in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

SPECIAL THANKS TO COMMUNITY SPONSORS

OUTREACH PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

TABLE OF CONTENTS Agenda 2 GIST Initiative Overview 5 CRDF Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs 6 Startup Dhaka Overview 8 Entrepreneur Profiles

10

Speakers, Mentors & Judges 38 Organizers 51 Mentor Highlight 52 GIST Activities 53 Resources 56 GIST Partners 57

1 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

AGENDA Thursday, May 22, 2014 • 8:15 - 9:00

Registration & Networking – Coffee, tea and cookies available.

9:00 - 9:30

Welcoming Remarks & Introductions

9:30 - 10:15

Relationships are the Key to Success Meet the people around you, and learn various ways that who you know and how you help these people can set you up for success. Jim Bagnola, President, The Leadership Group International

10:15 - 11:00

11:00 - 11:45

11:45 - 12:30 12:30 - 13:30

Business Model Canvas & International Customer Discovery Overview Learn how to create your dynamic roadmap to market validation and success. Jim Chung, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, George Washington University Customer Validation 101 Hear key strategies to test your product and improve it for the market. This session will address how you can make your service, product and venture the most competitive in the marketplace. Create a plan to validate your venture. Thor Ernstsson, Founder, Casual Corp and former Lead Architect, Zynga Global Networking & Partnership Formation Session Learn about the importance of networking, how to build a networking strategy for the long term, and approach individuals effectively. Ovidiu Bujorean, Senior Manager, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, CRDF Global Lunch Break

13:30 - 14:15

Marketing, Communications & Sales Learn the fundamental concepts of marketing including: opportunity recognition and market analysis, customer orientation, and the importance of branding and communication to create customer demand. Riyad Husain, Magnito Digital and Nazmul Chowdhury, Senior Vice President, The City Bank

14:15 - 15:00

Raising Capital: Securing Funding for Growth Determine if your venture is ready to raise money, the avenues available to raise it and strategies to identify and target angel and seed stage investors. Thor Ernstsson with commentary from Sajid Rahman, Sabre Advisors

15:00 - 15:45

15:45 - 16:15

16:15 - 17:30

Determining Cost Structure & Revenue Streams Learn to identify what are the most important costs associated with your product or service and how much, and through which methods, are people willing to pay for it. Jim Chung with commentary from Sharful Alam of Aamra Networks Workshop: Entrepreneurs work on their business model canvases. Jim Chung Real Talk: Your 30-second Elevator Pitch & your Investor Pitch Learn to tell your story to convince and investor to buy into your vision. Then create, practice and then present your 30-second pitch to the group. All participants will present before the close of the session. Jim Chung and Thor Ernstsson

2 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

AGENDA Friday, May 23, 2014 • 9:00 - 9:45

Form your Team: Appreciating the Many Faces of Intelligence Learn to use Teaming and Leadership to transform the traditional culture into a participative culture–from a “Do as you are told” to a “Do whatever it takes” culture. Jim Bagnola with commentary from Syed Uddin, Maar Limited

9:45 - 10:30

Negotiation with Investors & Intro to Term Sheets Improve your skills in all phases of a negotiation: understand the basics of negotiation with angels and venture capitalists, and typical investment structure and deal term structure. Jim Chung and Thor Ernstsson with commentary from Tanveer Ali, Executive Director, Inflection Ventures Entrepreneurs will be randomly split into Group A and Group B for purposes of mentorship. The schedule for each group is listed below. Group A

10:30 - 11:30

11:30 - 12:30 12:30 - 14:00 14:00 - 15:00 15:00 - 15:15 15:15 - 16:15 16:15 - 16:45 16:45 - 17:30

Mentorship of 15 Group A entrepreneurs Legal Clinic Anita Rahman, Founder, The Legal Circle and Sameer Sattar, Head of Chambers, Sattar & Co. Lunch

Group B Legal Clinic:This workshop shows companies what they need for their legal structures among partners, contracts, IP, and to raise investment in local context. Anita Rahman, Founder, The Legal Circle and Sameer Sattar, Head of Chambers, Sattar & Co. Mentorship of 15 Group B entrepreneurs

Speed Pitching 15 Group A entrepreneurs pitch for a total of 3 minutes. (2 minute presentation and 1 minute of Q&A) Break Speed Pitching 15 Group B entrepreneurs pitch for a total of 3 minutes. (2 minute presentation and 1 minute of Q&A) Evaluation of Startup Boot Camp Fill out evaluation form. Break for remainder of time. Finalist Announcement and Closing The final 7 entrepreneurs who will pitch at Demo Day are announced. Discussion of top advice learned, and next steps for all 30 ventures who will present at Demo Day.

3 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

AGENDA

Saturday, May 24, 2014 • Morning Session: Open Entrepreneurship Training 8:30 - 9:00 9:00 - 9:15

Registration for Trainings. Welcoming Remarks & Introductions

9:15 - 10:00

Relationships are the key to success Meet the people around you, and learn various ways that who you know and how you help these people can set you up for success. Jim Bagnola, President, The Leadership Group International

10:00 - 10:45 10:45 - 11:00 11:00 - 11:50 11:50

Business Model Canvas and International Customer Discovery Overview Learn how to create your dynamic roadmap to market validation and success. Jim Chung, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, George Washington University Coffee Break Raising Capital: Securing Funding for Growth Determine if your venture is ready to raise money, the avenues available to raise it and strategies to identify and target angel and seed stage investors. Thor Ernstsson, Founder, Casual Corp and former Lead Architect, Zynga Adjourn Participants from the morning session are invited to attend the Demo Day which will begin at 14:00.

Saturday, May 24, 2014 • Afternoon Session: Demo Day 13:30 - 14:00

Registration for Demo Day Once participants are registered, they are invited to meet the 30 entrepreneurs who are available with demos of their ventures.

14:00 - 14:45

Opening Talk Thor Ernstsson, Founder, Casual Corp and former Lead Architect, Zynga

14:45 - 16:00

Pitching Competition – The Main Event 7 entrepreneurs pitch for a total of 8 minutes each. (3 minute presentations with 5 minutes of Q&A) Coffee Break Startup Dhaka Presentation

16:00 - 16:20 16:20 - 16:30

16:30 - 17:15

17:15 - 18:30

Building a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Bangladesh The panelists will discuss the roles of different stakeholders in creating a dynamic ecosystem in Bangladesh, identify barriers, offer solutions and talk about emerging technology trends in the region. Moderator: Natalia Pipia, Associate Program Director, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, CRDF Global Panelists: Jim Chung, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, George Washington University Jim Davidson, Early-stage Investor & Former AOL & MapQuest Executive Thor Ernstsson, Founder, Casual Corp and former Lead Architect , Zynga Zarif Munir, Partner and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group Fayaz Taher, CEO, Fortuna and Co-Founder, Startup Dhaka Award Ceremony & Networking Reception. Awards will be presented to the top 5 startups. During the networking reception 30 entrepreneurs showcase their prototype and answer questions from investors, seasoned entrepreneurs and other distinguished guests.

4 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

IMPACT

WHAT IS GIST?

Hind Hobeika, Lebanon Founder, Instabeat

Muhammad Saimum Hossain, Bangladesh

GIST TECH-I support most promising technology and science entrepreneurs.

ICT

ICT

ENERGY

HEALTH

GIST ALUMNI

GIST Initiative builds entrepreneurial ecosystems in over 50 countries in the Middle East, Central and South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, by identifying, coaching and funding promising entrepreneurs through competitions, start-up acceleration services, an online social media platform, and interactive mentorship programs. It is implemented in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

James Khoo, Malaysia Founder, SecQMe

GIST BOOT CAMPS

Catherine Kiguru Co-founder, Ukall Ltd.

