Leading with Purpose on a Global Stage


Nabila Aguele ’05 is advancing girls’ education by centering local voices and driving systems change BY BRICE HELMS


WHEN NABILA AGUELE ’05 STEPPED into the role of chief executive officer of the Malala Fund, it marked more than a leadership transition. It signaled a moment of alignment between her life’s work and a global mission centered on opportunity, equity and impact.


“It’s a big moment,” Aguele says. “It’s meaningful because of what it represents for where we are as an organization.”


That direction is clear. Under her leadership, Malala Fund continues to prioritize centering girls’ voices, supporting local activists, and driving policy and systems change. For Aguele, the work is grounded in proximity. Staying close to communities, she believes, leads to stronger decisions and more meaningful outcomes.


The role reflects a convergence of her professional journey. “Law, policy, advocacy and leadership are all coming together in service of girls and the futures they deserve,” she says.


That sense of purpose is deeply personal. Growing up in an environment where education was non-negotiable,


32 THE ADVOCATE FALL 2026


Malala Yousafzai and Nabila Aguele ’05


Aguele saw early on what access to learning could make possible. Today, she carries that perspective into a global role where millions of girls are still denied that same opportunity.


Aguele is also an artist and a mother of three young children. She believes both shape how she approaches leadership. Parenting requires constant adjustment and clarity, while her creative practice encourages openness and new ways of thinking. Together, they influence how


she navigates complexity and makes decisions, grounding her work in both purpose and perspective.


Her path to this moment was shaped in part by her time at AUWCL, where she found more than legal training. She found a community that treated questions of justice and human rights as immediate and real.


“It wasn’t just about learning the law,” she explains. “It was about being in


LEFT: JULIA WYGANT, RIGHT: MALIN FEZEHAI


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