Video Thumbnail
▶

Amir Khan

Founder and CEO of Alkira

Video Thumbnail
▶

Yusuf Mallick

Associate at Trivest Partners

Video Thumbnail
▶

Zia Bhutta

Founder and CEO of ANAI Capital Management

Video Thumbnail
▶

Kamal Ahmed

Te Global Head of Semiconductor Investment Banking At Barclays

In 2025, Zayyan founded and hosted the Business Tech Conference, a two-hour online panel exploring the future of AI, finance, and technology.

Why It Was Created

After completing UPenn’s Politics, Philosophy, and Economics program, Zayyan wanted to bring complex ideas about AI in society and finance into a conversation accessible to students and young leaders. He designed the conference to connect industry professionals with the next generation of business thinkers.

The Panel

Zayyan recruited and moderated a panel of CEOs, founders, and finance experts, including:

  • Amir Khan, CEO, Alkira—spoke about integrating AI into cloud infrastructure.
  • Yusuf Mallick, Associate, Trivest Partners —shared insights on AI applications in healthcare.
  • Kamal Ahmed, Global Head of Semiconductors, Barclays—discussed tariffs and their effect on the semiconductor industry, and the future of global finance with technology like supercomputers.
  • Zia Bhutta CEO ANAI Capital Management—shared insights on AI in the workplace

Highlights

  • Over 100 attendees worldwide joined live.

  • Sponsored by the Pre-Business Society and Young Investors Society.
  • Two months of research, outreach, and marketing led to a highly interactive discussion.
  • Zayyan prepared structured questions but adapted in real time, allowing the panel to feel more like a conversation than an interview.

What Zayyan Learned

Zayyan launched Tech Conference after challenging his own opinions, knowledge, and preconceived notions about AI in the workplace — a major takeaway is that, while leaders are unwavering in their goals, they should also constantly seek new information and revise their opinions based on new data. Strength and intellectual humility are not opposites — rather, the strongest leaders possess intellectual humility in abundance.

Zayyan also learned that mentorship drives creativity and growth — the conference deepened his belief in learning from accomplished professionals. Zayyan learned that true leadership comes from moving beyond consuming knowledge to convening and sharing it.