Maheen Kaleem, Esq. is a human rights lawyer who has dedicated her life to creating a world where girls of color are safe and free. She is the Vice President of Programs and Operations at Grantmakers for Girls of Color, a philanthropic organization dedicated to amplifying and mobilizing resource to supportive transformative organizing work led by girls and gender-expansive youth of color. She has nearly twenty years of experience supporting youth and families impacted by interpersonal and state violence to lead efforts to advance racial and gender justice. Maheen has always grounded her work in the wisdom of women and girls of color who have survived the carceral system, sexual exploitation, and abuse.
She served as Program Officer at the NoVo Foundation, and led the development of The Life Story Grants, a $10 million three-year commitment to support projects that close on-ramps into the sex trade and open exit ramps for survivors. Prior to joining NoVo, she advocated for the successful passage of numerous laws and policies to address conditions impacting girls of Color impacted by violence at the federal, state, and local levels. She holds both bachelor’s and law degrees from Georgetown University. Maheen is a first generation Pakistani-American who was raised mostly in the bay area of California, on Ohlone land. She is an alum of the Equal Justice Works Fellowship, the Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellowship, and the National Juvenile Justice Youth Justice Leadership Institute.
