Tahreem Shah

Co-founder & Head of Growth at AmarLab; Co-founder, Bhorosha, Bangladesh

Tahreem describes AmarLab as the Uber for medical diagnostics. She is also the co-founder of Bhorosha, an alternative job sourcing platform in Bangladesh that connects informal sector women to better paying jobs. Tahreem shares her personal struggles such as her father’s health, life decisions and being divorced (and marital rape) and how these personal experiences intersect with her passion for design, business and technology.

Episode 5

Written by

Krista Goon

Published on

June 14, 2024

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Womenpreneurasia S08 Tahreem Shah

We journey into the world of social impact through entrepreneurship with Tahreem Shah of Bangladesh. 

Womenpreneurasia S08 Tahreem Shah

Tahreem is the co-founder and Head of Growth at AmarLab, Bangladesh’s pioneering diagnostic marketplace and the co-founder of Bhorosha, a social-impact business dedicated to finding sustainable income solutions for women in informal job sectors.

Tahreem’s journey seamlessly integrates architecture, business and technology through her two startups. With a background in architecture and a passion for social change, Tahreem has dedicated herself to finding innovative solutions for the challenges faced by marginalized communities. 

Originally from Bangladesh, Tahreem divides her time between Bangladesh and Singapore, where she continues her mission to drive growth, innovation and digital transformation for AmarLab in the field of healthcare accessibility. 

From Architecture to Social Entrepreneurship

Tahreem’s journey into social entrepreneurship began during an architectural internship in Norway.

While there, she realized her true calling lay in addressing the pressing issues of urban disaster preparedness, unemployment, healthcare accessibility and financial inclusion. Drawing on her background in design thinking, Tahreem became deeply involved in local and global initiatives aimed at empowering underserved communities.

As the co-founder and Head of Growth at AmarLab, Tahreem is at the forefront of Bangladesh’s largest diagnostic marketplace. Here, she spearheads efforts to drive growth and innovation, leveraging technology to bridge gaps in healthcare access. 

Additionally, Tahreem is the co-founder of Bhorosha, a social-impact business committed to finding tech-enabled sustainable solutions for women in informal job sectors. She hopes that through both ventures she can influence and create tangible changes in her country. 

Tahreem’s journey is not without its challenges but she approaches each obstacle with resilience and determination. She quotes Thomas Edison, “I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that do not work” reflecting Tahreem’s belief in the power of perseverance.

Beyond her professional endeavours, Tahreem finds inspiration in human stories which she finds comforting and pleasurable. She enjoys conversing with people from all walks of life and learning about their struggles as well as milestones.

She reveals, ”I love listening to stories of humans. It’s a two-way thing, travelling and learning how people deal with everyday things brings a spark to my eyes.”

Even in the darkest of moments through marital rape and following that, a harrowing divorce from her drug-addicted ex-husband and even through her father’s illness and her struggle with following her heart or working at a top multinational job that paid well but didn’t inspire her at all, Tahreem never gave up on herself or her desire to help other women. 

With a unique blend of creativity and compassion, Tahreem’s two startups are truly solutions arising from personal and painful struggles – solutions that she hopes will activate tangible transformation in Bangladesh’s 171 million people and beyond.

Find out more about Tahreem Shah through these links: