A Defiant Optimist Transforming Global Finance (with Durreen Shahnaz)

Positive Leadership

This week on the Positive Leadership Podcast, I amjoined by Professor Durreen Shahnaz, a pioneering social entrepreneur, impact investor, and relentless advocate for women’s empowerment.

From growing up in a post-war Bangladesh to becoming the first Bangladeshi woman on Wall Street, Durreen’s journey defies conventions. She left investment banking to join Grameen Bank, and went on to found Impact Investment Exchange (IIX)—home to the world’s first social stock exchange and the groundbreaking Women’s Livelihood Bond.

In this powerful conversation, Durreen shares:

• How her upbringing shaped her belief in using finance for good
• What it means to be a defiant optimist in a system built for exclusion
• The bold vision behind IIX and the practical ways it's transforming lives across the Global South
• How young leaders can challenge the status quo and lead with purpose

Durreen’s work has shifted the paradigm of global finance—proving that profit and purpose can coexist, and that real change comes from the margins.

🎙️ Want more inspiring stories of courageous leadership and positive change?
Check out these standout episodes:

• Indra Nooyi – Driving performance with purpose: https://thepositiveleadershippodcast.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/14002537-driving-performance-with-purpose-with-indra-nooyi
• Hannah Ritchie – Not the End of the World: https://thepositiveleadershippodcast.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/15848278-not-the-end-of-the-world-with-hannah-ritchie
• Daniel Goleman – Optimizing your performance with emotional intelligence: https://thepositiveleadershippodcast.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/14940410-optimizing-your-performance-with-emotional-intelligence-with-daniel-goleman

The Secret Weapon of 7-Figure Founders
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Chapters

1. A Defiant Optimist Transforming Global Finance (with Durreen Shahnaz) (00:00:00)

2. [Ad] The Secret Weapon of 7-Figure Founders (00:24:18)

3. (Cont.) A Defiant Optimist Transforming Global Finance (with Durreen Shahnaz) (00:24:59)