Samir Goswami, Chavi Keeney Nana, and Dr. Kalpana Sankar join primary governance body; Michelle Fenty, Shamarukh Mohiuddin, Samir Goswami, Shilpa Nadhan, and Alissandra Aronow elected as new Executive Committee officers

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2024 – GoodWeave International, the leading global nonprofit organization working to end child, forced, and bonded labor in global supply chains, has elected Samir Goswami, Chavi Keeney Nana, and Dr. Kalpana Sankar to join its board of directors. Building upon our board and organizational expertise, these new additions bring valuable insights in child labor and poverty reduction, human rights law, women’s empowerment, and financial management, strengthening GoodWeave’s efforts to identify, remediate, and prevent child and forced labor and support vulnerable communities. In addition, the following board members have been elected as new officers on the Executive Committee: Michelle Fenty (Co-chair), Shamarukh Mohiuddin (Co-chair), Samir Goswami (Treasurer), Shilpa Nadhan (Secretary), and Alissandra Aronow (Governance chair).

“Samir, Chavi, and Kalpana are exceptional leaders, and I am honored to welcome them to our board,” said GoodWeave International CEO Jon Jacoby. “It is also quite gratifying to see such a dynamic, dedicated, and diverse set of officers elected by our board. Collectively, the expertise and experience of our new board membership and leadership will be instrumental in advancing our mission to uphold the rights of vulnerable children and workers, boosting our impact in existing sectors as well as areas ripe for expansion. The entire GoodWeave community is deeply grateful for the pragmatic wisdom and long-standing commitment of our outgoing board members Edward Millard, Venkat Reddy, Pat Zerega, and Siddharth Kara (joining our Advisory Council).”

Samir Goswami – the new board Treasurer – is a Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Management at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Goswami has extensive experience promoting labor rights, including as a consultant for the International Labor Organization, Humanity United, United Way Worldwide, and other global entities on business and human rights issues. Prior to joining USAID, he served as Chief Operating Officer of a leading technology sector organization where he oversaw financial, people, and operations strategy.

Chavi Keeney Nana is the Director of the Equitable Global Supply Chains program at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and a Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches business and human rights and anti-corruption law. She practiced law for over a decade, advising companies on criminal and enforcement matters related to foreign corruption and forced labor in supply chains. She also has substantial experience litigating on behalf of trafficked domestic workers. Nana earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and an M.Phil. from Oxford University, and is a recipient of the Marshall Scholarship.

Dr. Kalpana Sankar is a nuclear physicist and social entrepreneur, the Chairperson and Co-founder of Hand in Hand India, and the Managing Director of microfinance company Belstar. Under Dr. Sankar’s leadership, Hand in Hand India works toward fighting poverty through job creation in 18 Indian states. Her expertise has been critical in the global expansion of the model in several countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Dr. Sankar is the recipient of three prestigious awards, including the Nari Shakti Puraskar from the Government of India for her exemplary contribution to women’s empowerment. She has worked extensively in child labor reduction and has authored a book on the topic, Childhood Regained.

About GoodWeave International

GoodWeave — a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi — is the leading international institution working to stop child labor in global supply chains through a market-based system and holistic approach. GoodWeave partners with companies and local producer communities to bring visibility to hidden supply chains; protect workers’ rights; provide assurance that products are free of child, forced and bonded labor; and restore childhoods. Look for the GoodWeave^® certification label on rug and home textile products.

Contact:
Jamir Munayco
Office: 202-234-9050
jamir@goodweave.org