Ayesha Nurain Janah is a social impact leader of Zealander de Maldivian-New Zealander and corporate strategist whose work unites base activism, gender equity and climate action in the Indian Ocean and beyond. The 30 soft voice was recently selected for the 2025 Global Leaders Class World Economic Forums, but this has not affected their humility and is not letting the label “global leader” is put in the lead.
“It is a bit difficult to believe because much of the work I have done and also the recognition is for the social impact work I do,” says Janah. “I think I really do not think about it as a leadership but be in service to the community.”
Like other high drivers in his YGL class, the New Zealander born in Maldivas has achieved a lot, despite his young age. His work as Take Her of Finance Boards, island towns and international policy forums, which have taught him to connect with people of different profiles. Nurain’s career begged in the New Zealand corporate finance sector, specializing in the high -risk restructuring and insolvency niche. “There are many women in that space,” he recalls. “Only about 20 percent in New Zealand, and 8 percent in Australia. So I learned early resilience.” The progress of his career was drawn, having to work harder to pro category as a woman of color in fields dominated by men, taling her own path through traditional industries.
However, the world of high -flight finance was not his only approach. Approximately a decade in New Zealand, he also founded Authety Aotearoa, a base initiative that supports young people of young color. “I started almost by accident,” she says. “But work taught me that empowerment is not only for women, but that it is about creating an equitable world for everyone.”
That belief in systemic equity is the cornerstone of Nurain’s work today. Since he returned to the Maldives full time, he has launched the Kandūfā Foundation, a youth -centered organization that combines cultural heritage with climate activism. Rooted in matriarchal history and indigenous knowledge, the Foundation develops young leaders of the age of high school and the specific women of the rural islands. “We are still small,” she says, “but one of the things that I am more proud or is our micro-concept fund. We are supporting young, locally great ideas with tutoring and support, not just effective.”
Even at the beginning of his life, the Kandūfā Foundation has already financed projects from coral restoration to climate technology entrepreneurship. His model is participatory, located and deeply informed by Nurain’s intersectoral experience, including his work in the New Zealand Supervision Committee for the Code of Conduct on Safety and Online Damage.
Beyond his work for the Foundation, Janah is increasingly active in the configuration of economic policy in historical sectors closed to women. It is currently in the National Association of the Construction Industry of the Board of Maldives (MNACI) and as well as in the International Federation of Contractors Associations of the Asian Pacific and West (IFWPCA). “We were a matriarchal society. We have had queens. But today, only three of our 87 parliamentarians are women,” he says. “That disconnection drives a lot from my work.”
In an environment where tourism and construction dominate the economy, Nurain sees the economic empowerment of women as a structural need, not just a moral imperative. She has launched initiatives to bring more women and young people to these industries and is not afraid to challenge obsolete standards. “There is still this idea that stubborn women are” correctly, “she says.” But being a leader should not become an exception, it should become the standard. “
Much of its strength comes from the experience lived. Raised in the Maldives until 15 years before moving to New Zealand, she gives credit to her parents for the values that instill in her. She special stands for her maternal grandparents, both orphans turned into service workers, for shaping their values. “My maternal grandfather was a pawn,” he says proudly. “It was punctual, he never lost one day. It was not a transfer to New Zealand who realized that people was a derogatory term. But for me, it is always a leg about integrity.”
This dual cultural lens allows Nurain to navigate “the delicate balance” between tradition and transformation. She is very aware that progress cannot come at the expense of cultural nuances. “Sometimes you have to be a sled hammer,” she says. “Other times, a surgeon. I learned to be both.”
Its leadership style reflects that combination of pragmatism and personal purpose. By drawing his personal path, he says that he usually asks: “Where is my heart now? What impact can I have?.“Whether it is changing social norms, advising the creators of local changes or configuring international online security policies, it remains a great idea committed to great ideas in the results of the real world. But although their work is firmly signposted towards the future future file future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future future Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura Futura, future future, future future.
As its global influence grows, so does its clarity of purpose. For Ayesha Nurain Janah, leadership is anchored in culture, driven by service and fed by the firm belief that a better world begins at home.
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