Rosa Akbari
I am an accidental technologist.
I help humanitarians leverage digital technologies in complex settings. I particularly enjoy helping bring people cash.
💻
Product Design💻
Stakeholder Management💻
Chatbots
Greece
Experienced marketer with diverse professional background in humanitarian and technology sectors. Skilled in CVA, digital payments, and field ICT. Worked with renowned organizations like WFP, Mercy Corps, and Dimagi. #MarketingExpert #HumanitarianTech #DigitalPayments
Strategic Advisor (Pro Bono), OMGYNO
Present
Humanitarian Futures Grantee, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Present
Tindouf, Algeria
- Based in Sahrawi Refugee Camps - Partnered with Sahrawi Red Crescent (SRC) - Piloted SMS-based feedback mechanisms for WFP food distributions - Trained recipients, SRC, & INGOs
Technical Advisor, Independent Consultant (Zebs)
June 2024 - Present
CVA Advisory: Product (SaaS) & Go-to-Market Strategy, Dimagi, Inc.
April 2024 - Present
Technical Advisor, Dimagi, Inc.
January 2024 - Present
Somalia
- Scoping Interoperability for Integrated Programming
Scoping Interoperability for Integrated Programming, Somalia - Interagency (PDAD)
January 2024 - Present
MPCA Impact & Market Analysis, MercyCorps (LCAT)
December 2023 - Present
Interoperability Research, BASIC (via Humanitarian Outcomes)
April 2023 - Present
Yemen
Interoperability Research, Yemen - BASIC (via Humanitarian Outcomes)
April 2023 - Present
Technical Advisory (CashCap deployment), Donor Cash Forum (DCF) / Global
January 2023 - Present
Technical Advisory (CashCap deployment), Donor Cash Forum (DCF)/Global
January 2023 - Present
Global Payments Toolbox Review & Refresh, International Rescue Committee (IRC)
September 2022 - Present
Team Member, Hastily-formed Networks Research Group
January 2010 - Present
- Sent as part of six-person civil-military unit for Haitian Earthquake Response • Augmented hard communication infrastructure for Operation Unified Response • Stationed onshore & offshore (USNS Comfort)
Teaching Assistant, McGill University
2008 - Present
ECON316, Underground Economics
- Graded midterms (x2) & advised final case studies
Director-General, International Model United Nations Association, Inc. (IMUNA)
March 2008 - Present
National High School Model UN Conference (NHSMUN)
- Developed substantive debate agenda for 2,500 high school delegates & 300 faculty • Recruited & managed volunteer staff of 70 with 0% turnover • Ex Officio member - IMUNA Board of Directors (2008-2009)
Technical Advisory for Shared Payment Infrastructure, CGAP Fragility Team (World Bank)
April 2024 - June 2024
MPCA Impact & Market Analysis, Mercy Corps (LCAT)
December 2023
Scoping CVA Digitalization, Malteser International
December 2023
South Sudan
Global FSP / Procurement Review, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
January 2023 - May 2023
Digital Payments / Social Protection Guidance Note, DAI/STAAR (on behalf of FCDO)
January 2023 - April 2023
KPIs for Cash Coordination, OCHA (on behalf of Cash Advisory Group)
January 2023 - March 2023
Lebanon MPCA Design & Startup (ECHO), MercyCorps
August 2022 - December 2022
Lebanon MPCA Design & Startup (ECHO), Mercy Corps
August 2022 - December 2022
Digitalization Advisor, World Food Programme (WFP)
November 2021 - October 2022
Social Protection Unit HQ
Digital Systems Mapping [Ukraine + CVA Response], Norwegian Refugee Council
July 2022 - September 2022
Digital Systems Mapping [Ukraine+ CVA Response], Norwegian Refugee Council
July 2022 - September 2022
- Includes CVA Response
Senior Advisor, CVA Technology [Ukraine + Emergency Startup], MercyCorps
April 2022 - July 2022
Senior Advisor, CVA Technology [Ukraine+ Emergency Startup], Mercy Corps
April 2022 - July 2022
Senior Technology Advisor, Caribbean Multi-country Office (MCO)
June 2021 - September 2021
Global advisor, Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) Matrix Team
March 2021
- Secured funding & led US$1
- 6m digital CVA initiative • Brokered GSMA global partnership • Spearheaded open APIs for CVA+MEL technologies • Promoted cross-functional CVA coordination: procurement, policy/advocacy, partnerships, quality assurance, learning • Technical lead for Enterprise Agreements & Memorandums of Understanding, including with financial service providers • Select Work: Interagency Unique ID (Syria) • Cash Consortia: Colombia (VenEsperanza), DRC (SAFER), Iraq (CCI), Gaza (GPC), Nepal (Resilience+) • Digital Payments: Colombia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Palestine • E-Vouchers: CAR, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria (incl
