Kauthar Rahman

Kauthar Rahman is Chief Operating and Financial Officer of Meridian Institute. With more than a decade of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, Kauthar brings a long history of purpose-driven work to her role at Meridian, leveraging her expertise to lead organizational strategy and implementation, finance and accounting, human resources, legal and business compliance, risk management, information technology, and operations.

In addition to her role as Chief Operating and Financial Officer of Meridian Institute, Kauthar serves as Vice President of both Meridian Prime, a 501c3 organization that supports programs and initiatives through fiscal sponsorship and advisory services and Meridian Implementation Fund, a 501c4 organization that advocates for legislative action on policies that improve lives, the environment, and the economy.

Before joining Meridian, Kauthar served as Chief Operating Officer of Juvenile Law Center, a nonprofit, public interest law firm that fights for rights, dignity, equity, and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems. During her tenure, Kauthar was responsible for leading all aspects of the organization’s financial and operational components, including organizational strategy, finance and accounting, human resources, facility master-planning, and operations functions. She also led special projects aimed at enhancing operational and programmatic excellence, as well as strengthening Board governance. Kauthar has held key nonprofit leadership and operations roles with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, FAVOR Upstate (formerly FAVOR Greenville), and the American Red Cross.

Kauthar received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cheyney University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Brenau University. She has served on multiple professional boards and committees and currently serves as the Board Chair for Clover Montessori, a Montessori school committed to providing children with an education that reflects the diversity of our world and empowers children to be global citizens who seek justice.

Kauthar lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two children. An ardent advocate for equity, fairness, and access to opportunity, Kauthar remains dedicated to creating positive change and fostering a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.