Samantha Lach works in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice at the World Bank. . She specializes in international development, leading and contributing to policy analysis on governance and on causes and consequences of poverty and inequality across developing countries. She was a core team member of the WDR 2017 Governance and the Law. Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked as a research consultant at UN DESA, UN Women and UNDP. She holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Universidad Anahuac in Mexico and a Masters from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.