6 min read
Whether you are looking for daily inspiration to charge you up or want to be the first one to know latest updates in the local tech industry, these are the top Twitter accounts you should be following ASAP.
1. Nighat Dad
Nighat Dad is a lawyer and the founder of Non-profit organization, Digital Rights foundation. She is internationally acclaimed for her contribution to help women stay secure on digital platforms. She was named in TIME magazine’s list of next-generation leaders for making it easy for women in Pakistan to seek help regarding online harassment. So, follow her and get a regular dose of inspiration to do something BIG in tech and Cyber-security space. The lady is popularly known to be a feminist for acknowledging the role of women and appreciating and supporting them by all her means.
Follow her @nighatdad
2. Faisal Sherjan
He is the director of National Incubation Centre Lahore. He has also previously worked as the Director at Interflow communications and as a COO internal division at GEO network. So the knowledge and experience he possesses is unparalleled and very rich. Apart from having immense knowledge of media, digital media, and local startup industry, Faisal Sherjan is quite a blunt guy who simply speaks his heart out and does not worry if someone might not like his views. He seems like a person who won’t change his opinions just to please someone.
Follow him @fsherjan
3. Nabeel Qadeer
The multi-talented guy is a major part of highly successful initiatives such as Innovation district 92, an incubator for startups and Idea Croron ka, an entertaining TV show that brings aspiring entrepreneurs to investors. This guy’s account is not for those who are casual about building a startup. This one is for those who are obsessed with building a startup and want to be successful in this pursuit. Nabeel played an instrumental role in setting up PITB’s entrepreneurial wings.
Follow him @nabeelaq
4. Maria Umar
Maria Umar is dedicated to working for women empowerment in the local tech and startup ecosystem. She is a founder of Women Digital League, an organization that works towards enhancing computer skills of women in Pakistan. She also conducts #shemeansbusiness workshops that are aimed to give women a better understanding of social media platforms and how to use them for promoting business. Maria is not afraid to speak her mind and call out on bullshit. Which is why, we would definitely recommend following her.
Follow her @MariaUmar
5. Shehryar Hydri
He is the secretary general at P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association). Shehryar is not someone who is new to technology ecosystem. He has about two decades of rich experience in the field of technology and media companies. He also served as an advisor to an exceptional computer vision startup, Ingrain, which was acquired by KeepTruckin. Shehryar has a keen eye for latest happenings in the local tech industry and you should follow him if you want to stay updated too.
Follow him @sheryhydri
6. Benje Williams
Benje Williams is the CEO of Amal Academy, an education startup that helps students with their career goals as well as polishes their skills to help them find a better job. He also recently started a podcast named ‘Building Pakistan with Benje’ with interviews of Pakistan’s top entrepreneurs to share their stories. His twitter account is worth following if you need serious startup wisdom, some workable career advice and if you are an admirer of nature, follow him as he posts a lot of beautiful photos of the natural beauty of Pakistan regularly.
Follow him @benjewilliams
7. Ayesha Khanna
Ayesha Khanna possesses more than a decade of experience in advising clients on technology and information analytics system in Wall Street. She is the CEO of artificial intelligence advisory firm, ADDO AI. The company started a little more than a year back and within a short span of time, it has openend offices in Singapore, Dubai, Phillippines, and Pakistan. Ayesha Khanna has been advising governments in different countries on how they can improve their existing infrastructure with the help of AI. She is also the founder of 21 C girls, a charity that aims to teach girls coding. So, for those of you who are interested to understand AI better, follow the guru.
Follow him @ayeshakhanna1
8. Muneeb Ali
Apart from being the most prominent figure in the blockchain community locally and internationally, Muneeb Ali is working on a decentralized browser which will let people control their information and be not worried about their information being shared to third parties or government bodies. The platform is called blockstack. Muneeb Ali is a strong force in the blockchain community when he says something, people listen and take it very seriously. His opinions are very thoughtful, deep and unconventional.
Follow him @muneeb
9. Yusuf Hussain
Yusuf is an angel investor, an entrepreneur and also the CEO of Ignite. He tweets not only about updates in the local industry but also international articles on emerging topics such as machine learning. Yusuf is playing an instrumental role in helping the youth equip with the latest emerging technologies. He has been at the helm of several important entrepreneurial initiatives in Pakistan like setting up of National Incubation Centers across the country, training 1M youth for freelancing and a government-backed VC fund to help startups grow. If you are interested in Pakistani tech space, he is the man you can’t miss out!
Follow him @angelspakistan
10. Umar Saif
Umar Saif is the Chairman of Punjab Information Technology Board and also serves as the Vice Chancellor of Information Technology University. Umar is an avid tweeter and keeps the followers updated with the tech initiatives being adopted by different government departments. Although a busy man, he responds to his followers as well. If you are interested in civic innovation, e-governance or how big-data can be used in improving the efficiency of government departments, Umar will be the right person to follow.
Follow him @umarsaif
We are sure, we have missed many names if you have any recommendations feel free to leave a comment below or tweet us @techjuicepk
