International School Dhaka (ISD) hosted the ISD Alumni Entrepreneurial Summit 2026 on April 30, bringing together a dynamic panel of six distinguished alumni who have built businesses across Bangladesh and beyond as stated in the Press Release.
The event, ‘From ISD to Industry – Lessons from the Entrepreneurial Frontline,’ gave students, faculty, and the wider school community, a candid look at what it takes to build and scale businesses.
The discussion was moderated by Faresta Ali Mallick, corporate relations representative at ISD. Sharing their expertise were Waiz Rahim, Venture Partner at Sturgeon Capital, a London-based investment firm, and CEO of Rahimoto Express, a reliable and affordable auto-service workshop; Namit Kabir, Co-Founder of Amlin Skin, an inclusive skincare brand focused on clean ingredients and Yinderful, a wellness and yoga platform; Mehran Kabir, Co-Founder of Amlin Skin and Latitude23 Inc, a technology and marketing consultancy firm; Alisha Labiba Rahman, Founder of Bare and Bloom Bangladesh Ltd. a baby skincare brand; Mariha Quader Chowdhury, Founder and CEO of Emerald Events, a leading event management company; and Nafis Jalil, Project Engineer at Ardaman & Associates, a firm specializing in geotechnical and geological engineering for the mining and natural resources sector.
Much of the conversation centered on how early interests can quietly shape an entire career. Mariha Quader Chowdhury reminisced about her school days and said, “My journey started right here in the halls of ISD. Even in high school, I was part of the student council organizing events, though I didn’t know then that it would become my life’s work. It’s a sweet story of following your passion; if you find what you love early on, you can grow that seed into a professional reality.”
Passion as a long-term driver in entrepreneurship came up repeatedly. Mehran Kabir said, “I learned early on that I simply cannot work on something I am not passionate about. Ever since, I have chased that passion throughout my career, because if you aren’t doing work that ignites something within you, it’s impossible to truly excel.”
The panel didn’t shy away from the harder parts of entrepreneurship either. Waiz Rahim spoke candidly about the emotional cost of failure. He said, “Whenever you’re doing something you’re really passionate about, your own identity and self-worth become intertwined with that. When a venture doesn’t survive, taking that step back to figure out who you are in the next phase of life takes time – but climbing out of that hole is a vital part of the journey.”
The panel emphasized the importance of networking and also touched on what it means to build a brand in Bangladesh. Specifically, they discussed the need for climate-aware product development and appealing to the mass market, how to address the gap between academic training and real business demands, and why long-term thinking tends to outlast trend-chasing.
Speaking about artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship, the panel largely agreed AI works best as a background tool and an enabler, freeing entrepreneurs to focus on strategy rather than replacing the thinking itself.
Steve Calland-Scoble, Director, ISD, noted, “This summit highlights the strength of our community. We now have an alumni network of more than 700 individuals who have gone on to attend university in 15 countries. Bringing their diverse industry expertise back for these candid discussions is invaluable for the future of our school.”
ISD plans to continue hosting similar initiatives and remains actively engaged with its alumni, partners, and wider community to create platforms like this for dialogue, collaboration, and shared learning.
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