GIST TECHCONNECT

Two day on the ground hands-on support for most promising ventures.

Live video broadcast with seasoned improve startup ventures.

technology entrepreneurs. GLOBAL COMMUNITY

180K+

CAPITAL RAISED

MENTOR NETWORK

JOBS CREATED

$21M

300+

800+ 5

The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

CRDF Global is a private, non-governmental organization committed to promoting peace and prosperity through science and technology. Its innovation and entrepreneurship-focused programs develop technology commercialization capabilities and sustaining networks abroad. Domestically, CRDF Global helps to create more viable investment, partnership and collaborative opportunities for American businesses and scientists who gain access to top international research and expertise.

Core Program Beliefs

sole purpose of our mission. Strategic partnerships. We partner with like-minded local and regional

Innovation. We believe strongly in the power of technology and innovation as drivers for

organizations and corporations to leverage our resources and capabilities to build capacity for

sustainable growth.

greater impact and avoid redundancy.

Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs transform innovation into enterprises that generate value and create jobs. Our programs are designed with the individual in mind, as the nucleus and Innovation Ecosystem Development

Startup Support

CRDF Global believes in the bottom-up approach in building the local ecosystems and supports local

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of all economies and the source of growth

entrepreneurship initiatives by identifying leaders, existing programs and the gaps in the system.

and dynamism. CRDF Global offers a comprehensive suite of programs designed to nurture these

• Assisting with the formation of new technology commercialization

early-stage companies.

offices and incubators

• Identifying promising business opportunities, funders, partners and

• Strategic planning

resource

• Management training and educational outreach

• Designing and executing acceleration programs

• Comprehensive programs designed to enhance entrepreneurship culture

• Comprehensive skill development training

• Assisting with investment capital infrastructure development

• Access to sources of fundingInnovation

Technology Acceleration CRDF Global promotes business growth by supporting students, researchers and technology developers who believe that their product or service is viable commercially. Programs guide them through the process of commercialization by honing their skills and helping them to grow and realize their market potential. • Identifying intellectual property with commercial potential in universities and corporations • Hands-on training in technology transfer and intellectual property rights • Online technology commercialization courses • Technology valuation and market assessment

6 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

CRDF GLOBAL’S IMPACT CRDF GLOBAL’S IMPACT

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Increasing Opportunities for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs

Transforming Technology

In the search for entrepreneurs with innovative technology ideas that can address a problem

Transfer in Russia CRDF Global has trained more than 300 technology transfer managers and

affecting their country or region, the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST)

assisted eight leading research universities with establishing technology transfer offices, which

Initiative has implemented the GIS TTech-I Competition, attracting close to 200 teams from

significantly contributed to the establishment of the local innovation ecosystem. The Programs

the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South East Asia. Among them was CardioDiagnostics, a

include professional skills development seminars, workshops, academia and industry international

Lebanese startup founded by Ziad Sankari. Ziad lost his father at the age of 17 to a heart attack,

conferences, and site visits to the United States for technology transfer professionals. Similar

which inspired him to create a medical device that monitors cardiac patients outside the hospital

activities have strengthened the technology commercialization capabilities of more than 20 research

around the clock. This idea earned him a top prize of the competition awarded at the Second Global

universities of the Russian Federation.

Entrepreneurship Summit on December 3-5, 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey. CardioDiagnostics has been given a strong start for a global success with $20,000 in seed funding, hands-on training with

Accessing U.S. Markets

serial entrepreneurs and business mentors, global media exposure by MSNBC and Wired Magazine, an

Since 2005, CRDF Global has implemented more than 20 U.S. travel programs for close to 90

upcoming trip to Silicon Valley and participation in the MIT Global Startup Workshop.

participants representing dozens of universities, research institutes and technology companies from Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and collaborated with such prominent U.S. organizations as MIT, Babson College, Garage Technology Ventures, Plug & Play Incubator, CleanTech Open and others. Based on the scalable and highly customizable format of the Innovation U.S. travel programs and existing cache of experience, best practices and partners, CRDF Global is able to design and implement results-oriented and cost-effective programs that perfectly fit the objectives and needs of a diverse range of partner organizations in emerging markets. Building Institutional Capacity Since 2005, CRDF Global has partnered with the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF), one of the most successful IT-focused technology business incubators and consulting companies in the Caucasus region, to implement its Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP). With co-funding from the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, EIF implemented more than

Ziad Sankari, CardioDiagnostics

15 STEP activities including the Business Partnership Grant (BPG) program, Innovation Forums, cluster seminars, business trainings for scientific community, legal and accounting seminars and matchmaking events. Through its partnership with CRDF Global, EIF strengthened communication

Providing Access to Capital The “ecoFridge,” a revolutionary refrigeration system used to transport perishable products, was developed by a team of Ukrainian scientists with a U.S. business partner who participated in a CRDF

channels between science and private sectors, gained broader access to the U.S. business network and scaled up its outreach and programs to non-IT sectors—becoming one of the focal entrepreneurship-support organizations in Armenia and in the region.

Global research and development grant competition. CRDF Global provided training and mentorship to the team to prepare them to effectively pitch the ecoFridge at a venture forum in Los Angeles, CA. As a result, the team obtained $2.2 million of follow-on capital investment to develop their business, and EcoFridge is now being adopted by companies around the world who appreciate its environmental benefits and cost efficiency.

7 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

STARTUP DHAKA Empowering Entrepreneurs to Connect In Bangladesh, entrepreneurs who employ millions of people, generating over 60 % of local employment do not have a platform to talk about their innovative services or share their experience with people in general. Especially the young entrepreneurs and startups who may need mentors or require non traditional funding suffers from lack of information and direction. Startup Dhaka intends to fill this gap by launching a news site dedicated to startups, entrepreneurs and business in Bangladesh, which also plans to connect with larger audience abroad. It intends to make it the most innovative local online news site for business supported by the community and entrepreneurs. Its mission is to re-imagine the business journalism that is built on new technology, entrepreneurial culture and story telling method where people participate.

Startup Dhaka intends to inspire action through the following: - story telling - startup events at The Wave - creating market access for entrepreneurs - workshops and capacity development - mentorship - funding linkage - startup job network - PR & branding

8 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Future of Entrepreneurship with Starutp Dhaka Originally, Startup Dhaka was a crowd funded documentary to create awareness about startup community in Dhaka. In 50 days the film raised over US$9000 from 56 backers from around the world. After receiving positive reception and encouragement about the film, the Startup Dhaka team pivoted to make an online news site to promote local ideas and businesses. The brand philosophy of Startup Dhaka is to bridge the gap between the business and its prospects. It hopes that the businesses consider it as a partner in building their business and as their brand advocate in new media space. Please visit www.startupdhaka.org

9 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Amadeyr Cloud Ltd. http://amadeyr.org

Industry: ICT, Ecucation

TEAM Md. Imran Ali Founder [email protected] Elizabeth Anne Ali Chairperson [email protected]

Amadeyr Cloud Ltd (ACL) is a private organization that utilizes technology to provide information to semi-literate and illiterate people. It serves to empower them to use information to enhance their ability as they purchase goods and services. ACL provides a variety of technology products for development that address information asymmetry and efficiency issues. Their seven products include Amadeyr Delivery System, Amadeyr Digital Survey System (ADSS), Amadeyr Monitoring & Evaluation System (AME), Amadeyr Slate, Amadeyr Shova, Amadeyr Nothee and Amadeyr Cloud.

