Khaliya .

Khaliya is a humanitarian, public health specialist, and mental health strategist focused on rebuilding the social infrastructure that supports human wellbeing. She is the founder of Band of Women, a social impact initiative re-imagining how women build meaningful support systems through small, trust-based communities designed to strengthen mental, physical, and collective health.

Trained in public health at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Khaliya’s work sits at the intersection of mental health, community design, and human connection. She previously served on the World Economic Forum Expert Advisory Global Futures Council on the Future of Health and Healthcare, contributing to global conversations on the future of care and wellbeing.

Khaliya began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bulgaria, an experience that deeply shaped her understanding of the foundational role community plays in health and resilience. In 2016, she received the Middelthon-Candler Peace Prize alongside Rosalynn Carter, who was honored with the Justice Prize. In 2017, she received the inaugural Clare Boothe Luce Award for International Service.

Her writing and ideas have appeared in The New York Times and Wired UK, and has spoken at leading global forums including the United Nations General Assembly, The Vatican, Web Summit, The Carlyle Group, the House of Lords, the G20 Women’s Summit, and the United State of Women Summit hosted by the White House.