Past Events

Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

18^th June 2025

Location: The Black Hole

5-H, Street 100, G-11/3, Islamabad

OPEN Islamabad introduces a new Special Interest Group (SIG) on Climate & Environment

From smog-filled skies to unexpected hailstorms — the twin cities are witnessing the harsh reality of climate change. It’s real. It’s here. And it’s affecting all of us.

Our SIG kicks off with a powerful session uncovering over four months of research into Pakistan’s air quality crisis; causes, stats, trends, and the serious impact on our health.

Let’s come together to build awareness, spark dialogue, and truly understand the air we breathe.

Who should attend?

• Environmental enthusiasts & climate advocates
• Students & researchers in environmental science, public health, or urban planning
• Policy makers & government officials
• Tech and data professionals interested in environmental applications
• Health professionals concerned about air pollution’s impact
• Citizens of Islamabad/Rawalpindi who want to understand and act on climate issues
• Members of the OPEN community looking to make a social impact

Participation Charges

None

How to Register?

Enter your information below and click submit.

“Mad, Sad, Glad – Sprint Retro” is an engaging and dynamic retrospective meeting format commonly employed in agile project management methodologies, particularly in Scrum. This collaborative session serves as a valuable opportunity for team members to reflect on the recently completed sprint and share their experiences, emotions, and insights.

Agile Pakistan brings this 5th SIG with the collaboration of Open Islamabad focusing on “Mad, Sad, Glad – Sprint Retro”.

Who Should Attend?

• Business Analysts
• Scrum Masters
• Developers
• Testers

Participation Charges

PKR 500/-

How to Register?

Step 1 : Enter your information below and click submit.
Step 2 : Pay the Participation charges on the spot to our representatives at the event’s registration desk.

As we have done with the agile mindset and sprint planning SIGs (Special Interest Group Sessions) so this time we are going to talk about sprint execution, events, roles, and outcomes.

Speaker:
Naveed Ramzan
Date: 18 Aug 2023
Time: 6:30 PM
Venue: The Hive Blue Area

Who Should Attend?

• Business Analysts
• Scrum Masters
• Developers
• Testers

Participation Charges

PKR 500/-

How to Register?

Step 1: Enter your information below and click submit.
Step 2: Pay the Participation charges on the spot to our representatives at the event’s registration desk.

In the second SIG, we will focus on how to gather information from the client in an effective way. This will include transforming vague requirements into good requirements, driving clients to obtain maximum benefits, and the link between project success and effective requirement collection.

Pakistan Agile Development Society, founded in 2014, defines the future of Agile in Pakistan. Today, the society consists of volunteer members from all over Pakistan having chapters in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. It has successfully spread its message through conferences, awareness sessions, and meetups. AgilePK provides a platform for agile experts to share their experiences and knowledge and add value to the industry. This event is being conducted in collaboration with the Pakistan Agile Development Society Islamabad Chapter (AgileISB).

Who Should Attend?

• Business Analysts
• Scrum Masters
• Developers
• Testers

Participation Charges

PKR 500/-

How to Register?

Step 1 : Enter your information below and click submit.
Step 2 : Pay the Participation charges on the spot to our representatives on the registration desk at the event.

In this SIG, let’s learn how to accelerate project delivery by changing your mindset, adjusting leadership style, embracing agility, creating a culture of teamwork and responding quickly to change. The session will help you understand how you can bring change by taking small steps. We have planned an interesting session for you, with an interactive presentation along with activities to engage all the participants in the learning process.

Pakistan Agile Development Society, founded in 2014, is defining the future of Agile in Pakistan. Today, the society consists of volunteer members from all over Pakistan having its chapters in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. It has been successfully spreading its message through conferences, awareness sessions, and meetups. AgilePK provides a platform to agile experts to share their experiences and knowledge and add value in industry. This event is being conducted in collaboration with Pakistan Agile Development Society Islamabad Chapter (AgileISB).

Who Should Attend?

Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Students.

Participation Charges

PKR 500/-

How to Register?

Step 1 : Enter your information below and click submit.
Step 2 : Pay the Participation charges on the spot to our representatives on the registration desk at the event.

