Betsy Bassan

Betsy Bassan is the Founder, and former President, and CEO of Panagora Group, a woman-owned small business providing novel solutions in health, development, and learning. She launched Panagora in 2011, with over 30 years of experience as an innovator and social entrepreneur in global health and international development. From Panagora’s start with just two employees, the company now employs more than 50 full-time staff around the world, with a robust portfolio including numerous long-term contracts and subcontracts, and a proven track record of excellence. Betsy’s sector expertise includes health, private sector development, environment, democracy/governance, and organizational development. She has decades of hands-on regional experience across Africa, Asia, Europe and Eurasia, and the Middle East. Betsy has held various executive and leadership positions. At Chemonics International, a major international development company, Betsy served as a Senior Vice President. She led many strategic initiatives, including two highly successful start-up divisions, the International Health Group and the Europe and Eurasia region, as well as helping develop and lead Chemonics’ pivotal outreach and grant support to the US Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC). At Save the Children, she served as project director for a major USAID initiative to increase PVO/NGO (private voluntary/non-governmental organization) capacity in family planning, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS, and to provide services through networks and public-private partnerships. Betsy has held a host of industry leadership positions among the leading professional, advocacy, trade associations in our space. Through the USGLC, a membership-based foreign aid advocacy group, Betsy helped build support for critical foreign aid programs. As Program Vice President and then Chair of the Society for International Development-Washington D.C., a leading professional association, she greatly enhanced its profile as the “the public square of development” through cutting-edge knowledge exchange. As an industry leader who has developed novel approaches to major global health problems, Betsy also works tirelessly to elevate the voice of small business in international development. Through the Panagora platform, Betsy led the founding of the Council for International Development Companies (CIDC) and, as chair, transformed the Small Business Association for International Companies (SBAIC) over three pivotal years from an informal network into a registered and recognized advocate.