“Charity starts at home,” says Asema A. Ahmed, a trustee at UWCSEA Foundation Leadership Council, a foundation that raises money for academic scholarships, environmental concerns and sustainability. “We have to teach our kids the right values first which will hopefully ripple into our local communities and then on a global level.”
An ardent supporter of charitable causes involving women, children’s health and education, Ahmed invests in social impact. Founding her start-up, Magnolias Linens, at just 23 years old, the MA graduate from Georgetown University broke into an industry that was dominated by men and long existing relationships. Her company became the go-to solution for celebrities and five-star hotels for high-end, custom linens. After scaling the company for over 12 years, she successfully exited.
The entrepreneur hopes to see more women at the forefront of entrepreneurship, politics and global industry. “I would like to empower more women startup founders and run a foundation that helps the impoverished,” says Ahmed on her future goals.
