Saleemah Ismail

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Saleemah is an international development professional, social entrepreneur, and gender equality & diversity advocate. She started her career in the private sector before moving to work for UN Women and UNDP in Asia and South America for over 15 years.

Saleemah is a co-founder and Executive Director of New Life Stories, working with children of incarcerated parents, the incarcerated and their families to prevent intergenerational incarceration, reduce re-offending, improve quality of life and increase community inclusion for the families.

Saleemah also co-founded Aidha, a business school for migrants and low-income communities in 2006. Aidha, the business school has direct impact for migrant women and their families in over 10 countries in the Asia region.

Saleemah serves on several nonprofit boards and committees in Singapore and the region including Hope Villages. a community development project to alleviate poverty in Cambodia and AWWA, a social agency serving persons across life-stages from early intervention and disability support for children and adults with additional needs to social assistance for vulnerable seniors. She has served on boards of Casa Raudha Women Home, a shelter for women and children and Singapore Council of Women Organisations (SCWO), a national coordinating board for women in Singapore.

Saleemah has worked and lived in several countries including Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. She now works and lives in Singapore. Saleemah is passionate about diversity, inclusion and social mobility for at-risk communities.