The seven-day expedition.
Click any day to expand its full hour-by-hour schedule. Times are local (PKT, UTC+5) and approximate — faculty may adjust on the ground.
Arrivals
& welcome.
Staggered arrivals into Skardu throughout the day. The team handles airport pickups and transfers; rooms are ready, tea is on. The day ends with a relaxed welcome dinner and an orientation that sets the norms for the week ahead.
Arrivals and check-in
Staggered arrivals into Skardu. Airport pickups and transfers to venue.
- Check-in and room settle-in
- Welcome tea available
- Free time / rest
Welcome dinner
Relaxed seated dinner. Informal introductions as fellows arrive.
Orientation
- Introductions (fellows + faculty)
- Welcome note from Mulago & Taleemabad
- Norm setting — presence, feedback, ground rules
- What to expect in the coming week
Free time
Open networking. Early night recommended.
Cut-off · 11 pm
Mulago
basics.
The foundational day. Mission, Big Idea, Theory, Model, Behaviours — and the two questions everyone leaves Skardu with answers to: who is your doer and who is your payer at scale?
Welcome breakfast
Mulago-style icebreaker.
Set-up and buffer
Design for impact at scale
- Mission — 8-word, outcome-focused
- Big Idea — single phrase, ≤6 words
- Theory — idea → behaviour → outcome
Tea, coffee and snacks
Design for impact at scale, part 2
- The Model — 4 to 6 core elements
- Behaviour Map + Drivers
Prayer and lunch
Doer and payer at scale, and scalability
- Ultimate doer-at-scale
- Ultimate payer-at-scale
- Four Enoughs — Good, Big, Simple, Cheap
- Progression of Evidence
Prayer, tea and snacks
Integration and synthesis
Reflection, peer feedback pairs, open Q&A with faculty. One-pager draft due.
Seated dinner
Free time / open networking.
Cut-off · 11 pm
Scale
strategy.
The Scale Screen framework, applied to your org. Impact evidence design. Lightning talks delivered at Shigar Fort, followed by a fireside chat with Kevin Starr.
Yoga, walk or meditation
Breakfast
Scale strategy, part 1
The Scale Screen Framework.
Tea, coffee and snacks
Scale strategy, part 2
Applying the Scale Screen to your own organisation.
Prayer and lunch
Impact evidence, part 1
Levels of evidence, metrics hierarchy.
Impact evidence, part 2
Designing your evidence plan.
Travel to Shigar Fort
~15 minute transfer.
Fellows’ lightning talks
5 × 8-min talks + Q&A at Shigar Fort.
Dinner
Open networking.
Fireside with Kevin Starr
Kevin's story + Q&A. Unfiltered.
Travel back to Khoj
Cut-off · 11 pm
1-on-1
clinics.
The week's connective tissue. The entire day moves outdoors: structured 45-minute rotations with Pakistani faculty, lunch under the sky, sightseeing in the Shigar valley, and dinner at a local family's home.
Breakfast
Travel to the outdoor location
Including arrival & setup.
Structured 1-on-1s, block A
45-min rotations with Pakistani faculty.
- Scaling strategy
- Impact measurement
- Iterative improvement
- Design for impact at scale
Lunch and prayers (outdoors)
Structured 1-on-1s, block B
Second rotation, second set of faculty.
Sightseeing and activities
Dinner at a local family’s home
A favourite of every cohort. Home-cooked Balti food, with stories that don't show up on any deck.
Stop at Skardu Bazaar
Travel back to Khoj
Cut-off · 11 pm
The iterative
organisation.
Theory, methods, data flows, and culture. Parallel afternoon tracks bring fellows into conversation with TCF, ChildLife, and the funders directly. Evening fireside with Dr. Asyia.
Yoga, walk or meditation
Breakfast
The Iterative Organization
Theory + Methods & Data Flows.
- What it means / why it matters
- Iteration methods
- Data flows
- Running tea + snacks at 11:30 (no formal break)
Prayer and lunch
Iterative organisation workshop, and people and culture
Apply theory to your own org. Includes the People / Culture module.
Parallel tracks: TCF × CLF, and funders
- TCF × CLF — moderator: Haroon
- Parallel: Kevin / Nadir × Funders
- Running tea + snacks throughout
Dinner
Open networking.
Fireside with Dr. Asyia Kazmi
Cut-off · 11 pm
Comms +
pitching.
Clear language, narrative structure, and a 10-minute pitch. CEO spotlights with Sara Saeed and Aleem Walji. The week's centerpiece social: Cultural Night with local musicians, live BBQ, and open networking under the stars.
Mindfulness or walk
Breakfast
Communications: theory
- Clear language & banned words
- Narrative structure
- 10-minute pitch structure
- “The pitch is dead, long live the conversation”
Prayer and lunch
Capacity clinic: build your pitch
Small group, facilitator-led. Participants draft their Demo Day pitch.
Tea and prayer break
CEO spotlight: Sara Saeed
CEO spotlight: Aleem Walji
Cultural night
Local musicians + live BBQ + open networking.
Cut-off · 11 pm
Demo Day
+ closing.
The culmination. Two blocks of fellow presentations, an interactive session with funders, and a closing celebration dinner. By tonight, every founder leaves with a model, a pitch, and the warm intros to put both to work.
Breakfast
Final prep and dress rehearsal
Demo Day, block 1
First half of participant presentations.
Lunch and prayers
Demo Day, block 2
Remaining presentations.
Interactive session with the funders
Wrap-up: what’s next?
Open networking
Closing celebration dinner
Cut-off · 11 pm
Karakoram
departure.
Staggered checkouts and transfers. No formal programming. An optional excursion further into the high mountains is offered for those staying an extra day.
Breakfast
Departures
Staggered checkouts and transfers. No programming scheduled.