In 2013, Shah Rafayat Chowdhury approached 5 of his friends in school to discuss starting an organization that works towards empowering marginalized communities across Bangladesh. At the age of 17, Shah along with his friends started Footsteps with a mission to design social ventures which would ultimately solve many of the world's most challenging social issues. An environmentalist and economist by profession, Shah believed that every person has the potential to solve their own social issues given the right set of skills and resources. Since 2013, Footsteps has acted as a catalyst for hundreds of marginalized communities in helping them overcome their social challenges by building their capacity and potential.