2020 Luminaries Include:
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala a global finance expert, is an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Currently, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation. Previously, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, from 2003-2006, 2011-2015, and briefly Foreign Minister in 2006, the first woman to hold both positions.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Former Nigerian Minister of Finance and Gavi board member
David Malpass
David R. Malpass was selected as 13th President of the World Bank Group by its Board of Executive Directors on April 5, 2019. Mr. Malpass previously served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs for the United States. He represented the United States in international settings, including the G-7 and G-20 Deputy Finance Ministerial.
David Malpass
President of the World Bank
Christiana Figueres
Christiana Figueres is an internationally recognized leader on climate change. She was Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2010 to 2016. During her tenure at the UNFCCC, Ms. Figueres brought together national and sub-national governments, corporations and activists, financial institutions and NGOs to jointly deliver the historic Paris Agreement on climate change.
Christiana Figueres
Costa Rican diplomat and former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
Mauricio Claver-Carone
Mauricio Claver-Carone is President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He was Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council. Previously, he was also U.S. Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund and Senior Advisor for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Mauricio Claver-Carone
President, Inter-American Development Bank
Iyinoluwa "E" Aboyeji
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is the General Partner and Co-founder of Future Africa, a platform that provides capital, coaching and community for mission-driven innovators building an African Future where purpose and prosperity is within everyone's reach. Prior to co-founding Future Africa, he served as the Deputy Director-General for the Madam Oby Ezekwesili 2019 Presidential Campaign.
Iyinoluwa "E" Aboyeji
General Partner and Co-founder, Future Africa
Cherrie De Erit Atilano
Cherrie is the President and Founding Farmer of AGREA Philippines. She is also a co-founder of HATIENDA Holdings Inc., producing Filipino agricultural products for local and exports markets. She was awarded the EARTH Mover Award of RAPPLER and one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation Service (TOWNS) 2016.
Cherrie De Erit Atilano
Founding Farmer/President & CEO of AGREA Agricultural System International, Inc.
Yvonne Arunga
Save the Children has three core strands to its work: children’s education, health and protection. As Regional Programs and Operations Director for East and Central Africa, Yvonne Arunga holds operations teams accountable for implementing programs effectively, spending donor funds appropriately, and delivering humanitarian responses to disasters and emergencies.
Yvonne Arunga
Regional Programs and Operations Director for East and Central Africa, Save the Children
Nazanin Ash
Nazanin Ash is the Vice President of Global Policy and Advocacy at the International Rescue Committee. The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid organization that offers emergency aid and long-term assistance to people in crisis in over 40 countries and resettles refugees in 28 U.S. cities.
Nazanin Ash
Vice President of Global Policy & Advocacy, International Rescue Committee
Shaida Badiee
Shaida Badiee is a managing director of Open Data Watch, an NGO focused on monitoring and promoting open data in national statistical offices. She has been an active member of the UN Secretary General’s advisory group on data revolution and co-chairs the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Data Network.
Shaida Badiee
Managing Director, Open Data Watch
Alexis Bonnell
At Google Cloud, Alexis helps organizations apply technology and digitization as catalysts to support their impact and mission. Previously, she was Chief Innovation Officer of the U.S. Agency for International Development, driving innovative approaches to partnerships, technologies, financial, organizational and behavior models, and change management. She was an early champion of the use of technology and novel management approaches to empower remote workforces.
Alexis Bonnell
Senior Business Executive and Emerging Technology Evangelists, Google Cloud
Joe Cannataci
Prof. Joe Cannataci is the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. He is the Head of the Department of Information Policy and Governance at the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences of the University of Malta. He also holds the Chair of European Information Policy and Technology Law at the University of Groningen.
Joe Cannataci
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy
Dr. Dennis Carroll
Dr. Dennis Carroll has over 30 years of leadership experience in global health and development. Until recently he served as the Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Threats Division. He currently heads the Global Virome Project, an international partnership to build the systems and capacities to detect and characterize future viral threats while they are still circulating in wildlife - enabling the world to better prepare before they spill over into us.
Dr. Dennis Carroll
Senior Advisor, Global Health Security, URC & Chair, Global Virome Project
Rahul Chandran
Rahul Chandran was formerly a Senior Policy Adviser with the Centre for Policy Research at United Nations University in Tokyo. His previous experience covers the areas of peacekeeping, development and humanitarianism, as well as U.N. reform. He currently serves on the Consortium Advisory Group for the U.K. Department for International Development’s Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium.
