Durreen Shahnaz

Artist, Business leader, Change agent, Entrepreneur, Finance professional, Investor, Muslim, Philanthropist, Social entrepreneur, Writer/Editor

Durreen Shahnaz has worked both in high finance on Wall Street and in microfinance in the backstreets of rural Bangladesh. Following stints as an investment banker, development worker, educator, media executive and social entrepreneur, Shahnaz founded a pioneering impact investment firm that has brought together investors, development agencies, and entrepreneurs to advance sustainable development and empower millions of women. Shahnaz is on Forbes 50 over 50 list, the recipient of the 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award – often referred to as the Nobel Prize for Business – for her work. Shahnaz holds degrees from Smith College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University. She and her husband have two daughters.

-- Women Empowerment -- Using finance for good -- Inclusion -- Art

-- Connecting back streets of the underserved communities to the Wall Streets of the World -- Women are the key component of sustainable climate action -- Making finance do good? It is possible. -- Women empowerment lies in inclusion in the global financial system -- The 'Art' of Finance

I received an invitation 12 years ago to apply to TED Fellows (second year of the program). I did not know what TED was but I wanted to get my idea of using finance for good and creating world's first social stock exchange out there so I applied. I got in but I was hesitant to come as I had a very sick daughter. After much deliberation, I got on the plane and I got off in LA to a world that left an incredible mark on my life. TED open a door for that I did not have a key to. Thank you TED fellows!

Painting and Dancing! :-)