Farouk Jiwa

I am a Senior Advisor in the Economic Growth & International Financial Institutions Division at Global Affairs Canada. The Division provides policy leadership & guidance for international assistance in the area of Growth that Works for Everyone, including Canada’s multilateral engagement on these issues. The Division also leads on Canada's engagement in the Regional Development Banks as well as acting as Departmental Lead on the World Bank Group & the IMF. In addition, I also lead the technical advisory and oversight support to Economic Growth-related projects and initiatives funded by the Government of Canada through its Embassies and High Commissions around the world. I am also a Lecturer & Senior Associate with St. Francis Xavier University’s Coady International Institute. My teaching & research interests include building inclusive market systems, social innovation, the future of work and workers & the intersection of 4IR technologies in development. I recently concluded a long-term Technical Consultancy with MEDA's Jordan Valley Links, a CAD $16 Million project which successfully created economic & employment opportunities 18,000 women & youth in Jordan. During my 10 years with CARE prior to that, I was the Senior Technical Advisor for Economic Development at CARE USA. I specialised in the successful implementation of large & complex inclusive economic growth projects across Africa & Asia totalling over USD $130 Million & reaching over 1 Million clients. I was also Director of CEP Investments, an Impact Investment Fund specialising in emerging & high-growth SMEs, innovative Financial Services & Social Enterprises. I also co-founded Farm Shop, which operates a network of agro-dealers to improve last-mile access to agricultural inputs for small-holder farmers in Kenya. Earlier on in my career, I was Co-Founder & first CEO of Honey Care Africa, a Fair Trade Social Enterprise supporting rural beekeepers across Eastern Africa to earn supplementary income while increasing crop productivity & enhancing local biodiversity. I am a Senior Ashoka Fellow, an AKF Scholar & a Sauvé Fellow (at McGill University). Other Honours include the Bryden Alumni Award, UNDP Equator Initiative Prize, World Bank International Development Marketplace Innovation Award, Prince of Wales-IBLF World Business Award, Queen's Alumni Humanitarian Award & Top 100 Social Entrepreneurs Award. I hold a Master’s in Environmental Studies from York University, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business and Sustainability from the Schulich School of Business, & a BSc. Hons. in Environmental Biology from Queen's University.