Shaz Akram, Executive Director Shaz Akram is the executive director of the Women's Foreign Policy Group, a non-profit organization which promotes women’s leadership and amplifies their voices in international affairs through substantive global issues programming and mentoring to support the next generation of women leaders. Shaz comes to WFPG from the Fulbright Association where she served as Deputy Director. She is recognized as a leader in international education and academic exchanges with expertise in US higher education, alumni, and international affairs. She is an accomplished and experienced program developer with expertise in member and advisory board development, financial planning, contract negotiation and fundraising. Prior to joining the Fulbright Association, Shaz served as an Assistant Director at the international office and the Diversity Center at Mississippi State University, where her name had become synonymous with the word “international.” Shaz also served as faculty and student adviser for the Fulbright Program at Mississippi State University. She has extensive knowledge of J, F and H1-B visa regulations, academic exchanges, and study abroad programs, and served as an adviser to international students. Shaz also chairs NAFSA's Embassy Dialogue Committee Member Interest Group, which facilitates communication between embassy representatives in Washington, DC and the US higher education community.
Shaz was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and has lived in her home country, Pakistan. She was part of the Civil Services of Pakistan and worked under the Auditor General of Pakistan’s Office as Deputy Controller Military Accounts and Deputy Director Commercial Audit for several years before moving to the US. Shaz holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and French, a Masters in English Literature, and a Master’s in Business Administration. She speaks Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Yoruba, and some French. Contact: sakram[at]wfpg.org | @shazakram
Kim Kahnhauser Freeman, Senior Advisor Kim Kahnhauser Freeman currently serves as a senior advisor at the Women’s Foreign Policy Group. During her 15 years with the organization she has led numerous initiates to highlight women leaders and to expand the organization's impact. From September 2017 to July 2021, she served as the WFPG's executive director. In this capacity she led frequent global issues discussions, expanded the WFPG’s mentoring program, and launched its Young Professional Network and its virtual professional development series. Prior to joining the WFPG team in 2006, Kim completed a Fulbright teaching fellowship in Tirol, Austria and researched public housing for the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service at Georgetown University. She was a 2011 State Department Young Turkey/Young America Fellow and has also studied at the University of Vienna, the Warsaw School of Economics, and the University of Silesia in Cieszyn, Poland. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in International Politics from Georgetown University and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy. Kim frequently moderates global issues and career-focused programs and has also served on the advisory boards of MasT Analytics and the social enterprise Casement Unlimited. She is a member of the Washington Institute of International Affairs, DACOR, and WIIS. Contact: kahnhauser[at]wfpg.org | @KimKFreeman
Megan Darlington, Program Assistant Megan Darlington is a Program Assistant at the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, where she manages the internship program, 1:1 mentoring programs, and logistics for the WFPG’s global issues events. Her previous professional experience includes editing and project coordination for digital learning programs at Avallain; providing event support and research assistance at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute; and teaching English as a Fulbright ETA at the Perm National Research Polytechnic University in Perm, Russia. She received a BA in Anthropology and Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures from Indiana University in 2017. She speaks Russian and some German. Contact: darlington[at]wfpg.org
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