Farahnaz Karim

Farahnaz Karim has a diverse work experience spanning over 25 years. Farahnaz is the Founder and CEO of Insaan Group, an organization focused on investing in solutions to poverty. In this role, they have made a significant impact by improving the lives of over 1,000,000 individuals in underserved communities.

Farahnaz also has experience as the Chief Impact Officer at GOODFOLIO, a fintech start-up. In this position, they developed a stakeholder engagement strategy aligned with the company's mission and researched social and environmental frameworks to assess companies.

Additionally, Farahnaz worked as a Faculty member at Zayed University, where they taught Global Awareness classes. Farahnaz started as an Adjunct Faculty in 2011 and was later promoted to Full-Time Faculty in the Inter-disciplinary Studies Department, University College.

Farahnaz has also worked as a Consultant at the World Bank's CGAP and as a Researcher and Lecturer at the Overseas Development Institute. At the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Farahnaz served as the Co-Manager of Facilitating Partners and Special Assistant to the Team Leader, where they were responsible for the development and support of 22 NGOs and UN agencies involved in Afghanistan's rural development program.

Farahnaz's experience also includes roles at ACTED, where they served as Country Director and later as Assistant Country Director and Head of Reporting and Public Information for the Afghanistan operation. Farahnaz'sresponsibilities included managing relations with donors, Afghan Ministries, and civil society stakeholders, as well as overseeing staff and program transitions.

Earlier in their career, Farahnaz worked as an Information, Education, and Communications (IEC) Officer at the UN - UNOPS / UNDP Afghanistan Rural Rehabilitation Programme, where they implemented various community-based projects aimed at improving knowledge in rural areas. Farahnaz also served as an Electoral Supervisor at OSCE.

Overall, Farahnaz Karim is a highly experienced professional with a strong background in philanthropy, impact investing, academia, and international development.

Farahnaz Karim has a diverse educational background. Farahnaz attended Collège international Marie de France from 1976 to 1989, where they earned a Baccalauréat Français in Economie. Following this, they pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree at McGill University from 1989 to 1992, majoring in Political Science and Modern Languages. Farahnaz then attended the Geneva Graduate Institute from 1992 to 1994, obtaining a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures (DES).

Later in their academic journey, Farahnaz enrolled at Harvard University's Kennedy School, where they completed their Master in Public Administration (MPA) from 1999 to 2001. Currently, they are pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Politics at the University of Exeter, a program that began in 2017 and is expected to conclude in 2023.