We invite you to OPEN Islamabad’s 28th Networking Event at 1969 Restaurant.

OPEN Islamabad is giving you this great opportunity to connect with leaders of various industries while enjoying some fine food and ambiance. More specifically, you can expect to meet:

• Charter members of OPEN
• Top Executives from large enterprises
• C-level Executives of IT companies
• Deans, Professors, and Researchers from universities
• Representatives of other cultural and civic organizations in Islamabad
• Business owners from various industry verticals like manufacturing, healthcare, etc.

Participation charges:
   >Rs 500 for members
   >Rs 2,000 for non-members

The annual Associate Membership Fee is PKR 5,000. On-spot memberships are available during the event.

We invite you to OPEN Islamabad’s 27th Networking Event at 1969 Restaurant.

OPEN Islamabad is giving you this great opportunity to connect with leaders of various industries while enjoying some fine food and ambiance. More specifically, you can expect to meet:

• Charter members of OPEN
• Top Executives from large enterprises
• C-level Executives of IT companies
• Deans, Professors, and Researchers from universities
• Representatives of other cultural and civic organizations in Islamabad
• Business owners from various industry verticals like manufacturing, healthcare, etc.

Participation charges:
   >Rs 500 for members
   >Rs 2,000 for non-members

The annual Associate Membership Fee is PKR 5,000. On-spot memberships are available during the event.

We invite you to OPEN Islamabad’s 26th Networking Event at 1969 Restaurant.

OPEN Islamabad is giving you this great opportunity to connect with leaders of various industries while enjoying some fine food and ambiance. More specifically, you can expect to meet:

• Charter members of OPEN
• Top Executives from large enterprises
• C-level Executives of IT companies
• Deans, Professors, and Researchers from universities
• Representatives of other cultural and civic organizations in Islamabad
• Business owners from various industry verticals like manufacturing, healthcare, etc.

Participation charges:
   >Rs 500 for members
   >Rs 2,000 for non-members

The annual Associate Membership Fee is PKR 5,000. On-spot memberships are available during the event.

We invite you to OPEN Islamabad’s 25th Networking Event at 1969 Restaurant.

OPEN Islamabad is giving you this great opportunity to connect with leaders of various industries while enjoying some fine food and ambiance. More specifically, you can expect to meet:

• Charter members of OPEN
• Top Executives from large enterprises
• C-level Executives of IT companies
• Deans, Professors, and Researchers from universities
• Representatives of other cultural and civic organizations in Islamabad
• Business owners from various industry verticals like manufacturing, healthcare, etc.

Participation charges:
   >Rs 500 for members
   >Rs 2,000 for non-members

The annual Associate Membership Fee is PKR 5,000. On-spot memberships are available during the event.

We invite you to OPEN Islamabad’s 24th Networking Event at 1969 Restaurant.

OPEN Islamabad is giving you this great opportunity to connect with leaders of various industries while enjoying some fine food and ambiance. More specifically, you can expect to meet:

• Charter members of OPEN
• Top Executives from large enterprises
• C-level Executives of IT companies
• Deans, Professors, and Researchers from universities
• Representatives of other cultural and civic organizations in Islamabad
• Business owners from various industry verticals like manufacturing, healthcare, etc.

Participation charges:
   >Rs 500 for members
   >Rs 2,000 for non-members

The annual Associate Membership Fee is PKR 5,000. On-spot memberships are available during the event.

OPEN Islamabad and The Hive, in collaboration with United States Embassy are pleased to invite you to an exclusive session on “The Importance of Cyber Security in Today’s Internet

An exclusive fireside chat with Careem’s leadership in Pakistan. We’ll have privilege of having Junaid Iqbal and Fatima Mazhar with us. From Call Centre to Market Launch Director of Careem, Fatima will share a very personal story of growth hacking across markets the Careem Way. Junaid, the CEO of Careem Pakistan, will also be engaging the audience.

STARTUP FUNDING
Investor’s Perspective

Hussein is a founding partner at Hoxton Ventures LLP with focus on consumer internet, financial technology, and software investments.

