Visa & HBL Announce Winners of She's Next Program

Visa (NYSE: V) and HBL, Pakistan's premier bank, have announced the winners of the first edition of the She's Next program, Visa's worldwide initiative aimed at supporting women in their quest of funding, managing, and developing their small businesses.

The five outstanding women entrepreneurs who secured the coveted She's Next accolade are Ziana Sakhia (Bechlo), Sadaf Rehman (CodeSchool), Rida Zainab (Porter Pakistan), Ayesha Awan (SocialBlu), and Hira Javaid (Foster Learning), who received the People's Favorite award through online voting.

Each winning firm received a $10,000 grant, a tailored training program from Katalyst Labs, and participation in the She's Next Club, which includes seminars, a resource library, and a supportive mentoring network.

The jury, which included Visa's Carl Manlan, HBL's Maya Inayat Ismail, Aatif Awan of Indus Valley Capital, and Sheema Sultan of Core Gym, evaluated applicants based on entrepreneurial progression, business metrics, digital presence, and problem-solving abilities.

Leila Serhan, Visa's Vice President for North Africa, the Levant, and Pakistan, congratulated the winners and recognized the remarkable community of female entrepreneurs. HBL's Aamir Kureshi underscored the bank's dedication to assisting female businesses, praising all 2,500 candidates for their great energy.

Since 2020, Visa has funded roughly $3.8 million in over 380 grants and mentoring for women SMB owners worldwide through the She's Next award program, demonstrating its commitment to growing women-led enterprises.