Saleemah Ismail

Chief Executive Officer

Saleemah is an international development professional, social entrepreneur, and advocate for gender equality and diversity. She began her career in the private sector before spending over 15 years with UN Women and UNDP in Asia and South America.

As co-founder and CEO of New Life Stories, she supports incarcerated parents, their children, and families to break cycles of incarceration and foster community inclusion. She also co-founded Aidha, a business school empowering migrant women and low-income communities across 10+ countries in Asia.

Saleemah serves on nonprofit boards, including Hope Villages, AWWA, and previously Casa Raudha Women’s Home and SCWO. Having lived and worked across Asia, she is now based in Singapore, dedicated to promoting diversity, inclusion, and social mobility for at-risk communities.