Aleem Walji

Aleem Walji is the director of the World Bank’s Innovation Labs. He oversees open government, transparency, and accountability initiatives with particular interest in leveraging technology to increase social accountability and improve service delivery. In addition, he oversees the Development Marketplace program, which provides social entrepreneurs access to growth financing, with a focus on South Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East. Walji also serves on the Global Advisory Council on the Future of Government at the World Economic Forum.

Before joining the World Bank Institute, Walji served as a head of global development initiatives at Google.org, with a focus on eastern Africa. He led efforts related to increasing transparency and accountability in government and supporting the growth of small and medium-size enterprises in Africa. He was also the first CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation in Syria. He is a graduate of Emory University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He completed his bachelor's degree in Near Eastern studies and anthropology and his master's degree in international development and regional planning.

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