Saru Duckworth

Saru Duckworth is a Nepalese-American development practitioner who is passionate about accelerating economic inclusion for global communities in poverty. She has spoken at the UN High Level Political Forum, World Bank Spring Meetings, ECOSOC Youth Forum, and elsewhere on evidence-based policy solutions for eradicating poverty and promoting decent work. 

As the UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow for Jobs and Economic Opportunities, Saru mentors young innovators across Africa and Asia to launch and expand economic programs for the SDGs. She is also a research assistant to Columbia professors Joseph Stiglitz and Karla Hoff, supporting behavioral economics publications.

Previously, Saru spent five years working in women’s economic empowerment globally, including in Myanmar and Nepal. At BRAC, the Bangladesh-based international development organization, she worked with the Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative and eight governments to scale sustainable livelihood programs for extreme poor women within national systems. Saru has received multiple awards for her research, and was a US Department of State Fulbright Scholar.