Rahul Chandran
Former Senior Policy Adviser, Centre for Policy Research
Harpinder Collacott
Harpinder Collacott is responsible for ensuring that the organization is working towards its vision: a world without poverty and with greater human security. Development Initiatives’ role is to make sure that data and evidence are prioritized and used to inform decisions on the allocation of resources – focusing on reducing poverty and increasing people’s resilience to crisis.
Harpinder Collacott
Executive Director, Development Initiatives
Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis is a film writer and director, responsible for films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Mr Bean, Love Actually, and most recently About Time and Yesterday. In the other half of Richard’s life he is co-founder and vice-chair of Comic Relief. He has created the fundraising event Red Nose Day, which has made over £1.3 Billion for projects in the UK and internationally.
Richard Curtis
Screenwriter, producer, and film director | Advocate for “communicating the SDGs”
Jack Dangermond
Jack Dangermond is the founder and president of Esri, the world’s sixth largest privately held software company. Esri is widely recognized as the technical and market leader in geographic information systems, or GIS, pioneering innovative solutions for working with spatial data. The company transformed landscape architecture as well as urban and regional planning and revolutionized the science and technology of geographic data collection.
Jack Dangermond
President, Esri
Delese Mimi Darko
Delese Mimi Darko’s 28-year career encompasses regulation of food, drugs, clinical trials, marketing authorization, and post approval safety monitoring of medicines, cosmetics, household chemicals and medical devices. In 2017, she became the first female chief executive of the Ghanian FDA. She chairs WHO’s African Vaccine Regulatory Forum and serves on several international and local committees.
Delese Mimi Darko
Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Food and Drugs Authority
Obi Felten
At X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory, Obi has worked on projects such as Loon (internet from balloons), Wing (drone delivery) and Malta (sustainable energy storage using molten salt). Most recently Obi was the project lead for Amber, a team developing prototype technologies to better measure mental health. She is an advocate for women and other underrepresented groups in tech.
Obi Felten
Head of Getting Moonshots Ready for Contact with the Real World, X
Amb. Mark Green
Ambassador Mark Green (ret.) is the executive director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership. Previously, Green served as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), president of the International Republican Institute, and senior director at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Green also served as the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania (2007-2009) and a Member of Congress representing Wisconsin’s 8th District (1999-2007).
Mark Green
Executive Director, The McCain Institute of Arizona State University
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an expert in indigenous peoples’ adaptation to climate change, traditional ecological knowledge, and climate change mitigation strategies. She is Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change. From a Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad, Ms. Ibrahim founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and works to empower indigenous voices and ensure their inclusion on international platforms.
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Climate Activist, Geographer and President of AFPAT
Nmachi Jidenma
Nmachi Jidenma leads global strategy and business development at WhatsApp Inc, the world's leader in mobile messaging with over 2 billion monthly users. In this role, she leads WhatsApp's strategy and business development efforts to drive monetization and build an ecosystem of business messaging partners worldwide.
Nmachi Jidenma
Strategy & Business Development Lead, WhatsApp Inc.
Maria Ruth Jones
Maria Jones is a Survey Specialist in the Impact Evaluation (DIME) unit at the World Bank. She coordinates DIME Analytics, an initiative to increase and standardize data quality, and works on agricultural impact evaluations. Her main interests are in research methods and agricultural technology adoption. She created and runs DIME’s annual Manage Successful Impact Evaluations course and the DIME Wiki.
Maria Ruth Jones
Survey Specialist, Impact Evaluation, World Bank
Florian Kemmerich
Florian Kemmerich helps position healthcare and life science start-ups in the competitive global marketplace. His passion is around impact investment and effective personal development methodologies to create high-performance teams, whereby many members have become successful executives and entrepreneurs themselves. Florian founded a medical education foundation in Mexico while supporting many NGOs, patient advocacy groups, and extramural surgery programs in Central-America’s most remote locations.
Florian Kemmerich
Managing Partner, Bamboo Capital Partners
Dr. Sanjeev Khagram
Dr. Sanjeev Khagram is a world-renowned expert in global leadership, political economy, sustainable development, and the data revolution. He has worked extensively with global start-ups, corporations, governments, nonprofit organizations, cross-sectoral action networks, public-private partnerships, foundations, and universities worldwide.