Financial Analyst turned Chef on “Pursuing your dreams”. Saima has left her lucrative career to start The Hampstead Kitchen and has cooked for the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson.

Failing but not staying down.
Pivoting.
Creating success by sheer resilience.

This is going to be a fun conversation around the entrepreneurial journey of Idris Kothari, a serial entrepreneur from the Silicon Valley.

The SDG Hackathon, a premier tech initiative by Jazz, in collaboration with Code for Pakistan and OPEN Islamabad, will bring together a mix of technologists, designers, urban planners, social scientists, NGOs and CSOs, and government, to approach and solve social and civic problems in a new way, using technology, data and digital tools.

If you,
– have a great idea that can create positive impact in your community and address pressing social challenges,
– have skills in web or mobile development, design, mapping, data analysis, research, subject matter expertise in SDGs or the civic space,
then REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND, for free, by filling in this form http://bit.ly/isbhacks2019 (Due to logistical constraints, we have limited slots available. We will contact shortlisted applicants via email, so make sure you register by filling in the form.) Registration deadline extended to Monday, 2 December.

During the hackathon, you will work in teams to create solutions, learn design thinking, open-source hacking for social good, receive mentoring and input from domain experts in government and local organizations, and have opportunities to network.

Over the course of two-and-a-half days, you will develop prototypes that tackle and address social and civic challenges in your communities related to the following five SDGs:
#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#4 Quality Education
#5 Gender Equality
#9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Attendance is free. All you need to do is bring your creativity, skills, and enthusiasm! We at, Code for Pakistan, will do the rest.

Register yourself here ——->  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tech-summit-peshawar-2019-tickets-70705988515

Technology leaders from Silicon Valley US and Pakistan will conduct this first-ever Technology Summit in Peshawar. The newer technologies have changed the way we live, work and communicate. However, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. There is still a huge need to build solutions that can not only solve local but global problems. In this summit, experts will take you on a journey of technology innovation and guide you on how you can become a catalyst of change.

Confirmed Speakers:
Fahad Aziz, Contributor Forbes
Kamran Bangash, IT Minister KPK
Waleed Khawaja, CEO ProductBox
Farrukh Malik, President OPEN Islamabad
Maryam Arshad Mahmood, Founder at Impact Dynamics, Lead-Google Business Group Peshawar
Adnan Faisal, Founder of Pakistan’s first tech accelerator in the US
Muneeb Waseem, VP Engineering Caremerge

Agenda:

— Welcome
– Introduction to OPEN and Volunteerism
– Future Technologies
– Startups 101
— Tea/Snacks Break
– Growth Hacking
– Building the first App
– Entrepreneurship Opportunities in KPK
— Closing Remarks

Who should attend?
Students, Startups, Freelancers and Working Professionals

Fees:
The event is free. Register on this website and we will send you a confirmation. We have limited seating, first-come, first-serve.

Partner:
The event is organized in association with OPEN Islamabad.

Sponsor:
We thank our sponsor ProductBox. http://www.productbox.dev

Host:
The event is hosted by FAST Incubation Center (FASTIC) – Peshawar Campus.

About OPEN Islamabad:
OPEN (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the promotion of entrepreneurship and business leadership amongst Pakistanis. It is an inclusive, encompassing and collaborative initiative with a vision to become the premier organization driving entrepreneurship in Pakistan.

Register yourself here ——->  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tech-summit-peshawar-2019-tickets-70705988515

CALLING ALL CIVIC-MINDED GEEKS!

Jazz, Code for Pakistan and OPEN Islamabad brings the biggest and most exciting Hackathon of the year ‘Jazz SDG Hackathon’ happening in Islamabad on the second weekend of December 2018. This is going to be a 2.5 days long Hackathon starting on 7th December and concluding on 9th December, 2018.

If you believe you:

• Have a great idea that you want to bring to reality.
• Like working with intelligent people.
• Have skills in web or mobile development, design, mapping, data analysis, research, subject matter expertise in SDGs or the civic space.
• Have what it takes to innovate on top of government information and services.

Come, utilize your talent and creative skills in transforming Pakistan in line with 5 of the selected SDGs for the better.

