Entrepreneurship and Career Accelerator for Women
Applications for Cohort 3 of Freelancing Track are opening soon!
What is CaterpillHERs?
CaterpillHERs is an entrepreneurship and career accelerator for women. We provide a world-class curriculum vetted by experts, 1:1 high-touch coaching and mentorship, and an action-packed yet flexible learning experience to help women build and scale their businesses and careers.
Curriculum
Every every program, we provide a structured curriculum that follows the proven methodology of action-packed and flexible learning style and is vetted by industry experts. With tangible coursework (we call it deliverables), quizzes and videos, we aim make it simple, fun, but full of inspiration and learning.
1:1 Mentorship and Coaching
Our mentors and coaches are the secret sauce to our success recipe. Our mentors accompany women in our programs throughout their journey and act as their advisors. We matchmake mentors on the basis of your goals and needs and provide high-touch support throughout the programs.
Access to Community
We understand how important it is for women to have a network of other inspiring women who have been there and done that. Our all programs provide access to our close-knit community and support network where you are bound to cross paths with sheroes of within your own region and beyond.
Featured Mentors
Whether it is just an insightful advice or a high-touch support throughout our designated cohorts, our mentor gets it. Here are some of the industry veterans and content experts who provide support to our founders.
Pit Pure Power is an internationally focused business development and consultancy boutique established by Daphne Pit with the aim of accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable planet, society and economy. Through the work of Pit Pure Power, she pursues her two personal dreams: To help sustainability become mainstream To help achieve energy access for everybody everywhere This is done by strengthening social enterprises and assisting sustainable start-ups in a tangible way, increasing their impact and supporting them to become more successful. Additionally, Pit Pure Power helps investors to find investor-ready, sustainable enterprises. With over 15 years experience in sustainability, in both the corporate and non-corporate sectors, I am now working directly with organisations focused on increasing their social or sustainable impact in the world. She has expertise in the fields of: social enterprises, energy access in India, Nepal and Africa, impact investment, sustainable value chains and project and program management
Many people talk about business transformation, but I actually deliver it. I make big things happen by translating a strategic vision into concrete actions, bringing together siloed teams and driving execution. Whether streamlining day-to-day operating models or implementing strategic initiatives, my operations and finance background combined with extensive global project leadership experience helps me quickly assess changing business environments and solve complex problems. I can easily identify gaps, and determine what’s working and what needs to change in order to achieve business objectives and accelerate growth. My cross-cultural awareness from extensive travel and leading complex global business deals enables me to build consensus and influence stakeholders. I believe it’s possible for business to address global challenges while also growing the bottom line, and I am motivated by the opportunity to make a difference. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS • Executed large-scale, global initiatives to enable profitable growth – $350M+ incremental bookings • Led prioritization and governance for Cisco’s $500M IT investment portfolio • Increased service attach rate by $1B across all segments, products, and channels • Managed program budgets in excess of $100M, consistently achieving productivity savings of 10%+ • Implemented cost savings and streamlined processes as financial controller for Service sales organization – $400M+ annual bookings CORE STRENGTHS Strategy & Planning • Business Operations • Finance • Financial Planning & Analysis • Process Improvement • Information Technology • IT & Business Partnership • Cross Functional Team Leadership • Business Case Development • Metrics & Analytics • Portfolio and Program Management • Agile Methodology • Platform and System Implementations for SaaS, Cloud, Subscription Billing, Services, Sales, ERP, CRM • Business Architecture • Service Management
Saad Hamid is a part of the Developer Relations team at Google managing communities for SAF (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal) such as Google Developer Groups (GDG), Women Techmakers (WTM), Google Developers Experts (GDE) and Developer Student Clubs (DSC)
He has been actively involved in the tech ecosystem of Pakistan working with communities of startups, developers, technologists, founders, and freelancers. He has also been involved in setting up and scaling some of the largest digital skills programs in Pakistan such as KPYEP, Erozgaar, SkillsFirst & DigiSkills and actively advocates on helping upskill young people with technology education.
Muhammad Waqas is the CEO and Co-founder at WonderTree. WonderTree is a company that develops AR based games for the physiotherapy and education of children with special needs. They are making education and development for these children affordable, accessible and efficient.
Before WonderTree he was running a digital marketing startup called JetPackGo and was a strategist at one of the leading advertising firms in Pakistan. He has vast experience making marketing, branding and behavioral strategies for brands like Redbull, USAID, UNDP, Dettol, Ufone, PTCL, British Council and many more
Huma is a highly organized and committed professional with an ever-deepening knowledge of social innovation, entrepreneurship and a passion to support youth. She continues to build connections with a robust network of amazing individuals throughout her career and has been involved in different projects to promote equal opportunities for all. Apart from her routine job at a Swiss INGO as their Technical Advisor, Huma Imdad is also the Co-Founder of SharingOut and Director Strategic Planning & PM at the Roshan Youth Welfare Organization where she is responsible for the supervision of the overall organization strategy and success.
