“I would rather be on panels with my male colleagues to be able to talk about the topic that is really important to me. Often times we’re… a checked box in terms of a quota that a conference was able to fulfill.  [Don’t] let anyone put you in that box. We need to have equal representation on panels with men. We need to have our voice out there, not for being women, but in terms of being experts in our field.”

 

KALSOOM LAKHANI is a brave founder and CEO of her own organization, invest2innovate. She is driven, passionate, and busy defining the future of social innovation. I admire her spirit as she searches for entrepreneurs who are “diamonds in the rough” in growth markets around the world, particularly in places you would never expect them to thrive. I applied to be her social media intern many years ago and I’ve been a cheerleader for her work ever since. Her interview is a reminder to never stop challenging ourselves.

 

Themes: social entrepreneurship, innovation, Pakistan

Takeaways: Don’t settle for the narratives you’re given. A unsteady career trajectory is sometimes what leads you to what you’re meant to do.

Check out more at invest2innovate.com.