RETO - Our Team

Meet the Team

RETO foundation have the previleged to contain a diverse team of individuals working in different fields. To contact a member of RETO Foundation, please email us or call us at +92-342-4992698 / +92-302-3973297.

Executive Team

Shahzad Akbar

Director

Shahzad is the development sector guru. Since graduating from LUMS in Accounting and Finance, he has actively worked with number of non-profit organizations such as The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and DFID project “Strategy and Sustainability at Education Fund for Sindh”. His academic and leadership credentials have earned him Fulbright Scholarship at LUMS, Acumen Fellowship for Pakistan and qualifying the prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) exam. He feels the strong necessity to bridge the social gap, whether regional (urban-rural) or class (elite-poor) gap. For this purpose, he conceives RETO Foundation to be a platform through which equal opportunities can be generated and provided for everyone.

Nabeel Muhammad

Head Strategy and Programs

Nabeel studied Economics at Lahore University of Management Sciences. At LUMS, he acted as the President of ShARE-Pakistan, a student based research organization working across the globe. Out of passion for impactful investment and entrepreneurship, he initiated Stock Simulation and Model Economy Case Study Competitions for students in LUMS. After College, he has worked with Karachi Stock Exchange in designing and implementing financial products and systems to cater to the need of development of financial sector in Pakistan. And later he worked as Research Consultant for DNA to help clients to make better calculated business decisions. Currently, he is working in Nokia in United Kingdom to ensure profitability for Nokia’s Europe. In his extra time, he loves working on different research projects. His research examines the financial markets, consumer behavior, and entrepreneurship in developing countries. He believes that we all have the potential to make change in our capacities; we all just need that little help. He believes in the power of a positive feedback loop and competitive collaboration.

Kashif Shaikh

Head Communications and PR

Kashif is a budding policy analyst and a governance expert. Currently, he is recipient of German Foreign Office’s prestigious DAAD Scholar award for Public Policy & Governance. His professional experience includes working with governing institutions such as Ministry of Planning Commission of Pakistan on ‘Vision 2025 Pakistan’, Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs (through his research work on Pakistan’s Foreign Policy). He has also worked on a joint World Health Organization and Interactive Research Development project on launching a sustainable social enterprise dedicated to improving public health in the city of Karachi. During his stay in Germany, Kashif has represented Pakistan in a number of public policy debates and continues to engage through his writings and leadership involvement through the platforms like Youth Parliament Pakistan (project of PILDAT). He believes that poor policies and the inability to implement policies are an impediment to welfare. Therefore, he hopes to promote human development through support to literacy.

Ajay Pinjani

Head Curriculum and Capacity Building

Ajay Pinjani holds bachelors in Political Science and International Relations with a High Honors from Middle East Technical University, Turkey. He attended Boston University, USA under a student exchange program and has completed his masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and was awarded Best International Student. He has also been an active member of dance and theatre groups during college years. As his masters thesis project, he undertook research in “Sindhi Sufi Poetry in contemporary Pakistan; meeting of tradition and modernity.” Presently, Ajay is working as Specialist, Teacher Development at the Aga Khan University Examination Board. In the past, he has developed the Curriculum for Outreach Tours at The Citizens Archive of Pakistan. The curriculum aims to infuse critical thinking by using what (information) as a reference point to understand the questions of 'how' and 'why', connecting subjects of Science, Geography and History. Ajay Pinjani is an advocate of creative thinking, through which the product model of curriculum education can be transformed to a more praxis one, whereby education is value and action oriented.

Syed Mohsin

Head Technology and Web Development

Mohsin is a computer geek and loves machines. He has an experience of more than four years of working on different tools. He holds a degree in Computer Science. Currently, he is working as Software Engineer with TRG tech, where he is involved in developing time and cost effective systems and solutions for different companies. He was also the founder and developer at Project Lobby, a project based Education Company, with a goal to promote project based learning in schools, colleges and universities. He strongly believes in the talent of our Pakistani youth and he is devoted to groom it. He is Director Technology at RETO. He is credited with developing this amazing website for RETO. He is an advocate of technology in every aspect of lives. He believes that Pakistan’s education system can be transformed through technology.

