At 23, Zainab Salbi founded Women for Women International, a grassroots organization helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. Under her leadership as CEO (1993-2011), the organization grew from supporting 30 women to aiding over 400,000 across eight conflict areas, distributing more than $100 million in aid and loans, and impacting 1.7 million family members. Salbi authored several acclaimed books, including the national bestseller Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny, The Other Side of War: Women’s Stories of Survival and Hope, and If You Knew Me, You Would Care. In 2015, she launched the Nida’a Show, a talk show airing across 22 Arab countries on TLC Arabia, aimed at inspiring women in the region.

Currently, Salbi serves as Editor-at-Large at Women in the World Media and has launched The Zainab Salbi Project with AOL/Huffington Post.

Recognized globally, she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and was honored by President Clinton as one of the 21st-century heroes. Her influence has been noted by Newsweek, The Guardian, and Fortune, and she was ranked #2 on Arabian Business’ list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Arab Women (2016). Fast Company also named her among the 100 Most Creative People in Business for her work as a voice of change in the Middle East.