She is a seasoned entrepreneur and a development practitioner with over ten years of experience in the non-profit sector. Throughout her career, she has gained diverse experience by working in Pakistan and the US in different fields such as entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, education, voice and accountability, health, women’s economic and political empowerment, violence against women, food security, and peace promotion.
Huma has also provided her services as a lead facilitator at the World Bank Youth Summits held in DC. And she has also served as a stage lead at the Global Nexus Summits 2018-2019 at the UN HQ, New York. She continues to provide mentorship and training to social entrepreneurs from around the world and is super active in representing her country and skills on numerous panel discussions and initiatives.
Huma is in the process of receiving her MS in Development Studies and is also an MBA.
Eram is a self-directed enthusiastic Entrepreneur and an Educationist with a genuine interest of fostering cognitive and social growth for the youth. Currently, she is serving as Asst. Prof. and Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Development at DHA Suffa University.
She is a seasoned technology executive, award-winning professor and research scholar. Best described as an entrepreneurial professor, Eram has spent more than 20 years working with high growth technology companies, universities and industry associations on the commercialization of ideas.
Her work portfolio consists of working experience with organizations like Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM and also with local and foreign universities. Within Pakistan some to mention are; IBA, IoBM, SZABIST, PAF KIET, Bahria University and DHA Suffa University. She is also an active member of various local and international professional bodies which include IEEEP, QPSP (Quality & Productivity Society of Pakistan), IRMA USA (Information Resource Management Association), OPEN (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America), Founder Institute, and JumpStart Pakistan.
Shirin’s passion for an equitable educational and social landscape continues to be evident in her professional and volunteer work. After successfully completing projects in education in Tanzania, Azerbaijan, and the United States, Shirin is leading projects on family-friendly workplaces and Pakistan’s investment landscape in partnership with the IFC at the Pakistan Business Council. Prior to her move, Shirin worked alongside the founders of growing social impact start-ups focused on community development in the UAE. These included BizWorld UAE, an experiential learning focused entrepreneurship program catered to students aged 7 – 15 as well as The Mawada Project, aimed at creating service-learning experiences under the themes of education, migration and refugees, special needs and sustainability. She also served as the Participant Co-Chair for e7 Banat, Daughters of the Emirates, an initiative looking to instill social entrepreneurial skills among female youth of the country.
Shirin is also the Team Lead at Green Box working with youth to equip them with the right skills needed for solutions to challenges in the 21st century. Shirin holds a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Babson College and an undergraduate degree in Economics & Finance from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Faiza Yousuf is a technologist with over a decade of experience in building products and teams. She is an award-winning community leader and the force behind WomenInTechPK. She co-founded CodeGirls, a community-funded coding boot camp for girls, and runs the online education program for Blockchain and AI from CryptoChicksPakistan.
She leads the product development wing at Genetech Solutions and runs a consulting practice as a Product Management Expert. She is a top-rated freelancer on Upwork with the honor to be part of Upwork’s first-ever social impact report. She is also working with Pasha’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee for improving gender parity in Pakistan’s tech ecosystem.
Faiza is a well-known speaker and often speaks at both national and internal conferences. She loves to read and enjoys writing about tools and practices.
Sidra Jalil is a Community Builder and Founder of a community organization, InspireMill. She is a tech graduate with strong expertise in the domain of Marketing, Research and Communication. She has been working in the industry primarily with Technology and Social Sector for over 14 years in a diverse domain and last 8 years particularly with Social Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Pakistan both as an Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur. She has worked with Code for Pakistan, OPEN Islamabad and Internet Society, Islamabad Chapter as a key community lead where she used to organize boot-camps, workshops, Special Interest Group around startup problems, networking events, motivational talks and forums to address social enterprise issues.
She has worked on several youth and women empowerment initiatives, conducted diverse hackathon, innovation challenges and pitching competition to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is engaged these days with National Incubation Center Islamabad to bring together an Agri Innovation Challenge and Hackathon.
Hira Wajahat leads the Programs & Projects team at Stimulus with a focus on sustainability, clean-tech and innovation, she is the Pakistan National Lead for Climate Launchpad, a global green business ideas competition. She also actively engaged as a business mentor and coach, consulting with and facilitating trainings for start-ups and new business ventures.
