
5 minute read
Share
Last June, Pakistani entrepreneur and Telenor alumnus Tanzila Khan shared the stage with King Charles III and Amal Clooney, becoming the first ever recipient of the Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award. We spoke with her to get five tips on being a successful entrepreneur and maintaining unwavering optimism in the face of adversity.
As part of Telenor Asia's 25th Anniversary, our Game Changer interviews celebrate women and men in Asia that Telenor has supported in their quests to harness the power of connectivity for the benefit of their communities.
Tanzila Khan is recognized for her activism for women and disabled persons' rights-but also for founding a game-changing startup in Pakistan, GirlyThings.pk. The platform gives access to women's health products and information in a country where these are hard to come by. It allows fast, anonymous delivery of authentic products while also educating communities to reduce stigma. And thanks to Tanzila's global profile, GirlyThings.pk is now looking to spread beyond Pakistan.
In addition to Girlythings.pk, Tanzila is a popular content creator. Through short films and social posts, she sheds light on the joys and tribulations of being a woman with a disability both in Pakistan and during her travels abroad. Moreover, she is an alumnus of Telenor Pakistan's Open Mind program, an initiative to improve access to employment for persons with disabilities.
Here are her five tips for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Let Pain Inspire You
I only look at pain as an experience. Sometimes, I'm traveling and there are no facilities for disabled persons-even in Europe! But I don't want to be a loser. I want to be a winner. So I take painful situations and ask myself, What could we do differently? How can we learn from this?' That's how we grow as individuals and as a society. And that's how I got the idea for GirlyThings.pk.
Everyone Can Be Your Ally
I advocate for difficult topics, and I often encounter strong bias on both sides of every argument. In fact, when I say that I find great support from men, that can be a very controversial statement for some of my stakeholders. But I don't want to shut the door on any opportunities. You never know who might become your next investor.
Get Value, Add Value
My time is precious, and I want to make an impact in my lifetime. So now I'm much more careful to calculate the impact of what I commit to. But this goes both ways. I also make sure I'm always adding value to the people I meet and work with. Sob stories might get people's attention. But it's the promise of value that will get you their energy.
Believe in Your Ideas
I know most people say your hard work matters more than your ideas. But don't underestimate the power of ideas. You need lots of ideas. You need to believe in your ideas. And then the work will follow. Work is just the methodology to get your ideas realized.
Businesses Can Do Good
I first worked with Telenor Pakistan as part of their Open Mind program. It taught me that brands aren't always just about making a profit. They are also open to doing good things. Even in a large organization, if the right person hears your story, you can change the world.
You can follow Tanzila Khan on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
28/07/2026
LiveU, the pioneer in IP-video transmission and cloud-based remote production, today detailed its historic performance records set during the 2026 FIFA World Cu...
28/07/2026
The NFL franchise rebuilt their off-site content operation for an era when teams...
28/07/2026
Longtime partners expand viewer choice, data-driven analysis, access, immersive ...
28/07/2026
There is a unique moment before every major production. The audience never sees it.
The cameras are ready. The talent is preparing. Directors review the final...
28/07/2026
The CW Network and ESPN have announced their highly anticipated streaming agreement to bring CW Sports' live events to the ESPN App will officially launch o...
28/07/2026
As more than tens of thousands of spectators filled Paris' Champ de Mars and...
28/07/2026
Appear's X Platform played a central role in Chile's first large-scale c...
28/07/2026
Responding to the broadcast industry's shift to embrace more flexible production platforms, Solid State Logic (SSL) is evolving its comprehensive System T p...
28/07/2026
Production leverages innovative camera technologies, AI, and data to capture the action in four-week inaugural competition
The first-ever professional dunking ...
28/07/2026
Prime Video to exclusively broadcast Wednesday night national NHL regular-season games in Canada...
28/07/2026
Every match will stream live on Paramount+ beginning in February,...
28/07/2026
Baxandall-inspired hardware EQ overhauled
TK Audio's Baxandall-inspired hardware EQ unit has just made a return, bringing the popular unit back into the...
