Originally from Lucknow, India, Nida Khan landed in Luxembourg from Romania with her husband at the end of 2007.
Having studied in computer science with a focus on Islamic finance, she is the creator of the Islamic Finance iOS app, the world’s first Islamic finance education app on the Apple platform.
“The app was launched in 2013 and updated to incorporate features demanded by the users. The Android app was launched in September 2016.” It has a five-star rating and has been praised for its usability and appearance, all designed by Khan. “The app describes the basics of the Islamic finance sector in a very graphical way for ease of understanding. At the same time, it provides finance news from a lot of popular sites,” she explains.
Brimming with new ideas, Khan took part in the third edition of the Entrepreneurial Women Project organised by the Luxembourg-Poland Business Club of which she became a member in September. “The project aims to educate us on the basics necessary to start and run a business in Luxembourg. It has taught me that starting my own venture is doable and that it’s worth pursuing your dream.”
Open to all nationalities, participants come from diverse backgrounds, including the US, India, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Israel and Germany. Apart from giving practical information about law, taxation and how to create a business plan, participants can test their ideas and get feedback from others. Many new connections are created, and some participants later on decide to collaborate.
“The choice of speakers and the positive environment educates, inspires and develops the spirit of entrepreneurship. Each Saturday brings us a step closer to the implementation of our business idea. It’s a win-win affair for all participants, who leave the project with realisable dreams in their eyes and diplomas in their hands,” she says.
Having completed a masters in information and computer sciences from the University of Luxembourg in 2015, Khan is presently waiting for a date from the institution’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust to start her PhD in fintech, on a subject related to blockchain.