Women in Business Leadership Scholarship

2024 Women in Business Scholarship Winner

Dareen Khairi

The Zonta Foothills Foundation is pleased to introduce, Dareen Khairi, our 2024 Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship winner.

Dareen went on to be named a Zonta International Foundation winner, and was awarded a total of $11,000!

Dareen Khairi is a first-year MBA candidate at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is also a Financial Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Lab, contributing her expertise to the Power Systems Engineering Center, the Joint Institute for Strategic Analysis Center, and various State, Local, Tribal Department of Energy programs.

Passionate about empowering and connecting women, Dareen actively seeks opportunities to foster inclusive environments and support gender equality initiatives within her community and professional circles.

What is the Women in Business Leadership Scholarship?

The Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award acknowledges and celebrates women who demonstrate exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical conduct and make significant contributions to their respective industries while addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate justice. First awarded in 1998, as The JMK Scholarship, this award encourages women to drive innovation and impact in the business world.

How does the Women in Business Leadership Scholarship work?

Women, aged 18-35 at the time of application, who demonstrate evidence of the following, are eligible to apply.

  • Exceptional leadership in a business-related field of study or industry.

  • Entrepreneurial spirit.

  • Ethical conduct.

  • Significant contributions to addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate justice.

    The Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County selects a local winner to receive their $5,000 scholarship. This business student is then considered for additional scholarship funding at both the district and international levels. The District 12 winner, selected from a four-state region (CO, MT, SD, WY), moves on to compete for one of 10 Zonta International Foundation awards of $10,000, and a complimentary one-year supporting membership in Zonta International for the next financial year.

The official application is at the link below. Download and send your complete application to president@zontafoothills.org by 5:00 pm on Friday, August 29, 2025. Our winner will be announced by September 19th. More information is available here.