Gro’s CEO, Sara Menker, Joins the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Advisory Committee

Gro’s CEO, Sara Menker, has joined the U.S. Agency for International Development’s re-established external advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid. 

As a ACVFA member, Ms. Menker will work alongside USAID officials and private and public sector representatives to strengthen the response “to development challenges overseas including climate change, the global food crisis, autocratization and corruption.”

The ACVFA’s membership represents a range of diverse leaders, brought together in their commitment to support the USAID’s efforts towards international development and humanitarian assistance. 

The Committee was appointed by the 19th Administrator of the USAID, Samantha Power, and will be chaired by Nisha Biswal, Senior Vice President for International Strategy and Global Initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

Tackling Climate Change and Food Security

Climate change and food security remain two of our world’s biggest threats. As governments, humanitarian organizations, and businesses across the agricultural supply chain try to adapt to these current realities, they need timely and transparent data from trusted sources. 

Gro is committed to providing this data to help organizations see around the corner, enabling better, faster, and more informed decisions and coordinated emergency responses.

At her briefing of the United Nations Security Council on May 19, 2022, Ms. Menker said that “there is no version of the world where every country has all the natural resources it needs to survive and thrive. One key takeaway from our data is how often we see repeated examples of cause and effect, highlighting surprising connections and interdependencies.” 

About the U.S. Agency for International Development

Following World War II, the ACVFA was established to serve as a bridge between the private sector and the U.S. Government to strengthen communication and solidarity in the provision of foreign aid. 

On a global scale, it provides humanitarian response and disaster relief by bringing together experts from the private sector, universities, international nongovernmental organizations, and USAID officials.

The leading experts joining Ms. Menker as newly appointed Committee members are: 

• Adriana Beltrán, Executive Director, Seattle International Foundation
• Asma Lateef, Policy and Advocacy Lead for Agriculture, SDG2 Advocacy Hub
• C.D. Glin, Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiCo Inc. and Vice President, PepsiCo Foundation
• Dan Twining, President, International Republican Institute
• Derek Mitchell, President, National Democratic Institute
• Eileen Donahoe, Executive Director, Global Digital Policy Incubator, Stanford University
• Eka Tkeshelashvili, Director, Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions (SACCI), MSI a Tetra Tech Company
•  Enock Chikava, Interim Director, Agricultural Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Hibak Kalfan, Executive Director, NEAR Network
• Levon Esters, Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Faculty Affairs, Purdue Polytechnic Institute
• Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President, Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT)
• Jeremy Weinstein, Professor of Political Science, Fisher Family Director of Stanford Global Studies, Stanford University
• Johan Swinnen, Global Director of Systems Transformation at CGIAR, and Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
• Julie Dorf, Co-Chair, Council for Global Equality
• Katherine Marshall, Professor of the Practice of Development, Conflict, and Religion in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
• Kennedy Odede, CEO, Shining Hope for Communities 
• Kristin Lord, President and CEO, IREX
• Liz Schrayer, President and CEO, US Global Leadership Coalition
• Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Global Leader of Climate and Energy, World Wildlife Fund
• Nadia Murad, Founder and Chairwoman, Nadia’s Initiative
• Nisha Biswal, Senior Vice President, International Strategy and Global Initiatives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Olga Wall, CEO, Avallon Consulting LLC
• Paul Weisenfield, Executive Vice President for International Development, RTI International
• Rachel Kyte, Dean, Fletcher School at Tufts University
• Saad Mohseni, Chairman and CEO, MOBY Group
• Sanjay Pradhan, CEO, Open Government Partnerships
• Teresa Barger, Co-Founder and CEO, Cartica

Reach out to us at intel@gro-intelligence.com to speak to a member of our team.