Marybeth Bognar

About Marybeth Bognar

Empathy is my super power. Feminist and participatory methods are my tools of choice. I have 15 years of experience using innovative, participatory, and intersectional approaches to achieve impact as defined by those closest to the issues. Currently I am a program lead and gender specialist at IDEO.org, where I work at the intersection of gender and human-centered design innovation. Design outcomes under my leadership and management have included those on intersectionality, and at the intersection of gender and climate. I also serve as an emerging leader on the Ohio Environmental Council, working to achieve local impact drawing from my global, gender equity experience. Prior to IDEO.org, I worked briefly as a compost truck driver just outside of NYC, as I wrestled with the immense challenges that stop INGOs and funders from achieving meaningful impact. This helped me take a step back for perspective, and use my hands and body directly to work on a climate and environmental issue. I worked with the International Legal Foundation on programs that serve people accused of crimes in conflict-affected countries, including launching a gender responsive reentry program for women and girls released from prison in Afghanistan. I conducted feminist research and advocacy with the Center for Women’s Global Leadership, including through its 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, and published research on refugee education in Lebanon. I proudly served in an advisory role to advance girls’ education with She’s the First. I hold a MS in Global Affairs-Gender Studies from New York University, and a BS in Communication Public Advocacy from Ohio University.

Experience

1. Program Lead & Gender Specialist

   Ideo.Org

   Mar 2023 — Present

   IDEO.org is a nonprofit design studio that works alongside organizations that are committed to creating a more just and inclusive world. My role includes: Leading the Chroma Collective, a network of gender practitioners from leading donor institutions using design thinking toward more efficient and innovative processes to advance gender equality in international development. Providing technical assistance to ensure design processes and outcomes are gender responsive or transformative, including on programs designed with refugee and immigrant community, doulas, and gender practitioners. Leading design sprints and sessions (with designers across crafts and countries) toward tangible prototypes, measuring their success in the testing phase, and iterating based on feedback, including the Gender Plus Puzzle Bridging relationships between gender and grassroots organization, with IDEO.org to activate design resources across a wider range of perspectives. Conducting futuring and foresighting research to identify trends that support design for the gender equality ecosystem.

Education

• Ohio University

  BS, Communication Public Advocacy

  2007 — 2011

• New York University

  Master of Science (M.S.), Global Affairs-Gender Studies

  2014 — 2016