Category: Spotlight

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Spotlight

Shamsah Virani (Pakistan)

IPN Spotlight: Shamsah Virani (Marketing & Communications Director, Aga Khan University Health Services, Pakistan)

Shamsah was born in London, UK to a family with very humble beginnings. Her parents had emigrated from India in the early 1960’s. She grew up watching her family struggle to build a life for themselves, witnessing her parents being frugal, hardworking and persevering through some challenging circumstances. The one underlying strength that held their family together was their steadfast faith and this was a constant in their lives. Being heavily influenced by Hazar Imam’s guidance, Shamsah’s father invested his relentless efforts towards ensuring his daughters were empowered with education.
Shamsah received her Bachelors in Science in Human Physiology from University of Leeds and a Masters in Human and Applied Physiology from King’s College London. Her 20 + years career path spent in pharmaceutical healthcare, began in London in a Sales role, continued in Toronto in Training & Development, Research and Product Management roles, and then onto California in Business Development, Global Brand Management, Commercial Development and Executive Marketing Management roles. In 2014, she and her family landed in Pakistan where she has been the Director for Marketing, Marketing Research, Contact Centre and Communications, working for Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Communications
• Critical thinking
• Analytical
• Emotional intelligence
• Focus on your goals

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
During my student days – I wish I was more focused. In my opinion, the institutional excellence and caliber has the ability to create a sound foundation in a person’s life and so I feel I wish I had been more studious in my studies to ensure I was able to access the best educational institutions early on in my life. I continue to develop myself through professional development courses and reading material in my field.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I subscribe to professional associations and online journals which keep me updated on the latest developments and trends in my industry. I actively network within the industry.

What is next for you in your career?
I would like to continue my work at AKUH and the AKDN network, It was a privilege to be able to build a marketing and communication department from scratch and I’d like to explore how else I can contribute as the experience has been very rewarding.

What advice would you offer to others?
‘Find your passion and stay true to yourself. Set clear goals and work hard to achieve them. Don’t forget to always lean on your faith’

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Marketing
• Communications
• Career- professional coaching

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Shamsah Virani

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]

Region:
Karachi, Pakistan

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Asif Makhani

IPN Spotlight: Asif Makhani (Head of Engineering, LinkedIn Learning Solutions)

Asif Makhani has been a Sr. Director at LinkedIn, heading technology for their Learning Solutions business, the online learning arm created as a result of acquiring Lynda.com (LinkedIn’s largest acquisition to date for $1.5 billion).   Prior to that, Asif was heading up the Search organization at LinkedIn responsible for building the search engine that powers people search, job search and exploration of LinkedIn’s economic graph. Prior to LinkedIn, Asif worked at Amazon.com for 11 years, where he was a founding member of a new subsidiary called A9.com focusing on Amazon’s search engine technology.   Asif also led the development of a new Amazon Web Service (AWS) called Amazon Cloud Search and served as the General Manager for this new line of business.
Born in Saudi Arabia, Asif grew up in Karachi, Pakistan and Toronto, Canada.   He completed his Bachelors of Mathematics at University of Waterloo and Masters of Computer Science at Stanford University.   In his Jamati work, Asif is currently a board member for ITREB USA, a graduate of the International Waezeen Training Program and Managing Director for the 2018 Global Encounters camp in Pakistan.  In the past, Asif served as the Chairman for AKEB Western region as well as ITREB faculty member for various youth initiatives.

