Hey, I'm Ian. I build the programs, systems,
and technology that help organizations grow and deliver meaningful impact.

I’ve spent the last decade working with nonprofits, foundations, and social entrepreneurs to solve problems that don’t always have straightforward answers.

My work has taken me from grassroots organizations in India to MIT, where I helped build systems for evaluating and funding social entrepreneurs, and now to Ventures Beyond Borders, where I support entrepreneurs affected by conflict and displacement.

Along the way, I’ve built grantmaking programs, developed technology for global health, designed funding models, and helped organizations make better decisions with data.

I’m particularly interested in what happens when good ideas meet the resources, infrastructure, and people needed to make them work.

• Here's my Resume

About Me

I started my career working with grassroots organizations in India, where I learned how much an organization’s ability to deliver depends on the systems behind its work.

At SEWA, I helped build the infrastructure for digital programs and impact measurement. At MIT Solve, I worked with social entrepreneurs around the world and helped develop the systems used to evaluate applications, distribute funding, and understand what happened afterward.

Since then, I’ve worked across philanthropy, technology, and international development. I’ve helped design multimillion-dollar grantmaking programs, built digital tools for surgical education, and worked with organizations trying to make their operations more effective.

Today, I lead Ventures Beyond Borders, a nonprofit fund supporting refugee and conflict-affected entrepreneurs. We help founders develop their ideas, access mentorship and funding, and build businesses despite the barriers created by displacement.

What connects these experiences is my interest in building things that last. I enjoy working through complicated problems, particularly when the solution involves a combination of people, technology, and institutional change.

I am a graduate of Berkeley's School of Information Master of Information Management Systems (MIMS) program. I received a graduate certificate in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) and I am an inaugural member of the Digital Transformation of Development (DToD) Fellowship, an NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program. I am also a proud graduate from The Ohio State University with degrees in International Development, Economics, and French.

Current Work

SELF Peer Review App

SELF DeveloperHub

Atlas

MIT Emerging Talent

Backing Ideas & Causes I Believe In

I sometimes use my own money to support people and organizations working on problems I care about. These are intentionally small, early grants usually where a modest amount of funding can help someone test an idea, remove a barrier, or create an opportunity.

Selected as a reviewer and judge for…

I also serve as a reviewer and judge for grant, innovation, and social-impact competitions, evaluating ideas across technology, global health, entrepreneurship, and international development.

Wellcome Snakebite Innovation Prize Challenge Works (Nesta)

Catalyze Challenge

Opportunity Now

Kula Innovate 200 Million Artisans

Past Work

Strenghtening Career Pathways

I led the design of a $17 million grant program that found solutions for students in middle and high school chart clear, fulfilling paths from classroom to career.

Driving Innovation in Traditional Craft

I created India's first innovation competition in the craft sector, Kula Innovate.

Technology for Social Impact Toolkit

An open source resource for anyone working in technology and social impact.

Accelerating Indigenous Advocacy in Peru

I built the initial design and community-organizing strategy for a start-up in Peru supporting Indigenous advocacy.

Improving Cybersecurity for a Human Rights Archive

I worked with a human rights digital archive working in several conflict regions, including Syria, Yemen, and Sudan to build a strong cybersecurity infrastructure against attacks.

Community-led Impact and Evaluation in India

I worked with community organizers in India to develop an inferential impact measurement tool.

Combatting Homelessness Through Data Driven Policy

I created a tool that supported housing collective advocacy efforts to reduce homelessness.

Democratizing Resources for Impact Entrepreneurs

I developed recommender tools to improve partnership making between donors and social impact entrepreneurs.