Azra Salim is the founder and CEO of online pharmacy and healthcare startup Shombhob Health. Prior to starting Shombhob Health, Ms. Azra worked in senior leadership positions in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Bangladesh. Before that, she worked in the US for several years where she worked as a consultant to Fortune 500 Companies. 

In this fascinating conversation with Ms. Azra, we cover her personal history, her journey to what she is doing today, her path to entrepreneurship and starting Shombhob Health, the state of Shombhob’s business and operation today, online pharmacy thesis, Shombhob’s ambition going forward, her work regimen, her realizations about work and life and much more. This is a brilliant read. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it.

Ruhul Kader
Thank you so very much for taking the time to do this interview. The first question is about yourself. Can you please tell us about yourself and your background, where you come from as an individual, and then from there to what you're doing today? 

Azra Salim
Thank you for having me. It's an honor. I was born and raised in Bangladesh. I studied here till my A levels and then I went to the US to study business administration at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. I did my undergrad there, majoring in Finance. 

After graduation, I worked in the US for a boutique consulting company for a few years. I traveled extensively within and outside of the US to Europe, Australia, and Asia. Since it was a small company, people got more opportunities to learn, and get involved, and the company valued everyone’s contribution.  

I learned a lot from my time there about professionalism and about working with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. I had the opportunity to work with many different clients including many fortune 500 companies. I was just a fresh graduate from school. I was lucky to get the opportunity to work with senior consultants from big companies like GE and many other multinational companies, including several healthcare companies. 

While I learned a lot and enjoyed the experience, I always had the intention of coming back to Bangladesh and working here in my family business.