Out of the Box

Entrepreneur
Nafees Reza (Vicky)
Talks to
Salman Rob

	Courtesy: Nafees Reza (vicky)

I used to go to Scholastica where I finished my high school. I, then, joined North South University (NSU) for my Bachelor's degree and then went to London to get my Master's degree.

Back in school, the best moments were the break periods, games classes, the lovely friends I made and the time I spent with them. The worst moments would be when I used to get punished and also embarrassed in front of the assembly for coming late. I also got into trouble for not following the school decorum as I often wore black shoes, which was not part of the uniform. I used to hate exam time like every other student. My favourite moment was when, in class eight, I single-handedly won the cricket and football inter-class competitions for that year and got a lot of attention and praise from the girls! And for a teenager at school, that attention is something that really matters.

University life was much more relaxed compared to the routines and bindings of school life and it was a bigger platform to socialise with people from different backgrounds.

There was a lecturer from my university, Syed Kenan Ibrahim Bakht, from whom I learnt that, no matter how bad the circumstances are, you should never give up hope and always try to lift yourself up with a smile on your face. Another saying I will always remember is, 'never underestimate anyone because every individual is powerful in his or her own way.'

I started thinking about Melange when I was in London in 2010. I used to go to different lounges and cafes in London and take pictures to put ideas in my mind and always thought of owning my own lounge someday. And it happened as soon as I came back to Dhaka in 2011. I could not have done it without the support of my parents.

Normally, I am not much of a planner. I just decide everything suddenly and go with the flow. But maybe I would like to own a few more restaurants in Dhaka or maybe even in Chittagong and provide something new for the people because I believe the greatest recreation (sadly) in this country is to eat out.

For the young upcoming entrepreneurs, I would like to say that never set a particular goal which you might not be able to fulfill and get disappointed. Always be open to options in whatever you do in life and, no matter what happens, never regret what you did. Be honest to yourself and the rest will fall into place and never give up easily. Lastly, no matter how big you become in life with your own effort, never forget your roots and family.