Tariq Khan, Clinical Professor of Marketing and Leadership at New York University and President of OPEN Global, led a session at National Incubation Center Karachi titled From Insight to Impact, Using Market Research to Build Winning Startups, drawing a full house of entrepreneurs, aspiring founders, and emerging business leaders. The session was structured as a highly interactive discussion, with Khan drawing on his own professional experiences and real world examples to walk participants through the practical side of building startups grounded in solid market research.
Khan’s session covered a range of topics directly relevant to early stage founders, including how to prepare for funding rounds, how to communicate with confidence when pitching to investors or stakeholders, and how to make more informed business decisions using market data rather than assumptions. His dual background, combining an academic role at New York University with his leadership position at OPEN Global, gave the session a mix of theoretical grounding and practical, real world application.
The discussion also touched on the broader global opportunities emerging from rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, with Khan highlighting the changes these developments are expected to bring over the coming years. Participants were encouraged to pay close attention to these shifts, using them as a lens through which to identify new opportunities and transform emerging ideas into businesses capable of capturing value from a rapidly changing technology landscape.
Throughout the session, Khan encouraged founders to approach entrepreneurship with confidence, adaptability, and a forward thinking mindset, framing these qualities as essential for navigating both the immediate challenges of building a startup and the longer term shifts being driven by artificial intelligence across global markets. The interactive format allowed participants to engage directly with Khan, asking questions and applying his insights to their own specific ventures and market research challenges.
The event was supported by Tech Destination Pakistan, Ministry Of IT and Telecommunication, Ignite National Technology Fund, LMKT, LuckyOne Mall, and Orbit Ventures, reflecting the institutional network tied to NIC Karachi’s ongoing programming. Khan’s session adds to a growing list of international academics and industry leaders who have engaged directly with NIC Karachi’s founder community, offering local entrepreneurs exposure to perspectives shaped by global business education and cross border entrepreneurship experience.
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