F4D Team

Naila Chowdhury

Program Development Advisor

Naila Chowdhury, currently the Director of Social Impact and Innovation at UC San Diego is a globally recognized management professional with 21 years’ experience in major and start up organizations. Armed with an Executive MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics. Masters in Marketing from Bangladesh, she came to prominence as the first woman Director of GrameenPhone Ltd in 1999 where she grew the mobile phone company and directly supervised the eponymous Village Phone Lady Project which earned Professor Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. She has supported the sustainability of almost 8 million women and girls through Grameen programs. She represented few boards in Grameen and was appointed by Muhammad Yunus as CEO of Grameen ICT company before moving to USA. 

Naila was involved in replicating Grameen’s success in over 10 countries and has received professional recognition from INSEAD and WHO’s WHO. As the Founder / Chair TeleConsult Group-Bangladesh she served 500 vulnerable women and victims become sustainable through IT and Telephony skill development. 

Naila was an Advisor via the TPN Technology Network Partners of the Gates Foundation, is also a Founding Woman of “Fashion4Development” in New York supporting First Ladies Annual Luncheon from 2012 till date. Naila serves on the Boards of several non-profits: Athgo International, Sparrow Mobile (Phone for for homeless population in Bay Area) and Advanced Development for Africa-Zero Mothers Die. As a member of the UN Global Compact she has been a Global Empowerment Ambassador for the Joyful Women Foundation of Kenya led by Her Excellency Rachel Ruto. Naila also serves on several Advisory Boards as Strategic Advisor: ImpactLeadership21-USA, Khan Institute New York, the Center of Global Justice, UC San Diego, Peace and Justice Institute of the University of San Diego, I-House UC San Diego, and Ashoka Steering Committee Advisor , UC San Diego, She is also an Advisor to Ashoka Support Network Members.

Beginning with UNICEF and then UK based Marie Stopes Clinic her work fostered her awareness of Women‘s Rights, Human trafficking, and the flesh trade in India. As the first woman Country Service Head of DHL she took the bold step of setting up the first woman-only 24-7 Call Center in Bangladesh in the mid-eighties. 

Firmly committed to the SDG - Sustainable Development Goals and Women empowerment principles her strength lies in global liaison and personal network that enables her to function as a bridge of collaboration between foundations, organizations, institutes and countries to promote peace. Her direct work with Several First ladies across the world has reflected positive outcome of collaboration and beneficial growth to communities and countries. 

Founder & Chair of Women4Empowerment (W4E) and Alliance4Empowerment, two organizations whose goal is to empower, transform, nurture and empower Women, Girls and Youth. Naila’s current persuasion is to lift women , youth and girls from the poverty trap into a sustainable income bracket and thus empower them economically. She works on Social Credit Model, which is defined as “ Dynamic acceleration of Economic Empowerment through optimum use of capital”. 

Her work and values are inspired by ‘Lotus’ and driven by resilience, tenacity, enlightenment, empowerment, love, compassion, dignity, empathy and self esteem for humanity.