W. David Baird Distinguished Lecture Series: Connie Duckworth

Connie Duckworth 
"An Evening with Connie Duckworth"

Wednesday, January 21, 2014
Elkins Auditorium, 5:00 p.m. 

Social entrepreneur Connie K. Duckworth founded ARZU, which means "hope" in Dari, in 2004 to empower destitute women weavers in rural Afghanistan. From 30 weavers, ARZU has grown into a learning laboratory for holistic grassroots economic development. Today, ARZU marks its 10th anniversary and employs some 700 Afghans; creates award-winning fair-labor rugs; provides access to education and basic healthcare; and benefits the larger community by operating women's centers, pre-schools and parks.

Ms. Duckworth retired in 2001 as a Partner and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, the first woman to be named a sales and trading partner in the firm's history. For the past decade, she has focused her business lens in roles as a corporate director, author and activist. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee and on the Boards of Directors of Steelcase, Inc. in Grand Rapids, MI and Russell Investments in Seattle. On the philanthropic side, she is a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, an Overseer of The Wharton School, a board member and former Chairman of NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, IL, and a board member of the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago. The recipient of numerous awards for leadership, advocacy, social impact and innovation, Ms. Duckworth holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from the University of Texas. She is the happily married mother of four children ages 18-24.