About Blackstone School
A School Founded by Educators, Parents, and Visionaries
Blackstone School was born out of a personal journey — a search for an education that truly honors the brilliance, creativity, and potential of every child. When Ujala Akram and Irfan Mahmood, both educators, began looking for the right school for their son, they were determined to find an environment that nurtured both academic mastery and character development.
From Searching for the Right School to Creating One
Blackstone School is proud to be part of a global revolution in education.
At Blackstone School we are transforming traditional learning into an adventure that unleashes creativity, builds character, and prepares future leaders. Welcome to the revolution in education. Welcome to Blackstone School.
Ujala Akram
Founder, Blackstone School
Education:
PhD Law (Cont.) in International Human Rights, Leeds Beckett University (UK)
LL.M. in International & Comparative Law, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
LL.B., University of London
Courses:
International Protection of Human Rights (LLB), Contract Law (LLB)
Ujala Akram brings in extensive experience in heading academic and administrative units in several education settings in the USA and in Pakistan. She is the founder of Blackstone School of Law & Business and has been providing strategic leadership to the organization since 2016 and part of the Founding team of Acton Academy -Lahore. She has previously held the role of Assistant Dean at Santa Clara University School of Education & Counseling Psychology in the heart of the diverse and innovative Silicon Valley in California. Previously, she has served as a Director at the same, taught at and headed an academic department with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and served as a Senior Advisor to the Graduate Law Programs at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law—Indianapolis (IU McKinney School of Law). During her years with IU McKinney School of Law, she also worked on a USAID grant-funded project through which the law school’s LL.M. Program was offered at Cairo University and Alexandria University in Egypt. She also worked at a prestigious law firm in Indianapolis, Faegre Baker Daniels LL.P., on an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) project.
Ms. Akram’s specialized research and writings in the field of law and education focus on women's issues, minority rights, social justice, international protection of human rights, effective teaching methodologies; student learning styles. She's a teacher at heart and teaches Human Rights Law.
Contact Ujala at: uakram@bsolpk.org
Irfan Mahmood
Founder, Blackstone School - An Acton Academy
Irfan Mahmood has a diverse work experience spanning over various industries and roles. Irfan co-founded the Blackstone School of Law, where they worked closely with academic heads and law clinic directors to identify business needs and opportunities. Irfan also served as the Managing Partner at Blackstone Law & Associates LLP, where they specialized in commercial contracts and had expertise in corporate law.
In addition, Irfan worked as a Senior Business Analyst at the University of California, San Francisco, where they conducted assessments of business processes in educational practices. Irfan also worked as a Business Analyst at Santa Clara University, collecting user requirements for integrating cross-functional functionality into the user interface.
Irfan has a background in technology as well, having served as a Technology Specialist at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Irfan championed the use of technology to design a content delivery system for the institute, improving curricula and student-centered learning.
Prior to that, Irfan worked as a Business Analyst at Sprint, where they identified information needs and facilitated seamless access to information for retail stores and sales teams. Irfan also worked as a Business Development Manager at Bank Alfalah Limited, where they played a key role in revamping the sales cycle and increasing the customer base. At the beginning of their career, Irfan worked as a Software Developer at HigherSummit Pvt Ltd., where they conducted on-the-job training and built websites for an informational portal in the Islamic banking sector.
Overall, Irfan Mahmood's work experience showcases their expertise in business analysis, law, technology, and client management.
Irfan Mahmood holds an MSc in Marketing from the University of London, which they earned from 2020 to 2023. Irfan also obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in Law from the University of London, completing it from 2012 to 2018. Irfan has a B.S. (HONS) degree in Computer Science from Allama Iqbal Open University, obtained from 2000 to 2004. In addition, they completed an iOS Developer Nanodegree from Udacity in 2015-2016. Irfan Mahmood has also obtained various certifications, including "Building Trust," "Leading Change," "Leading with Stories," "Powerless to Powerful: Taking Control" from LinkedIn, and the "Salesforce Platform Basics Badge" from Salesforce Trailhead.
Contact Irfan at: imahmood@bsolpk.org