Bangladesh Women Investors Network - BWIN

We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our first member to join BAN in 2024, Talvia Khan!
Talvia Khan is a senior commercial underwriter with 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. Adept at assessing and analyzing complex commercial risks across diverse industries, demonstrating a proven track record of making sound underwriting decisions to mitigate risk and drive profitability. In the last few years, she has been most focused driving company objectives through business development and portfolio optimization.

She started her career out of undergrad at the University of Toronto where she earned her BBA. She is currently at the end of her chartered insurance professional designation. As a believer of lifelong learning, she is excited to dive into the startup world, both as an observer and potential contributor.

“My greatest achievements are perhaps my children who inspire me to create a better world every day. In my opinion, there is no better way to do that then through action, both within oneself and outside into the world”

To join her and hundreds of others worldwide, and get access to learning resources, and other content on angel investing, please leave your details here: https://lnkd.in/gGT82Cix

Exciting news! Our BWIN members Sarah Iqbal and Samia Seraj recently met for the first time at an informal get-together. During the event, our members shared their stories, career milestones and connected over a shared mission to collaborate and give back to the budding Bangladeshi entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are thrilled to see our Bangladeshi women worldwide unite to give back to our startup community and grow together, which is the promise of BWIN.

We missed Tasneem Salma Islam & Waeza Masnoon at the event, but we hope to have more formal BWIN meetups regularly soon.

If you’d like to become a part of our BWIN network, please leave your details at the sign-up link below.

https://lnkd.in/dSfK5gtB

Let’s continue to support each other and make a positive impact on the Bangladeshi startup community!

Join us for an exciting webinar with Dustin Struckman - Exit / Acquisition Advisor on February 24th, Saturday at 11:00 PM BST / 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST.

Dustin Struckman is a serial entrepreneur who has launched over a dozen companies, exited 8 of them, strategically acquired 5 more, and currently runs three as CEO. His journey has honed a deep expertise in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), fueling his passion in this arena. Dustin spearheads both buy-side and sell-side advisories, as well as an escrow service - all dedicated to serving the lower-middle market. His mission is to guide and assist in buying, selling, or transitioning businesses.

We will hear about:

- Dustin's origin story and path to entrepreneurship
- Overview of his stable of companies and what they do, how they fit
- Playbook for finding a business to acquire
- Post-acquisition value creation
- Emerging opportunities in saas roll-ups

Join via Luma: https://lu.ma/arfep7z1

🎉 Join us in congratulating Anita Ghazi Rahman apu for her new role as Independent Director at BRAC Bank board! 🎉

Anita apu has been one of our earliest supporters and a champion of the mission BWIN. We are grateful for her guidance and cooperation in our projects to empower women in the startup sector, including the SARDI WeScale and the Bloom Fellowship.

As a BWIN Advisory Board Member, Anita apu has been an invaluable asset to our team, and we are excited to see her take on this new role at BRAC Bank PLC. We wish her all the best in this new endeavor and look forward to seeing her continued success in empowering women in the business world.

Congratulations, Anita apu! 🎉👏

Anita Ghazi joins BRAC Bank board as Independent Director BRAC Bank PLC has appointed Anita Ghazi Rahman as an Independent Director to its Board of Directors, effective from January 30, says a statement. Anita Ghazi Rahman is a distinguished young law professional with over 19 years of post-qualification experience in the legal domain. She is a qualified b...

Join us for our first Webinar of February 2024 with Steven Hopkinson next Friday, February 9th, at 3 PM BST / 4 AM EST / 5 PM SGT.

Steven Hopkinson was the founder and CEO of Idem Labs, a company that helps hoteliers maximize revenue from Meetings, Events, and Group Business. In Jan 2020, Groups360 successfully acquired as a company, and Steven joined as SVP EMEA & APAC. Steven has a strong business and technical background, with previous roles at Liberty Media and as the original Managing Director of Getty Images in the Asia/Pac region.

