My journey

Three years in, Airwork has grown from a scrappy idea into a global recruiting engine - connecting over 200 companies across 15 countries with 12,000 talents from 30+ nations. We’ve raised venture backing, built a world-class team, and proven that emerging market talent isn’t a backup option — it’s the future of work. Still early, still learning, but now we’re building from conviction, not survival.

Airwork began as a passion project during the pandemic — back when I’d lost nearly all my savings after COVID. With nothing but a rough prototype and a stubborn belief in the idea, I entered the DataBird Launchpad competition and won. That $15K grant became my lifeline — the spark that turned Remotely into Airwrk, and eventually Airwork. The goal stayed the same: to prove that world-class talent can come from emerging markets. We built the first product, landed our first clients, and began the long journey from idea to company.

Alpha had grown to a 40-person team when COVID struck. We fought to survive for a year and a half, burning through our savings while watching everything we’d built slip away. It felt like a never-ending nightmare. But in hindsight, that collapse became my black swan moment, the catalyst that led to the creation of Airwork.

My friend Asif and I co-founded Alpha Catering to shake up Bangladesh’s catering scene. What started as a bold idea turned into five years of nonstop learning — from managing teams to understanding customers, operations, and scale the hard way.

At 21, I started Revel with a few school friends. It was an e-commerce and retail venture selling export-surplus merchandise. I invested my hard-earned tuition money to get it off the ground. I designed the logo, managed digital marketing, and handled procurement. We ran it for four years, and it taught me more about business, grit, and execution than any course ever could - a true masterclass in getting started.

Getting into IBA, University of Dhaka was a turning point - the acceptance rate was just 1.2%. It opened doors to an incredible alumni network and surrounded me with some of the brightest peers I’ve ever met.

At 17, I left for Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, with one suitcase and a head full of dreams. Stayed with my cousins in a new neighborhood that, funnily enough, had a road named after me.

I’d always been a slightly above-average student, but during my GCEs, I finally realized learning could be fun. Ended up with straight A’s - and a few 100% scores to brag about.

At 16, I built my first website - a chaotic mix of wallpapers, ringtones, and, let’s say, questionably licensed software.

Started flipping repaired hard drives and trading CDs with friends. This was my first taste of business beyond the lunchbox economy.

At 7, I started my first “hustle” - selling my homemade lunch to friends in school. (Sorry, Mom!)

I joined BBIS, a small English-medium school where I met friends who’ve somehow stuck with me to this day.

I was the youngest of three siblings, born into a joint family in Sylhet - a small town in northeastern Bangladesh.