Devex list of young aid leaders in DC is announced

The U.S. capital has long been a major hub for the global aid community. Now, a new generation of leaders is shaping the way international relief and development assistance are being delivered. Devex is honoring 40 of these young leaders for their impact on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

“A new generation of leaders in Washington, D.C. is changing the world – fighting poverty with technology and improving lives around the world with innovative approaches,” said Raj Kumar, Devex president and chair of the 40-under-40 selection committee. “This initiative is about celebrating and supporting 40 of these inspiring young leaders to keep shaking up global development and pushing our community forward.”

For several weeks, Devex solicited nominations for its inaugural list of 40 leaders in international development aged 40 and below. Candidates had to be based in Washington, D.C., for most of the year.

The nominee’s were then scored and selected by a distinguished committee of global aid and development professionals at a selection meeting on Sept. 8 at Devex’s Washington headquarters. The selection committee included Kumar as well as Carol Lancaster, dean of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; Lawrence MacDonald, vice president of communications and policy outreach at the Center for Global Development; Bruce McNamer, president and CEO of TechnoServe; and Denielle Sachs, global communications manager in the Social Sector Office of McKinsey & Co.

The selectees represent a cross-section of the global development community and include leaders at multinational companies, founders of social enterprises, donor agency officials and executives at major non-governmental organizations.

Kumar, publicly announced the list Sept. 29 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center conference in Washington.

All honorees will be recognized at a reception held Sept. 30 at the Washington offices of McKinsey & Co.

The initiative was organized by Devex with support from Chevron Corp.

Following is the complete list of 2010 “40-under-40” international development leaders in Washington, in alphabetical order:

• Natasha Bajuk, remittances specialist, Inter-American Development Bank. • Nisha Desai Biswal, assistant administrator for Asia and Near East, U.S. Agency for International Development. • Eric Braverman, partner, McKinsey & Co. • Michael A. Clemens, senior fellow, Center for Global Development. • Jared Cohen, director, Google Ideas. • Alexa Courtney, associate, Booz Allen Hamilton. • Suzanne Ehlers, president and CEO, Population Action International. • Steve Feldstein, professional staff, Senate Foreign Relations Committee. • Jared Genser, partner, DLA Piper LLP and president, Freedom Now. • Corey Arnez Griffin, president and CEO, Global Government and Industry Partners (2GIP). • Sherri G. Kraham, managing director of cooperation & policy improvement, Millennium Challenge Corp. • Mark Lopes, deputy assistant administrator, USAID

• Noelle LuSane, staff director, House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Health and Africa.

• Fiona Macaulay, founder and president, Making Cents International. • Michael Madnick, deputy executive director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. • David McKenzie, senior economist, World Bank. • Todd Moss, vice president for corporate affairs and senior fellow, Center for Global Development. • Craig Mullaney, senior policy adviser, USAID AfPak Task Force. • Alyse Nelson, CEO, Vital Voices. • Joshua Nesbit, executive director, FrontlineSMS:Medic. • Samantha Power, director of multilateral affairs, National Security Council. • Ben Powell, founder and managing partner, Agora Partnerships. • Joshua Rogin, staff writer, Foreign Policy. • Alec Ross, senior adviser on innovation, U.S. State Department. • Nilmini Rubin, senior professional staff, Senate Foreign Relations Committee. • Dan Runde, Schreyer chair for global analysis and director of the Project on Prosperity and Development, Center for Strategic and International Studies. • John S. Sargent III, president and founding partner, BroadReach Healthcare. • Rajiv Shah, administrator, USAID. • Aaron Sherinian, executive director for communications and public affairs, U.N. Foundation. • Andrée Simon, president, Women for Women International. • Ian Solomon, U.S. executive director, World Bank. • Ilana Solomon, policy analyst, ActionAid USA. • Andrew Stern, global operating partner, Dalberg Global Development Advisors. • Erin Thornton, global policy director, ONE. • Beth Tritter, managing director, The Glover Park Group. • Sebastian Troeng, vice president for global marine programs, Conservation International. • Brendan Tuohey, executive director, PeacePlayers International. • Noam Unger, fellow on global economy and development and policy director of the Foreign Assistance Reform Project, Brookings Institution. • Mark Vlasic, senior fellow & adjunct professor of law, Georgetown University’s Institute for Law, Science and Global Security and partner, Ward & Ward. • Wayan Vota, Inveneo.

Read more about each of the selectees by clicking the above links or by visiting the Devex DC 40-under-40 website.