Mursal Hedayat

Last updated
Mursal Hedayat
MBE
Born
Kabul, Afghanistan
Alma mater University of Leeds (BSc)

Mursal Hedayat MBE is a British businesswoman. She was awarded the Barclays Woman in the Community Award 2021. [1]

She is the founder and CEO of tech social enterprise start-up Chatterbox, an online language school that trains and employs refugees as teachers, enabling people to take advantage of the language skills of asylum seekers [2] [3] The refugee teachers have higher education and were often qualified professionals in their countries of origin. [4] Chatterbox works with corporate clients and has gained support from British and Silicon Valley investors. [5] In 2018, Chatterbox won a ‘Next Billion’ Edtech Prize for high impact innovative technology. [6]

Hedayat is a Forbes 30 under 30 [7] and was awarded an MBE in 2021 for services to Social Enterprise, Technology and the Economy.

Early life

Hedayat was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her family fled the Taliban when she was four and took refuge in the United Kingdom, where Hedayat grew up in Camden, North London. [8] After moving between primary schools, she completed her secondary education at the Camden School for Girls, where she served as Head Girl. [9] [10] She graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Economics and Mathematics from University of Leeds in 2015. [6]

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References

  1. "Mursal Hedayat MBE - Women of the Year". www.womenoftheyear.co.uk/. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  2. "Refugee women leaders: Mursal Hedayat | UK for UNHCR". United Kingdom for UNHCR. 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  3. "Chatterbox". Refugee Investment Network. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  4. "Mursal Hedayat | Innovators Under 35". www.innovatorsunder35.com. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  5. "Mursal Hedayat". worldskillsconference.com. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  6. 1 2 Business-jadu. "Mursal Hedayat". business.leeds.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-30.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. "Mursal Hedayat". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  8. Smith, Ben (19 October 2018). "mursal hedayat - chatterbox". London on the Inside (LOTI). Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  9. Benigson, Moira (18 March 2022). ""Change is way past overdue": in conversation with Mursal Hedayat MBE, founder and CEO at Chatterbox". The MBS Group. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  10. "Mursal Hedayat". WISE. Retrieved 2021-12-30.