The Defiant Optimist: Prof. Durreen Shahnaz on Fighting Global Inequality, Reinventing Finance, and Investing in Women

"Defiant optimism is not only about empowering yourself; it is about empowering countless others who don't have the means to stand up to the system."  - Durreen Shahnaz

Today, the incredibly inspiring Prof. Durreen Shahnaz joins the show. Throughout her career, she broke down walls and built bridges to connect the backstreets of underserved communities to the Wall Streets of the world. Her work has helped millions of women, entrepreneurs, investors, governments, and impacted stakeholders worldwide play a role in sustainable development and women’s empowerment.

A Bangladeshi-American entrepreneur, she is the CEO and founder of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), through which she has unlocked $233 million in investment capital and empowered more than 140 million lives. Durreen is a 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award Honoree (often called the ‘Nobel Prize for Business’), a financial rainmaker in Forbes 50 over 50, and an Asia Society Game Changer Awardee.

Through her new book, The Defiant Optimist: Daring to Fight Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance, and Invest in Women, she continues her mission to build a more inclusive and sustainable world by bringing the intersection of climate action and gender equality to the forefront of capital markets.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

Her childhood in BangladeshHow she became the first Bangladeshi woman to work on Wall StreetThe landscape for women and WOC in financeHow and why she launched the world’s first stock exchange for social enterprisesImpact investingHow climate change and gender equality are tied togetherHer new bookDefiant optimism and how it can help change how systems work and who they work for (the 99% .vs. the 1%)The Orange Bond Pledge

And more!

To connect with Durreen, tap or click HERE. Follow her on IG HERE.

To learn more about The Defiant Optimist and order a copy of the book, tap or click HERE.

To learn more about IIX Global, tap or click HERE.

To sign the Orange Bond Pledge, tap or click HERE. 

To get acquainted with your host, tap or click HERE.

To subscribe to The #SundayScroll ☕, Anastasia’s weekly newsletter, tap or click HERE.

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Sound credits: Levels by Yung Kartz ($HMONEY theme song - intro/outro music)

Edited and produced by Anastasia Barbuzzi, founder and creative director of $HMONEY ($HMONEY Radio).