During this weekend, you will learn design thinking, open-source hacking for social good, receive mentoring and input from domain experts in government and local organizations, have opportunities to network, and work in teams to create solutions — all for free.

You will form teams to create prototypes that address civic and social problems in line with the Sustainable Development Goals initiative of the UN. All you need to do is bring your creativity, skills, and enthusiasm! We at Code for Pakistan will do the rest. We will bring together great mentors to assist you. There will be lots of energy and excitement through creative activities. Not to mention a lot of food and swags.

SELECTED SDGS

SDGs selected for the hackathon are for participants to focus their projects and solutions on are:

• SDG Goal 3: Good Health and Well Being
• SDG Goal 4: Quality Education
• SDG Goal 5: Gender Equality
• SDG Goal 10: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG Goal 11: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

OPEN Islamabad is organizing an exclusive full day workshop on Data Science in collaboration with the world renowned startup Data Science Dojo. The workshop will be conducted by the founder/CEO of the company himself, Dr Raja Iqbal. Dr Raja holds a PhD in Computer Science from Tulane University and has previously worked as a Data Scientist at Microsoft.
Data Science Dojo is a world renowned training company based out of Redmond, Washington, dedicated to enabling professionals to extract actionable insights from data. The company has trained more than 2000 data scientists so far and has received stunning reviews by participants.

This one day workshop is specially tailored to familiarize people with Data Exploration, Visualization and Feature Engineering. Participants will be required to spend 4-5 hours in pre-requisite learning to make the best out of the workshop.

As part of our mission to promote entrepreneurship and professional growth by connecting the professional Pakistani community through workshops, events, and mentoring opportunities, OPEN Annual Forum 2022 is proud to announce ‘OPEN Energize’ 2022

The in-person event will take place on November 12th, 2022 at NUST, Islamabad.

We have lined up an engaging fireside chat featuring Iqbal Mustafa Khan, Founder of Sabaq Foundation, and Umair Shahid, President of OPEN Islamabad. This interactive session will prove to be of great value to our audience.

We are also thrilled to announce the keynote speaker for the event, Sal Khan, CEO and Founder of Khan Academy, who will be broadcasting live from OPEN Silicon Valley.

For attendance at the event please note the following:

SOPs for Security entrance

1. Only registered vehicles are allowed to enter NUST, vehicles with applied for registration status are not allowed to enter NUST.
2. Original CNIC is mandatory for entry at NUST.
3. Motorbikes should enter NUST from Gate 2 and 10 (Entry of motorbikes from gate 1 is restricted). Helmet and driving license are mandatory for bike riders.
4. Maximum speed limit inside NUST Campus is 40 Km/h.

Schedule

8:00pm – Registration Opening (snacks for those who arrive early)

9:00pm – Fireside chat – Umair Shahid (President) and Iqbal Mustafa Khan (Guest).

9:30pm – Dinner and networking

10:00pm – Silicon Valley Keynote broadcast: Sal Khan (CEO, Khan Academy)

Registration Cost: PKR 2500

Pakistan is on the horizon of growth. With local businesses tending to acquire global recognition and support, this is high time we plan and execute our ideas to fuel the development on the national and international levels. This can only be made possible if we are aware and well prepared for the evolution in the whole world and are always ready to adapt.

As an effort bear the responsibility of highlighting the significance of the upcoming global trends and their effect on entrepreneurial ventures in Pakistan, OPEN Islamabad is returning with its flagship event –  the Annual Forum 2019!

“Pakistan 2020 & Beyond” is not just an event. It is the inauguration of a movement aimed to gather the brightest minds in Islamabad and start a journey towards global successes and achievements.

This year, our motive is to invite professionals from various sectors including Technology, Tourism, e-Commerce, Digital Media, Real Estate & Food Business and initiate a discussion of where Pakistan stands at the beginning of this new decade and what opportunities and challenges do the future hold for us.

