Born in East Africa of Indian parentage and expelled from her country during a time of political turmoil in her youth, Amber Chand has developed a profound interest in issues affecting women’s empowerment and economic security around the world, and in the role of business as a transformational agent for social change and peace building.
She is the Founder of The Women’s Peace Collection, a social enterprise that supports women’s micro-enterprises primarily in regions of conflict and post-conflict, offering high quality, meaningful gifts created by talented craftswomen who are rebuilding their lives in the shadows of war, genocide, civil strife and crippling poverty. The Women’s Peace Collection works with artisans in areas such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Burma, Cambodia, Israel, Palestine, Colombia, Bolivia, Rwanda, Kenya, Sudan and Nepal.
To support this work further, she is also the co-founder of Prosperity Candle, a social enterprise that supports women as entrepreneur candle makers in regions such as Haiti, Rwanda and Iraq. She has also launched The 100 Women: 100 Hopes Campaign in Darfur, an initiative that supports women who are struggling in one of the largest refugee camps in Western Darfur to earn a dignified livelihood under extremely challenging circumstance.
The Amber Chand Foundation was created in 2009, as a vehicle to offer women in these regions micro finance grants to create and grow their enterprises. In 2008 she was inducted into the Business Women’s Hall of Fame by Baypath College, her Rwanda journals were published by Marie Claire Magazine, and Inc Magazine voted her entrepreneur of the month.
Most recently she is performing nationally in the one woman theatre show she wrote, “Searching for the Moon: A Heroine’s Journey, Tales of Love, Despair, Faith and Forgiveness”, directed by Jayne Atkinson. She has performed and spoken at Linkage’s Global Institute for Leadership Development. She is an active member of the Business Advisory Council for Women for Women International, a global organization supporting women in regions of conflict.