- hawala transfers), Uganda, Yemen • Guidancematerials: Biometrics; COVID-19 CVA Tipsheets; Consortium Data Dynamics; Digital ID; DfID/ECHO IO Brief: Iraq • OpenAPI Partners:Dimagi, Simprints, Genius Tags, The Developer Society
- 6m digital CVA initiative • Brokered GSMA global partnership • Spearheaded open APIs for CVA+MEL technologies • Promoted cross-functional CVA coordination: procurement, policy/advocacy, partnerships, quality assurance, learning • Technical lead for Enterprise Agreements & Memorandums of Understanding, including with financial service providers • Select Work: Interagency Unique ID (Syria) • Cash Consortia: Colombia (VenEsperanza), DRC (SAFER), Iraq (CCI), Gaza (GPC), Nepal (Resilience+) • Digital Payments: Colombia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Palestine • E-Vouchers: CAR, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria (incl
- hawala transfers), Uganda, Yemen • Guidancematerials: Biometrics; COVID-19 CVA Tipsheets; Consortium Data Dynamics; Digital ID; DfID/ECHO IO Brief: Iraq • OpenAPI Partners:Dimagi, Simprints, Genius Tags, The Developer Society
Global advisor on Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA), MercyCorps
May 2016 - March 2021
- Secured funding & led US$1
- 6m digital CVA initiative • Brokered GSMA global partnership • Spearheaded open APIs for CVA+MEL technologies • Promoted cross-functional CVA coordination: procurement, policy/advocacy, partnerships, quality assurance, learning • Technical lead for Enterprise Agreements & Memorandums of Understanding, including with financial service providers • Select Work: Interagency Unique ID (Syria) • Cash Consortia: Colombia (VenEsperanza), DRC (SAFER), Iraq (CCI), Gaza (GPC), Nepal (Resilience+) • DigitalPayments: Colombia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Palestine • E-Vouchers: CAR, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria (incl
- hawala transfers), Uganda, Yemen • Guidancematerials: Biometrics; COVID-19 CVA Tipsheets; Consortium Data Dynamics; Digital ID; DfID/ECHO IO Brief: Iraq • OpenAPI Partners:Dimagi, Simprints, Genius Tags, The Developer Society
- 6m digital CVA initiative • Brokered GSMA global partnership • Spearheaded open APIs for CVA+MEL technologies • Promoted cross-functional CVA coordination: procurement, policy/advocacy, partnerships, quality assurance, learning • Technical lead for Enterprise Agreements & Memorandums of Understanding, including with financial service providers • Select Work: Interagency Unique ID (Syria) • Cash Consortia: Colombia (VenEsperanza), DRC (SAFER), Iraq (CCI), Gaza (GPC), Nepal (Resilience+) • DigitalPayments: Colombia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Palestine • E-Vouchers: CAR, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria (incl
- hawala transfers), Uganda, Yemen • Guidancematerials: Biometrics; COVID-19 CVA Tipsheets; Consortium Data Dynamics; Digital ID; DfID/ECHO IO Brief: Iraq • OpenAPI Partners:Dimagi, Simprints, Genius Tags, The Developer Society
Senior Advisor, MercyCorps
May 2016 - March 2021
- Technology for Development
Senior Advisor, Mercy Corps
May 2016 - March 2021
- Technology for Development
Technical Advisor, International Rescue Committee (IRC)
April 2014 - March 2016
- ICT for Livelihoods, Economic Recovery & Development Unit
Research Assistant, Naval Postgraduate School
April 2009 - June 2012
RELIEF ('Camp Roberts') Field Exercise Cooperative
- Co-organizer of quarterly field experiments for humanitarian assistance/disaster relief • Quadrupled attendance to over 100 organizations incl
- Boeing, Google, Lockheed Martin, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, USG-FEMA, USG-DoS, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), OpenStreetMap, OpenBTS, UNOCHA, Ushahidi • Supported experiment submissions, technical briefs, and after action reporting
- Boeing, Google, Lockheed Martin, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, USG-FEMA, USG-DoS, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), OpenStreetMap, OpenBTS, UNOCHA, Ushahidi • Supported experiment submissions, technical briefs, and after action reporting
Build your resume
Education
Bachelor of Arts
2008 - 2008
McGill University
Political Science & Economics
