We take a moment to welcome Shaz Akram back to FA in a temporary consultant capacity. She is currently the Founder and President of HerPivot, a storytelling platform for mid-career and executive level women. Prior to starting her own work, she was the Executive Director of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group (WFPG), the Deputy Director of the Fulbright Association (FA) and the Assistant Director at the International Services Office, and the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center at Mississippi State University. In these roles, she has led growth of membership and developed young professional networks, introducing career counselling and social innovation projects, produced large Fulbright Conferences and TEDx salons; multiplied organizational fundraising, communication and operational capacity; and spearheaded programs like the Fulbright prize (2019) that honored Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany. At WFPG she led various foreign policy panels, developed programs with UN Women and the Diplomatic community in DC. She is also a prolific fundraiser with a track record of growing organizational portfolios.
Shaz, a Nigerian-born Pakistani, began her career working in the Civil Superior Services (CSS) in Pakistan before moving to the US. A skilled foreign affair professional, with a career in public service and international affairs, Shaz has built an impressive network of foreign leaders, diplomats and connections within the higher education, government, and non-profit world in the US and abroad. Shaz Akram currently serves as a Governor of DACOR, Inc. & Trustees of DACOR Bacon House Foundation, Program Chair, DACOR, board of directors of the Public Diplomacy Council of America and Development Chair and also Chairs, the Embassy Dialogue Committee (EDC) Member Interest Group (MIG) of the Association of International Educators (NAFSA).