Before the global recognition and corporate titles, where did it all begin? Tell us about your early days growing up and the environment that shaped your ambition.
I grew up in Lahore, Pakistan, before moving to the United States with my family. Like many immigrant families, education was always seen as the greatest investment. My parents worked incredibly hard to create opportunities for my brother and I. Watching their efforts gave me a strong sense of responsibility from an early age.
Moving to the US also taught me resilience. I quickly realized that success is not handed to anyone who got any degree. It comes from staying curious, working hard, and continuously learning from the work you get after that education. Those lessons shaped how I approached every opportunity throughout my career and continue to influence me today.
Was there a specific moment, person, or book in your youth that made you realize you wanted to pursue both deep technology and media?
It was never one defining moment. It was the realization that technology builds the future, while storytelling shapes how people experience it.
I’ve always loved solving complex problems, and technology became the perfect outlet for that curiosity. At the same time, I saw how powerful media could be in giving people, ideas, and communities a voice. Today, those two passions have naturally come together. I spend my time building AI strategies while also enabling stories that inspire others to think bigger.
You smoothly navigate between being a Director of AI at Cengage and running Seriously Agile Media. How do you balance these two wildly different worlds without burning out?
To me, they are actually very connected.
My work in AI is about helping organizations embrace the future responsibly. My work in media is about helping people discover that future and the individuals shaping it. Both are centered around creating impact.
I also believe balance comes from doing work that genuinely excites you. I stay disciplined with my time, protect space for deep work, and make sure the projects I take on align with my long-term mission rather than simply filling my calendar. I also try not to get distracted with other people’s opinions on what or what isn’t working for them.
In your corporate tech role, how do you see AI changing everyday life over the next five years, especially in education?
We’re entering a world where AI becomes part of the learning experience instead of just another tool.
Students will have personalized learning journeys that adapt to their strengths and weaknesses in real time. Educators will spend less time on repetitive administrative work and more time mentoring, coaching, and building meaningful relationships with learners.
The biggest transformation will be empowering educators with better tools so every student receives a more personalized education.
Every major journey has a turning point. What was the toughest roadblock you faced early in your career, and how did you overcome it?
Like many people early in their careers, I dealt with imposter syndrome.
There were opportunities that felt bigger than my experience, and I questioned whether I belonged in those rooms. Eventually, I realized confidence comes after action, not before it.
I started saying yes to difficult jobs only for the learning exp even if I failed. I put myself in situations where I had to grow quickly. Looking back, those uncomfortable moments became the biggest accelerators in my career.
What inspired you to start helping local innovators and creators get noticed by massive global platforms like Forbes?
I saw an incredible amount of talent across Pakistan and South Asia that simply wasn’t getting the global visibility it deserved. Too often, exceptional founders, engineers, researchers, artists, and entrepreneurs lacked access to the networks and platforms where international recognition begins. I wanted to help change that and become a bridge between talent and global opportunity.
Through Seriously Agile Media, my goal is to connect exceptional people with international conversations and platforms. Representation matters because when one person breaks through on a global stage, it creates a pathway and inspires countless others to believe they can too.
I don’t want to be the only success story. I want to help create hundreds more. If I can use the relationships and platforms I’ve built to open doors for others, that’s impact that lasts far beyond my own career.
When you look at a young entrepreneur or professional, what is the very first trait that makes you say, “This person has what it takes to change the world?”
I have three traits that work together, “curiosity, action and optimism”
The people who consistently ask thoughtful questions almost always become the strongest problem solvers. Skills can be learned, but curiosity keeps people growing throughout their careers. The best leaders I’ve met are optimistic and curious, they also aren’t afraid to take action.
Many brilliant people struggle to market themselves. What is the biggest mistake you see people make when trying to pitch their achievements globally?
They spend too much time talking about themselves and not enough time talking about the impact they’ve created. People also need to be surrounded by people who think like that and are willing to help you. Global audiences care less about titles and more about outcomes. Instead of listing responsibilities, explain the problem you solved, the value you created, and why it mattered.
A strong personal brand is built on credibility, consistency, and measurable impact.
For young individuals sitting in developing tech ecosystems like Pakistan, what is the single biggest mindset shift they need to make to compete globally?
Stop thinking locally.
Technology has completely changed what’s possible. Today, someone sitting in Lahore, Karachi, or any other city can learn from the world’s best, collaborate globally, and build products for international audiences. Geography is no longer the biggest barrier. Mindset is.
Don’t benchmark yourself against the best in your city. Benchmark yourself against the best in the world. If I had AI tools like ChatGPT in college, I would have learned twice as fast. Today, everyone has access to an incredible tutor and mentor. The challenge is no longer access to knowledge. It’s having the curiosity and discipline to use it every day.
If someone wants to future proof their career right now, should they focus heavily on technical AI skills, or soft skills like personal branding and networking?The future belongs to people who combine both.
Technical skills help you build valuable solutions. Communication, leadership, and relationships help those solutions create meaningful impact.
As AI becomes more capable, the uniquely human skills of judgment, creativity, empathy, and storytelling will become even more valuable.
If a 20-year-old came to you today with nothing but a laptop and an idea, what is the exact first step you would tell them to take?
Build something. A custom GPT, A website or even an agent that helps you do basic tasks like managing your boss’s calendar.
Don’t wait until you feel ready. Use the AI tools available today to create a small project, publish it, ask for feedback, improve it, and repeat. Every company has free guides to use their tools too. Once you have a quick win ask company leaders to review and give you feedback, don’t just stop in your friends and family circle.
The people who will thrive over the next decade won’t necessarily be the smartest but they will be the fastest through continuous experimentation.
What is the ultimate impact or legacy you want to leave behind through your work in tech and talent advocacy?
I hope people remember me as someone who helped others believe that bigger opportunities were possible.
Whether through AI, education, media, or mentorship, my goal has always been to open doors that may not have existed before. If someone pursues a bigger career, launches a company, earns global recognition, or simply believes in themselves because of something I taught or shared, then I would consider that a meaningful legacy.
At the end of the day, technology will continue to evolve, but investing in people will always have the greatest and longest lasting impact so plan to work on that for decades to come.
