Welcome to Shopkeeper Stories!

Hi there!

My name is Nazish Zafar. I completed a PhD in Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, focusing on the survival and growth of small businesses. Since 2014, I have been interviewing shopkeepers in cities around the world to share their tips and insights on running a small business. With a grant from the Singapore government, I published a coffee table book featuring local business owners. The Singapore Business Federation gifted this book to their international delegates.

Maybe you run a business, or maybe you don’t. Whatever the case may be, if you’ve ever experienced a wondrous sense of awe strolling through a lively market, this blog is for you!

Through this project, I invite you to step with me into these lively market stalls, shops, and offices, meet the business owners, and learn from their collective wisdom of the world.

It is a pleasure to learn about their journeys, and to share their stories with you.

Feel free to reach out!

More about the author

Dr. Nazish Zafar is a sociologist who earned her PhD at Johns Hopkins University, where her research explored how government policy and informal networks shape how small businesses survive and grow. Her research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

During her fieldwork, she founded Shopkeeper Stories, a visual storytelling project that delightfully shares the lived experiences and practical wisdom of microentrepreneurs around the world.

Drawing on years of experience in human-centered design, Nazish operates at the intersection of insight, strategy, and change, translating complexity into thoughtful action. She previously led the regional Design Strategy & Research team at Grab, and later opened a neighbourhood snack shop, Global Village Market. She now works in change management within Singapore’s Public Service.