My Story

I spent over fifteen years at Harvard University and The World Bank Group, striving for women’s empowerment while struggling to empower myself.

From the outside, I had all the indicators of an “empowered” and “successful” woman. I even started college at the age of 14, had my first assignment at The World Bank by 18, and began my graduate studies at Harvard by the time I was 22.

On the inside, it was a different story. I had no idea who I was and always feared that I was not enough. I was caught in an endless cycle of overachieving, over-giving, people-pleasing, and perfectionism.

For years, I did my best to break free, but I continued to struggle mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Then, in 2016, I had a major breakthrough.

I realized that I had been treating the symptoms in my life and our world — a world that was never designed with women’s thriving in mind and was leaving women (including myself) emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually drained.

I knew that I needed to go deeper and I committed to shedding anything and everything that held me back from living in alignment with my inner being.

This led me to a new path and one where I could finally embody the power that I always had within me.

I began to thrive and flow with ease and joy and I started helping women leaders do the same.

And now, I am on a mission to inspire more women to remember and embody their power and lead a new chapter in our history as women and human beings.

I am the author of “The Womenifesto: A Call for Women to Remember, Come Together, and Birth a New World Order” and the bi-weekly “Thrive Letters”, where I provide inspired guidance to help women thrive, while leading and redesigning our world into one that supports everyone’s thriving.

I invite you to read “The Womenifesto”, subscribe to the “Thrive Letters”, and join this growing community of powerful and thriving women.

I am looking forward to connecting with you!

Professional Bio

Dr. Maliheh Paryavi is a women’s leadership and empowerment thought leader and advisor.

She is the author of “The Womenifesto: A Call for Women to Remember, Come Together, and Birth a New World Order” and the bi-weekly “Thrive Letters”, where she brings together intellectual rigor, spiritual insights, and behavioral strategies to help women thrive and while leading and designing our world for the better.

Maliheh has served as a strategic advisor to a diverse portfolio of women leaders, guiding them through periods of uncertainty and expansion, while elevating their impact-driven businesses and organizations to significantly higher levels of success. She also hosted “The Dr. Maliheh Paryavi Podcast”, which features her authentic and powerful conversations with the following world-renowned pioneers: Angela Duckworth, Iris Bohnet, Anousheh Ansari, Susan David, Christiane Northrup, Amaney Jamal, Valerie Jarrett, Kristin Neff, Tina Tchen, and Alexandra Carter.

Additionally, Maliheh spent years consulting for the World Bank Group, working to advance women’s entrepreneurship while analyzing human and organizational behaviors and challenges, and building the capacity of leaders and teams in diverse cultural settings.

She holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University with expertise in behavioral and experimental economics and gender differences in decision-making. Maliheh also holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from the Harvard Kennedy School and undergraduate degrees in economics and finance from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has also served as a fellow for the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Editor in Chief of the Women's Policy Journal of Harvard.

Selected Thought Leadership

Thrive Letters

1. “What Every Woman Needs to Read”, March 7, 2024

2. “Four Keys to Embodying Self-Compassion”, February 8, 2024

3. “Six Essential Reminders for Navigating Difficult Transitions”, April 6, 2023

4. “A Leader’s Guide to Processing and Overcoming Negative Feedback”, April 21, 2022

5. “Celebrating Women Isn’t Enough, Here’s How You Can Support Them”, March 8, 2022

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The Dr. Maliheh Paryavi Podcast

1. “What are the Keys to Success?” with Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit

2. “How to Close the Gender Gap in Leadership” with Harvard University’s Professor Iris Bohnet

3. “How to Thrive with Emotional Courage” with Dr. Susan David, Harvard Medical School psychologist and bestselling author of Emotional Agility

4. “How to Find Your Voice” with Valerie Jarrett, former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama

5. “On Asking for More from Negotiations, Our Lives, and Our World” with Alexandra Carter, Columbia Law School Professor, and bestselling author of Ask for More: Ten Questions to Negotiate Anything

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Research

1. “Women Lean Back When Representing Others in Competitions”, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 2024.

2. “Women Don’t Avoid Competition: They Avoid Competing Against Men - Experimental Evidence from Kenya”, 2023, Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group (with Francisco Campos and Indhira Santos)

3. “Descriptive Norms and Gender Diversity: Reactance from Men”, Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 2019 (with Iris Bohnet and Alexandra van Geen)

4. “Profiting from Parity: Unlocking the Potential of Women’s Businesses in Africa: Main Report”, World Bank Group, 2019 (with Francisco Campos, Indhira Santos, and others)

5. “Essays on Gender and Decision Making in Political Economy” (Dissertation), Harvard University, 2016

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