What skills have helped you in your career?
While I have been fortunate to develop my core engineering and problem-solving skills at school and work, as I look at my career path, what’s really distinguished me in my leadership roles have been the soft skills such as collaboration, empathy, and listening. Listening turns out to be one of the hardest skills to acquire – it’s not easy to listen, to seek to understand, and then acknowledge that you have understood the other – you will be surprised how many people are not able to do this.
Another leadership skill that is critical and still a work-in-progress for me is the ability to articulate a big vision in simple words with a clear roadmap that can inspire your team and galvanize them towards it with concrete sign posts along with way.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
To not be shy in seeking help from others. Many of us are brought up to believe in independence instead of interdependence. The sooner you recognize that the world, which you are a part of, is heavily connected and success requires both hard work and smart networking – the sooner we can accelerate our personal growth and achievements of our goals. Simple things like building an intelligent network before you need them, then tapping into it for job referrals, mentorship or advice on all matters of life continuously go a long way. Think of it as always traveling with a set of advisors and mentors that are always available to guide you through their own successes and failure.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Read. Books instead of short articles when possible to fully immerse myself and deepen my understanding about an idea that I’m intrigued about (generally not related to my professional background). The books I’m currently reading or listening are Quiet (Susan Cain), The Fatimids (Shainool Jiwa), Gandhi (an autobiography), Content Trap (Bharat Anand), Hit Refresh (Satya Nadella) and Ready Player One (Ernest Cline). Yes, I start more books than I finish.

What is next for you in your career?
As of this interview, I have decided to join Google as the Director of Product Management, heading their Image Search initiative. I’m excited to be working back in the search technology domain, which has been a long-term passion for me to help the world access good knowledge from anywhere at any time.

What advice would you offer to others?
Dream big, take intelligent risks, and invest in yourself every day. Believe that you, along with your network, can solve big problems that need to be solved and then set out a long-term career plan to learn the skills and develop the influence to tackle those problems. And along the way, don’t be scared of taking risks, as long as they are informed, intelligent risks where you have evaluated the pros and cons. Finally, the most important question to ask every day is how you are better at the end of the day than the beginning of your day? – so invest in yourself by learning continuously.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
•Technology (search engine, data science, online learning)
• Leadership coaching (from setting a vision to values when building a team or starting a company)
• Building an effective network (using platforms like LinkedIn)
• Connecting professionals to the right Jamati service opportunity (that can be a significant growth opportunity)

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Asif Makhani

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]

Region:
West

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Mohammad Mirshahi

IPN Spotlight: Mohammad Mirshahi (Deputy Chief Engineer at the Virginia Department of Transportation)

Mohammad Mirshahi, PE is the Deputy Chief Engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). He directs activities of all Engineering Divisions in VDOT. Mr. Mirshahi has over 35 years of progressive experience in the design and management of Highway projects. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington with a BS in Civil Engineering and an MS in Traffic/Transportation Engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia, Texas and New York. He is affiliated with numerous professional organizations such as TRB, ASCE, ITE and is a current member of AASHTO’s Council on Highway and Streets.

What skills have helped you in your career?
• People Skills

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
To be more flexible … good solutions are better than great solutions that are not achievable. Do not worry about what you cannot control.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
For continuous improvement, I read, attend professional seminars and workshops.

What is next for you in your career?
Hopefully retirement.

What advice would you offer to others?
Be yourself, earn trust, be committed, focused and disciplined. Care for others, and be humble, best to be happy than always right.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Management mentoring
• Civil/transportation Engineering
• Job placement

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
None

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]

Region:
Northeast

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Qahir Dhanani

IPN Spotlight: Qahir Dhanani (Advisor to the CEO and Senior Private Sector Development Specialist at the World Bank)

With roots in Kenya, Qahir Dhanani is a Canadian working in Washington, DC. Currently, he holds two positions at the World Bank, concurrently serving as an Advisor to the CEO and as a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist.
In his corporate role, he is the architect of the World Bank’s “Agile Bank” program, a multi-faceted operating model and culture change endeavor aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the institution, using methods borrowed from tech. In his client-facing role, Qahir leads the policy dialogue with government agencies and the technical design of various projects aimed at leveraging the private sector for economic growth, competitiveness, enterprise development, and innovation in countries such as Pakistan, the Maldives, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, among others. He joined the World Bank in its Young Professionals Program (YPP).
Prior to joining the Bank, Qahir was a Project Leader at The Boston Consulting Group in Dubai where he managed various strategy and operations projects for government, oil and gas, media, and financial institution clients in the Middle East. Prior to joining BCG, he served as the External Relations Officer for the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance in Geneva, and as the Special Projects Officer for the Aga Khan Foundation USA in Washington.
Qahir holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA honors in Economics and Government from Cornell University. He was a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford.