Dr. Sanjeev Khagram
Director General and Dean, Thunderbird School of Global Management, and ASU Foundation Professor of Global Leadership
Alexandria Lafci
Alexandria has more than a decade of work, academic, and volunteer experience in domestic and international development. She has taught in inner city D.C., led financial capacity building efforts in rural Central America, and briefed African heads of state on poverty alleviation through land reform. Alexandria is a Y-Combinator alum and, in 2016, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Alexandria Lafci
Co-founder and COO of New Story
Eric LeCompte
Eric LeCompte is the Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network, a development coalition of more than 700 religious groups and US organizations. He is also a member of expert working groups to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.
Eric LeCompte
Executive Director, Jubilee USA Network
Ladipo Eso “LADIPOE”
LADIPOE is a Nigerian rapper and recording artist heralded for his lyricism, unmatched flow, and adept songwriting. His nickname is “Leader of the Revival,” alluding to the breath of fresh air his sound and performance style brings to the African rap landscape. A true pioneer of Nigerian Afro-fusion music, his versatility and flair as a rapper challenges the typical perceptions of artistry.
Ladipo Eso “LADIPOE”
Rapper and Recording Artist
Dr. Syra Madad
Syra Madad, D.H.Sc., M.Sc., MCP is a nationally recognized leader and epidemiologist in public health and special pathogen preparedness and response. She is Senior Director, System-wide Special Pathogens and Program Principal Investigator, Institute of Diseases and Disaster Management for NYC Health + Hospitals. In addition, Dr. Madad is the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).
Dr. Syra Madad
Senior Director, System-wide Special Pathogens, NYC Health + Hospitals
Professor Address Mauakowa Malata
Professor Address Mauakowa Malatta (PhD, MSc, BSc, FAAN), Vice-Chancellor of Malawi University of Science and Technology, has spearheaded the development and implementation of numerous degrees, and facilitated capacity building for faculty and staff in various fields. She is an advocate for girls and women empowerment through education, and her research focuses on maternal and newborn health, quality of care, health workforce and innovation and technology.
Professor Address Mauakowa Malata
Vice Chancellor, Malawi University of Science and Technology
Laura McGorman
Laura McGorman is the Global Policy Lead for Facebook’s Data for Good Portfolio, which focuses on sharing privacy preserving datasets with nonprofits and researchers to address crises. Prior to joining Facebook, Laura held positions during the Obama Administration at the US Department of Commerce, Opower, the World Bank and USAID. She has a BA from Columbia University and a Masters in Development Economics from Harvard.
Laura McGorman
Global Policy Lead, Facebook Data for Good Portfolio
DeRay Mckesson
DeRay Mckesson is a civil rights activist focused primarily on issues of innovation, equity and justice. Born and raised in Baltimore, he graduated from Bowdoin College and holds honorary doctorates from The New School and the Maryland Institute College of Art.
DeRay Mckesson
Educator. Activist. Author.
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe
Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe is a businesswoman, philanthropist and a mother of 3 boys, who started her career in medicine. Together with her husband, Dr Patrice Motsepe, she founded the Motsepe Foundation in 1999, and in 2013 they became the first couple from Africa to join the Giving Pledge.
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe
Co-founder, Deputy-chairperson & CEO of the Motsepe Foundation
Dr. David Nabarro
Dr. David Nabarro supports systems leadership for sustainable development through his Switzerland based social enterprise 4SD. David is currently Special Envoy of WHO Director General on COVID-19. He secured his medical qualification in 1974, and has worked in over 50 countries – in communities and hospitals, governments, civil society, universities, and in United Nations (UN) programs.
Dr. David Nabarro
Special Envoy, WHO Director-General on COVID-19
Stavros Nicolaou
Stavros Nicolaou was instrumental in introducing the first generic antiretrovirals on the African Continent developed by AspenPharmacare, which helped save hundreds of thousands of lives. Nicolaou has over 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and is a member of Business for South Africa Steering Committee and Chairperson of the B4SA Health Workgroup. He was re-appointed for a third term by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Board of Brand South Africa.
Stavros Nicolaou
Group Senior Executive, Strategic Trade, AspenPharmacare Holding Ltd.
