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Durreen Shahnaz

Founder & CEO at IIX - Forbes 50 over 50 - 2017 Business for Peace Award Honoree - Leading Voice of LinkedIn - TED Speaker - Making Finance Do Good -

Durreen Shahnaz is a prominent figure in the world of impact investing and social entrepreneurship. As the Founder and CEO of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), she has been leading the organization since January 2009.1 Her career spans over three decades, during which she has made significant contributions to various sectors, including finance, media, and social impact.

Professional Background

Shahnaz's professional journey is diverse and impressive:

Early Career::

  • Started as a Financial Analyst at Morgan Stanley (1989-1991)1
  • Worked as an Officer at Grameen Bank (1991-1992)1
  • Served as a Consultant at The World Bank (1992-1993)1

Media and Publishing::

  • Vice President at Hearst Magazines International (1997-1999)1
  • General Manager at Readers Digest Asia (2004-2005)1
  • Managing Director at Asia City Publishing Group (2006-2008)1

Entrepreneurship::

  • Founder and CEO of OneNest (1999-2004)1
  • Founder and CEO of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) (2009-present)1
  • Founder and Director of IIX Foundation (2010-present)1

Academic and Advisory Roles

Shahnaz has held several academic and advisory positions:

  • Adjunct Associate Professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2008-2012)1
  • Advisory Board Member for various organizations, including:
    • United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
    • Duke University's CASE i3
    • National Book Council of Singapore
    • UN ESCAP's Science, Technology and Innovation board1

Recent Achievements

Author:: Durreen Shahnaz is the author of "The Defiant Optimist™: Daring to Fight Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance, and Invest in Women," published in January 2023.1

Recognition::

  • Selected for the Forbes 50 over 50 List in September 20211
  • Received the SustainabilityX® Global 50 Women In Sustainability Award in 20231
  • Her book was longlisted for Inc. Magazine Non-Obvious Book Awards 20231

Global Influence

Shahnaz is actively involved in various global initiatives:

  • Appointed Member of the Global Council at Asia Society (2018-present)1
  • Asia Society Asia 21 Fellow (2009-present)1
  • Participated in the Working Group on Conceptual Framework for Impact Accounting at the Impact Management Project1

Through her work at IIX and various other roles, Durreen Shahnaz has been instrumental in promoting impact investing, sustainable finance, and gender equality. Her approach, which she terms "defiant optimism," reflects her commitment to creating an equitable world through innovative financial solutions and social entrepreneurship.2

Highlights

Jun 7 · linkedin

June 7th marks World Food Safety Day, which usually focuses on the impact of contaminated food and water on health. This year, I want us to focus on how food safety is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and how women hold the key to food safety.

Women have always played a vital role in our food systems, yet their contributions are often overlooked (a trend seen in other development goals like climate change and biodiversity). Mothers, daughters, and community leaders manage critical food-linked decisions and hygiene practices, influencing food safety from purchasing and preparation to dietary choices for vulnerable groups. Women’s role in food systems are especially pronounced in low and middle-income countries. It is all connected, empowering women is at the very center of all sustainable development goals, whether you are talking about SDG 3 for Good Health or SDG 8 for Economic Growth.

However, let’s all move beyond paying lip service to women's roles and start backing it up with action and investments. At IIX, we're honored to collaborate with inclusive development partners like Sida , Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada who necessitate a gender lens at the core of their projects. I'm eager to see more ecosystem actors follow suit and see a shade of Orange across the board.

#OrangeMovement #OrangeforGenderEquality #investinginwomen #womenempowerment #WorldFoodSafetyDay #genderequality #sustainabledevelopment #inclusivedevelopment

May 5 · linkedin

As you look forward to the coming week, I would appreciate it if you could add to your calendar a very important event that will take place this coming Wednesday, May 8, at 7 pm at Princeton University. At this event, the students from Princeton and students from Georgetown University will make a case for Damion (among others), who has been wrongfully serving prison terms for the past three decades. You can attend in person or via Zoom. Below are the details

Program: Showcase of 'Making an Exoneree'   Overview: Making an Exoneree is not just any course or program. It is an extraordinary and unprecedented initiative in which undergraduate and law students work together to reinvestigate likely wrongful conviction cases, produce short documentaries that suggest innocence, and create websites and social media campaigns for exonerations and prison releases.   Join making an Exoneree for the premiere of student-made short documentaries that reveal the facts – and falsehoods – of wrongful conviction cases. We are working to seek justice for four individuals whose lives have been shattered by wrongful convictions.    When: Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30/7 PM EST   Where: Princeton University, Exoneree Class   Join in person! Light refreshments at 6:30 pm, the program begins at 7 pm at Arthur Lewis Auditorium, Robertson Hall, Princeton University

Join via Zoom -- https://lnkd.in/gC4rwSac

What can you do to help: Share this invitation with your network. After the presentation, share the documentary (send a note to [email protected] to get the link). Let's play a role in exonerating a person and giving him back his freedom. #freedom #legalright #humanright #exoneree #crimaljustice #justice Diya Kraybill Dana François Shearman & Sterling LLP Clifford Chance Latham & Watkins Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Sullivan & Cromwell LLP The New York Times The Economist CNN CNBC Law and Criminology Journal Harvard Law School Yale Law School Columbia Law School University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Robert Kraybill The Rockefeller Foundation Ford Foundation MacArthur Foundation Open Society Foundations

https://lnkd.in/g-8EsYGJ

Related Questions

What inspired Durreen Shahnaz to start Impact Investment Exchange (IIX)?
How has Durreen Shahnaz's work impacted global inequality?
What are some key achievements of Durreen Shahnaz in her career?
How does Durreen Shahnaz's philosophy of "defiant optimism" influence her leadership style?
What are the main goals of the IIX Foundation?
Durreen Shahnaz
Durreen Shahnaz, photo 1
Durreen Shahnaz, photo 2
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Location

Singapore, Singapore