Nadia Sandi

I was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, where I had my first change-making experiences. When I was nine, I started fundraising and promoting l’APAEI, an association that builds the capacity of and fights for equal rights for disabled children. My passion for change continued at Al Akhawayn University, in the Middle Atlas, where I led the shift from providing handouts to the underserved populations to making educational development a strategic priority, with a particular focus on addressing the structural problems preventing girls in rural areas from attending school.

Throughout my career, I have been drawn to weaving a rich international, multi-sectoral experience and perspective. I dream up and am inspired by big ideas and visions and love working with and inspiring collaborators from diverse teams and backgrounds to bring about large-scale social impact.

I am currently a leadership team member of TRAYlab, which aims to design transformative solutions for healthier food in DC Public Schools. I also mentor middle and high-school students with LearnServe International and am a pro-bono contributor to Ashoka’s Your Kids Program. Prior to that, I was an advisor at the World Bank’s Innovation Labs and the Youth in Development program, and before that, the director of project management and integration at Ashoka’s Changemakers. Before joining Ashoka, I worked at the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, private business consulting, investment banking as well as in executive education.

I am a proud and happy mum of two boys: Adam and Elias (5, 3). I love every moment of simple and full connectedness with them. I also enjoy nature bathing, yoga, meditation, dancing, reading, traveling, and trying new experiences like vocals, violin, and skiing.

I was nominated to become a THNKer by Adam Molyneux-Berry