Over the last 10 years, she has had the opportunity to work with an array of organizations across various industries: energy, FMCGs, pharma, agribusiness, healthcare, education, media & NGOs/NPOs and has been involved in the initiation of two entrepreneurial ventures that are running successfully. Her simultaneous exposure to corporate, government, education and development sectors has led her to believe in the importance of systems thinking and the benefits of partnerships for value addition.
Umair Jaliawala is a decade-strong learning consultant, trainer, keynote speaker and facilitator.
Jaliawala’s horizon of consulting in learning design and delivery ranges from national-level working groups to ethnic to community-based initiatives. His ability to map needs and to conceptualize interventions based on gro
Pit Pure Power is an internationally focused business development and consultancy boutique established by Daphne Pit with the aim of accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable planet, society and economy. Through the work of Pit Pure Power, she pursues her two personal dreams: To help sustainability become mainstream To help achieve energy access for everybody everywhere This is done by strengthening social enterprises and assisting sustainable start-ups in a tangible way, increasing their impact and supporting them to become more successful. Additionally, Pit Pure Power helps investors to find investor-ready, sustainable enterprises. With over 15 years experience in sustainability, in both the corporate and non-corporate sectors, I am now working directly with organisations focused on increasing their social or sustainable impact in the world. She has expertise in the fields of: social enterprises, energy access in India, Nepal and Africa, impact investment, sustainable value chains and project and program management
Many people talk about business transformation, but I actually deliver it. I make big things happen by translating a strategic vision into concrete actions, bringing together siloed teams and driving execution. Whether streamlining day-to-day operating models or implementing strategic initiatives, my operations and finance background combined with extensive global project leadership experience helps me quickly assess changing business environments and solve complex problems. I can easily identify gaps, and determine what’s working and what needs to change in order to achieve business objectives and accelerate growth. My cross-cultural awareness from extensive travel and leading complex global business deals enables me to build consensus and influence stakeholders. I believe it’s possible for business to address global challenges while also growing the bottom line, and I am motivated by the opportunity to make a difference. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS • Executed large-scale, global initiatives to enable profitable growth – $350M+ incremental bookings • Led prioritization and governance for Cisco’s $500M IT investment portfolio • Increased service attach rate by $1B across all segments, products, and channels • Managed program budgets in excess of $100M, consistently achieving productivity savings of 10%+ • Implemented cost savings and streamlined processes as financial controller for Service sales organization – $400M+ annual bookings CORE STRENGTHS Strategy & Planning • Business Operations • Finance • Financial Planning & Analysis • Process Improvement • Information Technology • IT & Business Partnership • Cross Functional Team Leadership • Business Case Development • Metrics & Analytics • Portfolio and Program Management • Agile Methodology • Platform and System Implementations for SaaS, Cloud, Subscription Billing, Services, Sales, ERP, CRM • Business Architecture • Service Management
Saad Hamid is a part of the Developer Relations team at Google managing communities for SAF (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal) such as Google Developer Groups (GDG), Women Techmakers (WTM), Google Developers Experts (GDE) and Developer Student Clubs (DSC)
He has been actively involved in the tech ecosystem of Pakistan working with communities of startups, developers, technologists, founders, and freelancers. He has also been involved in setting up and scaling some of the largest digital skills programs in Pakistan such as KPYEP, Erozgaar, SkillsFirst & DigiSkills and actively advocates on helping upskill young people with technology education.
Muhammad Waqas is the CEO and Co-founder at WonderTree. WonderTree is a company that develops AR based games for the physiotherapy and education of children with special needs. They are making education and development for these children affordable, accessible and efficient.
Before WonderTree he was running a digital marketing startup called JetPackGo and was a strategist at one of the leading advertising firms in Pakistan. He has vast experience making marketing, branding and behavioral strategies for brands like Redbull, USAID, UNDP, Dettol, Ufone, PTCL, British Council and many more
Huma is a highly organized and committed professional with an ever-deepening knowledge of social innovation, entrepreneurship and a passion to support youth. She continues to build connections with a robust network of amazing individuals throughout her career and has been involved in different projects to promote equal opportunities for all. Apart from her routine job at a Swiss INGO as their Technical Advisor, Huma Imdad is also the Co-Founder of SharingOut and Director Strategic Planning & PM at the Roshan Youth Welfare Organization where she is responsible for the supervision of the overall organization strategy and success.
She is a seasoned entrepreneur and a development practitioner with over ten years of experience in the non-profit sector. Throughout her career, she has gained diverse experience by working in Pakistan and the US in different fields such as entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, education, voice and accountability, health, women’s economic and political empowerment, violence against women, food security, and peace promotion.
