Dr. Ananya Raihan assumed the role of Chairperson of iSocial in December 2024, after serving as its Chief Executive Director since 2016.

He began his career in academia in 1993 and transitioned to policy research in 2001. That same year, he co-founded Dnet, one of Bangladesh’s first social enterprises, along with like-minded professionals. His full-time journey into social entrepreneurship began in 2005 after receiving the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship.

Dr. Raihan has consistently applied a multidisciplinary approach to decision-making and institutional development, combining expertise in mathematical modeling, economics, labour and migration studies, trade in services, entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, and digital media.

A serial social entrepreneur and policy analyst, he has contributed to shaping numerous national policies in Bangladesh. His research has informed work by organizations such as ADB, ICTSD, IDRC, ILO, Oxfam, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, and WTO-ITC, among others. He is widely published both nationally and internationally, with scholarly articles, book chapters, and research papers.

Dr. Raihan has also served on global advisory platforms, including the Institute of Development Studies’ Global Advisory Body for Knowledge Services and the Johns Hopkins 3C Collection Advisory Board for Digital Health.

Most recently, he served as a member of the Labour Reform Commission (LRC) in Bangladesh, where he led two technical committees focused on employment, skills recognition, wages, and fair share policies.