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Farah Mohamed

Speaker Exclusive

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

CEO of Prince's Trust Canada, Former CEO of the Malala Fund, Founder & Advisor to G(irls)20

A social profit entrepreneur, Farah Mohamed knows how to grab hold of a challenging current issue and ensure action and momentum for results towards a better world. Farah was recently appointed CEO of the Prince’s Trust Canada, a national charity with a mandate to create more sustainable, equitable and future-ready communities.  She is the former CEO of the Malala Fund, inspired by Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for going to school and became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.  She’s also founder of G(irls)20, which galvanizes the world’s greatest resource – girls and women – and cultivates a new generation of leaders through education, entrepreneurship and global experiences.

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
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Sustainable Futures and the Power of Our Youth for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Initiatives

In this session, Farah Mohamed, an esteemed leader in youth empowerment and sustainable development, will shed light on the critical need to invest in the youth to build global sustainable societies, economies, and environments. Drawing on her vast experience and expertise, she will explore the intersection of ESG principles with the hiring of youth and newcomers, as well as the future of work and power skills.

The roadmap to economic and environmental prosperity necessitates the active involvement of the youth. However, we currently face a silent crisis of youth unemployment and underemployment, which leaves young individuals feeling discouraged, lost, and unmotivated to contribute effectively. Farah will delve into the implications of this crisis for talent pipelines, the future of work, social cohesion, and the overall global economy.

Today’s leaders have a responsibility to safeguard our near future by prioritizing and nurturing the potential of the youth. By taking conscious and committed actions, we can accelerate economic and environmental prosperity not only for future generations but for the present as well. Farah will provide innovative perspectives and actionable strategies to inspire and guide participants in leveraging the power of our youth to create sustainable and inclusive societies.

Join this session to gain invaluable insights into the role of youth in ESG initiatives and discover how their inclusion can drive positive change, foster social progress, and ensure a prosperous future for all.

Leadership at the International Level

Farah Mohamed knows the power of making an impact at a national and international level. She shares how to start a movement on a global scale; change the narrative, ensure you have the skills, then drive change in terms of real actions and impact. Her success in developing and leading organizations like Malala Fund, G(irls)20 and The Belinda Stronach Foundation led her to launch programs around the world that empower young leaders. Farah’s international roles include work as co-anchor, The Clinton Global Initiative’s Network on Investing in Girls & Women, and Advisor, Virgin Unite Canada (Richard Branson’s foundation).

Gender Parity in Jeopardy

Given the positive impact it has on the economy, climate change & peace and security, Farah has spent the past decade encouraging companies and governments to mainstream gender parity. Armed with empirical and anecdotal data, Farah demonstrates how progress on gender equality is not just slow – in some places, it’s reversing. This lack of movement, combined with the current public debate about how women are treated in workplaces and wider society has put gender parity in jeopardy.

Audience reviews:

  • I'm very proud to announce that Farah Mohamed, a refugee who fled Uganda and came to Canada as a child, is Malala Fund's new CEO. A Canadian will now lead the fight for girls' education around the world. - Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Prize Laureate and Founder, Malala Fund
  • Amazing to listen to your candid, honest approach to business and life. You were a standout speaker in a brilliant day. I am raising and empowering 2 beautiful daughters everyday and thank you for the opportunities you are creating for young girls and women worldwide.

    - We Day Winnipeg Attendee
  • Farah Mohamed delivers her remarkable journey to her audience with enthusiasm, humour and insight. Her audience is energized and encouraged by her presentation which is well researched, well delivered and well received. She connects the dots in a convincing manner.

    - Honourable Paddy Torsney, Permanent Observer, IPU to the United Nations
  • Farah is a renowned leader and global advocate for women and girls. She is a compelling storyteller and presenter with powerful stories of humanity and change from around the world. Farah is one of Canada's most prized exports!

    - CEO, Foundation for Young Australians
 

Speaker Biography

Farah is a compelling storyteller and presenter who shares powerful stories of humanity and change from around the world. She has a relaxed presentation style which puts audiences instantly at ease with her down-to-earth pragmatism and relatable storytelling style. Through compelling personal experience and lessons-learned, Farah inspires audiences to cultivate a better future by showing passionate leadership, empowering young people, and seeing the value of a social profit entrepreneurship mindset. Her well-researched presentations frame data in a way that brings numbers to life as she connects the dots in a convincing manner and get your audience excited for the possibilities of change.

Mohamed was recently appointed the CEO of the Prince’s Trust Canada (PTC), a national charity with a mandate to create more sustainable, equitable and future-ready communities.

In her past role as Malala Fund CEO,  inspired by Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for going to school and became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, she was involved in advocating for resources and policy change needed to give all girls a secondary education, investing in developing country educators and activists, and amplifying the voices of girls fighting for change. Her fund invests in the future of girls and women with more than $8.6 million towards girls’ education programmes.

Previously, as Founder of G(irls)20, Farah Mohamed designed the organization G20 style; a cool take on the G20, which puts girls and women at the very heart of the issues.  This internationally active organization brings together one delegate girl from each G20 country concluding in a global Summit that generates ideas that are presented to the G20 Leaders, global mentorships and the creation of delegate led initiatives.  G(irls)20 is a globally active social enterprise that cultivates a new generation of female leaders through education, entrepreneurship and global experiences and provides advice to G20 Leaders on how to increase female labour force participation as it is key to economic growth.  The program involves skills building (entrepreneurship, business planning, communications, technology navigation, leadership, and more).  G(irls)20 also provides advice to G20 Leaders on how to economically engage girls and women to reach growth targets. 

Magna heiress and former Cabinet Minister, Belinda Stronach recruited Farah to establish The Belinda Stronach Foundation (TBSF). Under Farah’s leadership, TBSF created and launched the Foundation’s flagship programs including One Laptop Per Child for Aboriginal Youth. She also oversaw the Foundation’s work in Liberia with President Johnson Sirleaf and a $1M humanitarian relief effort in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Farah currently hosts First Generation, a Canadian Immigrant podcast series to help equip newcomers and immigrants with inspiration, information and resources to help them thrive in their new home.

Farah is passionate about working with young people to empower them at a crucial time in their development. She saw the need to change the way we engage both women and men and acted on it. She works tirelessly to engage the private sector and government leaders in a way that makes economic sense: to place girls and women at the heart of the economic decision making and yield the benefits in doing so.

Of Indian heritage, Farah was born and raised in Uganda before her family was uprooted and sought refuge in Canada. Her upbringing instilled her with a strong work ethic and keen sense of curiosity, which eventually culminated in her working in politics. For 10 years, Farah worked closely with some of Canada’s most senior politicians including Paddy Torsney and Anne McLellan. Post politics, Farah served as Vice President, Public Affairs and Community Engagement for VON Canada where she was successful in building government and private sector partnerships.

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