Nirali Desai Email & Phone Number

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

• Support strategy, partnerships, and fundraising for the digital innovation portfolio, which leverages big data, machine learning, and mobile technologies to target and deliver cash transfers at scale• Provide technical advisory and programmatic support to 4 country teams, delivering more than $10M cash transfers to over 100K recipients

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

• Supported design and end-to-end operations of a guaranteed-income program, delivering cash aid to 2000 recipients in Houston, including leading partner management with community-based organizations, enrollment planning, customer service, field staff hiring and management, and contracting• Drove key program design features of AI-driven disaster relief response, such as transfer size research, targeting, customer service, and audits to distribute $3.3M to 4,700 recipients after hurricanes Ian and Fiona

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

• Developed a framework on parental leave reforms for developing economies, aimed at increasing women’s labor force participation and protecting maternal health through landscape analyses, expert interviews, and secondary research• Authored three case studies to track India, Rwanda, and Argentina’s progress in implementing parental leave policies

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

• Support research, data analysis, and writing of the paper titled Social Protection for the Informal Sector: New Approaches to Building Resilience report

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

Delhi, India

As the lead for SEWA's Skills Development vertical and a member of the Central Team at SEWA Bharat, • Led the design and end-to-end implementation of 4 women’s livelihood projects across 5 states in India• Supported policy-advocacy activities for women’s working rights, including preparing policy recommendations, negotiations with government stakeholders and private players• Built and managed partnerships with international partners/donors, government officials• Led 4 successful fundraising pitches with the public, national and international foundations like British High Commission’s Department for International Development (DfID), HSBC Foundation, Bihar Skill Development Mission, DB Schenker• Led dissemination of grassroots research and relief work of SEWA Bharat across SEWA's social media and through a series of webinars

Delhi

• Developed the program strategy for youth development initiative in Delhi

Delhi, India

• Worked as a full-time teacher for grades six, seven and eight in a low-income under-resourced Government school in Delhi; achieved the growth of 3 grade levels in Reading Comprehension and 70% in Math outcomes in 2 years• Led Inter-School Sports League impacting 500 students with an aim to expose students to gender neutral sport- Chess; coached and managed 40 students for Khel-Khel Mein League for a period of 6 months• As a member of the Impact Committee and a Data Champion for a team of 15 fellows, managed a database for city level student data• Tracked and analysed trends in student outcomes to plan city level interventions• Raised 1,00,000 INR through a public fundraiser for school and classroom supplies, infrastructure• Facilitated School Management Committee elections for the school and trained all 12 SMC members through workshops and debriefs to decrease truancy, build teacher accountability, increase parental engagement• Member of People, Politics and Policies (PCube) Learning Community on Adaptive Leadership and Systems Thinking• Member of System Track, a study group on systemic change and policy failures

Delhi

Project: School Development Index- comprehensive evaluation of ~6000 schools of Delhi• Organising a series of consultations with different stakeholders including Principals, SMCs, Parents, Civil Society, Government Officials, preparing background papers, and documenting feedback• Data monitoring and analysis for the evaluation of ~6000 schools in Delhi

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

• Support transition of 5 students from shelter homes to colleges/work places of their choice through design and delivery of skill-building workshops and collaboration with 5+ organisations

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

• Secondary research for Professor Dr. Keshab Das on 'Outsourcing Industry in India'

Ahmedabad Area, India

• Social Media Marketing• Research and analysis of public opinion towards the brand to base marketing strategy

Surat, Gujarat, India

• Prepared reports on the existing political scenarios based on contemporary political and social development for the Election Campaign 2014

Shanghai City, China

• Worked as an English Tutor to 25 students in a low-income rural school in Shanghai District, China• Submitted recommendations to the Education Department of Shanghai on improving delivery of English Language Classes in public schools

Ahmedabad Area, India

Urban Renewal Mission Internship with AMC, South Zone: • Worked with the bureaucrats and gathered hands-on experience in the processes behind City Public Administration, local policy making, Urban Planning, Primary Education, Solid Waste Management

Master In Public Policy, Economic And Political Development

Co-chair - Harvard India Conference Co-chair - Women’s Caucus Summer Fellow - Women and Public Policy Program

B.A. (Hons) Economics, Diploma In Liberal Studies, 8.7/10 (Departmental Gold Medalist)

University Gold Medalist - Economics Vice Captain - University Basketball Team Teaching Assistant - Leadership Course