Huma has also provided her services as a lead facilitator at the World Bank Youth Summits held in DC. And she has also served as a stage lead at the Global Nexus Summits 2018-2019 at the UN HQ, New York. She continues to provide mentorship and training to social entrepreneurs from around the world and is super active in representing her country and skills on numerous panel discussions and initiatives.
Huma is in the process of receiving her MS in Development Studies and is also an MBA.
Eram is a self-directed enthusiastic Entrepreneur and an Educationist with a genuine interest of fostering cognitive and social growth for the youth. Currently, she is serving as Asst. Prof. and Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Development at DHA Suffa University.
She is a seasoned technology executive, award-winning professor and research scholar. Best described as an entrepreneurial professor, Eram has spent more than 20 years working with high growth technology companies, universities and industry associations on the commercialization of ideas.
Her work portfolio consists of working experience with organizations like Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM and also with local and foreign universities. Within Pakistan some to mention are; IBA, IoBM, SZABIST, PAF KIET, Bahria University and DHA Suffa University. She is also an active member of various local and international professional bodies which include IEEEP, QPSP (Quality & Productivity Society of Pakistan), IRMA USA (Information Resource Management Association), OPEN (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America), Founder Institute, and JumpStart Pakistan.
Shirin’s passion for an equitable educational and social landscape continues to be evident in her professional and volunteer work. After successfully completing projects in education in Tanzania, Azerbaijan, and the United States, Shirin is leading projects on family-friendly workplaces and Pakistan’s investment landscape in partnership with the IFC at the Pakistan Business Council. Prior to her move, Shirin worked alongside the founders of growing social impact start-ups focused on community development in the UAE. These included BizWorld UAE, an experiential learning focused entrepreneurship program catered to students aged 7 – 15 as well as The Mawada Project, aimed at creating service-learning experiences under the themes of education, migration and refugees, special needs and sustainability. She also served as the Participant Co-Chair for e7 Banat, Daughters of the Emirates, an initiative looking to instill social entrepreneurial skills among female youth of the country.
Shirin is also the Team Lead at Green Box working with youth to equip them with the right skills needed for solutions to challenges in the 21st century. Shirin holds a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Babson College and an undergraduate degree in Economics & Finance from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Faiza Yousuf is a technologist with over a decade of experience in building products and teams. She is an award-winning community leader and the force behind WomenInTechPK. She co-founded CodeGirls, a community-funded coding boot camp for girls, and runs the online education program for Blockchain and AI from CryptoChicksPakistan.
She leads the product development wing at Genetech Solutions and runs a consulting practice as a Product Management Expert. She is a top-rated freelancer on Upwork with the honor to be part of Upwork’s first-ever social impact report. She is also working with Pasha’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee for improving gender parity in Pakistan’s tech ecosystem.
Faiza is a well-known speaker and often speaks at both national and internal conferences. She loves to read and enjoys writing about tools and practices.
Sidra Jalil is a Community Builder and Founder of a community organization, InspireMill. She is a tech graduate with strong expertise in the domain of Marketing, Research and Communication. She has been working in the industry primarily with Technology and Social Sector for over 14 years in a diverse domain and last 8 years particularly with Social Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Pakistan both as an Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur. She has worked with Code for Pakistan, OPEN Islamabad and Internet Society, Islamabad Chapter as a key community lead where she used to organize boot-camps, workshops, Special Interest Group around startup problems, networking events, motivational talks and forums to address social enterprise issues.
She has worked on several youth and women empowerment initiatives, conducted diverse hackathon, innovation challenges and pitching competition to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is engaged these days with National Incubation Center Islamabad to bring together an Agri Innovation Challenge and Hackathon.
Hira Wajahat leads the Programs & Projects team at Stimulus with a focus on sustainability, clean-tech and innovation, she is the Pakistan National Lead for Climate Launchpad, a global green business ideas competition. She also actively engaged as a business mentor and coach, consulting with and facilitating trainings for start-ups and new business ventures.
Over the last 10 years, she has had the opportunity to work with an array of organizations across various industries: energy, FMCGs, pharma, agribusiness, healthcare, education, media & NGOs/NPOs and has been involved in the initiation of two entrepreneurial ventures that are running successfully. Her simultaneous exposure to corporate, government, education and development sectors has led her to believe in the importance of systems thinking and the benefits of partnerships for value addition.
Umair Jaliawala is a decade-strong learning consultant, trainer, keynote speaker and facilitator.
Jaliawala’s horizon of consulting in learning design and delivery ranges from national-level working groups to ethnic to community-based initiatives. His ability to map needs and to conceptualize interventions based on gro
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Our Partners
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We are always looking for courageous entrepreneurs, mentors and discovery partners. Reach out at hello@caterpillhers.com to know more.