Riding Through Pakistan’s Wall Street
Topic: Investor participation · Case study
Riders gathering at the start, early morning
In December 2018, a few months after I joined the Pakistan Stock Exchange, 200 cyclists rolled down I.I. Chundrigar Road, the street people call the Wall Street of Pakistan. They were members of Critical Mass Karachi, the city’s community cycling movement, and they were riding toward a building most of them had only ever seen from the outside. That morning, the gates of the stock exchange opened for them.
In the exchange’s own words at the time, PSX hosted the riders “to ride through the business district” and “to reiterate our commitment to invest in Pakistan and build Pakistan,” as part of its plan “to promote investment and savings in Pakistanis for the mutual growth of the country and the citizens.”
Why a bicycle ride
The exchange had a clear goal: bring many more people into the market as investors. The challenge was perception. For most people, the stock exchange was a daunting place that belonged to the wealthy, the powerful and the financial community. A broker could work for months to persuade a single new investor to visit their office.
When I looked at the Critical Mass riders, I saw exactly the people the market was meant to serve: business owners, professionals, young couples, families and outdoor enthusiasts who keep fit and enjoy their city by bicycle. They were curious, active and confident, and most of them had never thought of investing. So we invited them in.
Cyclists riding down I.I. Chundrigar Road
Why a bicycle ride
Objective. Change how ordinary people see the stock exchange, open its doors to them, and turn their curiosity into conversations with brokers and new investor accounts.
The bigger purpose. The ride carried the exchange’s message, “Invest in Pakistan, Build Pakistan.” When citizens save and invest through the market, their savings finance the companies that create jobs and growth, and they share in that growth as owners. The country grows and its citizens grow with it, and the ride set out to make that connection visible on the streets of Karachi.
Audience. Members of Critical Mass Karachi and their families: professionals, entrepreneurs, couples and fitness enthusiasts across the city.
The idea. Pakistan’s first Wall Street–style cycling ride, ending inside the trading hall, with investing explained through the language of cycling.
What we did
- Partnered with Critical Mass Karachi to plan a route through the financial district that finished at the exchange.
- Opened the gates and brought riders straight into the trading hall, where the screens and moving numbers told the story of a live market.
- Hosted a welcome by Managing Director Richard Morin, who spoke about how investing and cycling share the same lessons.
- Placed our broker members on the floor to meet riders, answer questions and collect contact details for follow-up.
- Gave every visitor a simple next step: leave their details with a broker on the spot, or use the “I want to be contacted” form on the exchange website.
- Invited national media, photographers and videographers to cover the ride, the visit and the conversations inside.
- Extended the ride into a post-event digital campaign, releasing an event video and short clips across the exchange’s channels to keep the conversation going and drive sign-ups for three months.
Riders entering the Exchange and then the hall
Investing is a lot like cycling
The heart of the day was a metaphor everyone in the room understood. Investing, like a long ride, has climbs and descents. Some stretches are smooth and some are rough. There are days with the wind at your back, when everything feels easy, and days of headwind, when every turn of the pedal takes effort. The riders who arrive are the ones who keep a steady pace, plan for the terrain, and stay on the bike through the hard stretches.
That is exactly how long-term investors build wealth. When the Managing Director made that comparison from the trading floor, the room went quiet, and then the questions began.
Riders entering the Exchange and then the hall
Results
Measure | Result |
Riders and guests | 200 cyclists from Critical Mass Karachi, plus families and guests |
Investor inquiries on the day | 50 |
Website contact-form inquiries | 3,000 |
New investor accounts traced to the event | 100 on the day, rising to 2,000 by the end of three months as the post-event digital campaign and earned media coverage carried the ride further |
Media coverage | Live national TV coverage, print and online stories, including The News, December 14, 2018 |
Earned media value | PKR 15 million (about USD 108,000 at the December 14, 2018 rate of PKR 138.5 per dollar) |
The numbers tell part of the story, and the photographs tell the rest. People who arrived as cyclists left asking how to open an account, which companies were listed, and how much they needed to start. The coverage on national television carried the exchange into homes across the country, and the ride was talked about for months afterward.
Riders with brokers, families on the trading floor, media interviews
What I learned
Perception changes fastest when people can step inside. A brochure can explain a stock exchange; standing in the trading hall, watching prices move, makes it real. Partnerships with communities that already exist, such as a cycling group, bring an engaged audience with trust built in. A strong metaphor travels further than a technical explanation, because people remember it and repeat it. And a national purpose gives people a reason to care: “Invest in Pakistan, Build Pakistan” turned a personal decision about savings into a shared stake in the country’s future.
I wanted the ride to become an annual event for the exchange, alongside the mangrove plantation drive I also hoped to make a yearly tradition. The same spirit carried into the Pinktober rides, walks and runs I organized in later years: bring people together outdoors, give them a reason to show up, and open a door to a bigger conversation.
Have you ever visited a place you thought was not meant for you, and found it more welcoming than you expected? I would like to hear your story.
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