For the past 18 years, Lorin Kavanaugh-Ulku has worked at the intersection of international development and innovation, mobilizing partnerships, advancing groundbreaking ideas, and designing solutions to address global challenges. A recognized leader in open innovation, she has spent the last decade crafting and scaling global programs with donors, foundations, and private sector partners. Her work has impacted diverse areas, including supporting Venezuelan migrants across Latin America, scaling solar energy solutions for underserved households, and fostering locally-led humanitarian responses in complex environments.

Ms. Kavanaugh-Ulku has held leadership and advisory roles with UNICEF, UNICEF USA, USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). At UNICEF USA, she led strategic partnership development and implementation with leading U.S.-based foundations. Previously, at USAID, she led the Exploratory Programs and Innovation Competitions Team, providing technical guidance on open innovation strategies to over 60 Missions, Bureaus, and Operating Units. Her efforts helped expand USAID’s ability to engage nontraditional partners and deliver impactful, locally-driven solutions. At the U.S. Department of State, she supported outreach efforts for Secretary-level initiatives, focusing on fostering partnerships that aligned with diplomatic and development priorities. While at UNDP, she championed private sector engagement through the Business Call to Action, promoting sustainable, market-driven solutions to development challenges. Earlier in her career, she contributed to USAID’s Global Development Alliance team, advancing public-private partnerships to align U.S. development goals with private sector objectives.

Before transitioning to international development, Ms. Kavanaugh-Ulku was a journalist, honing her storytelling and communication skills through roles in broadcast (KYW-TV3 in Philadelphia), print (The Wall Street Journal), and digital media (WSJ Online).

Ms. Kavanaugh-Ulku holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Temple University.