Education and access to learning resources have an extraordinary impact on individuals and communities, shaping their lives in significant ways.
On this episode of Good Things Happen, we have the pleasure of hosting Kamal Ahmad, the Founder of the Asian University for Women, and Ayesa Latif, Managing Director, the Citi EMEA campaign lead with E for Education. Together, they share their inspiring stories and experiences regarding education and their efforts to uplift people worldwide.
During the conversation, our guests delve into their personal journeys, highlighting the pivotal role that education has played in their lives. They emphasize the importance of education, shedding light on the challenges faced by women in accessing higher education and the pressing need for equal opportunities. Kamal elaborates on the mission and work of The Asian University for Women, a remarkable institution dedicated to providing quality education and fostering a supportive community of women from diverse backgrounds. Ayesa then details the impactful "E for Education" program at Citi, which collaborates with nonprofit organizations worldwide to promote global access to education.
Education not only fosters equality and empowerment but also enables individuals to realize their dreams and maximize their potential. By investing in the education of women, communities can reap the benefits of their contributions and witness the emergence of female leaders across various fields.
LEGAL:
Citibank N.A. (“Citi”), and Asia University for Women. are not affiliated and are independent companies, though Asia University has a relationship with Citi though the E for Education program. The speakers’ views are their own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Citi or any of its affiliates.
All opinions are subject to change without notice. Neither the information provided, nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. The expressions of opinion are not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results.
Kamal Ahmad is the Founder of the Asian University for Women – a university based in Bangladesh that is dedicated exclusively to the education and leadership development of women from throughout the region. Opened in 2008, the University already has students from 12 countries.
Ahmad currently serves as the President & CEO of the Asian University for Women Support Foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and in that capacity spearheaded a global effort that has successfully mobilized nearly $50 million in support for the University.
Growing up as a teenager in Bangladesh, Ahmad founded at age 14 a series of highly successful internationally funded alternative schools for children who worked as domestic help. As a freshman at Harvard College, he also founded and ran the Overseas Development Network – a national network of 70 campus student groups dedicated to engagement in and promotion of grassroots international development.
Prior to launching the Asian University for Women, Kamal combined a career in international development as well as private law practice. He conceived and co-directed the World Bank/UNESCO Task Force on Higher Education & Society and served on the staff of a number of international development organizations including the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation and UNICEF. He is a member of the Board of Directors of BRAC USA. He also served as a jury member for the Cartier Award for Women’s Entrepreneurship.
Ahmad is a recipient of a number of awards including United Nations Gold Peace Medal & Citation
Scroll, given by the Paul G. Hoffman Awards Fund for outstandingly significant work in national and international development; Time magazine College Achievement Award; Global Leader for Tomorrow Award from the World Economic Forum and the John Phillips Award from his alma mater the Phillips Exeter Academy.
Ahmad holds a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.
Ayesa is the EMEA Head for Electronic FX Sales. She is responsible for leading a team that distributes liquidity and electronic solutions via Citi’s award winning platforms and products to institutional clients. Citi is an industry leader in FX with presence in over 70 countries.
In addition to running one of the top E-FX businesses, Ayesa is the EMEA Sales lead for Citi’s “e for education” campaign through which her business donates $1 for every $1million of foreign exchange traded by their clients electronically to education focused non-profits globally. Last year, they donated over $10 million from this campaign bringing the campaign total to over $66 million since 2013.
Ayesa attended The City College of New York and completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering with honours. She began her career at Stryker Orthopaedics, where she worked on the Japan Product Development team helping to design hip and knee replacements and orthopaedic medical instrumentation. Ayesa decided to shift her career and joined the graduate program at Goldman Sachs in 2008. In 2009, she moved to London with Goldman Sachs. Prior to joining Citi in 2016, she was the Co-Head of the EMEA EFX sales team at Goldman Sachs.
