Lauren Ropp is I4DI’s Associate Director of Program Management. Bringing 12 years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating social impact initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the U.S., Lauren oversees a portfolio of I4DI projects to ensure their successful implementation, build and manage client and partner relationships, and advance I4DI’s strategic positioning and business development. She also contributes to thought leadership initiatives in climate and sustainability.
Prior to joining I4DI, Lauren was Deputy Country Director of One Acre Fund in Ethiopia, where she helped scale agroforestry and climate-smart agriculture programming for smallholder farmers. She also led operations for a One Acre Fund and IDinsight-sponsored randomized controlled trial in rural Tanzania, testing an innovative asset transfer program with 2,000 farming families. Over the course of her career, Lauren has worked across a range of sectors such as climate tech, agriculture, health, WASH, education, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and humanitarian response for organizations such as Partners In Health, GOAL Global, Tofino Capital, International Organization for Migration, Global Environment & Technology Foundation, and Peace Corps.
Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Psychology from Rutgers University, and a master’s degree in Global Human Development from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, with a certificate in Social Innovation & Global Development.