Staff
Mishal Junaid
Director of Content Creation
Mishal Junaid, a flourishing creative artist and Sophomore at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, has joined Empower Sports Academy as Director of Content Creation. Engaging in philanthropy from an early age, Mishal recognizes the transformative power of education for women and girls in Pakistan. Her involvement with Developments in Literacy (DIL) and now her collaborative efforts with her sister, Alisha Junaid, exemplify her commitment to empowering female athletes in Pakistan.
In her role at Empower, Mishal spearheads content creation, contributing her writing prowess to blogs, official letters, website content, press releases, marketing brochures, presentations, and collaborative fundraising communication with the USA team. As an athlete herself with experiences in competitive swimming, half marathons, and ultimate frisbee, Mishal intimately understands the pivotal role sports play in empowering women. Her dedication to dismantling discrimination and bias brings a dynamic perspective to the Empower Sports Academy, driving the vision of women achieving their full potential.
Zerlina Duraid
Health Services Coordinator
Zerlina Duraid is a committed young activist living in Islamabad, Pakistan. As she aligns with the ideology Empower stands for, she has joined the team as a health services coordinator, as well as supervises the base operations occurring in Pakistan. With her heavy interest and expertise in the medical field, Zerlina aims to provide women in sports access to free healthcare such as regular checkups, physical therapy, and mental health services.
Zerlina has grown up playing sports her whole life and has also always had a keen interest in social work, specifically dedicating herself to projects executed by women for women. These aspirations led her to run a successful Green Marathon in Karachi alongside Mishal Junaid in the year 2021. Using her experience, she hopes to work with Empower and improve the image, quality, and representation of women’s sports in Pakistan.
Staff in Pakistan
- Azra Farooq (Assistant Coach)
- Muqaddas Bukhari (Assistant Coach)
- Khizran Fatima (Social media intern)
