Emanuela di Gropello manages the Gender Group where she facilitates the implementation of the new World Bank 2024-2030 Gender Strategy, leads the gender unit’s work program, and engages with stakeholders to expand engagements and partnerships toward gender equality. Previously, among other assignments, Emanuela was the Practice Manager for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, Manager for Human Development & Corporate Evaluations in IEG, and a Program Leader for Human Development in several countries in Africa. Emanuela brings a wealth of operational, analytical and policy experience in education and the broader human development sector, acquired in different regional and country contexts. She has also published extensively on a variety of development topics. She holds a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Oxford.

Ronda Carnegie is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Project Dandelion, a global women-led climate campaign that amplifies the leadership of those most impacted by and most equipped to drive change. The campaign’s symbol—the resilient dandelion—reflects its mission: to spread regenerative ideas and actions for a just, livable future. As a former executive at The New Yorker, TED, and the Female Quotient, she has focused her career on transforming brands and fostering community-driven innovation. Based in Tucson, Arizona, Ronda brings a deep connection to the cultural and ecological landscape of the Southwest.

Reema Nanavaty has been working with the SEWA since over 40 years expanding its membership to over 3.2 million members, making it the single largest union of informal sector women workers. Reema facilitated rebuilding lives and livelihoods of 60000 earthquake affected rural women and 40000 riot-affected members. She is leading the rehabilitation programs in Afghanistan, training over 5000 Afghani women on different Livelihood skills and facilitating them in setting-up their own local Association. Similarly, she has also led the rehabilitation program for war-affected widows in Srilanka; providing over 6000 women with vocational training in rural livelihood security. Reema oversees some 10,000 self-help groups (SHG), 160 co-operatives and 15 economic federations, pan India including 18 states, and also in 7 South-Asian countries, focusing on women’s economic empowerment by building women owned enterprises, building women led supply chains. Reema leads SEWA’s National climate action campaign – “Building Cleaner Skies” where some 3.2 million women have taken up climate action. She was honored by Padma Shri (the fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India) for her contribution in area of Social Services. She is currently the member of the Advisory Council on Gender of the World Bank Group. Reema Nanavaty was invited to the International Labour Organization’s High Level Global Commission on Future of Work as the only member representing the informal sector workers, women workers, self-employed workers and the rural workers’ union in the entire commission. She was also invited as a member of the working group for the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy and as a Gender lead in the Working group for the UN's Food System Summit. She was also a member of the Advisory committee of World Bank and IMF on Gender.

Mirtha is a Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist in the Global Unit for Resilience and Disaster Risk Management at the World Bank, where she co-leads the Inclusive Disaster Risk Management and Gender Equality global thematic area. She previously served as a Disaster Risk Management Specialist for the Latin America and Caribbean region at the World Bank. Her work focuses on advancing innovative initiatives and financing mechanisms that support climate change adaptation and mitigation. Mirtha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management and Climate Change from Virginia Tech University.

Fran Deininger leads the global Just Transition and Inclusive Climate Program at the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. This program is focused on supporting and financing the social dimensions of climate action through IFC’s investment and advisory services. Fran is also leading the flagship She Wins Climate program, focused on accelerating climate investment for women-led climate startups. She previously supported the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the Clean Cooking Fund (CCF), and the Infrastructure Global Practice of the World Bank. Fran has also held different positions at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in global risk management, as well as in the financial services industry. Fran holds a double master’s degree from Sciences Po in Paris and the London School of Economics in Economic Policy and Political Economy, as well as a BSc in Economics and Social Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University. She is a German national, currently living in London, UK.

Kelsey Wright is an Economist in DECDI (Development Economics VP - Development Impact), where she works on impact evaluations of economic inclusion and social protection programs in fragile settings. Her work focuses on the Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Program and other initiatives that integrate climate adaptation with economic inclusion, particularly for women and vulnerable populations. Kelsey collaborates with operational teams, government counterparts, and researchers to design and implement multi-country evaluations, ensuring that evidence informs policy and program design. She has published research on productive inclusion and resilience-building in leading academic journals including Nature. Kelsey holds a PhD in Economics from the Paris School of Economics.

As Lead Economist in the World Bank’s Gender Group, Laura B. Rawlings spearheads analytical work and partnerships as part of the global effort to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.  In her career, Laura has led numerous project and research initiatives in the areas of social protection, early childhood development and behavioral incentives. She has worked as the Lead Economist for the Human Capital Project, Team Leader of the World Bank’s Social Protection and Labor Strategy, Manager of the Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund (SIEF) and Sector Leader for Human Development in Central America. She has published numerous books and articles in the fields of evaluation and human development. Laura is a member of the Global Reference Group for Children Affected by Crisis and a professor in Georgetown University’s Global Human Development program.

Robin Mearns is the director of the Global Department for Social Development, formerly known as the Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice, at the World Bank. Since joining the Bank in 1997, Dr. Mearns has held various positions in Washington, D.C., and in country offices across Africa, Latin America, East and South Asia regions, most recently as Practice Manager for Social Development in South Asia and Africa. He has led operations, policy dialogue and analytics in community and local development, as well as land and natural resource management. Robin also served as the first global lead on the social dimensions of climate change and as sector/program leader for sustainable development (then including infrastructure) in Southern Africa. Prior to joining the Bank, Robin spent a decade in research and teaching on environment and development policy at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and the International Institute for Environment and Development in London. He holds master's and doctoral degrees in geography from Cambridge University and a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies from the University of Sussex.