The U.S. Department of State Professional Fellows Program selected entrepreneur Salman Ahmad to broaden his professional expertise through hands-on exposure in the field of American entrepreneurship.

The Northern Nevada International Center has worked with the U.S. Department of State to bring Ahmad to the University of Nevada, Reno’s Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship. He is one of four fellows hosted nationally by the NNIC in the World Learning Inc.’s Legislative Fellows Program for Pakistan.

“My main motive was to learn about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the U.S.” Ahmad said. “You need community support, funding support, institutional support- so I wanted to get first-hand knowledge of this ecosystem and how universities are contributing to this.”

Paired with the Assistant Director of the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship, Kylie Rowe, Ahmad has been shown entrepreneurial resources on campus such as the De La Mare Library and in the Reno community such as The Generator in Sparks.

Visiting from Lahore, Pakistan, Ahmad hopes to develop entrepreneurship solutions through the exchange of ideas between himself in his Pakistani experience in entrepreneurship and the American entrepreneurs he meets during his visit.

“The entrepreneurial activity is very much connected with the community here,” Ahmad said. “That’s the thing we do not have in Pakistan… local communities [are] not being engaged successfully. If I can start these kinds of projects in Pakistan, it will be a great opportunity.”

Ahmad was brought to the Ozmen Center because he wanted to see the impact of the recession on Nevada’s economy. He wanted to learn how the state is broadening its economic focus with new business start-ups outside of the gaming industry.

“There is a lot more for me to learn here than in Silicon Valley,” he said.

Ahmad already has plans to apply his new knowledge when he returns; he wants to create an international youth center project, which will promote entrepreneurship worldwide as well as start a global network between university organizations like the Ozmen Center that are focused on promoting entrepreneurship.

Rowe has also come away from Ahmad’s visit with a reinforced focus of thinking globally.

“It’s great to be exposed to [Salman] because his mind is always thinking globally,” Rowe said. “We are doing a lot of growth in our city, but there is so much room for us to connect on an international and global level, so it’s really important to have these kinds of experiences.”

In addition to his experience partnering with Rowe, Ahmad is also gaining experience from his home host, Karol Hines, who works at the Center for Unique Business Enterprises, a non-profit incubator that assists in the development of early stage businesses in Reno.

Ahmad attended the University of Liverpool on a Commonwealth scholarship and received the International Business Student of the Year award for earning the highest GPA in the master's program. He is currently attending the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School for his doctorate. He is also a member of the Chief Minister Youth Mobilization Committee, which works with the Pakistani government to add sectors for entrepreneurship.

In addition to his fellowships and accomplishments, Ahmad will be the first-ever recipient of the Queen’s Young Leader Award, which will be presented by Queen Elizabeth II herself in June at an official ceremony in Buckingham Palace, London. He was chosen for this award for his involvement in creating the Growth and Development of Entrepreneurs Foundation in 2011. The GADE Foundation aims to encourage and support entrepreneurship among students in Pakistan.

Ahmad’s U.S. Department of State Fellowship lasts approximately one month and in addition to his tour of the University and Reno community, he will be visiting the Nevada State Senate in Carson City. He will then travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in a three-day Professional Fellows Congress where he will have the opportunity to interact with more than 200 Professional Fellows from across the globe.