Safeena Husain has worked extensively with rural and urban underserved communities in South America, Africa and Asia. After returning to India, she chose the agenda closest to her heart — girls' education — and founded Educate Girls.

Why you should listen

Safeena Husain is founder and board member of Educate Girls, and she's well acquainted with the problem she's trying to solve. As a girl in Delhi, she found refuge and opportunity in her studies -- and while she later dropped out of school, a loving parent helped her to return to her education and go on to graduate from the London School of Economics. After working at a startup in Silicon Valley, Husain felt called to social impact. She led the US-based organization Child Family Health International for seven years, and in 2004, returned to India to take on the issue closest to her heart. In 2007, she launched Educate Girls in Rajasthan, a region of India where women and girls face some of the greatest disparities in the country. She has shepherded the organization through dramatic growth.

Safeena Husain’s TED talk

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