Sidra Qasim, co-founder and COO of Atoms

The Juggernaut Interviews: Founders

Sidra has been challenging stereotypes long before she became an entrepreneur. Born and raised in Okara, in Punjab, Pakistan, she grew up in a household and neighborhood where she felt women were only expected to care about marriage. But Sidra never conformed. Since she was a toddler, she questioned the unequal treatment of girls, and one story about bananas will leave you in splits.

The entrepreneur met her business partner and husband, Waqas Ali, because he was her aunt’s student. The two eventually moved to Lahore and launched a company to make the best leather shoes. In 2015, Sidra and Waqas moved to San Francisco for Y Combinator, becoming the first team from Pakistan the accelerator had funded. But they had a rough demo day — no investors bet on them. It would take several years before Sidra and Waqas would reinvent their product to launch Atoms, everyday sneakers that aim to be the most comfortable pair of shoes you have. In this episode, Sidra shared how Atoms not only survived — but thrived – during the pandemic. Sidra, who has become a ‘Humans of New York’ viral sensation, also shared her honest thoughts on the loneliness of being a founder.