We will hear Steve on:

- His personal background and how you came to Singapore
- How he ended up in tourism and hospitality
- His experience building InsiderTV, Idem Hospitality - the process of starting up, getting first sales, scaling teams and revenue, and selling
- His current work with Groups360
- His advice to entrepreneurs when engaging with mentors and potential angels
- The opportunities he is most excited about in the spaces he's working in

Join via Luma: https://lu.ma/0z6ep23o

Join us for an exciting webinar with Aynul Habib on February 11th, Sunday at 9:00 pm BST / 10:00 am EST / 7:00 am PT.

Aynul Habib was the first sales hire at several venture-backed startups, most notably at Delighted, an experience management startup acquired by Qualtrics/SAP.

We will hear about:

- Aynul's personal background and how he came to be in this space
- How sales differ when it's founder-led vs team-led
- How sales should interact with product development in the earliest stages
- How Aynul defines PMF
- Product-led growth, inbound vs outbound strategies that have worked for Aynul in the past
- How the sales cycle/cadence/system differ at the MVP stage, first revenue, 5-10K MRR, 10K-50K, 50-100K stages

Join via Luma: https://lu.ma/gt9812uz

Join us for an insightful webinar with Tahmina Watson on January 18th, Thursday at 11:00 PM BST / 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST.

Often referred to as “America’s Startup Visa Lawyer,” Tahmina Watson is a nationally and internationally acclaimed award-winning US immigration attorney. She is the founder of WATSON IMMIGRATION LAW PLLC where her practice focuses on employment-based immigration with a focus on startups, founders, entrepreneurs, and investors. She is the author of “The Startup Visa" book series and host of the podcast ‘The Startup Visa’. A national leader on the subject, her book “The Startup Visa” is part of US Congressional testimony. Business Insider names her one of the top lawyers for tech startups in the U.S.

She is a frequent speaker at industry and legal events such as SXSW, SelectUSA, D-Globalist, the International Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the National Conference of Bar Presidents, and universities including Stanford, Columbia, and the University of Washington.

Tahmina is a go-to expert for the media and has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, NPR, and Bloomberg. She is a columnist for Above the Law. Her opinion pieces have been published in the Forbes Business Council, Entrepreneur Magazine, and The Seattle Times.
Her latest book, The Startup Visa: US Immigration Visa Guide for Startups and Investors, has received numerous awards, has been translated into Spanish, and made a fantastic appearance at New York’s Times Square. She hosts two podcasts- Tahmina Talks Immigration® and The Startup Visa®.

We will hear:

- Her personal background and how you came to be in this space
- Going through her career, journey to what she does now
- The immigration system in the US for the startup/tech sector, a brief overview, and different facilities/programs
- How Bangladeshi founders can take advantage

Join via Luma: https://lu.ma/jypzzcsn

Join us for an exciting webinar with Scott Shane on January 13th, Saturday at 7:00 PM BST / 8:00 AM EST / 5:00 AM PT.

Scott Shane is Managing Director of Comeback Capital, a pre-seed stage venture capital fund that invests across the Midwest, now on its second and third funds. He is also a Deal Flow Tracker for Right Side Capital Management, a San Francisco-based pre-seed stage micro VC fund, and an advisor to Ivy Cap Ventures, a $150M Indian venture capital fund. He is an active angel and limited partner and mentor at the Iconyc, Acceleprise and gener8tor accelerator funds, and an LP in Refinery Ventures and Illuminate Ventures.

He is the A. Malachi Mixon III Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at Case Western Reserve University. The author of 95 scholarly articles and 15 books, Dr. Shane was the 2009 winner of the Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research, the most prestigious award in this academic field. According to a study by John Ioannidis at Stanford University, published in PLoS Biology, Dr. Shane is the 1,137th most impactful scientist out of 7 million living scientists.

We will hear him on:

-His personal background and how he came to be in this space
-Going through his career, journey to Comeback
-The vision behind the organization, Scott's thesis, operating structure & investment process, approach to portfolio value creation, and exits
-Opportunities Scott is excited about
-Role of diaspora communities in the Midwest when it comes to supplying talent for the entrepreneurship community

Sign up here: https://lu.ma/a16ysbkb

As we say goodbye to 2023, we’d like to thank our members, founders, and wider stakeholders for an incredible year. This has been our best year till date, growing our network to 450+ members and 47 companies in the portfolio (25% of which are women-led) with US$11M in aggregate investments facilitated through BAN.
We’d like to express our gratitude to those who’ve supported our vision by continuing to grow and accelerate the country's startup ecosystem.