10 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

amarCV.com www.amarcv.com

Industry: ICT, E - commerce, Career Service

TEAM Mohd Fahad Ifaz Co-founder [email protected] Shadab Alam Co-founder [email protected]

After facing many problems while applying for jobs after graduation, Fahad and Shabab co-founded amarCV.com, an online resume builder that allows anyone to create an effective and professional CV to connect with the right employer and helps them stand out from the crowd.

11 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Appnometry www.appnometry.com

Industry: ICT, E-commerce

TEAM Riyadh Hossain Deputy Managing Director [email protected] Sayem Siddique CEO [email protected]

Having a vision to contribute his knowledge in Bangladesh’s IT sector, Riyadh came up with the concept of Kotodaam. Kotodaam is a unique search engine that allows customers to research product pricing in the market. It works as a centralized place to find prices on various consumer goods, such as electronics, furniture, cars and any other product available.

12 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

BioScience Agro EcoVillage

www.bioscienceagro.com & www.bsa-ecovillage.com Industry: Agriculture, Green tech, Food & beverage

TEAM Dr. MM Nayaz Founder [email protected] Md. Amzad Hossain Khan Business Consultant [email protected]

Dr. Nayaz decided to use his education, knowledge and experience with community-based sustainable agriculture to create a large scale EcoVillage. The availability of family land, local community power and natural resources enabled him to start this venture. BioScience Agro EcoVillage is a selfsustainable agro business. It seeks to develop an ecofriendly, money generating agro venture by economically utilizing and empowering the community.

13 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bongo

www.bongobd.com Industry: ICT, Entertainment

TEAM Ahad Bhai Founder [email protected] Mushfiqur Rahman COO

Bongo is the first aggregated entertainment platform in Bangladesh, with partnerships with major TV stations, film producers, production labels, and other companies who own content licenses. Our service offers users the largest content database in the country from a single source. They can browse by genre, actor, type, and have everything on demand. We offer movies, TV shows, news programs, talk shows, reality shows, documentaries, music videos, TVCs, and even audio tracks. Bongo is available online and also via mobile, both through a WAP portal and through a native mobile phone app.

14 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Buckets Engineer Industry: ICT

TEAM Mahenaz Chowdhury Founder [email protected]

Bucket’s Engineer sprouted from a need to help struggling parents of Bangladesh who suffer from lack of information, inadequate healthcare and educational facilities for autistic children. Buckets Engineer is a tool through which a child’s development can be guided and monitored. Therapists get a list of apps that cater to the child’s needs along with a unified scoring system that tracks their progress. Training and workshops are also given to understand the best utilization for the platform. Buckets Engineer is open source and open to other developers interested in creating apps for the system. Buckets Engineer hopes to help children ages 3-8 years old develop and learn communication, primary education, social and cognitive skills.

15 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

CityScope Industry: Energy & Information Access

TEAM Shakkharatul Haque Mehad Co-Founder [email protected] Omar Farhan Khan Co-Founder [email protected]

CityScope is a social information service that informs the daily schedules of electrical load shedding to users in a designated area through the use of an interactive map. From million dollar industry owners to rural farmers, this application can provide very useful information to users about potential power cuts, so they are not caught off guard when a power outage interferes in their work or activity.

16 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dam.com.bd dam.com.bd

Industry: ICT, E-Commerce

TEAM Emdadul Sadik CFO [email protected] Hideto Masuda Founder and CEO [email protected]

Dam.com.bd is an online shopping database created so that every consumer can find the right product at the best available price. We provide shopping information with useful search engines online. User will have an access to each product’s detailed information, user reviews from other Bangladeshi people, where to buy in Bangladesh, and, most importantly, the actual prices from real retailers.

17 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

DhakaBeats dhakabeats.com Industry: ICT and Entertainment

TEAM Sadek Jake Alam Founder [email protected]

Sadek noticed a lack of entertainment options and opportunities for Bangladeshi people. His startup, Dhaka Beats, aims to connect these entertainment deprived people to all the upcoming events in a single platform. It is a website and smartphone application that features top fairs, exhibitions, theaters, movies, live matches, and parties that take place in Dhaka and other major cities in Bangladesh. The objective of Dhaka Beats is to encourage the entertainmentdeprived citizens of Bangladesh to explore and share event news that would otherwise pass unnoticed. As the project develops, users will also be able to buy tickets, register for events and invite friends so that they can attend in groups and participate in exclusive promotions from advertisers.

18 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

ERROR Lab error-lab.com Industry: ICT and Greentech

TEAM Mashrur H. Shurid Founder & Chief Of Expert Operations [email protected] Md. Mofassair Hossain Bhuiyan Co-Founder & Executive ExpertPower System Dept. [email protected]

As students, Mashrur and Mofassair noticed that people producing electronic products face a common problem. They have to buy material from the local market which costs more than if purchased directly from the vendors. This prompted them to start ERROR Lab, a technology based research & development facility. It works as a one-stop shop for materials and assistance in producing efficient, creative and feasible ways to solve any technical and engineering issues. It is a platform to build, develop and implement the ingenious ideas of curious minds.

19 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Fera Tech Ltd. www.feratech.net

Industry: ICT, E-commerce, Food & beverage, Financial, Telco & BFSI

TEAM Arman Ahmed Khan Founder [email protected]

Affiliated with multinational organizations like Abiba Systems, SANS and Qmatic in Bangladesh, Fera Tech Ltd. is a multi-wing IT solution provider that integrates hardware and software to provide unique solutions for their clients. One of the solutions they have created is a digital menu for restaurants called Order Eat. Order Eat seeks to minimize mistakes in order taking at restaurants. It improves service and gives customers a visual representation of the food. All of which encourages customers to order more, which therefore increases restaurant sales and profitability.

20 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Fortune Tech with Deshiyo www.fortunetech.com.bd

Industry: ICT, E-Commerce

TEAM Anisul Islam Founder [email protected] P.M. Ashikur Rahman COO [email protected]

Fortune Tech’s B2B Marketplace called deshiyo.com is an online marketplace for Bangladeshi exportable items. Through this online portal, SME’s would be able to display their own products to the global market, Deshiyo will promote these products abroad so that the foreign buyers know where to come to seek products from Bangladesh.

21 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Greener Nano-Tech Industry: Health, pharmaceutical, water purification, and soft drinks industry

TEAM Dr. Md Aminul Islam Founder [email protected]

During his post-doctoral research, Dr. Md Aminul Islam invented Greener Nano-Tech. Greener Nano-Tech uses a simple approach to fabricate nano activated carbon by using simple a biodegradable solution route at room temperature and pressure. Until now, no industry has been able to produce nano-activated carbon from coal in Bangladesh. Nanoactivated carbon is used in many industries including aviation and aerospace, textile, rubber, pharmaceutical, electronics, and more.

22 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Hypertag Solutions Ltd www.hypertagsolutions.com

Industry: ICT, E-Commerce, Media, Financial Mobile Financial Service

TEAM Md Shofiul Alam Founder [email protected]

Hypertag Solutions provides core wireless services and solutions for mobile advertising, mobile messaging applications, mobile banking, and mobile financial services. The company has received much attention for its mobile remittances platform, which has facilitated thousands of dollars of remittances.

23 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

I2eat.com Website: www.i2eat.com

Industry: ICT, E-Commerce, Food & Beverage, Media

TEAM Azizul Hakim Founder [email protected]

I2eat.com is a food review site that uses Facebook to post about the latest restaurant reviews, prices, discounts, and customer feedback. In addition to the review site, i2eat.com also has a mobile subscription service, which is location based and update customers on the most popular and unique food and restaurants and provide discounts and deals. I2eat has been featured in Lonely Planet Bangladesh and is currently launching its own website to supplement all the Facebook activity.

24 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

iVive Labs www.ivivelabs.com

Industry: ICT, E-Commerce, Software Development

TEAM Md. Zea-ul Islam Khan Founder [email protected] Md. Mahbubur Rahman [email protected]

iVive Labs aims to provide the best, most affordable web business solutions to their clients. The company implements various tools, technologies, applications, and practices for website design, facebook, mobile applications and more. Some of which include, internet marketing, keyword search and analysis, SEO audit report, and search engine optimization. The team has designed web platforms for clients from New York City’s celebrity chef Eric Ripert of Avec Eric, to CMS Forex, an international Foreign Exchange trading company with offices in New York City, London and St. Petersburg.

25 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

LightCastle Partners www.lightcastlebd.com

Industry: ICT, Financial, Business Analytics

TEAM Bijon Islam Founder [email protected] Zahedul Amin Director-Finance [email protected]

LightCastle Partners is an emerging marketing business analytics firm. Their goal is to combine internal business analytics with market data to create strategic intelligence for organizations that helps them make informed and effective decisions. LightCastle partners develop business analytics achitecture, which is based on a combination of Microsoft Office based tool-kits, with front end access via Android-based platforms.

26 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Monariz Fashions www.monariz.com

Industry: ICT, E-Commerce

TEAM Monami Ahmed Co-Founder and CEO [email protected] Raja Ali Hasan Co-Founder [email protected]

Monariz.com is an online store that sells women’s apparel that can be shipped worldwide. Additionally, Monariz.com offers a custom stitching service.

27 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

MUTHOFUN www.muthofun.com

Industry: ICT, Telecom

TEAM A.M. Ishtiaque Sarwar CEO [email protected]

MUTHOFUN is a leading mobile content service provider in Bangladesh that serves the country’s top public universities. MUTHOFUN offers push pull messaging, subscription based messaging, bulk messaging, geo location based services, educational institute based SMS services, entrepreneurs SMS services, product verification, SMS banking services, and more.

28 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Myjatra.com www.myjatra.com

Industry: ICT, E-Commerce

TEAM Syed M. S. Zafar Co-founder & CEO [email protected] Asif Anwar Co-founder & CTO [email protected]

MyJatra is aiming to change the way travel tickets are purchased using an online platform and mobile app that allows customers to book domestic airplane, train, and bus tickets with ease.

29 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Panacea

www.panacealive.com

Industry: ICT, Pharmaceuticals

TEAM Soumik Aswad Founder [email protected] Souvik Aswad CMO [email protected]

Using a mobile app and SMS service, Panacea helps fight the US$130 million counterfeit medicine industry in Bangladesh. By partnering with pharmaceutical companies, Panacea helps consumers verify authenticity of the company’s medicine by randomly generating a unique code on every pack of medication. Once the medication reaches the customers, they send Panacea a request to determine authenticity of the medication.

30 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Pechas Game Studio www.pechasgamestudios.com

Industry: ICT, Mobile Gaming

TEAM Maiaz M Rahman Founder [email protected]

Pechas Game Studio is an indie game developer that focuses on developing unique simulations and time management strategy games. Their latest game, GridPuzzle is an addictive logic game that has already been downloaded thousands of times and was developed by some of the youngest and best developers in the industry. In fact, Pechas Game Studio’s youngest programmer recently placed 1st in the 2014 IT Talent Contest organized by the Daffodil Institute of IT.

31 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

PixeLizard www.pixelizard.com

Industry: ICT, Consumer Electronics

TEAM Imran Farid Shuvo Managing Director [email protected] Ankon Arafat Co-Founder & Director Embedded Systems [email protected]

PixeLizard’s Smart Home Series works to introduce smart technology to homes across Bangladesh. They will offer a wide range of products in the Smart Home Series from basic electricity saving products to mobile phone controlled home appliances.

32 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Singularity Limited with Lifeline www.singularitybd.com

Industry: Health & medical devices

TEAM Mir Shahrukh Islam Co-founder, Lifeline [email protected] Zafir Shafiee Chowdhury Co-Founder, Lifeline [email protected]

Singularity Limited is working on Lifeline, a mobile app that helps people to get information about blood availability in their current location at times when they need it the most. If a member of Lifeline needs blood, they may tap into the network. Lifeline then sends a notification to the nearest enlisted donors. By providing timely donations of blood, donors’ actions can save lives.

33 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

SmarTech Industry: Agriculture, Greentech

TEAM Md Shakir Khan Co-founder [email protected] Riasat Islam Co-founder [email protected]

For the small scale land holding farmers, SmarTech will provide inexpensive personalized suggestions to help them in their decision making in order to increase their crop productivity while minimizing production costs. Having done thorough research on precision farming and its advantages, SmarTech estimates it can help increase farmers’ yields by 8% while simultaneously saving on water by 17%, energy by 14%, and fertilizers by 26%. These factors will result in improved crop productivity and farmers’ livelihoods.

34 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

SobjiBazaar.com Limited www.sobjibazaar.com

Industry: ICT, E-commerce, Agriculture

TEAM Md. Shahin Founder [email protected]

Sobji Bazaar offers online organic produce shopping and automatic delivery in Dhaka. Customers can purchase all types of organic fruits and vegetables, pay online, and receive their purchases to the address of their choice.

35 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

TapStar Interactive Software Limited http://tapstarapps.com

Industry: ICT, Education, Entertainment & leisure

INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE LIMITED

TEAM A.K.M. Masuduzzaman Founder [email protected] Roksana Quayu Marketing Analyst [email protected]

TapStar, founded in 2013, is a team of professionals driven by passion for gaming. They make fun and engaging mobile games and apps that everyone enjoys. Players of TapStar games can cooperate and compete each other to finish a game as the mobile games facilitate competition, social status, and cooperation. TapStar’s array of games boasts over 200,000 downloads and the team plans to have over ten games on the market within the next six months.

36 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Team 4 Techs Industry: ICT, Light Engineering

TEAM Khan Mohammad Rezwan-ul-Akbar Managing Director [email protected] Firoze Ahmed Director of Strategy [email protected]

Team 4 Techs aspires to launch their Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based solution that features an automatic locking system paired with verified idenitification detection via an online database. Founder Khan Mohammad and Director of R&D Noor Hasan have together received 4 national-level robotics awards and are ready to bring engineering to the forefront in Bangladesh.

37 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Team Engine www.tm-engine.com

Industry: ICT

TEAM Nasim ul Haque Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] Faisal Khan Software Development specialist [email protected]

Team Engine, a team of over 39 employees, has developed the Bangla Optical Character Recognizer (OCR). OCR, is the mechanical or electronic conversion of scanned or photographed images of typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded/computer-readable text. The Bangla OCR has a 95% accuracy rate in transforming scanned graphics to computer-readable text in any Bangla font that is currently used in publication, making it the first complete Bangla OCR in the world. Team Engine plans to launch the first version soon and free of charge. Bangla OCR ensures content is digitized, archived in inventory, searchable on PC or web and reproduce when needed. Team Engine is also developing Bangla Text-toSpeech software.

38 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Emfixr

emfixr.com Industry: ICT, Healthcare

TEAM Md Niaz Mustafiz Founder and Business Developer [email protected] Md Mahi Growth Hacker [email protected]

Emfxr is a web service that helps people find doctors online, rate the services of doctors and clinics they visit, and view rankings for doctors, clinics and hospitals in the area. Users can also book appointments online. Emfixr is currently testing its prototype and is getting doctors on board and soon will reach out to the community.

