Nada Zohdy

About Nada Zohdy

Nada Zohdy is the Global Network Lead at the Obama Foundation, where she leads efforts to connect over 1,500 alumni of its leadership programs in 160 countries, working across sectors and issues as lifelong values-based leaders, and to work together on global challenges of democracy and climate. She has nearly 15 years of experience as a democracy advocate, network/community builder, nonprofit leader and social entrepreneur, and more recently as a facilitator and leadership coach. Nada has advised hundreds of nonprofits, social enterprise, and leaders globally throughout her career, to build capacity and collaborations.From 2015-22, she led and grew the Open Gov Hub, the world\'s first innovation hub dedicated to open government, growing its DC-based membership to facilitate daily resource sharing and collaborations between 75+ organizations. Nada has been a civic engagement consultant for international institutions like the World Bank, for funders like the Democracy Fund, and for global NGOs like the Open Government Partnership. She began her career at the Project on Middle East Democracy, supporting Arab civil society organizations and social movement leaders before, during and after the Arab Spring. Nada has been published by the New York Times, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, among others. She co-hosts the Muslim Enneagram podcast, is a public narrative coach, and has served on multiple nonprofit boards. Nada has an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School and BA from Michigan State University, where she was a 2009 Truman Scholar. She is currently studying Islam and Psychology through the Cambridge Muslim College. She lives in Washington DC with her spouse and cats, where she sits on the board of her faith community (Center DC) and can often be found cycling or at a local coffee shop.

Experience

1. Global Network Lead

   Obama Foundation

   Aug 2022 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Create and implement the first strategy to connect over 1,500 alumni of the Obama Foundation’s leadership programs (Leaders, Scholars, Fellows and Voyagers) in 160 countries, through the Obama Leadership Network. Oversee and facilitate diverse programs, partnerships, and resources to strengthen the relationships and collective impact of this Network, as a lifelong community for values-based leaders.

Education

• Michigan State University James Madison College

  B.A (2), International Relations; Arabic

  2006 — 2011

• Harvard Kennedy School

  Master in Public Policy

  2013 — 2015

• Cambridge Muslim College

  Postgraduate Degree, Islam and Psychology

Skills

• Human Rights
• Foreign Policy
• Public Relations
• Democracy
• Qualitative Research
• Non-Profits
• Public Administration
• Grant Writing
• International Relations
• Public Policy
• Government Relations
• Public Speaking
• International Security
• Economics
• Nonprofits
• Community Outreach
• Civil Society
• Politics
• Arabic
• Teaching
• International Development
• Political Science
• Nonprofit Technology
• Content Strategy
• Policy Analysis
• Program Management