Join us on 11th January (Thursday) at 5:00 PM Bangladesh Standard Time / 6:00 AM EST / 3:00 AM PT / 9:00 PM AEST for an exciting webinar with Ricky Pearl.

Ricky Pearl loves problem-solving. From birthday treasure hunts with his family to complex business challenges, he has never been presented with a problem that he hasn't relished the opportunity to solve -the more creative the solution the better. So when he noticed that many business owners seemed to be encountering the same issues with hiring, training, and managing their sales teams - he knew there "was something there."

He drew on his extensive management, sales, and technical experience to create Pointer - an outsourced sales agency that uniquely provides "sales as a service" to businesses who don't have the time or resources to effectively manage their own internal sales department.

Since founding Pointer, South African-born Ricky has established himself as one of Australia's sales leaders, partnering with organisations like Start Up Vic, Pavilion and RevGenius to bring sales knowledge, advice and new ideas for getting each client’s solution or product in front of the business managers who need them most.

We will hear:

-Ricky's personal background and how he came to be in this space
-His career and his journey to Pointer
-Overview of Pointer, the kind of clients it takes on, and its revenue model
-How sales differ when it's founder-led vs team-led
-How should sales interact with product development? What about product marketing?
-Product-led growth / inbound vs outbound - when is one better than the other?
-Ricky's impression of SEA companies, including Bangladesh ones, and their approach to international sales

Sign up here: https://lu.ma/80m23rqi

Join us for an exciting webinar with Peter Rostovsky on December 29th, Friday at 9:00 pm BST / 10:00 am EST/ 7:00 am PT.

Peter Rostovsky is the Founder & CEO of Raiseway, which makes investment crowdfunding easy and affordable for small business owners with its AI-enabled SaaS platform. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Crowdfunding Professional Association.

In the past, Peter worked in Business Development for Crowdfund Better, produced interviews for FintechTV, and consulted businesses on crowdfunding, private equity fundraising, marketing & sales. Peter is a former capital markets intelligence salesman for Preqin, Debtwire, Xtract Research & Continuum Economics, where his clients included the World Bank, Federal Reserve, EY, Blackrock, Blackstone, Kirkland & Ellis, CBRE, Interamerican Development Bank, Apollo, Oaktree, and others.

We will hear about:

- Finding debt and revenue-sharing deals in the U.S. investment crowdfunding market
- Doing due diligence on these deals
- Identifying sales opportunities for our BPO services in the Reg CF market
- Supporting Bengali small business owners in the United States with investment crowdfunding.

Sign up here: https://lu.ma/as7cxqv2

Join us on 22nd December (Friday) at 10:00 pm Bangladesh Standard Time / 10:00 am EST / 7:00 am PT for an exciting webinar with Hurley Fox.

Hurley started Fox & Partners LLC to provide business owners with better business professional services. He enjoys helping small business owners get a better understanding of their finances and putting together reports and goals to assist the owners get to where they want to be. In addition to owning Fox & Partners Hurley is on the board of multiple non-profits and has an equity stake in other small businesses.

We will hear:

- Hurley's story and the story of F&P, overview of its main activities / programs across FP&A, M&A, and real estate
- Case studies he is listed in
- What's the playbook for when Hurley onboards clients?
- Common levers he can use to create incremental revenue, boost ROIC/ROE, turn working capital negative, and more
- Hurley's vision for where he wants to take F&P

Sign up here: https://lu.ma/babv8jhe

Join us on 16th December (Saturday) at 9:00 pm Bangladesh Standard Time / 10:00 am EST / 7:00 am PT for an exciting webinar with Naushad UzZaman

Naushad UzZaman holds a PhD along with two decades of experience in Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing. His applied expertise in both academic research and social enterprise comes from time spent at leading firms such as Nuance, Microsoft, Yahoo and Bosch - and now at BLACKBIRD.AI He leads a team of highly-skilled experts, analysts and data scientists who discover emergent threats to get ahead of real-world harm.

