Farhad Reza is an Impact Investment activist. He is in a ‘mission’ to establish the Impact Economy Ecosystem in Bangladesh. He has been leading Build Bangladesh, the impact investment stream of the Impress Group, focusing on intergenerational well-being, the 8th Five Year Plan of Bangladesh and the SDGs. Build Bangladesh is leading the ‘Impact Investment Movement’ to ensure a sustainable impact economy while complementing the mainstream investment ecosystem. Build Bangladesh in partnership with UNDP, launched Impact Investments projects like affordable housing, three mutual funds, all targeting people at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ and incubation/growth accelerator programme to support young impact entrepreneurs. He is also managing the secretariat for the National Advisory Board (NAB) for Impact Investment in Bangladesh.
Farhad has been working in Australia and Bangladesh over last 25 years. As Senior Executive for the Australian Government, he ensured A$120bn worth of welfare payments being delivered to the eligible recipients, established strategic policy on housing and infrastructure for remote Indigenous communities and managed A$100m per year worth national programme. He has a strong history of advocacy for justice and equality, focusing disadvantaged and minority groups through people centric investments and campaign.
His dream is to have at least ‘few minutes’ with people from all over the world on their own soil to reconfirm ‘human commonalities‘! He strongly believes, ‘people do not want charity, they want a chance’.