Aleem Walji

More than 18 years of experience in the field of international development, management consulting, private enterprise, and innovation. Aleem is Chief Executive Officer at the Aga Khan Foundation USA. In this role, Aleem will focus on deepening partnerships with US-based organizations to improve the quality of life of communities in Africa and Asia by building lasting institutions, strengthening civil society, and investing in local leaders. Previously, Aleem was Chief Innovation Advisor within the Leadership, Learning, and Innovation Vice Presidency at the World Bank Group. He oversaw a portfolio of programs related to Big Data/Analytics for Development and Innovations in Finance for basic service delivery to base of the pyramid (BoP) clients. As Director of the World Bank’s Innovation Labs, Aleem led initiatives which leveraged open data, mapping and information technology to improve service delivery to the poor. He supervised the Development Marketplace program which provides finance, advisory services, and policy support to social businesses and social enterprises serving BoP clients in South Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Aleem was the first CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation in Syria and managed a portfolio of health, education, rural development, water management, and microfinance programs. He was Head of Global Development Initiatives at Google.org, with a focus on eastern Africa and led efforts related to job creation, enterprise growth, and increasing accountability in the delivery of public services. Aleem is a graduate of Emory University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He completed his bachelor's degree in Near Eastern Studies and Anthropology and his master's degree in International Development and Regional Planning. Specialties: Open Government, Open Data, Access to Finance, SME Development, Strategic Planning, Management, Innovation