OUR FOUNDER
Alisha Junaid is an exceptional athlete, entrepreneur, and changemaker redefining women’s sports in Pakistan. Born and raised in California, she founded Empower Sports Academy in 2022, a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with a mission to create equal opportunities for girls in sports. Under her leadership, Empower has built a diverse board of global experts, trained and certified coaches across Pakistan, and partnered with the Pakistan Volleyball Federation and Higher Education Commission to launch groundbreaking national tournaments.That encounter changed everything. Inspired, Alisha dreamed of trying out for the national team, but she also saw the stark reality: Pakistani girls had the passion, but not the resources. With 50 million girls under 20, the country held immense untapped potential.
Designing Futures, On and Off the Court
Alisha’s experience blends athleticism with creativity and business acumen. She has served as an assistant coach and social media coordinator at Academy Volleyball Club in California, developed training programs, and led digital campaigns. Her professional journey also includes internships at M. Designs Architects in Silicon Valley and Amir Adnan in Karachi, where she honed her skills in marketing, operations, and design.
A passionate advocate for youth leadership, Alisha has spoken at TEDx Mountain View, led OPEN Silicon Valley and OPEN Global Youth as President, and received the USAID Youth Leadership Award (2023). She completed high school a year early at Khan Lab School, a pioneering institution founded by Sal Khan of Khan Academy, where she served as a founding student and head of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
Athlete, Leader, Trailblazer
Beyond her role as Founder and CEO, Alisha is also a setter for Pakistan’s National Volleyball Team, where she earned the Best Women’s Setter of Pakistan (2023) award. In 2024, she led Empower in organizing the country’s first-ever nationwide girls’ volleyball tournament, engaging more than 600 young athletes across four cities, and helped coordinate international tours for Pakistani women’s teams to Turkey, Italy, and Bangladesh.
Living Boldly Beyond Boundaries
Currently pursuing a degree in Business Entrepreneurship at Babson College, Alisha continues to balance academics, athletics, and nonprofit leadership. Outside of volleyball and studies, she enjoys stock trading, traveling, and motorcycling, pursuits that reflect her fearless, entrepreneurial spirit.
