises, while their participation in the labour force remains significantly below that of men.

Access to finance is another challenge. According to figures cited from a written reply by the finance minister to the National Assembly, women and women-owned businesses held 13% of total commercial loans and 9% of private-sector credit as of March 2026.

The Visa and HBL Women SMB Digitization Index also points to barriers faced by women business owners. In the cited findings, 79% reported gender bias, while 90% expressed interest in receiving payments training from a major financial institution.

Against this backdrop, She’s Next aims to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their business skills, improve operations and explore opportunities for sustainable growth.

HBL, Visa and Katalyst Labs Support Business Development

HBL and Visa run She’s Next as a platform for women entrepreneurs, with Katalyst Labs serving as the programme’s execution partner.

Katalyst Labs, a Karachi-based technology accelerator and innovation hub, was founded by Jehan Ara in 2021. Ara previously led the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) from 2007 to April 2021 and received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 2023.

HBL and Katalyst Labs established their partnership in May 2021 to deliver a cohort-based fellowship for women entrepreneurs and professionals. She’s Next Club Karachi developed from this collaboration.

The latest cohort combined practical instruction with guidance from experienced professionals across finance, marketing, people management, fundraising, sales and technology.

Six Sessions Cover Essential Business Skills

The programme began with Startup Financials, led by Naveen Ahmed, Green Finance Lead at Renewables First and a CFA charterholder. Participants explored financial statements, cash flow, pricing, costs, profitability, budgeting, forecasting, unit economics, taxation and record-keeping.

In the second week, Madiha Sultan Tai, CEO of Lals, delivered Marketing and Branding. The session covered marketing strategy, customer acquisition, digital and social media marketing, paid advertising, brand positioning, search engine optimisation, analytics and the use of artificial intelligence in marketing.

The third session focused on Team Building and People Management. Sadia Dada, a transformation executive and communications specialist, discussed recruitment, team structure, leadership, delegation, accountability, employee motivation, conflict management and flexible working arrangements.

In week four, Dr Sara Saeed Khurram, co-founder and CEO of Sehat Kahani, led Startup Pitch and Fundraising. She guided participants on developing an investment narrative, preparing pitch decks, presenting business ideas and approaching potential investors.

The fifth session, Sales Strategy and Growth Hacking, was led by Ziana Sakhia, CEO and co-founder of Bechlo.pk. Participants examined customer acquisition, go-to-market strategies, sales channels, revenue generation, conversion, customer retention, supply chains and logistics.

The programme concluded with Digital Transformation, delivered by Hanzala Raja, founder and CEO of Highfy. The session explored business process automation, digital tools, AI applications, e-commerce, customer relationship management and digital payments. Raja was the only male trainer among the six practitioners who led the sessions.

Graduation Ceremony Recognises 25 Participants

At the graduation ceremony, Abdul Azeem Qureshi, Head of Cards Product at HBL, and Issam Mohammad, Product Manager, represented HBL and Visa in presenting certificates to the graduates. Jehan Ara, founder and CEO of Katalyst Labs, also attended alongside members of the partner organisations and programme speakers.

The 25 graduates operate businesses across a range of sectors, bringing different commercial experiences and development needs to the programme.

By combining practical training with insights from established entrepreneurs and industry professionals, She’s Next Karachi seeks to equip women business owners with skills they can apply to strengthen their operations, reach customers and pursue future growth.

The completion of the fall 2026 cohort marks another step in the partnership’s efforts to support women entrepreneurs through business education, financial awareness and digital transformation.