28/07/2026
D700 system gains new live-focused rackmount surface
Asparion have just announced an expansion of their D700 control surface range, introducing a new model ...
28/07/2026
27 July 2026, Johannesburg - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an a...
28/07/2026
Ad Intel AI is Nielsen's first in a new generation of AI products built to t...
28/07/2026
Contribution to Europe's technological autonomy in the key industry telecommunications
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, starts commercial shipments...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Encompass Digital Media has been selected by Channel 4, one of the UK's public service broadcasters, to deliver managed linear playout services as part of a...
28/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has confirmed a new partnership with leading Korean systems integrator and distribu...
28/07/2026
Limecraft today announces version 2026.5 of its AI-powered production platform. Limecraft 2026.5 https://(www.limecraft.com/limecraft-2026-5-multicam-quad-view-...
28/07/2026
X Platform technology enabled a premium UHD viewing experience through a hybrid ground-to-cloud architecture developed with Chilevisi n, ClaroVTR and Pixop
App...
28/07/2026
LiveU, the pioneer in IP-video transmission and cloud-based remote production, today announced it has set historic performance records during the 2026 World Foo...
28/07/2026
dhd.audio announces that its latest generation firmware, Version 10.4, is now available to DHD customers. Version 10.4 introduces expanded configuration capabil...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/07/2026
Brand's Intuitive Metering and Dialogue Tools Improve Efficiency and Maintain Clarity Across Projects Ranging from Sitcoms to Effects Heavy Fantasy Series
...
28/07/2026
TAG Video Systems, a leader in 100% software-based realtime media monitoring, multiviewing and quality control (QC), today announced the latest innovations to i...
28/07/2026
Harvard Athletics Transforms Collegiate Sports Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton July 27, 2026
0 Comments
Between the maturation of IP and remot...
28/07/2026
New Live Action Projection Mapping Film Captured with URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton July 27, 2026
0 Comments
Large format sensor allows Texas Legacy ...
28/07/2026
NVIDIA Agent Toolkit Expands With New Omniverse Libraries, Putting AI Agents to ...
28/07/2026
AI Agents Expand Creative Tools to Millions
Brie Clayton July 27, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Epic Games
Leading creative applications are...
28/07/2026
How Rick Aggeler Built a Music Community for Boston Teens When he was a Berklee student, Aggeler volunteered at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, where he hel...
28/07/2026
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Football is back on Sky Sports following its most watched ...
28/07/2026
Anyone can make a robot move; NVIDIA Jetson makes it think. As a discerning AI i...
28/07/2026
RT Raidi na Gaeltachta, RT Radio 1, RT One and RT Player to showcase the best of the reels, rhymes and rambles from Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na h ireann 202...
28/07/2026
Through a wide range of perspectives, this documentary looks at how Ireland might navigate one of the defining political questions of the future
Wednesday, Jul...
27/07/2026
The Audio Engineering Society Educational Foundation has named its scholarship and grant recipients for the 2026/2027 academic year. The awards support students...
27/07/2026
ESPN and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) have signed a multi-year media rights agreement covering basketball championships and select football and ba...
27/07/2026
Yahoo Sports and Cameo have partnered to allow fantasy football users to book personalized celebrity videos directly within the Yahoo Fantasy app and website. T...
27/07/2026
Eutelsat has welcomed the FCC's order establishing the regulatory framework for the transition of Upper C-band spectrum in the United States. Under the orde...
27/07/2026
ESPN and the International Dance League (IDL) have signed a global rights agreement for the 2026 season. Events will air bi-weekly on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET beginni...
27/07/2026
NBCUniversal and YouTube have signed a multi-year global partnership that includes bundling Peacock with YouTube Premium, extending NBCUniversal's distribut...
27/07/2026
Agenda includes presentations from the Miami Heat, Inter Miami, Florida Panthers...
27/07/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
27/07/2026
Ten one-minute shorts will roll out across CBS, The CW, Paramount+ during the 2026 PBR Teams season
PBR is officially moving into scripted animation. The Profe...