Sheryl WuDunn

Sheryl WuDunn is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, journalist, and former business executive. She is best known for her book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, co-written with her husband and fellow journalist, Nicholas Kristof. WuDunn and Kristof have been hailed as a dynamic writing duo, bringing crucial attention to global humanitarian crises faced by women throughout the world.

WuDunn was born in Tokyo, Japan, and grew up in a Chinese-American family. She earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University and a master's degree in business from Columbia University. WuDunn went on to work as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and then as a vice president at Salomon Brothers. From 1988 to 1995, she worked as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, reporting from Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

In 1999, WuDunn and Kristof published their first book together, China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power. It delved into the economic and social changes that had taken place in China during WuDunn's time as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, and was both a critical and a commercial success. The book won the George Polk Award for best international reporting and the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence.

In 2009, WuDunn and Kristof released Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. In the book, WuDunn and Kristof touched upon a variety of issues related to the oppression of women, such as gender-based violence, labor exploitation, and sex trafficking. Through powerful personal stories, they illustrate the need for organizations, charities, and individuals to unite in order to fight oppressive conditions. In 2010, the book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction. The New York Times also selected Half the Sky as one of the best books of the year.

In addition to Half the Sky, WuDunn has authored two other books - A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity (2014) and Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope (2020). WuDunn and Kristof also served as executive producers and co-authors of a television documentary series based on Half the Sky. The series, which aired on PBS in 2012, won several awards and was seen by millions of viewers around the world.

When it comes to her life’s work, WuDunn has said, “My goal has been to draw attention to women’s empowerment and the broader issue of global human rights, so that more people will not only become aware of the issues but be motivated to do something about them.” As a result of her efforts, WuDunn has been recognized with numerous accolades, including being named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2009 and being inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2014.

Sheryl WuDunn continues to draw attention to crucial issues facing the world today and make a lasting impact on people's lives. She has successfully combined her passions for writing, humanitarianism, and international affairs to create powerful narratives that are both meaningful and inspiring.