Blah Blah from The TeaBreak Team.

First there were the stories from the trenches:

Adil Moosajee talked about the challenges and the excitement of setting up Ego. He was fun, he was honest and he shared the successes as well as the challenges. I doubt there was anyone in the room who didn’t like the guy who said that one of the reasons he was able to put in 24 hour days was because he had a cooperative wife who in their 8 years of marriage had only spent two years with him. Before you let your imagination carry you away, his wife Munira is overseas studying medicine.

The next story was that of Student Biryani – a brand most Karachiites know. Saleem Shahzad, the youngest son of the founder of Student Biryani Haji Muhammad Ali, related the story of how his father migrated to Karachi from UP India in the thirties, how we worked in restaurants from the age of 12 – cleaning, washing, waiting on tables before he took the entrepreneurial route. From what started as a modest little restaurant, emerged a chain of restaurants across the country with several franchises, and a plan to now take it outside the border of Pakistan into the Middle East, the US and the UK.

Sameera Raja of Canvas Gallery was next. Her story was so inspiring. She had been widowed when still in her twenties, was a single mother, struggled with cancer and yet was able to start and grow a business due to her sheer determination and her ability to manage time and schedules. If you ask her today, she will tell you what exhibitions are scheduled for December 2010. The woman is truly amazing and it was a pleasure listening to how she got to where she is. Adversity hasn’t managed to demotivate her or keep her from  pursuing her dream and her passion. Hard work and an interest in art have been responsible for the success she has achieved.

Last, but certainly not least, was our own Jawwad Ahmed Farid, author of Reboot and CEO of Alchemy Technologies. He looked slightly overdressed in his jeans and hawaiian shirt when compared with Adil’s gear.

Jawwad’s presentation was impressive and timed to the second. His story is interesting but his presentation style made it even more so. He had chosen some really great photographs and had obviously rehearsed many times to carry it off without a hitch. I was witness to one dry run the evening before when I dropped by his office on the way home.

The youngsters couldn’t get enough of him. He was surrounded during the teabreak and I caught him ensconed with many a youngster at several times during the day. Isn’t it wonderful when seasoned entrepreneurs make themselves available to young people so that they can pick their brains. Way to go Jawwad. I hope you’ll always be this accessible. Do go and read Jawwad’s post on his TiEcon 2009 experience.

This cup of tea was served by: In the Line of Wire