Areen Shahid

My gender has been the focal point of my entire life—both my strength and my weakness. Hailing from Quetta in a highly conservative environment, I went on to represent thrice internationally on fully funded exchange programs for leadership and cultural exchange. This restlessness within me continues to grow as I work closely with more women under various projects of the CIRCLE Women Association, where I serve as the Innovation and Strategy Lead, overseeing 50 employees directly reporting to me. My work ranges from supervising financial and digital training for low-income micro-business owners, chefs, and students, to business coaching for micro-businesses and designing programs, as well as conducting entrepreneurial mindset training in schools and universities. Overall, I actively participate in all projects at my NGO, working toward the goal of impacting 20,000 women through digital literacy, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship, in addition to handling strategic partnerships and innovative organizational efforts.
Moreover, I am the Country Lead for the world’s largest women-in-tech entrepreneurship program, She Loves Tech, where I have successfully led three years of 500+ events and webinars, partnering with 100+ leading organizations from the ecosystem. Interacting with the dynamic and emerging women-led startup ecosystem in Pakistan has given me unique insights into the policy apparatus that needs reform, and the need for stakeholders to collaborate instead of working in silos. My forte is in building systems, and in this case, building an ecosystem that fosters women’s entrepreneurship in Pakistan.
The intersection of public policy and administration is key to leading national-level campaign.
I’ve worn a lot of hats over the years—from leading projects in private and public domain, won over 50+ debating and 10+ entrepreneurial competitions locally and internationally. Along the way, I’ve learned how to navigate complex ecosystems, bring people together, and make crazy ideas actually happen. Whether it's developing strategic growth plans or driving employee engagement, I’m all about creating environments where people and ideas can thrive.