Gayle and Shashi bring unparalleled expertise in social innovation, global development, and poverty alleviation.
Today, the Skoll Foundation announced the addition of Gayle Smith and Shashi Buluswar to its Board of Directors.
“Shashi and Gayle each bring a wealth of expertise, leadership, and perspective to our work,” said Don Gips, CEO of the Skoll Foundation. “They will strengthen Skoll’s ability to achieve transformational social change on some of the world’s most pressing problems.”
Gayle E. Smith is CEO of the ONE Campaign. She has served as a top advisor on international issues for three American presidents and is one of the world’s leading experts on global development and global health security. She brings an extraordinary expertise and network of relationships across the African continent and around the world.
The ONE Campaign—already a key voice generating support for programs that fight preventable disease in Africa through their advocacy with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and GAVI—stepped up quickly when COVID-19 hit. ONE pivoted its advocacy efforts to direct public attention and resources—medical supplies, treatments, and vaccines—keeping the pressure on governments to make and fulfill financial pledges.
In 2021, Gayle took on a temporary role at the request of the Secretary of State to serve as the U.S. State Department’s Coordinator for Global COVID Response & Health Security, where she played a leading role in the U.S. effort to end the global pandemic.
Prior to joining the ONE Campaign, Smith served as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), where she led a staff of more than 10,000 people working to end extreme poverty, foster sustained and inclusive economic growth, and promote resilient, democratic societies all over the world. Smith had previously served as Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the National Security Council, where she played a lead role in the response to the Ebola epidemic and presidential development initiatives.
“Throughout my career, I have always admired and respected the vital work done by the Skoll Foundation, which has demonstrated a tireless commitment to empowering young people and creating lasting change in communities around the world,” said Gayle. “Especially in these times of crisis, which demand big ideas and bold action, I am honored to join the Skoll Foundation Board and eager to help identify, support, and celebrate the next generation of entrepreneurs working tirelessly to build a better world.”
Learn more about Gayle here.
Dr. Shashi Buluswar is a scientist and a serial social entrepreneur working on a range of issues including global health, energy access, and water and food security. Most recently, he served as the founding CEO of Global Health Labs, a new nonprofit created by Bill Gates to develop technology breakthroughs in global health, in partnership with the Gates Foundation.
Prior to Global Health Labs, Shashi was the founding CEO of the Institute for Transformative Technologies, incubated at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab as a special initiative of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy under the Obama Administration. With a mission to build technology solutions for sustainable global development, ITT launched India’s largest infrastructures for off-grid solar power and natural sanitation. The Skoll Foundation worked with ITT early in the COVID-19 pandemic to help launch the Oxygen Hub, a franchise model promoting local production of medical oxygen in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prior to creating ITT, Shashi was a partner at Dalberg, a mission-driven strategy consulting firm which serves international NGOs, foundations, governments, social entrepreneurs, and the UN. Among his projects at Dalberg was the launch of Educate a Child, a major multilateral initiative responsible for enrolling 10 million of the world’s most vulnerable children into primary schools. Shashi also teaches at the University of California at Berkeley.
“The Skoll Foundation is a beacon for social innovation and has built a truly inspiring global community of individuals and institutions taking on the world’s toughest problems,” said Shashi. “For over a decade, the impact of my own work has benefitted greatly from collaborating with Skoll innovators around the world. I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve on the Foundation’s board and hope to continue causing lots of ‘good trouble’ with the Skoll community in this new role.”
Learn more about Shashi here.
Gayle and Shashi are joining the Board as the Skoll Foundation prepares to celebrate two decades of transformational social change at the 20th Skoll World Forum in April 2023. “Gayle and Shashi have both devoted their lives to innovative social impact,” said Don Gips. “We are fortunate to have them join us on this journey.”
In addition to the Board appointments of Shashi and Gayle, the Skoll Foundation also announced today that Debra Dunn has concluded her final Board term after almost two decades of service.
“The Skoll Foundation owes Debra a great debt of gratitude for her contribution to shaping its work and sharpening its impact since its earliest days,” said Don Gips. “Her expertise in collective action and human-centered design has benefitted not just the Skoll community, but the entire field of social innovation.”
