Leila Janah: How Social Entrepreneurship Can Change the World

What if poverty could be solved not through charity, but through dignified work? This question drove Leila Janah to pioneer a form of social entrepreneurship that continues to inspire changemakers worldwide.

Born to Indian immigrant parents and experiencing financial hardship firsthand, Janah developed a unique perspective on economic inequality early in life. Her volunteering experience in Ghana as a teenager sparked a revolutionary idea: instead of traditional aid, why not provide meaningful digital employment to those in marginalized communities?

At just 25, Janah founded Samasource, transforming the landscape of social entrepreneurship with her "give work, not aid" philosophy. The company provided digital work—like AI image annotation—to people in Kenya, Uganda, and India who previously had limited economic opportunities.

What made her approach to social entrepreneurship truly revolutionary was its scalability. Unlike traditional charity models, Samasource created sustainable employment that allowed families to lift themselves out of poverty through their own efforts. Over time, the company provided more than 50,000 people with jobs or training.

Though Janah's life was cut short at 37, her impact on social entrepreneurship continues to grow. Her expansion into Laxmi, a luxury skincare brand sourcing ingredients from women's cooperatives, demonstrated how ethical business could span multiple industries.

For today's generation of purpose-driven entrepreneurs, Janah's story offers a powerful blueprint: you don't need to choose between making money and making a difference. Social entrepreneurship can achieve both, creating sustainable solutions to our most pressing problems.

As we navigate an increasingly complex world, Janah's vision reminds us that talent is universal, but opportunity is not—and that building businesses with purpose might be our most powerful tool for creating the change we wish to see.