Boardroom: What inspired you to pursue aerospace engineering and entrepreneurship?

Sarah Qureshi: My interest in aerospace engineering developed at a very young age. I grew up in an intellectually stimulating environment where science, engineering, and innovation were a part of everyday discussions. Both my parents, my father, Masood Latif Qureshi, and my mother, Dr Rumana Qureshi, being scientists as well, played a major role in shaping my curiosity towards engineering and technology.

From high school onward, I had clarity that I wanted to pursue Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Entrepreneurship emerged naturally from that technical passion because, for me, innovation was never just about research. It was about creating technologies that could eventually translate into real-world solutions and industrial products.

Boardroom: How did your early academic and professional experiences shape your technical journey?

Sarah Qureshi: My academic journey was highly focused and intentional. During my undergraduate studies in engineering, I worked extensively on projects related to engines, propulsion systems, and mechanical design. These projects reinforced my interest in aerospace propulsion and advanced engine technologies. Equally important was my industrial exposure. During internships and practical industry interactions, I observed firsthand how manufacturing ecosystems operate, how engineering translates from theory to factory floors, and how disciplined industrial systems create scalable products. That practical exposure gave me a much broader understanding of engineering beyond academia.

Boardroom: What motivated your transition from engineering into innovation-driven entrepreneurship?

Sarah Qureshi: The transition was gradual rather than sudden. Throughout my education and research, I realized that groundbreaking technical work often remains confined to laboratories and research publications unless there is a commercial and entrepreneurial structure behind it. I wanted to bridge that gap. My vision was always to build technologies that are not merely academically significant but commercially viable and globally impactful. Entrepreneurship became the mechanism through which innovation could be scaled and brought into practical implementation.

Boardroom:  Your work focuses heavily on propulsion and clean aviation technologies. What led you in that direction?

Sarah Qureshi: During my advanced research in aerospace propulsion, I became increasingly aware of the environmental cost of conventional aviation systems. The aviation industry contributes significantly to global emissions, and while fuel economy and efficiency enhancement systems do exist, the fundamental problem of aviation emissions remains unresolved.

That realization shifted my focus toward developing breakthrough propulsion technologies that could reduce emissions at the source rather than merely mitigating them downstream. My work became centered on creating cleaner, more sustainable aviation propulsion systems.

Boardroom: How significant is innovation-based entrepreneurship for countries like Pakistan?

Sarah Qureshi: It is critically important. Countries cannot build globally competitive economies without moving beyond conventional business models into technology-driven entrepreneurship. Since technology-based products have a lot of value addition involved, importing them is very expensive. They also need a very deep understanding of the technology for efficient use. Additionally, Pakistan has its own peculiar set of problems, which can only be solved through local entrepreneurship. International models replicated from other countries are not successful. Pakistan has immense engineering talent, but much of it remains underutilized because we lack structured pathways for commercialization, industrial R&D, and deep-tech venture creation. Innovation-based entrepreneurship can unlock entirely new industries, create high-value employment, and position Pakistan competitively in the global technology landscape.

Boardroom:  What challenges do deep tech entrepreneurs face in emerging markets?

Sarah Qureshi: The biggest challenge is ecosystem maturity. Deep tech ventures require patient capital, technical infrastructure, long development cycles, and stakeholders who understand innovation risk. In many emerging markets, entrepreneurship support systems are designed around quick-scaling digital businesses rather than research-intensive technology ventures. Building a deep tech company, therefore, requires significantly greater resilience, long-term commitment, and strategic vision.

Boardroom: How did international exposure influence your entrepreneurial outlook?

Sarah Qureshi: My international exposure was transformative. Participating in global innovation forums, entrepreneurship competitions, and clean technology conferences gave me insight into how advanced ecosystems support research commercialization. It helped me understand investor expectations, business model development, commercialization pathways, and the importance of positioning technology ventures within global markets rather than local frameworks alone.

Boardroom: What is your broader vision for the future of aerospace innovation?

Sarah Qureshi: My vision is to contribute toward the next industrial revolution in aviation by enabling cleaner, more efficient propulsion systems that redefine sustainability standards in aerospace. Beyond individual inventions, I believe the larger mission is to demonstrate that breakthrough aerospace innovation can emerge from regions not traditionally associated with frontier technology. Innovation is not geographically exclusive. With the right vision and persistence, transformative technologies can be built anywhere. We might be located in different locations around the world with our set of environmental challenges, but we all share the same sky, and any global warming occurring in the sky which is impacting climate change on the planet Earth, is everyone’s problem