39 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

INTERNATIONAL BOOT CAMP PRESENTERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Jim Bagnola, President, The Leadership Group International Jim Bagnola is an international speaker, an executive coach and a corporate educator. He is an expert in the field of leadership and body-mind management, focusing on the influence of thinking patterns on health, happiness, success, and the capacity to lead. His personal mission has been the personal coaching of young entrepreneurs and students on six continents for the past 20 years. He is Chairman of the Board of Leaders Romania an organization committed to teaching and mentoring young European leaders and he travels globally as a frequent lecturer and coach for AIESEC, the largest student organization in the world. In March 2012 he published his book Becoming a Professional Human Being and it is currently the #1 best seller in Japan. His educational background is in Political Science at the University of Akron, Psychology at the University of Santa Monica and Human Development at Meru in Switzerland and Maharishi University of Management. Jim was among the “World’s Top 30 Leadership Professionals” from 2006-2010 by Leadership Gurus International. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jim-bagnola/0/155/113 Twitter: @JimBagnola

Jim Chung, Executive Director, Office of Entrepreneurship, George Washington University Jim Chung is the Executive Director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Office of Technology Transfer at the George Washington University where he is responsible for entrepreneurship programs and technology transfer. As the director of the Mtech Venture Accelerator at the University of Maryland before joining the George Washington University, Jim worked with faculty and students there to launch startup companies based on University of Maryland technology. Prior to that, he served as the director of new business development at the Corporate Executive Board and helped establish the company’s mergers and acquisitions capabilities. He also served as vice president at Cherington Capital (now Intervale Capital), a middle market private equity firm. He started his private sector career as an early stage venture capital investor, most recently at incTANK Ventures, where he was the managing director. Before becoming an investor, Jim was an academic researcher studying how business, government, and academia work together to create new innovations in high technology industries. He was a research fellow at MIT (Security Studies Program), Harvard (Center for Science and International Affairs), the University of Tokyo (Fulbright Fellow), and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (NSF Fellow). He received his Bachelor and Masters degrees from Stanford University and was a Ph.D. candidate at MIT. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jim-chung/0/3/3a3 Twitter: @jimchung_gw

Thor Ernstsson, Founder, Casual Corp and former Lead Architect, Zynga Thor is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Casual Corp, a venture studio in New York. Previously he was the CTO of Audax Health and architect at Zynga. In addition to launching new companies, Thor spends a lot of his time supporting entrepreneurs, ranging from pre-seed-stage startups to innovators in Fortune 100 companies. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thorernstsson Twitter: @ThorErnstsson

40 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

DISTINGUISHED MENTORS, JUDGES & SPEAKERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

M.K. Aaref, Chief Executive Officer, Edward M. Kennedy Center for Public Service and the Arts M.K. Aaref is an architect by training and profession who is currently in charge of Edward M. Kennedy Center for Public Service and the Arts, a pilot outreach project of the U.S. Department of State. The Center fosters and promotes various non profit groups and individuals that are active in volunteerism, leadership, and entrepreneurial promotions. He completed his undergraduate studies in architecture and planning from the University of Houston and later completed his master’s degree in business administration from Aston University, specializing in privatization framework. LinkedIn: bd.linkedin.com/pub/m-k-aaref/5/bb/843 Twitter: @mkaaref

Sharful Alam, Chief Operating Officer, Aamra Networks Limited Sharful has been working in the IT Infrastructure Industry since his graduation from IBA in 1998. In addition to his role at Aamra, he is also the Director of Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh. His core competencies include strategy, innovation, operations, sales, marketing, human resource, and leadership. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharful Twitter: @sharfulalam

Tanveer Ali, Executive Director, Inflection Ventures Tanveer has more than 15 years of investment experience in technology, mining and manufacturing. Born and raised in Toronto, Tanveer moved to Bangladesh to oversee manufacturing operations, supply chain and capital expenditure at Olympic Industries, a publicly-listed, family-managed consumer goods manufacturer. He has been a director of several publicly-listed Canadian mining exploration companies. At Inflection Ventures, he has made 18 investments (primarily in Silicon Valley) startups, with 1 exit to date; a company acquired by TripAdvisor. He was a judge at StartupWeekend Dhaka in 2013 and 2014. Tanveer has a BA in Political Science from the University of Waterloo. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tanveer-ali/43/6a6/152

41 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

DISTINGUISHED MENTORS, JUDGES & SPEAKERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Taro Araya, Chief Executive Office, MIAKI Taro is an experienced management executive focusing on emerging markets, globalization and innovation for change. Taro identifies and establishes high performance teams and driving them to goals with a focus on high technology, services and ICT industries. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/taroaraya Twitter: @taroaraya

Richard Boerner, Superintendent, American International School Dhaka Richard is currently serving as the Superintendent of the American International School Dhaka since 2010. Prior to his time in Bangladesh, Richard was Director of Korea International School and further has held several school leadership positions overseas and in the United States. Richard also serves as a board member for The International Educator and the Next Frontiers Inclusion organizations. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardboerner

Nazim Farhan Choudhury, Serial Entrepreneur Nazim is an eternal optimist, a serial entrepreneur, a diehard Bangladeshi patriot, a gourmet kachchii biriyani lover, social media addict and history buff among many other things. He writes a column for the Dhaka Tribune and is an expert at marketing and advertising. He currently works for Colours FM 101.6, Nazimgarh Resorts and SoftwarePeople (PeopleGroup). LinkedIn: bd.linkedin.com/pub/nazim-farhan-choudhury/0/786/661

42 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

DISTINGUISHED MENTORS, JUDGES & SPEAKERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Nazmul Chowdhury, First Vice President and Head of Brand, The City Bank Ltd. Nazmul was hired by The City Bank in 2009 to renew its brand identity. With his clear vision and creative brand engagement ideas, he has integrated the financial services brand into a consumer facing platform and transformed the bank into one of the strongest local banking brand in the country. He is presently the First Vice President & Head of Brand for City Bank and oversees a team of professionals involved in strategic brand planning, consumer engagement, marketing strategy, web and digital media campaigns, direct marketing. Before joining City Bank, he has worked for the top three creative agencies; Bitopi Leo Burnett, Unitrend McCann and Mediacom Bangladesh in various capacities in strategic planning and campaign management. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nazmul-karim-chowdhury-cpmm/3/410/99 Twitter: @nazmul_nk

Jim Davidson, Early-stage Investor & Former AOL & MapQuest Executive Jim is an early-stage investor and advisor with more than 20 years of Internet technology experience. Jim was a senior leader at AOL where he served as CTO of DigitalCity, the Internet’s first hyper-local portal, and later as VP of Web Services and Publishing, where he led teams responsible for some of the most innovative and high-scale sites including Aol.com and MapQuest. Jim has also been a leader at early-stage companies. Some of these roles have included: CTO of ShareThis.com, President of Examiner.com, and co-founder and CEO of Laborfair.com, an online marketplace for disadvantaged service providers. Jim is now focused on early-stage impact-investing, providing capital and serving as adviser for companies that leverage technology to further their social-benefit and sustainability missions. He serves on the board of CauseLabs, Think Impact, Investors’ Circle and Hub Boulder and is a guarantor and loan committee advisor to MicroCredit Enterprises. Jim lives with his wife Melanie and two children in Denver, CO, and aspires to one day finish a triathlon with something more than a participation medal. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jgdavidson Twitter: @jgdavidson

