In early 2016, Fahim Saleh and I found ourselves in Brooklyn thinking about Bangladesh.  I told him a story of two Queens-born Bangladeshis whom I’d met the week before, and how they told me that they were struggling to take advantage of the resources available in the great City of New York. On the surface, their complaints about the lack of access and privilege seemed like excuses, but a deeper dive revealed that the Bangladeshi diaspora experience has never truly been optimized.

“How do we make sure our people in the future can aspire for more?” The conversation immediately delved into a brainstorming session on how to move forward. Fahim had recently introduced me to amazing Bangladeshis in New York whom I hadn't met before, so I knew there was a path there. We started coming up with ideas on how to empower the children of immigrants, how to help the promising youth back home and, in the process, strengthen the Bangladeshi brand throughout the world. In addition, we recognized the need for more visible Bangladeshi role models who operated at global standards.

In building a foundation, we sought to find a name that bridged gaps—and after saying “bideshi” out loud, we realized it could reflect the need to "be deshi" (for those in the diaspora lacking cultural attachment) as well as "bideshi" (for those in Bangladesh needing greater exposure to the world outside).

‍We simplified it into B/deshi.

At the heart of our mission is a desire to build a stronger global Bangladeshi identity. In order to do so, we believe it's critical to strengthen the connection between these four core groups:

• Successful Bangladeshis abroad
• Successful Bangladeshis at home
• Promising youth of the diaspora, especially in immigrant enclaves
• Promising youth at home, with a focus on those without access

The collective stories of our people across geographies and industries won't simply inspire our own but will also divert the narrative away from pity and poverty. The Bangladeshi spirit has undoubtedly gone through generations of tragedy, which is why it's important for us to show the world what we've been able to build on top of it all, honoring those who've sweat and bled for a better Bangladeshi experience. What we do now is for them, for ourselves and the future we fight for.