Azadeh Khalili is an innovative social change agent and policy maker with extensive experience in government, philanthropy and the non-profit sector. She has worked for over 20 years to advance progressive policies and to create better conditions for marginalized communities, including in the field of human rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and the rights of immigrants and low-wage workers. Ms. Khalili is dedicated to public service and creating sustainable large-scale change through the power of inclusion and collaboration. From 2016-2017, Azadeh served as the Founding Executive Director of the New York City Commission on Gender Equity. In this position, she worked to reduce gender-based inequality and to build a safer, more inclusive and economically mobile city for millions of women and girls. From 2014 to 2016, she served as New York City’s Executive Director of Language Access Initiatives in Mayor De Blasio’s Office. There, she was instrumental in strengthening language access initiatives for 1.9 million immigrants who are not proficient in English. Previously, she was appointed by Mayor Mike Bloomberg to work on the comprehensive immigration reform. Prior to joining The Bloomberg Administration, Azadeh was a Fellow with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and spent nearly a decade as founding CEO of Youthbase, an agency that was committed to stopping the spread of HIV among young people in New York City, South Africa and India. Azadeh has been on the board of directors of numerous organizations including The New Economy Project and the New York Community Media Alliance, and is the recipient of dozens of awards recognizing her commitment to human rights. Born in Iran, Azadeh holds a B.A. from the New School University and an M.P.H. from Columbia University. She was a Charles H. Revson Fellow at Columbia University. Azadeh lives in New York City with her husband and 9 year old daughter.