Anita Ghazi Rahman, Founder, The Legal Circle Anita is the Founder of and a Partner at The Legal Circle. She is also the concept creator and editor of LCLR, which is a quarterly law report, and Think Legal Bangladesh, an online legal publishing platform. Anita likes to think out of the box and believes in improving the corporate community. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/anita-rahman/11/64b/605

43 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

DISTINGUISHED MENTORS, JUDGES & SPEAKERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Masrur Hannan, Founder, Bonolota UX Designs Masrur is a User Experience DESIGN (UXd) evangelist; even a fanatic, some say! He turned his passion into his job: designing technologies and “things” that are easy and fun to use and which bring people joy. He is the founder of the first Bangladeshi User Experience Design firm: Bonolota UX Designs. The Bonolota team is working on various exciting projects including making a new computer. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mhannanux Twitter: @MasrurHannan

Maneeza Hossain, Director, Aegis Textiles Group Maneeza divides her time between Dhaka, Bangladesh, where she is Director at Aegis Textiles group, and Washington DC where she is Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. Ms. Hossain is a US-trained lawyer and author of Broken Pendulum: Bangladesh’s Swing to Radicalism (Hudson Institute, 2007). Her policy work has appeared in various publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Times of India, the Weekly Standard, National Review and the Dhaka Tribune. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/maneeza-hossain/38/63/854

Riyad Husain, Chief Executive Officer, Magnito Digital Riyad is a marketing entrepreneur from Dhaka who is the Founder and CEO of Magnito Digital, which is one of the leading full service digital agencies of Bangladesh. He also co-founded ROOT Marketing Services, Printex Limited, Giant Marketing and the social initiative Zakat Connect. Riyad is one of the organizers of Google Business Groups (GBG) Dhaka, which is a fast growing non-profit community under the Google Outreach Program. He is highly involved in the Bangladeshi Startup scene, regularly speaking at various conferences and mentoring young Startups. He chairs the Youth Committee of TiE Dhaka. Prior to starting business, Riyad worked for Arcadia Group in UK. Riyad has a BA degree from Richmond University, UK. In his free time, Riyad plays football and is a travel addict. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/riyadhusain Twitter: @riyadhusain

44 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

DISTINGUISHED MENTORS, JUDGES & SPEAKERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Iraj Islam, Co-founder & CTO, NewsCred Iraj is a Bangladeshi-Swedish serial entrepreneur, software engineer and product designer. He is passionate about building innovative products that change the world. Iraj co-founded NewsCred, the world’s leading content marketing platform, in 2007. Iraj was also named Sweden’s 3rd hottest entrepreneur by Swedish magazine InternetWorld in 2006, he was also named in the Silicon Alley 100 2012 by Business Insider. LinkedIn: se.linkedin.com/pub/iraj-islam/4/477/931 Twitter: @irajislam

Raisul Kabir, Chief Executive Officer, Brain Station-23 Raisul started his first company, Paradigm Neomedia, during college. That company didn’t work out, but he continued by founding a second company, Brain Station-23, which became one of the largest outsourcing companies in Bangladesh. Biponee.com is his third startup that he founded in 2013. Along the way he learned some bits and pieces, which he is excited to share with startups and entrepreneurs. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/raisul Twitter: @raisulk

Zarif Munir, Partner and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group. Zarif is a Partner and Managing Director at The Boston Consulting Group. He also works as a Senior Advisor to AT Capital based out of Bangladesh which manages foreign fund and invests in local capital market. His areas of expertise include turnarounds, operational and organizational effectiveness. He has worked closely with Fortune 500 companies in the industrial goods, consumer goods, healthcare, and software development space. Over the last 18 years, Zarif has worked out of BCG’s Asia, Latin America, and North America offices, prior to which he was with Price Waterhouse Coopers for 2 years as an auditor. He is a Certified Public Accountant, and holds a Masters in Business Administration with Distinction from The Kellogg School of Management. He has a passion for entrepreneurship and is an investor.

45 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

DISTINGUISHED MENTORS, JUDGES & SPEAKERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Sajid Rahman, Advisor, Sabre Advisors Sajid is an experienced international banker with experience in Africa, Asia and the Middle-East. He serves as a Board Member and Chairman to a number of technology and financial services companies. He supports entrepreneurship in emerging markets as an advisor, mentor and active angel investor. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sajid-rahman/10/646/740 Twitter: @SajidRepublic

Shuvo Rahman, Director, Intelligent Image Management Ltd. Shuvo is a serial entrepreneur and investor. He is the co-founder of Intelligent Image Management Ltd., a business process outsourcing company and Kisan Botanix, a disease resistant seed production company with its own tissue culture laboratory. He started career with Coopers & Lybrand’s (now PwC) Boston practice. He graduated Cum Laude from Northeastern University (89) of Boston, Massachusetts, Norte Dame College (84) and St. Josephs High School Dhaka (82).

Amyn Saleh, Director, Bengal Glass Amyn is presently a Director at Bengal Glass, and oversees the sales and IT functions. Prior to joining Bengal Glass in 2009, he worked at PG&E Corporation as a Solar Product Development Manager, and at Deloitte Consulting as a Management Consultant. He obtained his Bachelors in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research with a minor in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Masters in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In his voluntary capacity, he serves as Chairman of the Aga Khan Education Service Bangladesh. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/amynsaleh

46 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

DISTINGUISHED MENTORS, JUDGES & SPEAKERS

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Sameer Sattar, Head of Chambers, Sattar & Co. Mr. Sattar is a barrister with a specific interest in commercial transactional work and dispute resolution. He is also the Coordinating Director of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry for foreign investments. In Bangladesh, Mr. Sattar’s practice primarily involves corporate advisory work and litigation. This includes, inter alia, acquisition of private companies and banks, setting up local companies in Bangladesh, advising foreign companies on joint venture issues, foreign investment, loan syndication for commercial projects, and drafting commercial documentation generally. Mr. Sattar is also active in the practice of international arbitration. He has worked on and appeared as counsel in several international arbitration held under the auspices of the ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, SIAC, and ICSID rules. His experience in arbitration includes both commercial and investment treaty arbitration. Moreover, he has advised various states and multinational companies in relation to their rights under international law. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sameer-sattar/1b/348/a89

Syed Akthar Hasan Uddin, Managing Director, MAAR Ltd. Syed is the Managing Director at MAAR Ltd. Syed has over 15 years of experience as a human resources specialist. He was one of the founders of the Bangladesh Society for Human Resources Management, which was set up to promote HR best practices in Bangladesh. He is a Partner of Managewell HR Consultancy, a director of Alumina (PVT.) Ltd., Family Products (PVT.) Ltd and of Guardian Life, a newly-formed life insurance company. Syed completed his MBA from Cardiff University, Wales, UK and qualified as an Accountant from the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts of England and Wales. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/syed-a-h-uddin/5/888/322

Khadem Mahmud Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer, Bangladesh Petrochemical Company Ltd Khadem has over 20 years of experience working in the USA and Bangladesh. Prior to forming Bangladesh Petrochemical Company Limited (BPCL), he had worked for five years as the Country Manager of Global Services for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at Nokia Solutions & Networks. He was also the CEO and Chairman of Alap Communication, a Nationwide Broadband Wireless Data Network service provider in Bangladesh and National Data Consultant for Bangladesh Bank. Before moving back to Bangladesh, he worked at Cowave Networks in Fremont, California, USA, as an Architect and Designer for next generation cost effective NLOS (Non Line of Sight) Broadband Wireless Access Systems. Khadem M Yusuf holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, USA and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University, Texas, USA. Linkedin: bd.linkedin.com/pub/khadem-mahmud-yusuf/7/a2a/a84

