Changemakers: Zain Habboo, Chief Marketing & Mobilization Officer, International Rescue Committee

“From Day 1, my experience in life is [that] you fight. You’re resilient. No matter what life hands to you, you take it and you make lemonade out of it.” In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Zain Habboo, Chief Marketing & Mobilization Officer at International Rescue Committee – one of the world’s largest emergency relief organizations.

The ability to build your own path is one of the greatest legacies of Zain’s family. From grandparents who helped build medical infrastructure and successful hotels in Iraq, to her father who was imprisoned under the Ba'thi Party for a crime he didn’t commit, Zain learned incredible stories of strength. Growing up in Jordan, she visited refugee camps with her parents and knew that she wanted a role in building humanitarian efforts.

Zain moved to Washington, DC where she calls herself a “multi-sector athlete” – working in media, agencies, and private companies. In her current role at IRC, she leads teams and resources that support displaced communities. Listen to this episode to learn how to think like an entrepreneur at a larger organization, how to be an empathetic manager and team member, and why it’s important to “be authentic and think before you type”.