Sidra Jalil
Current President
OPEN Islamabad has been a home for Pakistan's entrepreneurial spirit for over a decade. What has kept it alive is not any single event or initiative — it is the people who show up, share generously, and invest in one another's success. That spirit of collective ownership is what makes this community worth belonging to.
Under this chapter's leadership, we are committed to building something that goes further. A community where emerging founders find mentors, where policymakers hear directly from practitioners, where women in enterprise and technology are not just represented but celebrated, and where Pakistan's diverse talent, regardless of background has a platform to grow, connect, and lead.
Inclusion is not a programme that we run, infact it is how we operate. We believe a stronger, more representative entrepreneurial ecosystem is one of the most patriotic things we can build for this country.
I joined OPEN Islamabad as a volunteer in 2014 with no agenda other than to contribute. That instinct, to give back before you take, is one I hope defines everything we do together in the years ahead.
Pakistan has no shortage of brilliant, determined people. What it needs are spaces where that brilliance can find each other.
In this role as President, my northstar is to make OPEN Islamabad that space - the one that elevates women in leadership and enterprise, creates structured pathways for first-generation founders, and ensures that OPEN Islamabad reflects the full breadth of Pakistan's entrepreneurial talent.
نہیں تیرا نشیمن قصرِ سلطانی کے گنبد پر
تو شاہیں ہے بسیرا کر پہاڑوں کی چٹانوں میں
Former Presidents
Taimur Khalid
President 2024-2026
OPEN is a platform where entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, & professionals come together, connecting dots and bridging gaps. The platform is by the community, for the community - with the strong belief that we are in charge of our own destiny and our future is in our own hands. I am honored and humbled to be elected President of OPEN Islamabad. I have benefited tremendously from this network of amazing professionals - I hope I can enable others to get the same benefit.
Umair Shahid
President 2023-2024
OPEN is a platform where entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, & professionals come together, connecting dots and bridging gaps. The platform is by the community, for the community - with the strong belief that we are in charge of our own destiny and our future is in our own hands. I am honored and humbled to be elected President of OPEN Islamabad. I have benefited tremendously from this network of amazing professionals - I hope I can enable others to get the same benefit.
Arsalan Vardag
President 2020-2022
On one hand, it's definitely an honor to be chosen for such a prestigious role, but on the other, I see it as a challenge to follow the footsteps of the past Presidents, who have done such a commendable job with extraordinary hard work towards the development of entrepreneurial culture in the capital.
I am committed to trying to continue as well as improve upon the existing programs, including the Networking Events, Special Interest Groups, Annual Events, with an aim to ensure that this platform for entrepreneurs and professionals to connect, networks, collaborate, mentor, and support each other is always there, exceeding everyone's expectation in terms of quality and value.
It will also be my endeavor to further strengthen the organization in terms of finances, permanent team, and enhanced relationships with other stakeholders including organizations with similar objectives, Investors, International Financial Institutions, and Government. The purpose of doing this all is to create value for the community in general and members in particular.
Farrukh Malik
President 2018-2020
Entrepreneurs are described as the visionary, innovative, risk takers, influential, leader, creative and opportunistic people. I am a strong believer of "Entrepreneurship is a mindset, not a business model". Having this mindset anyone can succeed regardless of their role in life as an entrepreneur, intrapreneur or doing a job.
OPEN's goals include fostering entrepreneurship, business acceleration, professional growth, bridging the gaps, cross-chapter collaboration and belief in brand Pakistan. Our team at OPEN is committed to providing opportunities to the individuals and organizations to Connect, Innovate & Disrupt.
دیار عشق میں اپنا مقام پیدا کر
نیا زمانہ نئے صبح و شام پیدا کر
Ather Imran
President 2016-2018
OPEN is not only a global brand but also most prestigious one for Pakistani entrepreneurs and professionals around the globe. In 2013, we strongly felt that the twin cities have been evolving a unique ecosystem through a fusion of a thriving entrepreneurial community, the most dense universities network in the country and the seat of the federal government which is getting more interested in the role of entrepreneurship, with a focus on engaging overseas Pakistanis as well. Having an OPEN chapter in Islamabad was a logical outcome, and I am proud to be part of the founding team.
I have had the privilege to serve as founding Chairman and then the second president, and these 4 years have been most rewarding. What the entire founding team focused on was to develop an institution that is not only active and contributing, but not dependent on individuals as well.
I have always been for building platforms - structures that serve the community in more ways than one. That's what OPEN Islamabad has always done, and will continue to do. We have connected and engaged across all stakeholders of the system and proudly serve as the go-to platform for many, including government.
Owais Anjum
President 2014-2016