Leila Janah
Leila Janah
Leila Janah is the Founder and CEO of Sama and Laxmi, two companies highlighted on Fast Company’s 2016 Most Innovative Companies list that share a common social mission to end global poverty by giving work to people in need. She is also the co-author of America's Moment: Creating Opportunity in the Connected Age, a book by Rework America: A Markle Initiative...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusinesswoman
Date of Birth9 October 1982
CountryUnited States of America
adapt california century develop digital economic founded kenya market people skills train
At Samasource, a company I founded in 2008, we train people living in poverty from Kenya to California to develop and market 21st century digital skills to adapt to new economic realities.
careers huge join lucrative people places plays role
We have people from places like Oracle, Microsoft, Intuit. Sama plays a huge role in why people leave lucrative careers to join a social enterprise.
employment secure using vital worker
Using the Internet to secure employment is as vital to a construction worker as it is to a software engineer.
donors fairly opposed outcomes people
Traditional charity is still fairly focused on how it makes donors feel as opposed to outcomes for people that need help.
countries irrelevant job loans people problem
The problem in a lot of low-income countries is that people take out loans to go and get degrees, which are then irrelevant in the job market.
developing dissimilar
The challenges that the homeless face aren't dissimilar to those in developing countries.
hindi word
My personal style comes from jugaad, a Hindi word meaning doing more with less.
reduce simply
Most of us working on poverty alleviation simply want to know, 'How much poverty can I reduce for every dollar I donate?'
physically work
It's really helpful to be physically engaged in something that's completely different from my day-to-day work.
citizen left order savvy thrive
In order to thrive in the 21st century, you have to be a savvy citizen of the digital economy or risk being left behind.
innovative san spread
I wish the city of San Francisco, bastion of liberalism, were more innovative when it comes to how to spread the wealth.
defines reflect ruthless
Bling is passe, and I like my style to reflect just that. Ruthless editing defines true style perfectly.
along banned barbies horribly
Barbies were banned at our house, along with television other than PBS. As a kid, I found this horribly embarrassing.
charities giving happy money people produce taxes wary
A lot of people are happy to give money to charities but are wary of giving through taxes because they feel it doesn't produce any value.