“We carry our ancestors’ resilience and generations of prayers; therefore, we owe the future more than just survival. ”
Nazifa Rahman
TOP 30 UNDER 30 HONOUREE | 2026
About
PROFILE SNAPSHOT
AGE: 29
PRONOUNS: She/Her
HOMETOWN: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
ORGANIZATIONS:
- United Nation Global Compact (Canada)
- MAX Canada -Muslims Achieving Excellence Canada
- Sustainable Energy Development Student Society
- Clean Resources Innovation Network (CRIN)
GLOBAL IMPACT FOCUS (SDGs)
I am most passionate about:
What specific issue(s) are you working to address, and what motivates you to do so?
I address the gap between sustainability ambition and execution, particularly in energy systems and supply chains that influence economic, environmental, and social outcomes. Climate and equity goals often fall short not because of a lack of intent, but because they are not integrated into operational decisions such as procurement, infrastructure delivery, and risk management. My work centers on embedding sustainability into organizational planning, contracting, and investment processes.
As Sustainability Manager at a procurement and supply-chain consulting firm, I advance sustainable procurement as a systems-level lever for change. I lead the development of tools such as a Sustainable Procurement Database, standardized ESG evidence requirements, and contract frameworks that embed climate performance, circularity, health and safety, and accountability into supplier relationships. This work supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by promoting transparent, lower-impact supply chains, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by enabling measurable emissions reductions through procurement governance rather than relying only on voluntary commitments.
Another key focus of my work is the energy transition. Through applied research, I examine electricity demand growth from AI and data centres, renewable integration, and grid reliability, particularly in Alberta. This work supports SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) by informing how energy-intensive industries can scale while maintaining system stability and emissions integrity. I am motivated by the understanding that today’s infrastructure decisions will impact emissions, affordability, and resilience for decades.
I also serve as President of a graduate-level sustainable energy program, where I design speaker series, technical site visits, and mentorship initiatives that connect students with industry and policy leaders. This work supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by strengthening pathways into climate-relevant careers and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by lowering barriers for first-generation, international, and working students.
Equity is a core principle in my work. Through community leadership and International Women’s Day programming, I create platforms that elevate under-represented voices, particularly Muslim women, in business, policy, and STEM. These efforts support SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by combining visibility with mentorship, networks, and tangible opportunities.
I believe sustainability must be durable to have lasting impact. By embedding climate action, equity, and accountability into organizational systems, I aim to help build solutions that endure beyond individual projects, roles, or political cycles.
What are the ways in which you curate connection?
I curate connection by intentionally designing spaces—formal and informal—where people with different expertise, lived experiences, and levels of power can collaborate toward shared outcomes. My work spans local and global contexts, from organizing small-scale mentorship and speaker events to convening multi-stakeholder conversations across industry, academia, and community organizations.
As President of a graduate-level sustainable energy program, I build connections locally through industry speaker series, technical site visits, and peer mentorship, linking students with utilities, policymakers, and infrastructure practitioners.
Globally, I align sustainability, procurement, legal, engineering, and supplier stakeholders around shared evidence and risk frameworks to enable collaboration across organizations and regions.
In community spaces, including International Women’s Day programming, I convene leaders from business, policy, and STEM, while creating accessible entry points for students and early-career professionals.
Stakeholders in this work include students, faculty, utilities, consultants, suppliers, policymakers, community organizations, and under-represented professionals. I prioritize trust, clarity, and reciprocity by setting expectations early, listening actively, and ensuring participants see how their input shapes outcomes. I approach my role as facilitative rather than directive, allowing collective needs and community voices to guide priorities.
Student leadership transformed my approach. Feedback from first-generation and working students revealed that even well-intentioned programs could unintentionally exclude them due to scheduling, cost, or assumed prior knowledge. Listening to these experiences led me to prioritize accessibility, plain language, and flexibility in my engagement design. This shift reinforced that meaningful connection requires creating conditions for full participation and influence, not just visibility.
What role will connection play in your future work?
Connection will be foundational to my future work, as sustainable development is not only a technical challenge but also a coordination challenge. Progress in climate action, energy transition, and inclusive growth relies on diverse actors aligning incentives, sharing knowledge, and collaborating across sectors and regions.
In development, connection serves as essential infrastructure. It links policy to implementation, communities to decision-makers, and innovation to scale. Without strong connections among governments, industry, communities, researchers, and civil society, even well-designed solutions remain fragmented or inequitable. Connection builds trust, reduces duplication, and ensures interventions reflect real needs rather than top-down assumptions.
To drive lasting change, connection must be intentional and focused on outcomes.
This requires building relationships that last beyond individual projects, creating shared decision-making frameworks, and investing in translators—individuals and institutions that bridge technical, cultural, and power divides. The most impactful connections occur between those with different perspectives, resources, and authority.
Connection must drive the future of sustainable and inclusive development. When communities are meaningfully involved in policy processes, development becomes more equitable and resilient. Connecting industry, academia, and government through shared evidence and accountability accelerates responsible climate solutions. In my future work, I aim to design systems—through procurement, research, and convening—that make collaboration standard practice. Embedding connection into decision-making enables a shift from isolated interventions to lasting, system-level change beyond funding cycles and political timelines.
More Top 30s from 2025
