Origin Story: The Empowerment Collective
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Nasreen Sheikh’s transformative journey from modern slavery survivor to advocate is driving change in the fight against modern slavery. As the founder of the Empowerment Collective and Local Women’s Handicrafts in Nepal, and creator of TransparaTrade, she empowers marginalized women and promotes ethical business practices across global supply chains. Discover how her work is inspiring a movement toward a world free from modern slavery.
This program is followed by an optional lunch.
About Nareen Sheikh
Nasreen Sheikh is a survivor of Modern Slavery, and a visionary leader committed to ending modern slavery through survivor-led initiatives. Her profound journey interwoven with her roles as the founder of the Empowerment Collective Foundation, an organization dedicated to ending modern slavery, and Local Women’s Handicrafts (LWH), a women’s social business venture in Nepal. Her emphasis on a transparent global economic system, and supply chain transparency, corporate engagement, and modern slavery legislation, these are important steps toward ending modern slavery.
Nasreen’s life story embodies courage and hope, having emerged from the harrowing shadows of modern slavery. Her personal history illuminates the urgency to solve this complex issue, motivating her to take a transformative stand. Empowerment Collective, recognizing the power of survivors in leading the solution with a profound belief in their strength and resilience, Nasreen envisioned an organization that places survivors at the forefront of innovative solutions to this global crisis. Nasreen establishment of Local Women’s Handicrafts,The Social business venture provided a platform for marginalized women, fostering economic independence through traditional craftsmanship. Nasreen’s belief in the potential of women, coupled with her unwavering commitment to preserving cultural heritage, shaped LWH into a thriving safe space for women artisans.
Nasreen’s philosophy advocacy revolves around empowering survivors and individuals with lived experiences of modern slavery to take autonomous roles in leading solutions and spreading awareness. She firmly believes that their firsthand knowledge and resilience are indispensable in crafting effective strategies and initiating societal change.
About Origin Stories
As part of Grace Farms Foundation’s 10-year anniversary, Origin Stories is a three-part series exploring the journeys of visionary leaders—artists, business leaders, designers, and social entrepreneurs—who have reimagined the world around us. Through candid conversations, we’ll uncover the pivotal moments that shaped their leadership, the unexpected outcomes of their work, and how creativity and purpose can drive meaningful change.
We all build
2025-2026 season
Our 10th anniversary season offers a full schedule of programming intentionally rooted in the theme, We all build. What we choose to build — and how we design and build it — are questions explored at Grace Farms and through our Design for Freedom movement. This season offers unforgettable experiences including one-of-a-kind concerts, nature workshops, wellness tea retreats, and programs spotlighting world-renowned leaders, prolific thinkers, and thought-provoking creatives—inviting people of all ages to come to Grace Farms and consider their individual and collective power to build a better world.
