After graduating from Princeton University and Columbia Law School, Ms. Rahman practiced law at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. She then became one of several founders of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which today is one of the largest legal organizations in the world focused on reproductive rights and gender justice. An integral part of the movement that established a framework for reproductive rights as human rights, she was also one of the group of leaders of the “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” global advocacy coalition and campaign, which resulted in the recognition of the centrality of women’s issues to human rights.

As President and CEO of Friends of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms. Rahman led the organization during a time when UNFPA was defunded by the U.S. government. She successfully steered it to greater visibility until funding for UNFPA—the United Nations agency whose mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled—was reinstated by the Obama administration in one of the former president’s first official acts.

Recruited by the Ms. Foundation for Women as CEO, she moved this historic U.S. women’s institution toward a vision that would enable it to combine grantmaking with strengthening its capacity as a platform for women’s issues. In addition, she helped enhance the financial stability of the organization, and led a rebranding and strategic planning process. Ms. Rahman was the first woman of color and Muslim CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women.

Reflecting her commitment to climate action and the environment, Ms. Rahman then became Vice President of Development at the Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit focused on conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. She was also a member of its global management team.

She continued this important work in environmental issues as the Chief Board Relations Officer for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). There she worked to help safeguard the Earth—its people, and the natural systems on which all life depends—from a range of threats, most notably climate change. In this role Ms. Rahman was a member of the organization’s executive team and helped support the Board of Trustees and NRDC’s president to enhance governance and ensure leadership alignment. Throughout her career, Ms. Rahman has provided executive leadership and management support to a variety of nonprofits and international organizations. For example, Ms. Rahman was CEO of the National Diversity Council, whose mission was to be a resource and an advocate for the value of diversity and inclusion.

Currently Ms. Rahman is engaged in leveraging the power of education to advance social justice by running the prestigious BIT school in Dhaka, Bangladesh.