Paul O’Brien
Paul O'Brien is the Vice President for Policy and Advocacy at Oxfam America, overseeing research, policy, advocacy, and campaigning to influence the US government and corporations. Before joining Oxfam in 2007, he lived in Afghanistan, working in the office of the President and the Ministry of Finance as an advisor on aid coordination, development planning, and policy reform.
Paul O’Brien
Vice President, Oxfam America
Rinu Oduala
Oduala Bolatito Rachael is an Advocate for humanity, Social worker and Brand influencer/strategist. She Holds a National Diploma (Science Lab) from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, BSC(Ed) in view, and Chemistry Education from Lagos State University. Her awards and nominations include: MyCOVID19 heroes winner, Lacasera Access Bank nominee, COVID-19 hero, Union bank nominee, COVID-19 hero Aminu Kano Awards nominee and CAHR awards, 2020.
Rinu Oduala
Brand Strategist, Advocate for Humanity
Geoffrey W.S. Okamoto
Mr. Okamoto became First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF in March 2020. Previously, he was U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Finance and Development, overseeing global financial markets and coordinating with the G-7, G-20, Financial Stability Board and international financial institutions on regional and bilateral economic issues. Previously, he was the U.S. Treasury’s Acting Under Secretary for International Affairs.
Geoffrey W.S. Okamoto
First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Yusuf Omar
Yusuf Omar is a multi-award winning journalist and Co-founder of Hashtag Our Stories, a TEDx speaker and former CNN Senior Social Media Reporter on Snapchat. Previously the Mobile Editor at the Hindustan Times in India, he empowered 750 journalists to tell stories with the phones. He has been a foreign correspondent with just his phone since 2010 and covered the Syrian civil war. At Hashtag Our Stories, he’s empowering mobile video storytelling communities around the world.
Yusuf Omar
Founder, Hashtag Our Stories
Loyce Pace
Ms. Loyce Pace, MPH, is an outspoken advocate and expert on domestic and international health issues from AIDS to Zika. With over 20 years of experience in health policy, programs, and funding, she regularly speaks to U.S. and international decision makers about the value of investing in these priorities.
Loyce Pace
President & Executive Director of the Global Health Council
Sushmita Parai
Dr. Sushmita Parai is a veterinarian with over 15 years of experience promoting community development through animal welfare. She began her career working with women dairy farmers and went on to work with communities dependent on working equines. She has been with Heifer International for six years, where she focuses on improving goat and poultry husbandry practices to increase incomes and food security of smallholder farming families.
Sushmita Parai
Senior Program Manager - Animal Wellbeing, Heifer International
Ronald T. Piervincenzi
Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., has served as Chief Executive Officer of the United States Pharmacopeia since 2014. Under his leadership, USP has modernized its operations and launched innovative new science, including in the areas of digital medicine, cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and advanced biologics. Before joining USP, Dr. Piervincenzi served as Vice President of Development Sciences with Biogen Idec, Inc., and was a partner and leader in McKinsey & Company's global pharmaceutical and medical products practice.
Ronald T. Piervincenzi
Chief Executive Officer, United States Pharmacopeia
Agnieszka Rawa
Agnieszka Rawa leads MCC’s $21.8 million Data Collaboratives for Local Impact partnership to empower people and communities to use data to improve lives and drive their own development. Prior to 2015, Agnieszka led MCC’s West Africa portfolios totaling $4 billion of investments in infrastructure and policy reform in a wide variety of sectors.
Agnieszka Rawa
Managing Director, Data Collaboratives for Local Impact, Millennium Challenge Corporation
Peter Sands
A former Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered PLC, one of the world’s leading international banks, Sands has been a research fellow at Harvard University since 2015, dividing his time between the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Global Health Institute, working on a range of research projects in financial markets and regulation, fintech and global health.
Peter Sands
Executive Director, The Global Fund
Papa Amadou Sarr
Papa Amadou Sarr is in charge of the promotion, development and financing of entrepreneurship with a particular focus on youth and women throughout Senegal. He also serves separately as a board member and chair of the audit committee of the National Investment Promotion and Major work Agency (APIX), as well as commissioner and chair of the Investment Committee of the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC).