Jaffar Mujtaba

Head Education

Jaffar Mujtaba completed his undergraduate degree with a major in Humanities, focusing on Philosophy. In his final year, he had the opportunity to be a part of a 20-member team which conducted research on "Teaching & Learning in LUMS Classrooms", findings of which were presented to senior Faculty members. Shortly after graduating, Jaffar joined The Citizens Archive of Pakistan as a part of their Outreach Tours Program where he taught at various government and low-budget private schools and colleges. Currently, he manages the operations of a maritime consultancy and facilitation firm. He looks forward to contributing to different education projects, as and when the opportunity arises. In his past time, Jaffar enjoys listening to music and trying his hand at various musical instruments.

Management Team

Sabah Paracha

Manager Creative

Sabah has done her bachelors in Social Science majoring in psychology. She is currently doing her Masters in Education and leadership management. She is super passionate about working for Pakistan and its people. In the past, Sabah has worked with government schools and colleges and is currently working with a publishing house developing academic books for secondary classes.

Usama Ghaffar

Manager Operations

Usama is currently pursuing his bachelors in Computer Science from Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam. Over the last five years, he has been working as teacher for different schools and education non-profits. Usama is RETO’s captain, who is responsible for implementing RETO’s projects on ground in Tando Jam. With his special skills in technology, he has institutionalized the organizational structure of RETO and has helped to execute many programs. Usama is a risk-taker and an entrepreneur at heart. He has worked on multiple local ventures. He believes in the power of innovation through technology to tackle social issues. Currently, Usama is living in Tando Jam and is one of the finest members of RETO. He believes that technology is among the best tools to spread education.

Zunera Zahid

Consultant SLI

Zunera believes that it is very important for curriculum to stay focused beyond the subjective narratives of our history. She has worked with numerous organizations in curriculum development. She holds a MBA degree from FAST and has acquired specialized training in curriculum development. She hopes to set a platform for the youth of Pakistan, where they can learn to fly. She has designed RETO’s curriculum for Self-Learner’s Initiative.

Kashif Ahmed

Manager Media

Kashif Ahmed has origins from Tando Jam, and is currently doing Masters in English Linguistic and Literature from NUML. In his extra time, his avocations are graphics designing, video editing and photography. He is the man behind for most of the amazing photos on RETO’s website. He believes that photography is one of the tools to bring ground realities and stories in front of the world; and to capture those precious moments forever.

Rajwanti Kumari

Head Female Chapter Shades

Rajwanti is among the very few avid proponent of women’s right from Rural Pakistan. In the last few years, she has encouraged and mentored several girls from Rural Sindh to educate themselves; whether by attending the college or by reading to themselves. She is the voice of RETO and is always encouraging both boys and girls in RETO’s events and programs. Currently, she is pursuing her MBBS from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro. Moreover, she has also been selected as a Campus Ambassador for Tribune’s Aao Parhao Campaign.
After becoming a doctor, Rajwanti aims to lead RETO into health domains too to solve the foremost health related issues of Interior Sindh. She believes that education and good health are the most important aspects of lives; and should be available to every human being across the world. She is an immense asset to RETO’s pride.

Muhammad Awais Zahoor

Head of partnerships & Strategy

Awais graduated from Lahore University of Management Sciences and has been leading the foundation's efforts to establish strategic partnerships. Awais' own journey, which began in an underprivileged family in a remote area of Pakistan, involved emerging from child labor and eventually securing a full scholarship to study at LUMS. This journey has solidified his commitment to promoting education in remote areas of Pakistan under the banner of the RETO Foundation and uplifting the masses by empowering them with education. In addition to his work with the RETO Foundation, Awais has actively led community empowerment initiatives for numerous global organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Professionally, he is an expert in economic policy & financial markets, currently holding the position of an economist at country's Central Bank.

Advisory

Faheem Shelot

Advisor

Fahim Shelot is a Manager in the Private Equity Division at Ibdar Bank. He has 9 years of experience covering private equity, asset management and transaction advisory in Pakistan, Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Ibdar, Fahim worked as a consultant with the Islamic finance team at EY Bahrain and an equity analyst with Al Meezan Investment Management in Pakistan. Fahim was also selected as a Global Fellow of the Acumen Fund and spent a year working with a social enterprise in Kenya. He holds a BSc. (Hons.) in Accounting and Finance from the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charter holder.