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Managing both the overall strategic picture and the details at the same time enables colleagues and executives to make decisions quickly and ensures the execution is thought through.
• Focusing on what’s important by constantly triaging the work and ignoring the extraneous is critical for effective time management.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
There are too many small things that I wish I did differently. Nothing major!

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I leverage my colleagues and friends to learn new things and take advantage of the learning opportunities provided by my employer.

What is next for you in your career?
At present, I’m focused on my work at the World Bank.

What advice would you offer to others?
Two things. First, do what you enjoy. Second, whatever you decide to pursue, be mindful that the jobs of the future will be very different and digital fluency will be critical – this means not only being an expert software user, but also understanding programming languages and basic engineering.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Engage in substance-based knowledge-exchange on topics such as agile transformations, culture change, entrepreneurship and innovation
• Share ideas with those early on in their careers on engaging with multilateral institutions like the World Bank

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Qahir Dhanani

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]

Region:
Northeast

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Shylean Keshwani

IPN Spotlight: Shylean Keshwani (Advanced Engineer and New Technology Integration at Apple Inc.)

Shylean Keshwani currently works at Apple as an Advanced Engineer responsible for New Technology Integration. Prior to Apple, Shylean worked for Tesla, within the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology implementation department for the next-generation cars. One of his previous projects involved developing and deploying state of the art fully automated material delivery system for the high-volume mass production car. The system is engineered for density and velocity.
Prior to working at Tesla, Shylean worked for a multinational technological manufacturer Flex where he was responsible for implementing automation in manufacturing lines for different industries not limited to consumer, automotive, medical and energy. Shylean initiated and led the company’s first generic robotic cell: multi-functional, connected, the modular system providing a cost-effective solution for a wide range of assembly and manufacturing applications.
Shylean is also a co-founder of an organization called “The Indian Impact.” The Indian Impact is the first and only online platform to reduce the alarming level of malnutrition in India.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Challenging the status quo and not being afraid to ask the question “why”
Reasoning from first principle.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Rumi has said, “patience is the key to joy.”
When we get instant results and convenience in some parts of our life, then we expect other areas of our life to work just as quick and easy. But, this mindset causes problems when something doesn’t happen as we plan it. It also is dangerous when we don’t take a task on because it seems too difficult, or appears too long to complete.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
MHI said- “Learning is a lifelong process.”
I try reading articles, white papers about technology within my direct and adjacent fields. Try talking to experts from different fields to gauge their perspectives on certain things/ projects.

What is next for you in your career?
Continue going down the path of advanced manufacturing with a focus on new technology development and integration for a futuristic future.

What advice would you offer to others?
Two of my favorite quotes will sum this up:

a. “Work like hell. I mean you just have to put in 80 to 100 hour weeks every week. [This] improves the odds of success. If other people are putting in 40-hour workweeks and you’re putting in 100-hour workweeks, then even if you’re doing the same thing, you know that you will achieve in four months what it takes them a year to achieve”- Elon Musk

b. “Failure and innovation are inseparable twins”- Jeff Bezos

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• University applications (undergrad and grad)
• General advice on manufacturing process {automating via robotics vs. semi-automated}
• Sometimes I like to think I know about 3D printing and try to provide suggestions

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Shylean Keshwani

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]

Region:
West

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Karim R. Lakhani

IPN Spotlight: Karim R. Lakhani (Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School)

Karim R. Lakhani is the Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He is the founder and co-director of the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard, co-founder, and co-director of the Harvard Business School Digital Initiative and the co-chair of the Harvard Business Analytics Program. His research focuses on crowdsourcing, innovative problem solving and creativity. He also studies the digital transformation of companies through data and analytics. His award-winning research has been published in leading peer-reviewed academic journals and in practitioner publications like the Harvard Business Review and the Sloan Management Review.
Professor Lakhani is the Principal Investigator of the NASA Tournament Lab and advises the space agency on how external knowledge can be integrated within its organization. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Mozilla Corporation and advises several technology startups. He previously worked at General Electric in various sales, marketing and new product development roles and was a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.