Naushad is responsible for the development of Blackbird’s Narrative & Risk Intelligence Platform, and along with his team, have built a unique series of scalable AI and network analysis modules which detect rare risk signals of threats. The real-time AI powered narrative detection and risk intelligence platform is used by leading enterprises, Fortune 500’s and large government organizations, globally. Naushad brings a rare combination of foundational knowledge and technical expertise to a mission-driven enterprise committed to this problem set.

We will hear:

- Naushad's personal background and how he came to be in this space
- His career, key companies he was part of, and experience building teams, products, and businesses
- Deep dive into how Blackbird AI was founded and built
- Thoughts on Bangladesh and how to connect the ecosystem with NRBs like himself

Sign up here: https://lu.ma/8og2padv

🌼 Welcome to the Bloom Fellowship, Binita! She’s currently in her sophomore year, actively pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Theoretical Physics at the University of Dhaka. 🌟

🌸 Here’s why she loves being a Bloom Fellow: “I aspire to understand the intricacies of the startup ecosystem, become an integral part of a strong community of women, acquire the essential skills needed in the startup sector, and then apply these learnings in the real world. With a background in physics and growing knowledge of startups, I aim to bridge the gap between science and entrepreneurship.I’m excited to explore how I can leverage my skills and make a meaningful impact. The Bloom Fellowship is the perfect platform for me to embark on this exciting journey, and I’m thrilled to do so alongside a community of like-minded, ambitious women.”

📑 If you want to connect with Binita as a Bloom mentor, employer or even become a Fellow like her for future cohorts, please leave your details here: https://lnkd.in/dT4JXCWT

🌼 Welcome to the Bloom Fellowship, Farin! She’s a sophomore in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at BRAC Business School. 🌟

🌸 Here’s why she loves being a Bloom Fellow: “The Bloom Fellowship holds immense promise in propelling my passion for marketing, finance, and the journey towards my startup. I firmly believe that the fellowship's rich resources, mentorship, and network can provide invaluable guidance in honing my skills and knowledge within the domains of consumer behavior and financial acumen.”

📑 If you want to connect with Farin as a Bloom mentor, employer or even become a Fellow like her for future cohorts, please leave your details here: https://lnkd.in/dT4JXCWT

🌼 Welcome to the Bloom Fellowship, Lubaba! She’s a 3rd-year Computer Science student at the University of the People. 🌟

🌸 Here’s why she loves being a Bloom Fellow: “My aspirations from the Bloom Fellowship are multifaceted. Professionally, I aim to gain invaluable insights, mentorship, and hands-on experience required to pivot my career. I look forward to contributing to the fellowship by leveraging my expertise and collaborating with the talented cohort and mentors. On a personal level, I aspire to broaden my network and connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for Business Development and Analytics. I'm eager to learn from the diverse perspectives within the startup community and strengthen my leadership and teamwork skills.”

📑 If you want to connect with Lubaba as a Bloom mentor, employer or even become a Fellow like her for future cohorts, please leave your details here: https://lnkd.in/dT4JXCWT

🌼 Welcome to the Bloom Fellowship, Allin! She’s a second-year Global Studies & Governance student from Independent University Bangladesh.🌟

🌸 Here’s why she loves being a Bloom Fellow: “The Bloom Fellowship is a wonderful opportunity for young women passionate about their career. I am excited about developing my leadership skills, striving for personal growth and building meaningful connections with my fellow talented peers. I see the fellowship as a great way to create a network to foster positive support through collaboration.”

📑 If you want to connect with Allin as a Bloom mentor, employer or even become a Fellow like her for future cohorts, please leave your details here: https://lnkd.in/dT4JXCWT

💮 Welcome to the Bloom Fellowship, Prachi! She’s a honors student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka and a writer by passion.

🌻 Here’s why she loves being a Bloom Fellow: “I see this opportunity from Bloom as a chance for the women aspiring to join the field of startups. Hoping to learn from the industry experts!”

