1. Let’s start with a brief introduction to your childhood and academic background.

My educational journey began at Scholastica. After completing my A-Levels I moved to Toronto, Canada, and got admitted to York University. In my first two years in Canada, I did honors in Financial and Business Economics. Even though I wanted to do business, a part of me was always more interested in getting into Fashion Design. Therefore, there was a lot that I had to go through with myself and my family to overcome this and make them understand that studying Fashion was something that I was passionate about.

As you know, Universities aren’t just about your capabilities but more about your interest in the subject as it requires a lot of research and attention. So, I decided to shift and got myself enrolled in Toronto Film School to study Fashion Designing. That was the biggest step I took at the age of 20 that made my entire family quite upset. Everybody was skeptical about my decision, and they were saying, “Who studies Fashion Design? What will you ever become from it!”.

Initially, it was very hard for me as I had nobody by my side and even my father didn’t speak to me for quite a few months. That was the time I learned the value of working hard for yourself when you are passionate about something. Studying Fashion was not easy. There were times I was working in my studio 10-11 hours a day as we were taught everything from scratch, starting from the initials till the end. It was quite challenging but I always had that drive to prove myself. With my immense passion for it, I graduated from my institute with flying colors. I graduated in 2017 and by the grace of Almighty, I was the only Bangladeshi to represent in the Graduating Fashion Show back in 2018 where all the designers from Toronto participated together.

2. Give us a short glimpse into your career journey and your current involvements.

I came back to Bangladesh in December 2017 and started my career in January 2018. I initially started working at my father’s business. My father has been involved in the RMG business for the past 25 years, we have been a pioneer in the outerwear manufacturing business ever since we started. I established the R&D department at our factory which has been running for 2.5 years. Before that, we did not have any R&D department at all. Besides that, I initiated my own company called ‘Feed Me’ within six months after I returned to Bangladesh. After initiating Feed Me, I also took on more responsibilities than how it was working under my father’s shadow.

3. When and how did the idea of Feed Me come to your mind?

For me, Feed Me is a passion project. Food is something which is very important to me. I’ve been a health freak ever since I can remember. I was quite athletic and active since I was a teenager, but I realized the value of a balanced diet when I started cooking for myself and doing my own meal preparations in Toronto.

When I came back to Dhaka, I suffered a lot as I was having a hard time suiting with the diet, and due to my hectic workload, I could not make the time for preparing meals for myself. So, I thought even if it’s only for me, I should start something and that is how Feed Me initially started.

Feed Me prepares meals for people who want to eat healthily but do not have the time for meal preparations. As you know, people abroad emphasize this a lot but in Bangladesh, there was a huge gap. For this, the initial stage was quite hard as there wasn’t any significant data to understand business feasibility. But I was determined to do it because sometimes you have to take a leap of faith to make a change.

4. Briefly tell us about the services and products of Feed Me.

Initially, when we started, we used to offer a regular meal plan for everyone. There were four meals a day, you can also customize the meal plan but it is suggested to have four meals. Eventually, we introduced the weight loss diet, salads, soups, etc. Recently we have started another company called Best Bowl which is currently operating from the Feed Me kitchen. There are ten different salads that you can subscribe to. I look forward to introducing more options and more products in the future since the people in our country are becoming conscious about their health and well-being.

5. What strategies did you follow initially in order to spread awareness regarding Feed Me? 

The most important thing that Feed Me has done till now is to educate people. As long as people do not understand the value of healthy food and lifestyle, they wouldn’t appreciate any initiatives regarding it. Suppose if I suggest you work out every day without educating you about the benefits of it, you will never give it much importance. So, it is essential to educate the people, and we try to do that constantly through Feed Me. Besides that, I also want to inspire others with my healthy lifestyle through Social Media. I also have my meals from Feed Me, I take them wherever I go. I want to ensure consistency throughout our menu and provide the quality meals I prefer myself.

6. Tell us about the team behind Feed Me.

Firstly, I work as the Founder/CEO and there is a manager. We also have three helpers, two cleaners, and two main chefs. Two people manage our social media pages and we also have a delivery team.

We start in the morning right after Fajr prayer. We dispatch our food within 7:30-8:00 am as many people go out for work within 8:30. After that, there is a break and later, we start working from the evening. The team has been very hardworking and determined which enabled Feed Me to gain such popularity in a short span of time.

7. Share some memorable experiences you’ve had with Feed Me.

I won a national competition called ‘NutriStar’ which I consider as my most memorable experience with Feed Me. It was a very unexpected opportunity as one of my juniors who was working for a German NGO called ‘Gain’ informed me that there was an international competition regarding nutrition and I was selected. Initially, I was unsure about it since there were lots of paperwork and my finger was fractured during that time. However, Gain gave me all the help I needed in order to complete all the procedures.

Fortunately, out of 300 companies, ‘Feed Me’ was selected in the top 10 finalists. I was the youngest to participate in the competition. Although I was struggling initially, I won the title with my sheer dedication and passion. The competition was about innovation for the mass public. I pitched a nutrition bar for RMG workers and a nutrition drink for their children. I always aimed to work for the mass and when we expand, I want to integrate health into the Bengali’s eating habits.

After winning the competition I alongside 20 other winners participated in a competition in Singapore. It was an illuminating experience representing Bangladesh on a global platform.

8. Share your views on the participation of female entrepreneurs in the food industry?

There are many renowned female figures involved in the fitness industry, but when it comes to the healthy and nutritious food scenario, the participation and involvement are quite low. But I do hope that more women will come forward and take the industry a step further.

9. During the process of weight loss, many females had to go through a lot of mental pressure, what’s your thought on that?

The most important thing before you start any type of weight loss program is to understand what is a healthy way of losing weight. People need to understand that it is not about the food or diet rather about the mentality that needs to change. You need to understand what is right for you and that is what people miss. We see people stop eating completely and starving themselves. That is not the right approach. Let’s say, If your body needs 1500 calories a day and you eat approx. 150-200 calories less than that, you will start losing weight and it is as easy as that. As long as you are eating within your calories, you are good to go.

Macros are essential for the human body to operate. You need to have protein, fats, carbs, etc. We see people avoiding rice which is a major source of energy. So, it is essential for people to know how to lose weight in a healthy way. Losing weight in a span of 7 days or a month by doing unhealthy practices can severely harm your body. Sometimes we even have to turn clients away as we don’t promote this kind of practice.

10. Where do you want to see Feed Me in the next few years?

We want to become a company which can help people to eat better. We want to establish the idea that we grow enough organic produce in Bangladesh that can help people fill up our daily nutritional requirements. “The simpler the food, the better” that’s what I always preach and try to establish. We want to go to a point where we can educate people so that they can calculate their required nutrition by themselves and take care of their bodies. I want to reach out to the mass and that is what I am working towards.