Mashal Zahra is a multidisciplinary research strategist, educator, and designer who works at the intersection of people, systems, and stories. Over the past eight years, she has navigated educational, nonprofit, and community-based spaces with a commitment to making design more conscious, human, and accessible. With a background in textiles and more than seven years of experience teaching undergraduate design in Pakistan, Mashal has taught and developed courses in design development, color theory, and design strategy. She has collaborated with national skills training program led by the education ministry of Pakistan to design courses to empower youth from marginalized communities through inclusive and accessible design education.

Mashal’s practice is grounded in storytelling, circularity, and connecting humans to more-than-human ecologies. She is drawn to projects that foster social impact, celebrate community craft, and strengthen craft-based economies. Her nonprofit work includes supporting female artisans and building systems that promote economic uplift through community-centered initiatives. She cares deeply about material, memory, and the small details that bring design to life. Curiosity drives her, collaboration energizes her, and she thrives when working with people committed to building a more equitable future.