📌 If you want to connect with Prachi as a Bloom mentor, employer or even become a Fellow like her for future cohorts, please leave your details here:

https://lnkd.in/dT4JXCWT

📢 Sign up for the ANDE South Asia Convening 2023!

What’s in store?

- 3 days
- 7 sessions
- 20+ international experts sharing examples and insights from cross-border collaboration
- Sessions focused on facilitating regional fund deployment, cross-border women entrepreneur support, climate action in the region, and more!
- Focus on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Asia

Small & growing businesses are the backbone of the South Asian economy. Join us as we set the stage to kickstart a new chapter for SGB support across South Asia, one where we all actively look at collaboration across borders!
Know anyone who is passionate about supporting SGBs in your network? Want to invite a friend/colleague working in the same space? Do share this message and get them to join us too!
Click here to register- https://andeglobal.org/event/ande-south-asia-convening-2023-accelerating-action-in-the-region/

Khan Muhammad Saqiful Alam, CSM, CMILT, Senior Program and Project Manager at TikTok, delved into the realm of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics in a recent masterclass with our fellows He emphasizes the significance of data beyond numbers, sharing real-world examples that showcased its transformative power.

Key Takeaways:
-Data is more than numbers; it's a narrative
-Uncover the tale within each data point to reshape our understanding
-Analytics has tangible effects on strategies

🌼 Welcome to the Bloom Fellowship, Mubashira! She’s an MBA graduate from BUP and intern at the World Trade Organization.🌟

🌸 Here’s why she loves being a Bloom Fellow: “Through Bloom, I aim to tap into a rich network of like-minded individuals and industry luminaries, fostering an environment conducive to growth and learning. I am inspired by the prospect of learning and thriving within a community that understands the unique challenges and potential of women entrepreneurs.”

📑 If you want to connect with Mubashira as a Bloom mentor, employer or even become a Fellow like her for future cohorts, please leave your details here: https://forms.gle/4uufK3Q1dCfxLhmLA

🌟 Meet Nury Yeashfi Karim, another distinguished Bloom Fellow! ✨

Nury is a final-year student at IBA, University of Dhaka. With a diverse journey exploring management, marketing, and writing, Nury has found her true passion in marketing. Her creative prowess aims to craft solutions that create lasting value and impact people's lives.

Hear what she aspires from the Bloom Fellowship, “Bloom comes with an opportunity to connect with expert professionals, learn from them, and unleash one’s hidden potential. Here's to a brighter future where women's voices are heard, their potential is unleashed, and their dreams are limitless.”

🌸 Have a look at the Bloom Fellowship preview: https://lnkd.in/gia9eafZ

📑 We will keep sharing more details throughout this month. In the meantime, discover more about the fellowship here: https://lnkd.in/gSpScE24

🌼 Introducing Mariyan Tanchangya, one of our passionate Bloom Fellows! 🌟

Mariyan is a Computer Science & Engineering student from Rangamati Science & Technology University. As Vice President of Volunteer for Bangladesh in Rangamati District and the co-founder of her start-up, Fresh Land, she's committed to sustainability and making a difference. Mariyan's dedication to the UN's SDGs and her entrepreneurial spirit are a powerful combination in her quest for a more inclusive, eco-friendly future.

Hear what she aspires from the Bloom Fellowship, “In the heart of every water hyacinth lies the potential for change. As a co-founder of Fresh Land and a Bloom Fellow, I'm on a mission to unlock this potential. I aim to turn this aquatic invader, the water hyacinth, into a force for good. Through my start-up, Fresh Land, we're creating a range of eco-friendly products, from plates to poultry feed, and in the process, we're cleaning up Kaptai Lake, South Asia's largest artificial lake. I am looking forward to learning a lot from the Bloom Fellowship which will help the vision of my start-up come true. Let's turn challenges into opportunities, one water hyacinth at a time.”

🌸 Have a look at the Bloom Fellowship preview: https://lnkd.in/gia9eafZ

📑 We will keep sharing more details throughout this month. In the meantime, discover more about the fellowship here: https://lnkd.in/gSpScE24