We are looking forward to having onboard an audience 500+ invite-only professionals from a diverse group belonging to corporate, startup, academia, government and development sectors. The event is comprised of a series of motivational talks, panel discussions as well as an excellent opportunity to network. The event details are as follows:

We, at OPEN Islamabad, look forward to your collaborative efforts in creating a new tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Our Sponsors

Our Partners

Academia Partners

We are excited to announce that OPEN Islamabad is back with its flagship event – Annual Forum 2018! This year’s theme is “Entrepreneurs & Government” and is aimed at creating sustainable public-private partnerships.

This year’s event will bring together professionals from both Public and Private sector who will not only help establish a networking platform but will also look into collaborative efforts to b the existing governance systems. Our event will provide a chance to learn from renowned business leaders and government officials about:

• Bridging the gap between Public & Private sector initiatives
• Enhancing Private sector involvement in Public services
• Creating opportunities for sustainable growth

The audience will be 400+ invite-only professionals from a diverse group including but not limited to corporate, startup, academia, government and development sectors. The event is comprised of a series of motivational talks, panel discussions as well as an excellent opportunity to network.

The event details are as follows:

Date: Saturday, 1 December 2018
Time: 09:00 am – 4:00 pm
Venue: 1969 and Time Goes On, Islamabad

Your participation is subject to availability of seats. Since we have limited capacity, please reserve your seat at the earliest.

We, at OPEN Islamabad, look forward to your collaborative efforts in creating a new tomorrow.

نیا زمانہ، نۓ صبح شام پیدا کر!
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Our Sponsors

Our Partners

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For the 3rd year in a row, OPEN Islamabad brings you its flagship event, Annual Forum 2016! Themed around “Entrepreneurship: Finding Order in Chaos”, this year we will focus on the various challenges faced by an entrepreneurial venture at different stages of its lifecycle. Our speakers are people who have “been there, done that” and are in an excellent position to share their experiences and key takeaways for all of you!
As an attendee, you can expect to be walked through the different phases in an entrepreneurial journey, from conception, through building teams, leveraging a mentor network, and scaling, highlighting the challenges an entrepreneur faces at each phase and how to tackle them.

Besides hearing the speakers, you can expect this to be an excellent opportunity to network. Your fellow-attendees will be 500+ invite-only entrepreneurs and professionals from a diverse group including but not limited to corporate, startups, academia, government and development sectors.

Let’s finish together, what we started earlier this year and make it a DECEMBER to REMEMBER!
OPEN Islamabad proudly announces its Annual Forum to celebrate the success stories of individuals and organizations that have excelled in their respective fields.

Inspired by Iqbal’s message to his son and our nation, the theme for this year’s forum is:

“Apna Maqaam Paida kar”
Build in love’s empire your hearth and your home;

OPEN Islamabad invites you to be part of this ‘Celebration of Excellence’ where Entrepreneurs, CEOs, Innovators, Policy Makers and officials from Government, Development and Academic sectors will join us. The full day event will include motivational talks, panel discussions, innovation showcases, announcements and networking opportunities. Join us and support the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Pakistan!

The World Bank has stated that poverty will not end without financial inclusion. This poses a challenge in Pakistan, especially for women, as only 7% of them are financially included compared to 20% of men. This talk explores the practical application of design thinking in addressing such problems. Bringing first-hand research experience and interactions with women at the bottom of the pyramid throughout Pakistan, the session will share stories, insights and concepts from the project.

The audience will get a glimpse at the different phases of the human-centered design process so they can explore it in their own work for innovative solutions. The talk will show how design thinking goes beyond theory and paper and put to action in the real world, using a financial inclusion project conducted in partnership with IDEO.org.

Who Should Attend

• People interested in learning about the practical application of design thinking principles for solving complex problems.

When we talk of UX the first thing that comes to our minds is a website, a software or a mobile application. But we often forget that user experience is one of the main components of any industry. “People don’t buy products anymore, they buy experiences that are meaningful to them”. Pepsico’s Chief Design Officer.

The behaviors of customers are changing: the way they look at things now is different than 20 years ago. They have so many channels of communication and information that their decisions are being influenced by the current and future trends. In order to stay competitive we have to work along with the user in the design process to address each and every need which increases the chances of our products and services to have a good customer base.