47 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

GIST TEAM @ CRDF Global Natalia Pipia, Associate Program Director, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, CRDF Global Bio: Natalia Pipia develops and oversees Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programs at CRDF Global. She expands and generates new opportunities with the private sector, foundations, and international organizations that share CRDF Global’s mission of advancing technology entrepreneurship in emerging economies. A critical part of her current position is developing vision and outreach strategies as well as overseeing a portfolio of programs that source and provide support to tech companies. She executes several programs, including GIST and the VentureOut Challenge, that support hundreds of early stage entrepreneurs in the Middle East, Africa, Eurasia, South East Asia, and the Caribbean regions by providing education, technical skills, seed funding, and U.S. market access to entrepreneurs. Natalia advises on policy and programs that promote all aspects of entrepreneurial ecosystem building. She holds a M.A. in International Relations from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliapipia Twitter: @NataliaPipia

Ovidiu Bujorean, Senior Program Manager, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, CRDF Global Bio: Ovidiu Bujorean manages The GIST Initiative, a global enterprise that builds dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems in 54 countries across the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Asia. Since 2011, GIST has built an online global community of 200k entrepreneurs, trained more than 3k entrepreneurs, vetted and mentored fast growing tech entrepreneurs who raised $21M+ in funding and generated 800 jobs and $15M in revenue. Ovidiu built a network of global partnerships with likeminded organizations such as MIT Enterprise Forum, Startup Malaysia, TOBB/ Tepav, infoDev and Microsoft as well as attracted the support of globally recognized entrepreneurs and investors such as Jeff Hoffman, Co-founder and Former CEO of Priceline, Nolan Bushnell Co-founder of Atari and Ali Sabanci, Chairman of Pegasus Airlines. He was Senior Associate at Rudyard Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in consumer technologies. Mr. Bujorean serves as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of AIESEC DC and Vice-Chairman of MIT Enterprise Forum DC. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bujorean Twitter: @ovidiubujorean

Amanda Gant, Associate Program Manager, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, CRDF Global Amanda Gant joined CRDF Global in March 2012 where she works with international partners to organize startup boot camps and virtual mentorship programs. Amanda has long had the entrepreneurship bug, selling bracelets on the beach of her hometown since middle school, and it was this experience which inspired her to study international development, hoping to empower others to realize their dreams by starting their own businesses. Amanda supports her local community by organizing the annual “Glover Park Day” showcasing local area businesses and non-profits. For five years she also led service-oriented ecotourism trips to Nicaragua to promote travel and cultural exchange. She received her Master of Public Policy and Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service both from Georgetown University. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/amandalynngant Twitter: @amandagant

48 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

GIST TEAM @ US State Department

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dr. Anna Quider, GIST & Innovation Program Manager, U.S. Department of State Dr. Anna Quider works to improve local and global communities through international cooperation by supporting U.S. Department of State policies and programming at the intersection of science, innovation, and diplomacy, including the GIST Initiative. Previously, Dr. Quider developed strategies to address local, national, and international issues spanning education, science, innovation, and foreign affairs for the Office of Rep. Russ Carnahan, U.S. House of Representatives. Dr. Quider is an astrophysicist who regularly engages broad audiences on topics including astronomy, professional development, and policy. Twitter: www.linkedin.com/in/annaquider

Dr. Sara Klucking, Global Engagement Team Lead, U.S. Department of State Sara Klucking came to the U.S. Department of State from the Science and Technology Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where she managed a diverse S&T portfolio of risk analytics, simulation modeling, and health security projects aimed at supporting science based decision making in health security and counterterrorism program investments in DHS and the broader homeland security enterprise. Her federal service began through an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship and included a year serving in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Brookings Institution Legis Congressional Fellow. Twitter: www.linkedin.com/pub/sara-klucking/4/299/503

Kathryn Pharr, Science, Technology & Innovation Program Manager, U.S. Department of State Ms. Kathryn Pharr, PMP, manages programs that enhance the impact of science, technology, and innovation to solve global and local challenges, including the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative. Previously, Ms. Pharr used her chemistry masters degree to help a start-up sustainable natural care company receive a worldwide exclusive patent from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has also worked with USAID in Egypt, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Indonesia. Twitter: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathryn-pharr-ms-pmp/6/393/11a

49 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

STARTUP DHAKA TEAM

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

Fayaz Taher, CEO, Fortuna & Co-Founder, Startup Dhaka Fayaz is a serial entrepreneur, investor, mentor and a startup and community advocate from Bangladesh and the current CEO of Fortuna, an innovative group of companies invested across various industries. Fayaz was one of the youngest Vice-Chairman of the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods Manufactures and Exporters Association. Fayaz is also passionate about community building. He co-founded BDtech, which was a community for startup enthusiasts and is leading the efforts to form an angel investor group. He was the lead organizer of Startupbashbd as well. Fayaz in the past has organized Facebook Developer Garage & Ruby Tech event. Fayaz as an investor also invested in several startups to encourage young entrepreneurs to solve the local problems and find solutions including Magnito Digital, Ligthcastle Partners and Startup Dhaka. He also invested in a co-working space called the Wave. Fayaz started his first venture at the age of 13 starting in retail and later went on to found Fortuna Fried Chicken while he was in High School. Fayaz was also a Director of Union Capital Leasing Ltd, and also helps set strategy with Peoples Life Insurance Company and Popular Life Insurance Company ltd. Fayaz is also an integral member & co-founder of Infrablue technology which as was announced as one of the winners of the Facebook Fund for their technology skills back in 2008, the only company from Bangladesh. Fayaz completed his undergraduate degree at Babson College in Entrepreneurship in ‘03 and completed his masters in International Development and Social Change at Clark University in Massachusetts, USA in ‘09. He is also a research fellow at Bangladesh Enterprise Institute and a fellow at Jaago Foundation. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/fayaztaher Twitter: @fayaztaher

Samad Miraly, Executive Director, Olympic Industries Limited, Co-Founder, Startup Dhaka Samad Miraly is a Canadian-Bangladeshi investor. An Executive Director at Olympic Industries Limited, a publicly listed consumer goods manufacturing company. He has also invested in Magnito Digital Limited – Bangladesh’s first full service digital marketing agency; Monasa Learning Limited – Dhaka’s premier after-school education centre; and LiveSafe, a US-based security app company. His latest investment is in Startup Dhaka, a media site that covers innovative business in Bangladesh. Out side of startups, he is a director at Universal Financial Solutions Limited, a licensed asset management company. Samad contributes some time community-building for entrepreneurship and angel investing in Bangladesh. His main interests lie in working toward upliftment through entrepreneurship, via impact investing and disruptive technologies. Twitter: @samadmiraly

Mustafizur Rahman Khan, CEO & Founder, Startup Dhaka Mustafiz is an angel investor, startup community organiser and marketer with over 17 years of experience of heading teams across diverse industries in Asia. He has started his career as an entrepreneur and later managed brand like HSBC in several countries. He co founded coolest coworking space in Dhaka and working towards launching his own startup, a business news site called Startup Dhaka. He is passionate about technology and studies film in his spare time. Twitter: @startupdak

50 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

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22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

