Kamal Quadir

Kamal Quadir
Quadir in 2008
Occupation

CEO of bKash Limited[1]

Founder of CellBazaar Inc.[2]

Kamal S. Quadir is a Bangladeshi American entrepreneur and artist best known for introducing e-commerce in Bangladesh by founding CellBazaar,[3] an electronic marketplace which, after reaching 4 million users, was acquired by Norwegian telecommunications operator Telenor in 2010. CellBazaar later was rebranded as ekhanei.com.[4][5]

Quadir is currently heading the company bKash, which provides financial services through a network of community-based agents and existing technology, including mobile phones.[1] bKash is world’s second largest and fastest growing mobile financial services company.[6][7]

Quadir is a founding member of Open World Initiatives, a Lausanne, Switzerland-based organization of young thinkers. He is involved with Anwarul Quadir Foundation which recognises innovations in developing countries. He is a First Mover Fellow of The Aspen Institute. In 2009, TED selected Quadir a TED Fellow[8] and the World Economic Forum recognised him as a Young Global Leader.[9]

Early life

Quadir was an intern at Insight Venture Partners in New York, led the Business Development Division of Occidental Petroleum's initiative in Bangladesh and worked for New York City's Chamber of Commerce. He was also the co-founder and creative director of GlobeKids Inc., an animation company.

Quadir has a BA from Oberlin College and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

He is also an artist whose art works are in the permanent collection of the Bangladesh National Museum and the Liberation War Museum.

Awards

  • 2016: Oberlin Alumni Awards – Distinguished Achievement Award [10]
  • 2015: Schwab Foundation's Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2015[11]
  • 2009: "Young Global Leader (YGL)" by the World Economic Forum of Davos [12]
  • 2008: Global Mobile Award of the GSM Association in the category of "Best Use of Mobile for Social & Economic Development" [13]
    • Telecom Asia’s “Asian Innovation of the Year” Award [14]
    • India's Manthan Award for “Best E-Content for Development” [15]
  • 2007: Tech Award for "Applying Technology to Benefit Humanity” [16]
  • 2005: MIT Ideas Award [17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "bKash teams up with Robi". 1 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Highlighted Profiles of the Young Global Leaders, World Economic Forum".
  3. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122081673203508037
  4. ↑ "Schibsted, Telenor and Singapore Press Holdings team up in online classifieds - Schibsted". www.schibsted.com.
  5. ↑ "Cellbazaar formally turns to Ekhanei - Dhaka Tribune". www.dhakatribune.com.
  6. ↑ http://microfinance.brac.net/news-a-media/2013-03-11-03-50-20/184-cgap-publishes-brief-on-the-success-of-bkash-in-delivering-mobile-financial-services
  7. ↑ May, Shamsin Ahmed,Maria A. "Mobile Money in Bangladesh: Shifting from Scale to Innovation". Impatient Optimists.
  8. ↑ "Fellows Friday with Kamal Quadir". 22 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "Young Global Leaders". World Economic Forum.
  10. ↑ "Alumni Awards - Alumni Association - Oberlin College". new.oberlin.edu.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  13. ↑ http://www.globalmobileawards.com/awards-history/best-use-of-mobile-for-social-economic-development-2008/
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 August 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "The Tech". The Tech.
  17. ↑ "IDEAS Competition awards".
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