Dagmawit Tessema

Lead, National Engagement, Humanitarian and Resilience Investing - World Economic Forum

Dagmawit Tessema is Lead, National Engagement for the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing initiative at the World Economic Forum. She leads country-level engagement for the HRI Roadmap for Africa, working with governments, development finance institutions, investors and the private sector to strengthen investment ecosystems and mobilize capital in frontier markets.

Previously, she worked with USAID and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation on international development, economic growth and private-sector engagement, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. At USAID, she provided strategic leadership for the $50 million Enterprises for Development, Growth and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund, overseeing its strategic allocation, performance management and impact tracking to advance market-led solutions and inclusive economic growth. She also led the $60 million CATALYZE Education Finance activity, supporting private capital mobilization to expand access to quality education. Her experience includes developing public–private partnerships and managing large-scale international development and investment initiatives across the public, private and development sectors.

She holds a master’s degree in International Development from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.