What skills have helped you in your career?
I have been very fortunate to have access to great educational institutions (McMaster University & MIT) to build my skill base. Engineering education has enabled me to consider problems in a systematic form- how to break them down into smaller parts and solve them. Economics, sociology and policy training has allowed me to be analytical and to think in terms of causal relationships in systems. Extracurricular activities have assisted me in developing my social and leadership skills. My twitter tagline says that I am an “Expert Social Janitor” – this by far is my most valued skill.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I can’t overemphasize the importance of mentors. Throughout my career, I have been blessed with mentors that have steered me in the right direction, asked tough questions, challenged my assumptions and pushed me to consider options that I had discarded. Even now I rely on a range of mentors for advice, support and thinking. However, you need to be a good mentee as well. Mentee’s even though they are seeking advice from a mentor need to be able to provide value to the mentor. Consider how can you help them specifically (don’t say where do you need help) and you need to follow through on the advice provided. Also, don’t ask someone to be your mentor. It’s in the relationship where you deliver value to someone else that they take an interest in you and eventually become your mentor.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
My job is to learn and improve upon current knowledge continuously. This entails becoming an expert in a specific domain and then to keep extending the frontier of knowledge. I do this through my research program that involves field experiments on innovation with my team of students, postdoctoral fellows, scientists and fellow collaborators. In my spare time, I read a lot of fiction and get ideas from diving into disciplines that are distant from my own field of expertise.

What is next for you in your career?
Professors are privileged to have an intellectual hunting license. I am genuinely interested in problem solving and innovation and how we can rely on a global talent pool to help address important challenges. My goal is to keep discovering new knowledge and to put it to good use by disseminating it to the broad public and training the next generation of leaders.

What advice would you offer to others?
Follow your curiosity. Many people suggest that to be successful you need to find your passion – but many of us do not know what we are passionate about. I would instead recommend that you follow your curiosity. What things interest you and you want to learn more about them? What tasks and activities do you want to pursue so that when it comes to spending the extra hour or day or week on them, you will choose to do them instead of something else. It’s by following your curiosity you will stumble upon your passion. MHI’s has advised the Jamat to excel in the Knowledge Society. To do so, Ismaili professionals need to become leaders in knowledge discovery, usage and collaborate with others in their professional domains. This is a generational opportunity for the Jamat and its professionals to lead the way.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Academia and PhD as a career option
• Technology and Innovation Management
• Digital Innovation and Transformation

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Karim Lakhani

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]

Region:
Northeast

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Kinda Katrib

IPN Spotlight: Kinda Katrib (Engineer I at Virginia Department of Transportation)

Currently Kinda is employed as Architect Engineer I at Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and her job entails review of traffic, hydraulics, and roadway design. Kinda graduated from Old Dominion University last May 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering. While pursuing her bachelors, as Phi Theta Kappa, Kinda participated in Civil Engineering competition WaterJam -Virginia Water Environment Association, VWEA-Student Design Competition Engineer for water replenishment systems. In Student National Mathematics Competition, she received Certificate of Merit.

Kinda is a member in several distinguished honor societies – American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), Chi Epsilon(XE) which is also known as Civil Engineering Honor Society, and Tau Beta Pi – Engineering Honor Society. Kinda has received several honorary awards including one for Greater Richmond Pocket Books Club Eric and Jeanette Lipman Scholarship.

