Fereshteh Forough is a Tech for Good pioneer and one of the Top 100 Most Impactful People Shaping Crypto (2024), pioneering financial inclusion for women in conflict zones through blockchain and digital payments.

Born an Afghan refugee in Iran, Fereshteh earned her Bachelor's in Computer Science from Herat University and her Master's from the Technical University of Berlin. In 2015, she founded Code to Inspire (CTI), Afghanistan's first coding school for women, one of the earliest organizations globally to accept cryptocurrency donations and leverage stable coins and digital wallets as tools for economic empowerment.

CTI has since trained over 1,180 women in coding, graphic design, and financial technology, enabling them to earn and receive income remotely in a country where traditional banking excludes them entirely, redefining what financial infrastructure means for the world's most invisible women.