Papa Amadou Sarr
Minister & General Delegate for Entrepreneurship, Government of Senegal
Susannah Schaefer
Susannah Schaefer is Executive Vice Chair, President, and CEO of Smile Train, an international organization empowering medical professionals to provide free cleft lip and/or palate surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. She came to Smile Train after twenty years in operational roles, bringing a vast network and experience to the team.
Susannah Schaefer
Executive Vice Chair, President & Chief Executive Officer, Smile Train
Alejandra Schrader
Alejandra Schrader is a Venezuelan-American chef, entrepreneur, and activist. Having spoken at the United Nations and the World Bank, she uses her culinary platform to promote sustainability and minimize food waste. Ms. Schrader is a “Sisters on the Planet” Ambassador for Oxfam America and a founding member of the Chefs’ Manifesto, committed to help the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Alejandra Schrader
Founding member, Chef's Manifesto
Neil Buddy Shah
Buddy was most recently CEO and Founding Partner of IDinsight, a global data analytics and research organization helping governments, NGOs and foundations maximize their social impact. He previously worked at the World Bank and MIT’s Jameel Poverty Action Lab. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves as visiting faculty for Harvard Kennedy School.
Neil Buddy Shah
Managing Director, GiveWell
Jason Shelton
Dr. Shelton is the Core Nutrition Director for Cargill Animal Nutrition, overseeing R&D for products and services that support good nutrition for animals raised in both established and emerging markets. He has lived in China, the Netherlands, Russia, and the U.S. as part of his career with Cargill and is an expert in animal nutrition across species and in farming systems across geographies and farm sizes.
Jason Shelton
Core Nutrition Director, Cargill Animal Nutrition
Janti Soeripto
Janti Soeripto is President and CEO of Save the Children. Serving over 155 million children in 120 countries, Save the Children has committed to driving down the numbers of preventable deaths of children under 5, ensuring every child gets a high-quality basic education and protecting all children from harm.
Janti Soeripto
President & Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children US
Vera Songwe
Vera Songwe is the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) at the level of Under Secretary-General. She has a wealth of experience in delivering development results for Africa, and a demonstrated clear strategic vision for the continent. Previously, she was Regional Director of the International Finance Corporation, covering West and Central Africa.
Vera Songwe
Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa
Eric Soubeiran
Eric Soubeiran is Danone’s Nature and Water Cycle Vice-President and Managing Director of the Danone Ecosystem Fund - Danone’s social innovation fund. Eric is responsible for the company’s sustainability agenda related to climate change, water resource protection, regenerative agriculture, circular economy and human rights. Eric joined Danone to start operations in the Indian subcontinent.
Eric Soubeiran
VP Nature & Water Cycle/Managing Director, Danone Ecosystem Fund
Kevin Starr
Kevin Starr leads the Mulago Foundation. Mulago finds, funds, advises, and promotes organizations with scalable solutions to poverty. Mulago’s Rainer and Henry Fellows programs teach carefully selected social entrepreneurs how to design their solutions for maximum impact at big scale. Kevin began working on the foundation in 1995 while he was still practicing medicine.
Kevin Starr
Managing Director, Mulago Foundation
Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart is a Senior Fellow at the Jackson Institute, Yale University, focusing on contemporary politics in crisis and on international development and intervention. Stewart was a British diplomat, development professional and politician, ultimately serving as Minister of State in the Foreign Office and Secretary of State for International Development. He is the author of four books, and has presented three documentaries focused on Foreign Policy.
Rory Stewart
Senior Fellow, Jackson Institute, Yale University
Mark Suzman
Mark Suzman leads the foundation's efforts to build strategic relationships with governments, private philanthropists, and other key partners to increase awareness, action, and resources devoted to foundation programs in both the U.S. and abroad. Additionally, he oversees the foundation's regional offices and strategic presence in Europe and China, as well as grant portfolios supporting cross-cutting policy research, advocacy, communications, and select country-level delivery efforts.
Mark Suzman
CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Nadya Tolokonnikova
Nadya Tolokonnikova is a conceptual artist and political activist from Russia. She is a founding member of the art collective Pussy Riot, focusing attention on feminism, LGBT rights and human rights violations at home and abroad. In August 2012, she was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment following an anti-Putin performance by Pussy Riot in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. This protest attracted international media attention and support from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna, Bjork and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Nadya Tolokonnikova
Conceptual artist, political activist, founding member of Pussy Riot
Devex Session Hosts:
Raj Kumar
Raj Kumar is the Founding President and Editor-in-Chief at Devex, the media platform for the global development community. He is a media leader and former humanitarian council chair for the World Economic Forum and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His work has led him to more than 50 countries, where he has had the honor to meet many of the aid workers and development professionals who make up the Devex community. He is the author of the book "The Business of Changing the World," a go-to primer on the ideas, people, and technology disrupting the aid industry.