What skills have helped you in your career?
I think having the strength and belief in myself gave me the courage to do more and more and I always said to myself that I could do it. Never give up – believe it or not I reached a time where I was so close to giving up. I never gave up, I always had faith in God and that he put me in this for a reason and he knows I am good enough and able to go through it all, so I got up again every time and kept working hard until I got to my goals. Moreover, I always tried to look at the bright future and hope for good results and imagine where I will be if I keep working hard.
Create a vision of your goals in your mind – this will help you push yourself to work harder and put in more effort. Set measurable goals to achieve as milestones and when you reach those goals, they will serve as a motivational milestones to make you feel happy. Always tell yourself, ”Never give up, you can do it, and you are where you at for a reason.”

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I don’t have any regrets, and I am very thankful for all of what I have done till this point, but if I can go back in time, I wish I had the chance to do more internships during school and be more involved in different activities.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Always keep in touch and network with people at work and friends from school about the most recent improvements and things that might be helpful for your future.

What is next for you in your career?
I am looking forward to my growth in VDOT while I build my work experience, knowledge, and skills. I will be working on getting my Professional Engineer License. Not sure yet, but maybe when I settle down, I might get my MBA.

What advice would you offer to others?
Set your goals and know what you want. Then, start working hard and do your best to get to these goals. Always have hope, and be optimistic, but the most important thing is never give up.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Filling out application for school
• Career advises
• Interviews

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Kinda Katrib

Region:
Northeast

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Laila Bandali

IPN Spotlight: Laila Bandali (President at Ivy Kids Early Learning Centers)

Laila is President and Founder of Ivy Kids Early Learning Centers (ELC). She has over 15 years of experience in developing Early Childhood Education (ECD) curriculum, management systems, operational policies and procedures. To date Laila has managed teams that have started up eight child care centers in the state of Texas. Prior to Ivy Kids ELC, she has over 25 years of experience as a Chemical Engineer in the Oil and Gas Industry.

What skills have helped you in your career?
My education and work experience as a Chemical Engineer helped me in designing systems, processes and evaluation methods. My MBA and work experience in refining economics and marketing taught me financial discipline, how to evaluate financial statements and manage the business side. I also had great mentors who inspired me to become an entrepreneur.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Be more data driven, by that I mean use data analytics more to drive your decisions rather than using gut feeling. I have a tendency to jump to conclusions when making decisions based on what seems like the right thing to do.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Currently my focus is on Early Childhood Education (ECD) curriculum. I attend as many professional conferences as I can on this subject matter. I spend a lot of time with experts in ECD to increase my curriculum knowledge. I read at least two articles every day. I train and lead curriculum workshops to solidify my knowledge base (in short, I am obsessed with developing my skill set).

What is next for you in your career?
I would like to take our systems at Ivy Kids and build a solid franchising business. My hope is that we can inspire others to become independent entrepreneurs and experience the joy and success of running a school. I would also like to take our model to third world countries where there is a severe lack of quality Early Childhood Development (ECD).

What advice would you offer to others?
Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from venturing out. I truly believe that taking calculated risks is better than inaction. My advice would be to find a good mentor, trust your mentor and let them guide you through your journey (but begin your journey – don’t wait).

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
I can help professionals with their business plans, evaluate business options within the ECD space, motivate people to take action, and help with recruitment and hiring.

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Laila Bandali

Region:
Southwest

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Nadya Shakoor

IPN Spotlight: Nadya Shakoor (Designer at Houston Chronicle)

Born in Bangladesh, Nadya Shakoor traveled and studied in Iran and Pakistan and finally settled in Houston, Texas in 1995. Houston Chronicle, the state’s most read newspaper, gave her the first chance to showcase her talent. Nadya works as a features and news designer as well as an illustrator for Houston Chronicle’s editorial staff. Nadya was awarded first place for her design portfolios in the 2015 and 2016 Texas Associated Press Media Editors awards.

