Shiza Shahid on the Malala Fund, memorable mealtime and motherhood...

Shiza Shahid on the Malala Fund, memorable mealtime and motherhood...

From Seize the Yay by Sarah Davidson

January 28, 2026 · 55 min · Episode 331

About this episode

Shiza Shahid discusses her journey in philanthropy, education advocacy, and entrepreneurship while sharing personal insights on motherhood.

You know I believe all our guests are impressive and inspiring in their own special way, but some are truly extraordinary humans. As you’ll soon hear, Shiza Shahid fits that definition in every possible way. Born in Islamabad Pakistan, her passion for philanthropy and activism was evident even from her teens when at just 14 she started working in women’s prisons and volunteering at a relief camp following a deadly earthquake which struck Kashmir in 2005, killing nearly 85,000 people. At the age of 18 she won a scholarship to study at Stanford University, followed by pursuing a high flying career at McKinsey & Company in Dubai as a business analyst then founding her first business NOW Ventures focusing on funding startups. It seems crazy to skate over such huge achievement with a single line each, but that’s because there’s so much more to squeeze in and she’s only just getting started. Shiza is also the Co-founder and CEO of the Malala Fund championing the right of every girl to education alongside Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for girls education. And if that weren’t enough, Shiza has also created Our Place with her husband…

People in this episode

Host: Sarah Davidson

Guest: Shiza Shahid

Topics covered

  • philanthropy
  • activism
  • education
  • motherhood
  • entrepreneurship

Keywords

  • Shiza Shahid
  • Malala Fund
  • education
  • philanthropy
  • NOW Ventures
  • motherhood
  • activism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Malala Fund, NOW Ventures, McKinsey & Company

Places: Islamabad Pakistan, Kashmir

More episodes of Seize the Yay

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Seize the Yay podcast page.