Farah mohammed is a social entrepreneur, business leader and advocate for women’s rights. She’s the founder of G(irls)20, a global initiative that puts girls and women at the forefront of economic development.
A born-and-raised Ugandan refugee, Farah worked for over a decade on Parliament Hill and was an advisor to some of Canada’s most senior politicians. She then became vice president, public affairs and community engagement at VON Canada.
Founder of G(irls)20
Farah Mohamed is the founder of G(irls)20, an international social enterprise cultivating a new generation of female leaders through education, entrepreneurship and global experiences. She also leads the Belinda Stronach Foundation and Malala Fund to advocate for girls’ education.
Born in Uganda, Farah moved to Canada in 1972 where she spent almost a decade working with Canadian politicians on Parliament Hill. She is an expert in public speaking, political science and social profit entrepreneurship.
During her time in the government, she was recognized for her service to Canada with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and Meritorious Service Medal. She is now living in Toronto and continues to work towards human rights and social change.
As a social entrepreneur, she founded G(irls)20 to galvanize the world's greatest resource-3 and a half billion girls and women--to empower them through education and entrepreneurship, cultivating a new generation of female leaders.
In her role as a social entrepreneur, she has worked with G20 Leaders to keep their commitment to create 100 million new jobs for women by 2025. She is currently CEO of Malala Fund, a non-profit organization that fights for girls' education.
She has also founded and directed a number of other organizations to promote girls' education and empowerment, including Girls on Boards and The Belinda Stronach Foundation.
Through her social enterprises, she has created a network of tens of thousands of young women from around the world who share her passion for making positive change in their communities. Her commitment to empowering girls through their educational and economic development has helped her to achieve significant success in her career.
Her global involvement in business, government and public service has led to many awards and recognitions for her leadership and accomplishments. She has been named a Top 25 Women of Influence, BBC Top 100 Woman, SALT 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World and an EY nominee for Social Entrepreneur of the Year and Diversity 50.
Her leadership is centered on her belief that women can make significant changes on the national and global scale. She has a unique perspective on the power of education and leadership and how to make change happen in a way that is meaningful and impactful. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, CNN, CBC, BBC, VICE Media and other media outlets.
CEO of Malala Fund
Malala Fund was founded by Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai. It works to bring awareness to the need for girls' education, and empowers girls to raise their voices and demand change.
The organization’s mission is to provide all girls with the opportunity to receive twelve years of free, safe and quality education. Its work is focused in the world’s most affected regions, including Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
In October 2012, Malala was on a school bus on her way home when she was shot in the head by a masked gunman. It was a horrific attack that spurred her to become an activist and start speaking out about the need for girl’s rights to education.
She was later moved to the UK for treatment at a hospital that specializes in military injuries, but she continued her activism through blogging and speaking out in public. Her campaigning and advocacy efforts were a catalyst for her family to start the Malala Fund.
Shahid was only 29 at the time, but she quickly rose to prominence and stepped into leadership of the movement to educate girls. As she spoke about her experiences and the need for education, her stories became known around the globe.
The story of Malala Yousafzai has inspired a worldwide movement to make sure all girls receive their right to education. She and her family established the Malala Fund in 2013 to help fight against obstacles that prevent girls from attending school, whether it is social or political.
Since its founding, the organization has funded grants to a number of organizations dedicated to improving girls’ education. It also has supported the construction of schools in areas affected by floods or conflict.
In addition to its grantmaking program, the Malala Fund supports a variety of research and advocacy projects that aim to remove barriers to girls’ education. Its work is focused on three main initiatives: the Gulmakai Network, the Girls' Voices program, and a range of other projects.
In 2016, the organization launched an ambitious new initiative, the Gulmakai Network, which will focus on investing in and connecting local and national advocates and educators to each other and to tools, training and partners that will enable them to make a greater impact for girls’ education in their countries. The goal is to invest up to $10 million per year in leaders in those countries where girls are most likely to miss out on their secondary education.
Senior Vice President of the Toronto Board of Trade
Farah Mohamed is a social entrepreneur who founded G(irls)20, an organization cultivating a new generation of leaders through education and entrepreneurship while working with G20 leaders to keep their commitment to create 100 million new jobs for women by 2025. Her work with Malala Fund – where she served as CEO alongside Malala Yousafzai – focuses on educating girls in developing countries.
She is an expert on gender equality, education and global development. She has received numerous awards and nominations from international organizations including SALT (100 Most Inspiring Women in the World), EY (Nominee for Social Entrepreneur of the Year) and Diversity 50.
Currently, she serves as Senior Vice President at the Toronto Board of Trade. She leads a team that represents the interests of more than 12,000 members and 200,000 business professionals throughout the region. She also provides policy advices and analysis to the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario and Canada.
The Toronto Board of Trade is the largest Chamber of Commerce and one of the most prominent in North America. It advocates for policies and programs that drive economic growth and competitiveness on its members’ behalf. It offers a variety of services, facilities and educational programming to its members, and it serves as a resource for the government of the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario, and Canada.
He has a broad background in the financial sector and was a partner at the Toronto office of a major investment bank. He has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border M&A deals, equity and debt financings, strategic planning and corporate governance. He also has extensive expertise in the Canadian insurance and banking sectors.
Giles is a seasoned public servant and has served as Deputy Minister in several portfolios in the Ontario government, including Cabinet Office Policy; Cabinet Office Communications; Economic Development, Trade and Investment; Infrastructure and Government Realty; Research Innovation and Science; Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction; Small Business; and Consumer Services. He also has extensive experience in the Canadian media landscape, having served as a newspaper editor and political columnist.
Founder of The Belinda Stronach Foundation
Belinda Stronach is a Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist and former politician who was elected to the House of Commons in 2003 and served until 2011. She founded The Belinda Stronach Foundation in 2008 and focuses on issues concerned with women, youth, development and health. The foundation is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Stronach has been a longtime champion of female issues. She was elected chair of the Liberal Women’s Caucus and spearheaded the development of The Pink Book, a policy framework that advocates a series of proposals to deal with the most pressing social and economic issues facing Canadian women. She also received the “In Celebration of Women: Achievements and Initiatives” award from the Association for Women in Business in 2005, and was awarded the EVE award by Equal Voice in 2010.
A member of the Conservative Party, she contested the leadership in 2004. During her campaign, Stronach was generally to the left of her Conservative caucus colleagues, supporting abortion rights, gun control and same-sex marriage. She called for a free vote in parliament, with votes cast individually and not along party lines, on same-sex marriage.
During her time as CEO of Magna, she was widely viewed as more conciliatory to organized labour than her father, Frank Stronach, who was known for his strong opposition to unions. She ceased fighting the United Auto Workers in a dispute before the National Labor Relations Board, and she was involved in organizing many Magna employees in the United States.
The Belinda Stronach Foundation has partnered with numerous organizations to launch social projects concerning women, youth, development and health issues. One of its initiatives is the One Laptop Per Child Program, which helps Aboriginal children in Canada to learn about technology.
Her foundation is also dedicated to eradicating malaria in Africa. She has teamed up with Rick Mercer to form Spread the Net, a campaign that has raised $5 million to buy insecticide-treated bed nets for Liberian and Rwandan children.
The Belinda Stronach Foundation is based in Toronto and works to address global challenges that impact people’s lives. Its main focus is on empowering girls and women, creating opportunities for Aboriginal youth, eradicating malaria and helping rebuild the lives of those in Haiti. Its projects are carried out in collaboration with other organizations like the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, The Clinton Global Initiative and ONE.