Former Goldman Sachs partner Connie K. Duckworth transformed herself from an investment banker to a social entrepreneur who invests in human potential. Her organization, ARZU, means 鈥渉ope鈥� in Dari and empowers destitute women weavers in rural Afghanistan. 听As pro bono Chairman and CEO, Connie has transformed ARZU from 30 weavers into a learning laboratory for holistic grassroots economic development, employing 700 women and providing access to education and basic healthcare.
On December 3rd, Leeds鈥� CESR and the CU Engineering Center sponsored a lunch and open lecture for Connie鈥檚 visit to campus. Local business leaders and students from Leeds as well as Engineers without Borders and Engineering in Developing Communities programs attended the lecture.
Leeds student Lindsay Jones commented, 鈥淭he lunch and lecture with Connie Duckworth provided insight and inspiration not only from a business to business perspective but from the heart and soul of a successful nonprofit. Her story of persistence through her time at Goldman Sachs and to making ARZU a sustainable social business provided听 me (a confused senior) a push into the right direction as to what refined skills can lead you to.鈥�
Connie, a former partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs, was the first woman to be named a sales and trading partner in the firm鈥檚 history. For the past decade, she has served as a corporate director, published author, activist, angel investor and humanitarian. She is the recipient of numerous awards for leadership, advocacy, social impact, innovation and global presence.