GIST ACTIVITIES

TECH CONNECT

BOOT CAMP JORDAN MOROCCO ALGERIA SENEGAL INDONESIA MALAYSIA TANZANIA TURKEY

GIST @ GES TURKEY UAE MALAYSIA

ARMENIA AFGHANISTAN ALGERIA AZERBAIJAN BANGLADESH BRAZIL COLOMBIA ECUADOR

EGYPT GEORGIA GHANA GUATEMALA INDIA JORDAN KUWAIT LEBANON

MALAYSIA MEXICO NIGERIA OMAN PAKISTAN QATAR SAUDI ARABIA SENEGAL

STOCKHOLM TUNISIA TURKEY USA VENEZUELA

51 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST IN THE NEWS GIST IN THE NEWS

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22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

GIST Entrepreneurs Inspire Female Small Business Owner in Washington, DC Mehrunisa Qayyum writes in her Small Business blog post “Small Business Tips to Fight Holiday Stress,” that she was encouraged by the GIST Transformers she met at a leadership seminar held at the World Bank in Washington, DC during the US Entrepreneurship Journey. Confronted by holiday pressures as the founder of a new Middle East affairs consultancy, she related to the insights of GIST speaker Jim Bagnola and GIST entrepreneurs in seeking innovative ways to successfully promote and build their start-ups in the crowded marketplace. Read more at tiny.cc/duelow

“Young entrepreneurs from NUST have made the nation proud” Pakistan’s Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani extended his congratulations to entrepreneurs from Pakistan’s National University of Science and Technology. He commended the Sahara and Saltech teams for making it to the victory stand at an international business plan competition, titled “Global Innovation through Science & Technology (GIST) -- Battle of Ideas World Cup 2011.” Read more at tiny.cc/NUST

Indonesian Minister: ‘We need four million entrepreneurs’ They hosted a recent conference and business plan competition to inspire, educate and cajole young people into taking the plunge. “There’s a real craving for this kind of knowledge here,” according to Ovidiu Bujorean, program manager for Global Innovation through Science and Technology, the US-based agency that ran the event. “Energy, drive, optimism – the people I’ve seen here are the ones who can take the Indonesian economy into the new global economy of knowledge, ideas and prosperity. [Disclosure: I spoke, judged and put together a panel discussion at this event, implemented by CRDF Global and funded by the US State Department.] Read more at tiny.cc/GISTinFORBES

Road Trip! Founders Of YouTube, LinkedIn and Others Tackle Brain Drain in Malaysia Malaysia has a very young population, 65% of which is under 35, as well as the need to create jobs quickly. Hwang says entrepreneurship can create alternatives to other activities. “In many cases the government is responding to demand by the people,” she says, like in Indonesia, where a grassroots movement began. “The government recognized entrepreneurship to be a good cause to engage young talent and create alternatives to other activities.”She observes that the U.S. government has been promoting entrepreneurship in Muslim-dominated countries with this goal. “The GIST initiative is a partner of StartupMalaysia.org” Read more at tiny.cc/BRAINDRAIN

52 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST IN THE NEWS GIST IN THE NEWS

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

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22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

SecQme joins the fight against crime in Malaysia One of the GIST Initiative ventures, SecQme from Malaysia, highlighted in a BBC news article about crime prevention in the country. SecQme is the first mobile safety app made for Android and iPhone that allows users to ensure others are aware of their whereabouts whenever they’re feeling unsafe. Read more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23750925

Heart Attack Monitor Wins US Startup Contest for Middle East Most Middle East entrepreneurs can only dream of a startup oasis such as California’s Silicon Valley that is filled with angel investors and venture capitalists. But a few entrepreneurs have begun receiving funding from a more unlikely source - the U.S. government. One of those entrepreneurs, Ziad Sankari, was just 17 when he lost his father to a heart attack. Today, the Lebanese engineer is building a startup based on a medical device that can monitor cardiac patients outside the hospital around the clock. His startup idea won a first place prize of $20,000 in the final rounds of the U.S.-sponsored GIST Tech-I Competition held in Istanbul last December. That funding from the U.S. State Department may help Sankari and his colleague, Najwa Sahmarani, develop a business plan for their “Cardio Diagnostics” startup. The competition also provided business mentoring by flying in experts from MIT and Silicon Valley. “GISTech was our shortcut towards better connections and visibility and provided us, indeed, with some cash and unmatchable opportunities to visit Silicon Valley and possibly find a collaborator there,” Sankari said. Read more at tiny.cc/msnGIST



Meet the Coolest Next-Generation Science Entrepreneurs in MENA

At the second Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Istanbul recently, we at Wamda were tremendously inspired by the contestants in the Global Innovation through Science & Technology (GIST) Competition, who came from all over the Middle East and North Africa to showcase their carefully-honed scientific ideas that could transform our societies. Read more at tiny.cc/WAMDA

Lebanon turns to apps to avoid growing violence linked to Syria Mohammad Taha, Lebanese entrepreneur and the second place winner of GIST Tech-I 2012 competition, featured for his mobile app, ma2too3a. The crowd-sourced map app takes real-time information from its users about protests, traffic, roadblocks and classes and then feeds into the map. Ma2too3a has been downloaded over 80,000 times. Read more at tiny.cc/ma2too3a

53 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

in partnership with

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

RESOURCES General Resources Entrepreneur – www.entrepreneur.com Inc.com – www.inc.com Red Herring – www.redherring.com VentureBeat – www.venturebeat.com Afriqueitnews - www.afriqueitnews.com Fast Company - www.fastcompany.com Cnet - www.cnet.com TechCrunch - www.techcrunch.com Tech Cocktail - www.tech.co Satanford Online - online.stanford.edu Udacity - www.udacity.com

Non-Government Programs Entrepreneur Week - www.entrepreneurweek.net Entrepreneur Meetup - entrepreneur.meetup.com Global Community for Advancing Studies on Entrepreneurship - www.gcase.org 10,000 Women Initiative - www.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/10000women/ Global Entrepreneurship Leadership Symposium - entrepreneurship.intel.com/community/gels-community Global Entrepreneurship Week - www.unleashingideas.org Microsoft BizSpark - www.mitef.org OPEC Fund for International Development - www.ofid.org Global Student Entrepreneur Awards - www.gsea.org YoungEntrepreneur.com - www.youngentrepreneur.com/about-us

U.S. Government Programs A New Beginning: Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation – anewbeginning.eonetwork.org Youth Livelihoods Alliance - www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/10/198490.htm TechGirls - exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/techgirls TechWomen - www.techwomen.org The Global Entrepreneurship Program - www.state.gov/e/eb/cba/entrepreneurship/gep/index.htm Partners for a New Beginning - www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/new-beginning Global Women’s Mentorship Program - exchanges.state.gov/citizens/professionals/fortunepartnership.html Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development - www.ceed-global.org/web/default.aspx The Entrepreneurship Toolkit - egateg.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/USAID_State%20Entrepreneurship%20Toolkit_0.pdf

54 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

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22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

GIST PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNER

INDONESIA

Global Entrepreneurship Program Indonesia

SENEGAL

MALAYSIA

JORDAN

TURKEY

KENYA

EGYPT

PAKISTAN

TUNISIA

TANZANIA

ALGERIA

BAHRAIN

NIGERIA

BANGLADESH

REGIONAL

The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

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GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP 22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

56 The GIST Initiative is a partnership led by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

GIST STARTUP BOOT CAMP

in partnership with

22-24 May 2014 • Dhaka, Bangladesh

BEST OF THREE IDEAS I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF BEFORE:

PEOPLE I WANT TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @ @ @ @ @ @

PRESENTATIONS I MUST CHECK ON LATER:

FAVORITE QUOTES:

WEBSITES I HAVE TO CHECK OUT:

TOP FIVE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH:

THINGS I FEEL INSPIRED TO DO AFTER BOOT CAMP:

MOST INTERESTING IDEA I HAD:

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