Some interesting facts about Shakoor are that she is an accomplished paper artist who can sculpt animals and flowers out of paper; Nadya didn’t intend to be a journalist. She trained to become a product designer who would give form and life to various ideas — from the shape of chairs to the style of beverage bottles. Now she helps shapes the Chronicle’s visual image.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Humor – seeing the lighter side of any given situation has helped me significantly throughout my career. It has helped me build a strong camaraderie among my colleagues along with grit and perseverance. The news industry revolves around deadlines and changes. Breaking boundaries, taking risks, trying the unconventional routes with designs and annoying the pressmen. Adding humor reminds everyone to enjoy the work time spent away from family.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Although this field of creative and illustrative journalism is learned by engaging in assignments and working through challenges. Looking back, I wonder if getting a degree in Fine Arts or an MBA would have given me further career options. Determination, sincerity in effort, and ability to work with all personalities has helped me land unexpected opportunities, and I am incredibly grateful for it.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I read blogs and review design sites to monitor and incorporate current trends. I incessantly experiment with animation and After Effects since most of the learning process occurs by trying new techniques.

What is next for you in your career?
Visual Journalism has its limitations, and in these changing and fast-paced times require quick fixes. There was a time when you had days for a particular project; now it has to be done in hours. This means roles change, and you learn to adapt yourself.
Currently, I am being trained by CCI as a Super User to create Codes/Tags for a new, newsroom content management and publishing system. NewsGate is where you plan, design, manage, edit, package and distribute all the content – with one unified tool. Eventually, my role would be to train other journalists, designers and resource staff and provide assistance when required to create additional product changes based on feedback. The goal is to use my years of experience to help others grow and improve their performance.

What advice would you offer to others?
“Don’t waste your potential, do something! Get a canvas, throw some color on it, just splashes of color, and slowly envision it turning into a story,”- the point is to pursue your goals, as it can lead to great success in the future. Follow your passion. Be creative, dedicated, and persistently engage in active learning.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Print and Digital Design
• Career Advice
• Internship opportunities when available
• Assistance with design in their current projects

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Nadya Shakoor

Region:
Southwest

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Muneerah Merchant

IPN Spotlight: Muneerah Merchant (VP of Philanthropy, Khan Academy)

Muneerah started her professional career as a management consultant. She worked for over 10 years at Price Waterhouse Coopers and The Parthenon Group. In 2005, Muneerah transitioned to the non-profit sector and has since focused her efforts on non-profit management and philanthropy. She has a passion for working with organizations that provide quality and affordable education access nationally and globally. Currently, she is a member of the senior leadership team for Khan Academy and serves as its Vice President for Philanthropy.

Muneerah has also been involved as a volunteer with the Aga Khan Council for USA and various related institutions and committees since 1999. Her work has focused on quality of life improvement efforts, volunteer engagement and institutional strengthening. Muneerah is presently the President for the Aga Khan Council for Western USA. Muneerah holds a Bachelor degree in Mathematics from Smith College, a Master in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Northwestern University and a Master in Business Administration from Harvard University.

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Communication/interpersonal skills
• Ability to work successfully in cross-functional teams
• Problem solving skills
• Ability to prioritize and deliver consistently
• Being a good mentor/coach for my team
• Strong analytics

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Starting my career as a management consultant was great but I wish I had transitioned sooner from consultancy to a position in corporation. I wish I had known more about non-traditional career pathways and had more mentors who could have guided me.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
• Attend conferences; focus on education dialogue
• Follow key publications on education and philanthropy
• I am part of 2-3 groups that focus on development, women in development. The network is very beneficial for both my personal and work advancement

What is next for you in your career?
Double the funds raised by Khan Academy in next three years (from $50-100M) so we can continue to deliver on our mission.

What advice would you offer to others?
• Follow your passion and success will follow
• Don’t be afraid to walk away from a ‘cushy’ job if it isn’t giving you the personal satisfaction
• Something I tell my 13-year-old daughter… be good in English and Math and you can be successful in many career paths

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Advice on people seeking a career in non-profit/Ed tech
• Career transition
• Work life balance

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Muneerah Merchant

Region:
West

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.