Founding Member

Alisher Djumaniyazov

Co-founder · ALPHA Business School, the Osnova educational platform, and the We Digital marketing agency.

“Georgia and Uzbekistan don't just trade goods; we grow each other's people, and that is the strongest partnership there is.”

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About Alisher Djumaniyazov

Alisher Djumaniyazov runs ALPHA Business School in Uzbekistan and is a co-founder of Osnova AI and the marketing agency We Digital.

Over nearly ten years, more than 35,000 people have studied at ALPHA, with graduates going on to build businesses and take leadership roles in companies and government. Its corporate division has worked with over 250 companies and delivered projects with UNDP, EBRD and GIZ.

Alisher has also worked closely with Georgian businesses in Uzbekistan. When TBC entered the market, his team helped establish its training centre and delivered its first training programmes. As a Founding Member of Georgia-Uzbekistan Business Hub, he brings practical experience in education, team development and working across both markets.

The interview

In conversation with Alisher Djumaniyazov

Tell us a little about yourself and your professional background

I'm Alisher. I run ALPHA Business School in Uzbekistan. Our motto is simple: we grow people who drive Uzbekistan. We started almost ten years ago. Since then, more than 35,000 people have studied with us. Many of them now run their own businesses, lead some of the country's biggest companies, or work in government. Our corporate division has worked with over 250 companies, from banks and national enterprises to young local brands. We've also delivered projects with UNDP, EBRD, GIZ and other international organizations. I'm also a co-founder of Osnova AI, a tech startup, and We Digital, a marketing agency. My mission is to help people and companies grow, and through them, help our society, economy and country develop.

Why do you believe there is such strong potential between Georgia and Uzbekistan?

I see it every day in my own work. We work closely with Georgian partners who run businesses in Uzbekistan, and with their teams. When TBC entered the Uzbek market, we helped them build their training center. We ran their first trainings and gave joint lectures. Today many of our graduates work at TBC. We're friends with the team, we run joint projects, and TBC experts speak at our events.

We learn a lot from our Georgian friends too. I admire how they run companies, how they treat their people, and their culture, creativity and taste. I believe Uzbekistan has gained a lot from this partnership: our people, our human capital and our economy. That's why I'm sure the potential is much bigger than what we see today.

From your experience, what is the biggest challenge companies face when entering a new market?

In my experience, it's not the product. It's people. Companies arrive with a strong offer and a nice presentation. Then they discover that decisions here are made differently. Who you know matters. How long you've been around matters. The second problem is the team. You can rent an office in a week. Building a local team that shares your standards takes years. Most failures I've seen started here.

What advice would you give to a business considering expansion into Uzbekistan or Georgia?

I'll share what worked for the companies I've seen succeed. They came in person, and more than once. They found one reliable local partner instead of ten contacts. They started small, with a pilot, not a grand launch. And they trained local people and trusted them. The ones who tried to run everything from abroad usually left within two years.