Raj Kumar (EMCEE)
President & Editor-in-Chief, Devex
Vince Chadwick (EMCEE)
Vince Chadwick is the Brussels Correspondent for Devex. He covers the EU institutions, member states, and European civil society. A law graduate from Melbourne, Australia, he was social affairs reporter for The Age newspaper, before moving to Europe in 2013. He covered breaking news, the arts and public policy across the continent, including as a reporter and editor at POLITICO Europe.
Vince Chadwick (EMCEE)
Brussels Correspondent, Devex
Catherine Cheney
Catherine Cheney is a Senior Reporter for Devex. She covers the West Coast of the U.S., focusing on the role of technology, innovation, and philanthropy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine worked as a web producer for POLITICO, a reporter for World Politics Review, and helped to launch NationSwell. Catherine has reported domestically and internationally for outlets including The Atlantic and the Washington Post.
Catherine Cheney
Senior Reporter & West Coast Correspondent, Devex
— Innovation at Scale —
Lisa Cornish
Lisa Cornish is a Senior Reporter based in Canberra, where she focuses on the Australian aid community. Lisa formerly worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist for the national network and was published throughout Australia in major metropolitan and regional newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and online through news.com.au.
Lisa Cornish
Senior Reporter, Devex
— Data Revolution —
Michael Igoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
Michael Igoe
Senior Reporter, Devex
— Storytelling to Movement Building —
Adva Saldinger
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers the intersection of business and international development, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. From partnerships to trade and social entrepreneurship to impact investing, Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
Adva Saldinger
Senior Reporter & Associate Editor, Devex
— Future of Development Finance —
Teresa Welsh
Teresa Welsh has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
Teresa Welsh
Reporter, Devex
— Business Transforming Development —
Devex Moderators:
Rumbi Chakamba
Rumbi Chakamba is an Associate Editor at Devex based in Botswana, who has worked with regional and international publications including News Deeply, The Zambezian, Outriders Network, and Global Sisters Report. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of South Africa.
Rumbi Chakamba
Associate Editor, Devex
Deborah Charles
Deborah Charles is a veteran foreign and White House correspondent overseeing the global news operation at Devex, She spent more than two decades with Reuters covering coups, wars and the plight of refugees across four continents. Prior to joining Devex, she consulted for the World Bank and worked as an editor at the US State Department.
Deborah Charles
Managing Editor, Devex
Natalie Donback
Natalie Donback is an Editorial Associate and Reporter at Devex, producing content for digital series and media partnerships.. She has worked in documentary filmmaking and as a freelance journalist covering politics and culture in Swedish, English, and Spanish. She holds a bachelor's degree in development studies from Lund University and a master's in journalism.
Natalie Donback
Reporter and Editorial Associate, Devex
Jenny Lei Ravelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
Jenny Lei Ravelo
Senior Reporter, Devex
Alan Robbins
A member of the team that founded Devex, Alan Robbins is responsible for building new and innovative partnerships with all types of development actors, from aid agencies to corporations to NGOs. Whether it's through ground-breaking events, multimedia digital communications initiatives, or any of a number of ways, he enjoys helping organizations find new ways to impact development.
Alan Robbins
Executive Vice President & Co-Founder
Rebecca Root
Rebecca Root is a Reporter and Editorial Associate at Devex producing news stories, video, and podcasts as well as partnership content. She has a background in finance, travel, and global development journalism and has written for a variety of publications while living and working in New York, London, and Barcelona.
Rebecca Root
Reporter & Editorial Associate, Devex
Kate Warren
As Executive Vice President, she oversees Devex recruitment and career products and services, leading cutting-edge talent solutions for the major funding agencies, NGOs and consulting firms that make development happen. Kate also leads the strategy for career and recruiting insights content and programming across Devex and authors a popular career advice column, Ask Devex, for professionals working in global development.
