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Sandhya C. C. Rao

Founder & CEO, impactXdesign | Former: Meta, Nike, US Gov | #FemTech | #ResponsibleAI | #XR

Sandhya C. Rao is an award-winning partnership strategist and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience at the convergence of policy, technology, and social innovation in the US and emerging markets.

She is the founder and CEO of impactXdesign, a global advisory firm focused on utilizing technology, policy, and social innovation to promote global health, education, and economic opportunities by advising governments, multinationals, philanthropies, nonprofits, and startups.

Throughout her career, Sandhya has excelled in building strategic partnerships, utilizing tech for social good, shaping public policy, applying design thinking to projects, managing public affairs, overseeing corporate social responsibility initiatives, engaging stakeholders effectively, conducting quantitative and qualitative research, and measuring impact.

Notable achievements include launching strategic partnerships at Meta to implement virtual reality for education and workforce development, organizing public affairs campaigns, and spearheading Meta's presence at prominent events like the Aspen Ideas Festival and ASU+GSV.

During her tenure at USAID, Sandhya initiated groundbreaking initiatives in mobile technology and global health, collaborating with major companies such as Bayer, Qualcomm, and Facebook. One of her most acclaimed projects, the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA), received recognition from Secretary Hillary Clinton and the Fast Company Innovation by Design award for leveraging mobile technology to provide maternal and child health education in 70 countries.

Her work has been internationally recognized, featured at events like the World Economic Forum and the UN General Assembly, and covered in reputable publications such as Fast Company, the Economist, and the Guardian.

Sandhya is multilingual, fluent in English, Spanish, Kannada, and conversational Italian, and has extensive experience living and working in more than 30 countries.

Education-wise, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and History from the University of Michigan, as well as a Master of Public Health with specializations in Research and Evaluation, as well as Social and Behavior Change Communication from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Her professional experience includes roles such as Global Responsible Leader at BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Founder & CEO at impactXdesign, External Affairs and US Policy Partnerships at Meta, Global Fellow at The Rockefeller Foundation, Sr. Advisor for Private Sector Partnerships at USAID, and Programs and Partnerships at the Nike Foundation.

Sandhya C. C. Rao
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Location

Washington, District of Columbia, United States