Laila_Iskander former Egypt's Minister of State for Environment Affairs. Phot from Wikipedia
With just three days remaining until the 6th African Philanthropy Conference begins in Cairo, Egypt (July 27–31, 2025), anticipation is mounting for what promises to be a pivotal convening on “Sustainable Financing for Development in the Majority World.”
Among the highlights is a keynote address by Dr. Laila Iskander, a development thinker and practitioner whose work at the intersection of social entrepreneurship, policy, and community empowerment makes her a timely and authoritative voice on the conference theme.
Dr. Laila Iskander: A Profile in Development and Social Impact
Dr. Iskander is not simply a speaker—she is a trailblazer in development practice.
Her educational background spans a Doctorate in Education from Columbia University, with earlier studies in economics and political science at Cairo University and Near Eastern studies and international education development at UC Berkeley.
This interdisciplinary training supports her ability to integrate policy, theory, and practice in tackling complex development issues.
Professionally, she has held significant national roles, including Egypt’s Minister of State for Environmental Affairs, and later Minister of State for Urban Renewal and Informal Settlements (2014–2015).
These appointments gave her direct experience in translating inclusive policy ideas into action, particularly for marginalized urban populations.
Before her time in government, Dr. Iskander worked closely with grassroots communities in Egypt’s informal settlements and under-resourced rural areas.
Her firsthand engagement with vulnerable populations has shaped her people-centered approach to development, one that values context, equity, and participation.
A standout example of her approach is her decades-long work with the Zabbaleen (garbage collectors) community in Cairo.
In 1982, she helped establish an informal recycling school offering literacy, hygiene, and life skills.
This groundbreaking initiative earned her the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1994, known informally as the “Green Nobel.”
She later developed a “learning and earning” model for young girls, weaving education with income generation.
Through CID Consulting, the firm she co-founded, she has led over 300 projects across the MENA region, North America, and Europe.
The firm’s focus on public-private partnerships, institutional strengthening, and socially driven technology transfer reflects her belief in systems change grounded in lived realities.
Why Her Keynote Matters
The conference’s theme—“Sustainable Financing for Development in the Majority World”—is especially relevant in today’s turbulent global economic climate.
African countries continue to navigate a legacy of external dependency, where financial flows are often shaped more by donor priorities than local realities.
Dr. Iskander’s keynote promises to challenge this status quo and present a vision grounded in local ownership, people-powered development, and practical innovation.
Her experience with informal economies and “learning and earning” models points to financing strategies that are not only inclusive but also rooted in dignity and sustainability.
These ideas directly align with the conference’s subthemes, which include decolonized funding, asset-based development, and tech-enabled financial inclusion.
Dr. Iskander’s dual vantage point as a civil society leader and a former cabinet minister also positions her to offer tactical guidance on working with governments, donor institutions, and the private sector.
She is expected to share how African philanthropy can fund without fostering dependency, and how it can create enabling environments for African-led innovation to thrive.
Rethinking Profit, Reclaiming Enterprise
Perhaps most compelling is Dr. Iskander’s radical rethinking of profit and entrepreneurship:
“The term ‘social entrepreneur’… requires re-visiting. I would like to advise anyone embarking on a career or changing path to look at business as an enterprise that must include people’s well-being all around… Enterprises must be fair, equitable, just… My advice is that we must challenge the definitions of what entrepreneurship is, what profit is… If it’s not social, then it’s bad business.”(Source: Global X Interview – Iskander on Social Entrepreneurship)
This philosophy is especially resonant at a time when philanthropy is being asked to move beyond charity toward systemic impact and accountable innovation.
A Call to Action for African Philanthropy
In a global moment defined by geopolitical uncertainty and economic fragility, Dr. Iskander’s keynote will serve as both a diagnostic and a roadmap.
Her blend of policy experience, grassroots immersion, and social enterprise leadership offers delegates at the 6th African Philanthropy Conference a compelling vision for self-determined development in the Majority World.
Her presence is not a ceremonial feature—it is a cornerstone. As African philanthropy seeks to reshape finance, power, and purpose, Dr. Iskander will undoubtedly inspire, challenge, and catalyze new paths forward.
