Dian Alyan, GiveLight Foundation Founder & CEO

04/11/21 • 54 min

Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

“If you have a compelling mission, you can really mobilize and galvanize the community.”

Dian Alyan founded the GiveLight Foundation (GiveLight.org) after the 2004 tsunami, where she lost many loved ones. Dian was inspired to provide for children going through similar devastation around the world. GiveLight is a non-profit creating high quality homes and education for global orphans. What began as one home for 50 children has now expanded to support over 1,000 orphans in 11 countries globally — with a goal of housing 10,000 children in response to natural disasters, poverty, and war. GiveLight has responded to crises in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Morocco.

Prior to founding Givelight - Dian spent a decade as the Outreach Director for the Muslim Community Association in the San Francisco bay area. And Dian got her start at P&G in brand management in beauty and healthcare brands across Asia. Dian’s work with GiveLight has garnered awards and engagements from Fortune 500s + prominent universities, and has been featured in Newsweek, the Huffington Post, and many other media outlets. She lives in the San Francisco bay area, a mother of two - but she considers all children GiveLight reaches as a part of her family. Learn more about how YOU can help at GiveLight.org

“If you have a compelling mission, you can really mobilize and galvanize the community.”

Previous Episode

Charlotte Otto, P&G’s former Global External Relations Officer

“Be intellectually honest in any decision - otherwise you only see the answer that you want to see.”

Charlotte Otto served as P&G’s Global External Relations Officer for thirteen years, and later as Senior Corporate Advisor to PR industry leader Weber Shandwick for six years. At P&G - Charlotte led the company's external relations activities worldwide - including media relations, employee + shareholder communications, government +community relations, and corporate contributions. Charlotte led a 33 year career at P&G, rising through the ranks of Brand Management and Corporate Comms, and was the trusted counselor to five P&G CEOs. In fact, Charlotte was P&G’s first female corporate officer. Charlotte has received numerous industry accolades - including being named Woman of the Year AND Corporate Woman of the Year by the Cincinnati Enquirer, as well as receiving the Matrix Award for Public Relations, and the prestigious Paladin award. Charlotte’s a proud Purdue Alum, where she received her Bachelors and Masters — and she even studied at the Culinary Institute of America. In a great conversation about intention - and serendipity - you’ll learn about the power of embracing a path never imagined, and removing our own blinders to be truly intellectually honest and objective about whatever situations we may face.

Next Episode

2021: A Preview of WHO's Next...

“People are the driving force that bring the brand to life...”
To mark our first year of amazing conversations with so many P&G Alumni Leaders - we take a quick (much needed) break to reflect, and share a preview of WHO's coming next. You’ll hear the voices of future guests from the NBA, Sanofi, Coty, the PGA, the Gap, Visa, Google, Diageo, Papa John’s, Chipotle, accomplished entrepreneurs, and many more of P&G’s biggest leaders from around the world. We can’t wait for you to hear what’s next, so be sure to leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app, and share Learnings from Leaders with all your friends - whether or not they worked at P&G :)