“Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens” with Dr. Rajiv Shah
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Rajiv Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former administrator of USAID, to discuss his dynamic new book on what it will take to solve today’s big problems—and how everyone can join in. The conversation will be moderated by Gayle Smith, CEO of the ONE Campaign and former administrator of USAID.
It is realistic to be optimistic about our capacity to make large-scale change writes Dr. Shah in his new book “Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens.” In it, he shares stories that can help leaders everywhere, and at every level, reimagine what’s possible. Working with a broad coalition and dedicated teams at The Rockefeller Foundation and USAID, Shah has helped vaccinate nearly a billion children, lead high-pressure responses to the Haiti earthquake and against Ebola, dramatically expanded American Covid-19 testing at the height of the pandemic, and began connecting a billion people to electricity for the first time. With these stories and more, the book reveals the power of the big bet mindset: a belief that seeking to solve problems boldly, rather than settle for incremental improvements, will attract partners with the capacity to achieve transformational change.
Doors will open at 4:00 p.m. Admission is first-come, first-served for Georgetown University students, faculty, and staff. Current GU ID required for entry.
If you are an external guest or press interested in attending the event, please email sfsevents@georgetown.edu for more information. Please also email sfsevents@georgetown.edu with any accessibility requests by Thursday, October 12. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill all requests made after this date.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Shah serves as President of The Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. The Foundation applies data, science, and innovation to improve health for women and children, create nutritious and sustainable food systems, end energy poverty for more than a billion people worldwide, and enable meaningful economic mobility in the United States and around the world.
In 2009, he was appointed USAID Administrator by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Dr. Shah reshaped the $20 billion agency’s operations in more than 70 countries around the world by elevating the role of innovation, creating high-impact public-private partnerships, and focusing U.S. investments to deliver stronger results. Shah secured bipartisan support that included the passage of two significant laws – the Global Food Security Act and the Electrify Africa Act. He led the U.S. response to the Haiti earthquake and the West African Ebola pandemic, served on the National Security Council, and elevated the role of development as part of our nation’s foreign policy. Prior to his appointment at USAID, Shah served as Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the United States Department of Agriculture where he created the National Institute for Food and Agriculture.
Shah founded Latitude Capital, a private equity firm focused on power and infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia and served as a Distinguished Fellow in Residence at Georgetown University. Previously, he served at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he created the International Financing Facility for Immunization which helped reshape the global vaccine industry and save millions of lives.