Maira Shaikh Qureshi is a Textile Engineer currently working in the textile industry as an Assistant Manager in the Product Development Washing department, with three years of experience in the field. She is a "Precious Pearl" award winner.

She works as a volunteer in different organizations and leads different projects related to contributing towards SDGs. She serves as the Chairperson of the RBC at the Textile Industrial Advisory Board, a requirement of PEC and linked with the National Textile University, which is related to industrial-academic partnerships. She is also the Director of ARF Savior's Squad at the Abdul Razzaq Foundation, which focuses on charity projects and blood donation, aligning with SDGs 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Also, she is project Lead at Clean Pakistan Green Pakistan -CPGP (QHF, project related to SDG 14: Life Below Water.

She is a Movers Envoy at the Movers Programme, a project of the United Nations, UNDP, Citi Foundation, and Youth: Colab. She is passionate about speaking on topics such as SDGs, leadership, wellbeing, climate action, and positivity.

Personal Story:
Maira Shaikh Qureshi's journey began in a small village with no more than 40 houses. When she was born, the people there had a typical mentality regarding female education. This girl became the trendsetter of her village, as well as district Layyah. Maira started her education at a boys' middle school, where she was the only girl, and later transferred to a girls' school 45 minutes away from her village, thanks to her grandparents' insistence on providing her the best life.

She aspires to contribute something meaningful and she is into it. Despite the hurdles, She graduated from the National Textile University in Faisalabad, became a Textile Engineer, and started her career with determination to make her family proud. She currently works as an Assistant Manager in the Product Development Washing department, with four years of experience in the field. Apart from this, she works with many different organizations as a volunteer and leads different projects which are related to SDGs.

OMLAS Experience:
“Participating in the One Million Leadership Asia (OMLAS) Program as a fellow is an incredible experience. I gained valuable insights, learned about new leadership tools and social entrepreneurship and had the opportunity to enhance my skills while connecting with inspiring fellows from diverse backgrounds. The program significantly broadened my perspective and enriched my professional journey.”

Project Idea:
Maira's project idea for the OMLAS implementation phase involves creating sustainable solutions to address multiple SDGs. Through this, she aim to implement workshops on climate action, including tree plantation drives and recycling initiatives, while also tackling SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production by generating employment, reducing Carbon emissions, introducing sustainable wash developments, reducing energy consumption through sustainable fashion projects. Recently, her team developed a wash that reduces CO2 emissions by 73%. Additionally, the project aims to promote SDG 4: Quality Education through targeted training initiatives for women empowerment and focuses on academic-industrial partnerships under SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. The proposed project will be based in Pakistan, with specific activities planned in different areas to maximize the impact.