YSALI Alumni Impact: Festival Brings Visibility for Entrepreneurs

The Young South Asian Leaders Initiative (YSALI) is proud to see workshop alumni making impacts in their local communities. Through post-workshop action plans, YSALI alumni are empowered to solve shared challenges, collaborate, and impact their communities. YSALI is implemented by the University of Nebraska’s Center for Afghanistan and Regional Studies in collaboration with the East-West Center and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.

Peshawar Spring Festival: Broad Community Support with 700 Visitors

The community-driven networking and entrepreneurship event was called the Spring Festival and had a total of 25 entrepreneurs showcasing their work including art and paintings, homemade bakery items, textiles, shoes, crochet items and jewelry. Seven influencers and three content creators helped to promote the event and amplified its impact through social media, especially Instagram. Live music performances and networking activities created a lively space and opportunities for networking. Creative art workshops were also held with more than 30 participant pre-registrations.

The Venue

The festival was hosted at the National Incubation Center (NIC) Peshawar, providing entrepreneurs with an opportunity to showcase their products, connect with customers, and gain exposure within the startup ecosystem. NIC Peshawar is a leading startup incubator in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, supported by the Ministry of IT & Telecom and Ignite. It helps entrepreneurs grow innovative businesses through incubation, mentorship, training, and modern workspaces. Since its launch, it has supported over 200 startups, enabling them to generate revenue and attract investments worth more than PKR 7 billion.

The Impact

The event fostered a greater appreciation for women-led enterprises in a part of the world where economic freedom for women is gaining momentum. The event increased the visibility of women entrepreneurs and handmade products of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).

Future Plans

Feedback from attendees and participating businesses was overwhelmingly positive, with many encouraging Noyyaa to scale-up the initiative further. Building on the success of this first event, a larger festival is planned during the summer holidays.

Quote from YSALI Participant Zahra Kamal Khan

“During the peer leadership circles at the YSALI workshop in Dhaka, my peers encouraged me to streamline everything for greater impact. I took their advice and found that my social enterprise will not only promote the concept of a circular economy in KPK but also empower other businesses that feel like sustainability is impossible to achieve. At first when we were designing the Spring Festival, I felt like no one would support us and with no funds it wouldn’t be possible to create an impact within such little time and maybe we needed more resources, but, when we started planning out things and started collaborating with influencers and businesses we were amazed that people really wanted to join and there was a need for such a platform in Peshawar because such spaces are rare. This is how it gave us motivation and a sense of volunteerism kicked in and we decided to implement our initiative. Sometimes it really is the execution that one needs and support comes along the way similar to my case and I am glad for the impact it created.”

For Zahra, implementing her action plans after the YSALI workshop taught her that meaningful change requires strategic planning with the right kind of collaboration, community support, and effective execution, turning small ideas into lasting impact. She plans to continue expanding opportunities for women-led and sustainable businesses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by organizing larger community events, strengthening partnerships, promoting circular economy initiatives, and creating pathways to connect local entrepreneurs with the U.S. marketplace in the future. The YSALI network and impact continues to grow with more alumni sharing their stories and making a difference across the region of South Asia.

The Power of International Exchange

This project exemplifies the lasting impact of the Young South Asian Leaders Initiative (YSALI), a U.S. government-supported program that equips emerging leaders with the knowledge, networks, and skills to address challenges in their communities. Implemented by the Center for Afghanistan and Regional studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in partnership with the East-West Center, YSALI alumni are transforming ideas into action, creating opportunities across South Asia. The success of these initiatives demonstrates how international exchange programs can inspire local solutions that generate meaningful and sustainable community impact. Learn more about YSALI here.