Penelope Bender is a Lead Literacy Specialist (Consultant) at the World Bank. She supports the Accelerator and Read@Home programs, focusing on reading, language of instruction, and the book supply chain, particularly procurement.
Prior to her recent return to the Bank, she was the Head of Global Education Services at BurdaEducation, an international publishing, printing, and distribution company. She came to Burda from USAID, where she led the global Reading Team and founded the Global Book Alliance and Global Digital Library. Prior to USAID, she worked for the Hewlett Foundation on the Quality Education in Developing Countries initiative (QEDC). Earlier, she worked at the World Bank for many years, primarily in Africa. She holds a Master’s in International Education from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Teaching, Curriculum and Educational Policy from Michigan State University.