Nanjira Sambuli
Researcher, policy analyst, advocacy strategist
“I believe we can redistribute insights, tools, and resources to heal the world.”
Leadership: Nanjira Sambuli is a researcher, policy analyst, and advocacy strategist whose work focuses on the intersection of information and communications technology (ICT) adoption with governance, media, entrepreneurship, and culture. She was previously at the World Wide Web Foundation, where she led efforts to promote digital equality and address the digital gender divide. Nanjira has co-organized two Africa Summits on Women and Girls in Technology and the #SayNoToManels (all-male panels) campaign in Kenya, which gained traction internationally.
Nanjira is a commissioner on the Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030 and a board member at the New Humanitarian (formerly IRIN News), Development Gateway, and Digital Impact Alliance. She was a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation (2018-19) and served as a deputy on the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel for Women’s Economic Empowerment from 2016-17. Nanjira was named one of New African Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Africans in 2016 and one of the BBC’s 100 Inspiring and Influential Women in 2019.
Vision: As digital technologies continue to take over every aspect of our lives, inequality trends offline are too often being mirrored online. Nanjira aims to tackle this issue by shaping global governance and establishing baselines for digital equality.