Much of the conversation centered on how early interests can quietly shape an entire career.

Mariha Quader Chowdhury reminisced about her school days and said, “My journey started right here in the halls of ISD. Even in high school, I was part of the student council organising events, though I didn't know then that it would become my life's work. It's a sweet story of following your passion; if you find what you love early on, you can grow that seed into a professional reality.”

Passion as a long-term driver in entrepreneurship came up repeatedly. Mehran Kabir said, “I learned early on that I simply cannot work on something I am not passionate about. Ever since, I have chased that passion throughout my career, because if you aren't doing work that ignites something within you, it's impossible to truly excel.”

The panel didn’t shy away from the harder parts of entrepreneurship either. Waiz Rahim spoke candidly about the emotional cost of failure.

He said, “Whenever you’re doing something you’re really passionate about, your own identity and self-worth become intertwined with that. When a venture doesn’t survive, taking that step back to figure out who you are in the next phase of life takes time – but climbing out of that hole is a vital part of the journey.”