Audacity to take Part

Digital platforms are increasingly becoming available in poor countries at a reasonable cost, and so is the endless flow of innovative applications that are riding on those platforms. The trick is to make poor people see that they are already well armed to take part in the revolution.

About Kamal

Kamal Quadir is the CEO of bKash, a mobile financial company that brings convenient, affordable and reliable financial services to low-income people.

Earlier, Kamal founded CellBazaar, a communications company that has introduced a mobile phone-based electronic marketplace for developing countries. He ran CellBazaar until the end of 2010 before Telenor acquired it. Under his leadership, CellBazaar won the Best Use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development Award 2008 from GSM Congress and Asia Telecom’s Innovation of the Year 2008 Award.

Previously, Kamal led the business development division of Occidental Corporation's energy initiatives in South Asia, worked in the New York City Chamber of Commerce and Insight Venture Partners.

Kamal is a founding member of Open World Initiatives; a Lausanne, Switzerland based organization of young thinkers. He is involved with Anwarul Quadir Foundation, which recognizes innovations in developing countries. He received the Tech Award 2007 for Applying Technology to Benefit Humanity. He is a First Mover Fellow of The Aspen Institute and a Fellow of TED. In 2009, the World Economic Forum had selected him as a Young Global Leader.

Kamal is a recognized artist in Bangladesh, and his works are in the permanent collections at the Bangladesh National Museum. He has a BA from Oberlin College and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.