“If opportunity does not knock, build a door.”
Building such a door requires a lot of patience, persistence and passion. And G. Sumdany Don, Chief Inspirational Officer of Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy, has created a business out of doing exactly that.
Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy has an array of services under its umbrella, all of which are designed to help build synergy in organizations and increase productivity. Their offerings include: corporate training, one to one coaching, digital education, university sessions and signature events exclusive to their firm. Career Camp, a signature event that takes place annually, is one such brain child of the Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy. This program is expressly designed for university students and young professionals who are just about to enter the job market.
The Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center (IJKC), Dhaka, recognizing the significance of the event, agreed to become venue partners for the Career Camp 2017, sponsored by IPDC (an AKFED affiliated financial institution) which was held on the 5th of August, 2017. Although the day-long camp admitted students by a strict registration process, the event, primarily due to the capability and popularity of Mr. G. Sumdany Don as a motivational speaker, reeled in 240 local and international students. The event started at around 10:30 in the morning, to a fully packed social hall, at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center. After a short verbal walkthrough of the AKDN and the IJKC, by Vice President, Altaf Ramzi, Don took over. His contagious enthusiasm soon caught on with the crowd and frequent ice breakers and coffee breaks punctuated the event to break through the routine.
The team had a great lineup of speakers, namely, Rafiath Rashid Mithila (Head of Early Childhood Development, BRAC International, and actress); Rahel Ahmed (Deputy Managing Director, Prime Bank Ltd.); Shahriar Amin (Head of Marketing in a consumer goods’ multinational); Raquib Fakhrul Rocky (Managing Director, Munshi Enterprise Ltd.); Tajdin Hassan (Head of Marketing, The Daily Star); Mominul Islam (Managing Director & CEO, IPDC Finance); Ahmed Pasha (Director, Strategic HR, Edison Group); Golam Raihan (Regional Sales Manager—Bangladesh/Sri Lanka/ Nepal, P&G); and G. Sumdany Don himself.
The mix of young and old speakers imparted inspiration and valuable advice from their own experiences. From writing good CVs to the ABCs of career development, each topic was picked apart, assessed and put back together expertly and in a way, that was both educational and fun.
Decorators from the firm had worked overnight, with help from internal IJKC volunteers and staff, to transform the lobby of the Center into a true-blue training area. A booth selling Don Sumdany merchandise and a CV bank was set up, next to a food station. Finally, a tall, well-lit backdrop served as the hub for all media coverage and interview snippets. The IJKC as well as external food partners, served lunch boxes, drinks, tea, coffee and snacks. The event went on till 10 pm at night and commendably, did not lose steam at any point, despite the long duration of the camp.
After the remarkable success of this program, the Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy is keen to partner with the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center for its future endeavors. The IJKC too, views this as a beneficial partnership and looks forward to working with this team again.
