DISHA’s Steering Committee is composed of leaders from the private sector, nonprofit sector, the UN system, and UN member states’ governments.
The Steering Committee helps guide DISHA in developing and scaling use cases for the humanitarian sector.
DISHA’s Steering Committee is composed of leaders from the private sector, nonprofit sector, the UN system, and UN member states’ governments.
The Steering Committee helps guide DISHA in developing and scaling use cases for the humanitarian sector.
Paul Beaumont, Partner and Senior Principal Data Scientist, McKinsey & Company
Yolanda Botti-Lodovico is the Storytelling and Advocacy Lead at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF), a 21st-century philanthropy advancing artificial intelligence and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all.
In her role at the foundation, she drives the creation of a human-centered narrative around the vast potential of AI to benefit both people and the planet, identifying and amplifying diverse stories of impact from our grant partner community. Previously the Policy and Advocacy Lead, she has also worked closely with PJMF President Vilas Dhar to advocate for rights-based AI design and governance, as well as to share best practices for philanthropic and nonprofit partners engaging with AI for good. Before joining PJMF, she worked at the intersection of global health and biotechnology and refugee advocacy across the public, legal, and nonprofit sectors. Yolanda holds a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and dual Bachelor’s degrees with Phi Beta Kappa distinction in International Studies and Art History from Boston College.
Jerome Hodges, Chief Research Officer, Jain Family InstituteJerome Hodges is Chief Research Officer at JFI, where he oversees research and leads the analytics team. He has built financial modeling tools, data dashboards, and agent-based simulations; led research in data governance and AI ethics; taught statistical methods; and contributed to collaborative projects throughout the organization. Prior to JFI, he taught philosophy of law and ethics as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, researched semantic technologies at GlaxoSmithKline, and worked at grassroots and legal services nonprofits. Jay holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from MIT, a master’s in mathematics from North Carolina State University, and bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and mathematics (summa cum laude) from NCSU, where he graduated valedictorian.
Arden Ali, Project Lead: Digital Ethics and Governance, Jain Family InstituteArden Ali leads the AI for the Public Good initiative at JFI. In this role, he conducts research on the ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence and supports projects that promise to distribute the benefits of AI more broadly, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In addition to his appointment at JFI, he is an assistant professor of philosophy at Mount Holyoke College, where he teaches advanced courses in theoretical and applied ethics. Previously, he was the lead researcher on Digital Ethics and Governance at JFI, a postdoctoral research fellow at Northeastern University, and an assistant professor of philosophy at Clark University. He completed his PhD at MIT and B.Phil. at the University of Pittsburgh.
Kersten Jauer, Deputy Director, UN Secretary-General’s Office
Gayan Peiris, Chief Data Protection and Privacy Officer, United Nations 
Ankit Bisht, Partner, McKinsey & CompanyAnkit is a leader in McKinsey’s Digital Practice and is at the forefront of global customer and citizen experience work. Drawing on his experience serving clients globally, he advises public, private, and social sector organizations on topics including artificial intelligence, customer experience, and citizen-centricity. With a passion for building new businesses in the data and AI domains, he has helped establish data-driven research and analytics entities across EMEA and Asia. Ankit is also a core leader of McKinsey’s Noble Intelligence initiative, helping multilaterals and not-for-profit organizations harness the power of data and AI to improve the lives of the most vulnerable populations and maximize their impact across the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Ankit’s recent client work includes the following:
Before joining McKinsey, Ankit worked at several Fortune 500 companies in strategic and technical roles. He is a vocal advocate for putting citizens at the heart of public decision-making, and has led well-being, confidence, and resilience research with more than one million citizens across 30+ countries.
Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink, Director, Google.orgBrigitte Gosselink is Director of AI & Sustainability at Google.org, where she leads initiatives that leverage emerging technologies and Google’s expertise to address global challenges. Since 2018, she has led programs and research on the use of AI for social impact, including the $25M Google AI Impact Challenge and AI for Global Goals open call. She also leads Google.org’s work on sustainability and climate change and crisis response, including response to the COVID-19 crisis. Over her career at Google.org, she’s helped fund and enable organizations to responsibly bring the benefits of technology to the issues and communities they serve.
Prior to Google.org, Brigitte worked across the social and public sector to deliver innovative approaches through work at The Bridgespan Group, the U.S. Agency for International Development and IRD. She has an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia.
Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J McGovern FoundationVilas Dhar is President and Trustee of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a 21st century philanthropy advancing artificial intelligence and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Under his leadership, the Foundation bridges technological innovation and social impact with a commitment to justice.
A leading voice on equity in a tech-enabled world, Vilas champions a new social compact for the digital age that prioritizes individuals and communities in the development of new products, inspires economic and social opportunity, and empowers the most vulnerable. He is especially passionate about building public awareness about the potential opportunities and impacts of emergent technology on social infrastructure, corporate responsibility, and human behavior.
As a prominent scholar and civil society advocate on artificial intelligence policy and human outcomes, Vilas was appointed by Secretary-General António Guterres to the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, serves as the US Government Nominated Expert to the Global Partnership on AI, as a member of the OECD Expert Working Group on AI Futures, on the Global Future Council on AI at the World Economic Forum, on the Advisory Council at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), and as Expert Contributor to OECD.AI.
