Sadia Bashir : Today I woke up to this wonderful news, It’s a huge honor for me to be selected among Forbes 30 Under 30 in Asia in Enterprise Technology.

As a woman in the technology field, I’ve been asked a lot of questions over the years about my job (Game Developer/Designer) and the Industry I work in (Games). How did you get into games? everyone knows the amazing story of how I loved playing games when I was young but the other part of the story is dark. To be honest, it was not an easy journey, there were many times when I dealt with discrimination & discouragement during my career. Many awkward moments when a group of male forgets that they have a girl in their midst or act differently when I am around, Many times people would give me wired stares in disbelief that “a Girl, working in games?” “ in Pakistan?”. It was my passion that kept me going, I was passionate enough to quit my school at the age of 13 because they weren’t teaching computer science. I want to see that passion in every girl of Pakistan.

Congrats to @Sadia_Bashir1, fellow of Pakistan, for making it onto the @Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list! #womenleaders like Sadia inspire women to enter the STEM field! #twimpact pic.twitter.com/Np5AptwDQZ

— TechWomen (@TechWomen) April 15, 2018

Its been 8 years working in the Industry now and more than two years since running my startup PixelArt Games Academy, along the way, I represented Pakistan on many platforms, availed opportunities to teach the world about, what Pakistan is all about, and how women are breaking barriers in every industry here. However, there is still very less representation of women in Tech and my goal is to do my part to enable more women in Tech in Pakistan. I am currently working on few projects and will share the details soon. Throughout my studies and career, I was very persistent about achieving my dreams and I did it despite all hurdles. There is still a long way to go, where I actually want to be and one day I will be there.

Nine individuals from Pakistan have been featured on #Forbes magazine’s annual ‘30 Under 30’ Asia list. According to Forbes,Pakistan’s most innovative minds are opting for careers in sector of entertainment, sports, enterprise technology, retail, e-commerce, healthcare & science. pic.twitter.com/ZCgVJYA7U3

— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) March 28, 2018

The best thing my parents taught me is the hard work but there are many people who worked hard behind my success as well and never let me give up. You know who you are, and I feel blessed to have such mentors, friends & family. I love you all. ❤

My efforts and work have been recognized internationally many times before but I am truly humbled to be in Forbes 30 Under 30. Achievement Unlocked!