RCNY International Breakfast at the UN guest presenter on February 20, 2025 @ 8.30am
Daisy Khan, A Bridge Builder
After 25 years in Corporate America, Daisy Khan transitioned to community service, building bridges of understanding across faiths and diverse communities.
Dr. Daisy Khan is an award-winning author, public speaker, media commentator, and the founder of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), a global network dedicated to peacebuilding, gender equality, and human dignity. With over two decades of grassroots involvement in combating anti-Muslim bias, she is recognized as a thought leader on Muslim women's rights and Islam in America.
As a bridge builder, she has produced impactful interfaith programs such as "Same Difference" and the Cordoba Bread Fest. Dr. Khan is a prolific speaker who has lectured at prestigious institutions, including the Council on Foreign Relations, Aspen Institute, Chautauqua Institution, World Economic Forum, Harvard University, Citi, Bloomberg, and many others. To counter Islamophobia and violent extremism, Daisy Khan published "WISE Up - Knowledge Ends Extremism." Her memoir, "Born with Wings," narrates her path to women's leadership. In "30 Rights of Muslim Women," she debunks Islamophobic myths and demystifies hardline extremist views on Muslim women’s rights. Committed to the shared values of Islam and America, Dr. Khan sees combating Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bias as a civic duty and a long-term investment. She provides a clear strategy to combat Islamophobia through webinars and training uniquely tailored for corporations, schools, government, and nonprofit institutions.
As a media commentator and Op-Ed writer, she has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, PBS, and BBC. She is featured in documentaries and publications like The Guardian, Newsweek, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Elle Magazine.
Dr. Khan has received over twenty awards, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, the Edinburgh Peace Award, and recognition as one of "21 Women of the 21st Century" by Women's E-News. TIME Magazine mentioned her in their "100 Most Influential People" list and featured her in "9-11, Portraits of Resilience." The Huffington Post listed her among the "Top Ten Women Faith Leaders." Described as "a link between moderate Islam and the West" by MORE Magazine, she holds a special place among the "100 Most Notable American Muslims" by the Interfaith Institute of Long Island.
Born in Kashmir, Dr. Khan dedicated twenty-five years to architectural design for Fortune 500 companies before devoting herself to full-time community service and creating positive change in the United States and around the globe. She lives in the New York tri-state area and loves reading, traveling, gardening, and cooking.
