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Sonal R. Shah (born May 20, 1968 in Mumbai, India), is an American economist. She was appointed to the Obama-Biden Transition Project led by John David Podesta in November 2008 and is the head of Global Development Initiatives, the philanthropic arm of Google.org. In April 2009, Shah was appointed director of the new Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in the White House.
Education
Shah moved to the USA at the age of 4 in 1972. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Economics in 1990 and received a Master’s degree in Economics from Duke University.
Career
Early career
Shah held a variety of US Department of Treasury positions from 1995 until 2001. She was the director of the office overseeing strategy and programs for sub-Saharan Africa, including debt relief, development programs and World Bank/IMF strategies. She worked with the Ministries of Finance in Bosnia and Kosovo to design the post-war banking system. During the Asian financial crisis, she served as a senior adviser to U.S. Treasury officials who were coordinating the U.S. response.
From 2001-2003, Shah served at the Center for Global Development as Director of Operations and Programs, helping set up all aspects of the strategy, infrastructure and operations.
From 2003-2004, Shah worked at the Center for American Progress as an Associate Director, advising current and former Congressional and Government executives on a wide variety of issues including trade, outsourcing and post-conflict reconstruction.
In 2004, Shah joined Goldman Sachs as a Vice President, focusing on their environmental strategy and implementation. She worked on green initiatives, which included informing clients and bankers on alternative energy opportunities and advising them on how to implement environmental, social and governance criteria for all investments.
Google.org
In 2007, Shah joined Google.org as the head of Global Development Initiatives, and worked closely with Executive Director Larry Brilliant, in guiding global economic development efforts.She also worked extensively on the growth of small and medium sized enterprises in partnership with the Omidyar Network and the Soros Foundation.
Obama administration
On April 2009, Shah was appointed director of the newly created White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. The objective of this office is to coordinate governmental efforts to aid innovative nonprofit groups and social entrepreneurs and to expand approaches which have been successful in tackling pressing social problems. Shah is also working with the National Security Council to bring a global perspective to these efforts .
Relief and development work
In 2001, Shah has worked closely with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America as the National Coordinator during the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake..
Later that year Shah co-founded a non-profit initiative called Indicorps. It is a non-religious, non-political US based organization that describes its mission as creating a "profound personal experience and an opportunity to understand participatory development through intense voluntary service." Indicorp recruits young people of Indian origin from all over the world to volunteer in India. It offers structured volunteer opportunities in Indian NGOs that help with India's development. Its projects include education, health, rural development, Tsunami relief, health and sanitation projects, and microfinance.
Awards and recognition
- Henry Crown Fellowship, Aspen Institute, 2006
- Next Generation Fellow, American Assembly, Columbia University, 2007
- India Abroad Person of the Year, 2003
Papers and articles
- Guiding Principles and Design of the MCA
- Trading Views
- Served on Commission for Weak States and National Security, Center for Global Development
References
- ^ People Sonal Shah."Sonal works for google.org Global Development", "changemakers.com", accessed August 3, 2009.
- Springer, Richard.[http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=1080&sid=1" Sonal Shah Heads Obama’s Office of Social Innovation"], "indiawest.com", accessed August 3, 20009.
- Bahree, Megha."Offshoring Aid", "forbes.com, May 8, 2006, accessed August 3, 20009.
- Lecture Series on South Asia."Sonal Shah, Founder of Indicorps and Anuja Khemka ’02", Watson Institute for International Studies, "watsoninstitute.org", February 1, 2007, accessed August 3, 2009.
- Thaindian News."Obama picks Indian American Sonal Shah as adviser", "thaindian.com", November 7, 2008, accessed August 3, 20009.
- Ferdinand, Andrea."Goldman Sachs VP Says Corporate Responsibility Part of Strategic Plan", McCombs School of Business, Univ. of Texas at Austin, November 7, 2006,accessed August 3, 20009.
- Brilliant, Larry., "The Official Google Blog", April 6, 2007, accessed August 3, 20009.
- http://500hats.typepad.com/500blogs/2008/03/googleorg-initi.html
- ^ Global Philanthrophy Forum."White House Social Innovation Office to Have Three Goals",The Chronicle of Philanthrophy, "philanthrophy.com", accessed August 3, 20009.
- Sonal Shah to head Social Innovation Office in Obama administration
- http://www.vhp-america.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13
- http://www.indicorps.org/volunteer-work.php?page_id=18
- http://www.indicorps.org/ourprojects.php
- http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.611979
- http://www.nextgenerationproject.org/
- http://www.rediff.com/news/iapoy2003.htm
- http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/14158
- http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/05/b80308.html
- http://www.cgdev.org/section/initiatives/_archive/weakstates
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