Kalsoom Lakhani

This episode is one of the most inspiring episodes I have recorded. We deep dive into the start up scene in Pakistan and how these two ladies called it long before others followed. True pioneers and with a great story of how they came together to launch i2i. 

In this episode of the misaal podcast, I invite you to listen in on my conversation with Kalsoom Lakhani.She is the co-founder and General Partner at i2i Ventures, an early-stage VC fund that has invested in Tazah, Oraan, Abhi, Credibook, among others.She shares insights on startup funding in Pakistan, valuations, and exit opportunities, as well as how macroeconomic factors can impact VC funding in 2022 and beyond.We also discuss capital markets, wealth creation, fintech, crypto, taxation policy, and opportunities in solving real problems vs. following the latest trend. Guest: Kalsoom Lakhani - https://twitter.com/kalsoom82Website: https://i2iventures.comHost: Zahid Lilani - https://twitter.com/ZahidLilaniPresented by: Techshaw - https://techshaw.com ★ Support this podcast ★

Here's a rare opportunity to learn from the most prominent investors of our startup ecosystem. Our guest is the brilliant Kalsoom Lakhani: the founder of, Invest2Innovate (i2i) & General Partner at i2i Ventures that accelerates, invests and provides insights to Pakistani leading startups. Interviewing Kalsoom is Shoaib Zahid Malik, an all-rounder who balances being an advisor & investor to some of Pakistan's leading hottest startups with being the Director of Kausar Group of Companies. So, if you're a budding entrepreneur or just curious to know how startup investments work in Pakistan, check out this podcast.

Kalsoom Lakhani is the Founder/CEO of Invest2Innovate, or i2i, which supports startups and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem in developing markets, beginning in Pakistan. In the last three years, the i2i Accelerator has supported 16 companies that have gone on to create over 200 jobs in Pakistan. She is also the co-founder of The Hero Project, a storytelling platform that celebrates and highlights everyday hidden heroes.  Kalsoom has trained young entrepreneurs, changemakers, and civil society leaders in Cambodia, Ireland, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. She has been a Washington, D.C. co-ambassador for Sandbox, a global network of innovators under 30, and is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers.  She was featured in Diplomatic Courier's Top 99 Foreign Policy Leaders under 33 in 2012 and was named an Ashoka Changemakers/ American Express Emerging Innovator for 2013. Kalsoom also founded the popular blog, CHUP, or Changing Up Pakistan in January 2008, and has written for the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, Foreign Policy, NextBillion, and Pakistan's Dawn Newspaper.  She has a B.A. from the University of Virginia in Foreign Affairs and Middle East Studies, and an M.A. from The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs in International Affairs/Conflict Resolution.  Music credits:  Clouds by MBB | https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial , Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com , Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US IMPORTANT NOTICE: This web series and podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are not, and should not be construed as investment advice or recommendations. Recipients of this should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance (which are not considered in this web series and podcast) before investing. None of this information communication is an offer, nor the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned herein.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/appSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joelpalathinkal/support

Kalsoom Lakhani and Misbah Naqvi are Co-Founders and General Partners at i2i Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology-enabled startups solving big problems in Pakistan. Both have worked with startups in Pakistan for over a decade – and are excited by dynamic and audacious founders. Their sister company Invest2Innovate's flagship program, the i2i Accelerator, has graduated 47 startups that have gone on to raise over $9.5M and create over 2.000 jobs since 2012. In this episode they share insights on innovations and trends in the tech sector, advice for young entrepreneurs pursuing tech-enabled business models, and their vision for the investment industry in 2030. Tune in!

Kalsoom Lakhani saw that startups had the potential to solve some of Pakistan's largest problems. But she realized that founders lacked systematic support which would make it almost impossible for them to succeed. So, she went to work and launched Invest to Innovate.

Hello and welcome to the Karavan podcast, a show about Pakistan's startup ecosystem where we have intimate conversations with founders and investors driven to catapult Pakistan into the digital age.We discuss what it’s really like to start a business, the highs and lows. The setbacks. The comebacks. The lessons. Everything.I am your host Amad Mian, Partner at Karavan, a community-driven VC platform. Given the nascent ecosystem, there’s a massive spread between talent in the country and the resources available to support them. Our mission is to close that gap by providing capital and expertise at the earliest stage.You can find more information about Karavan at www.karavan.vc.In this episode I sit down with Kalsoom Lakhani, founder of i2i the first accelerator in Pakistan an annual four-month program that provides business support and access to mentors and investment.If you have any comments or feedback please share them with me at amad@karavan.vc, you can follow us on instagram @karavan.vc.You can find out more about Kalsoom on i2iventures.com--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/karavanpodcast/message See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 05, Uzair speaks with Kalsoom Lakhani, Founder and CEO of Invest2Innovate, about Pakistan's startup ecosystem, its evolution, and advice for young entrepreneurs.

Kalsoom Lakhani is the Founder and CEO of Invest2Innovate, supports and unleashes the potential of young entrepreneurs in growing markets like Pakistan. She's also partner at I2I Ventures, Invest2Innovate's early stage investment fund for Pakistan, and the country's first female-founded institutional fund. She's trained young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Kosovo, Nepal, Cambodia, Ireland, Bangladesh, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Kalsoom is a third culture kid, which means that she spent most of her developing years outside of the country she was born in and have picked up on all different cultures. She lived in Bangladesh for elementary school and Pakistan for middle and high school. A third culture kid can feel like they belong everywhere and also belong nowhere, so their identities can be hard to pin down. This plays into how their identity develops as well. For more information, visit: http://Brandeis.edu Resources: Learn more at invest2innovate.com Follow Kalsoom: twitter.com/kalsoom82 Facebook: facebook.com/Invest2Innovate From the Dorm Room to the Boardroom is a production of Crate Media

This week’s special guest is Kalsoom Lakhani from I2I Ventures.  Kalsoom is the Founder/CEO of Invest2Innovate, , which supports startups and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem in growth markets. i2i has been operating in Pakistan since 2011, and has accelerated 41 startups that have gone on to raise over $6.5M in funding and create over 1500 jobs in the country. Kalsoom is also a partner in i2i Ventures, a venture capital fund for Pakistan, and is the country's first female led in institutional fund.