US-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment

Katrina “Kat” Fotovat is currently the Senior Official to the Secretary of State in the Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI), where she leads a team of gender experts promoting gender equality efforts including support of women, peace, and security, countering violent extremism, promoting women’s economic empowerment, and combatting gender-based violence. Ms. Fotovat has more than 20 years of experience advocating for gender and human rights globally, specifically in conflict and post-conflict settings.

Previously, Ms. Fotovat was Director for the Office of Communications, Policy, and Partnerships, in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations where she oversaw an expert team that provided policy and strategy guidance to respond to atrocities, fragility, increase global stability and peacebuilding, and integrating women, peace, and security efforts in areas of conflict.  Ms. Fotovat was also the Deputy Director for the Global Programs Office in the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor where she oversaw more than one billion dollars in active programs geared toward supporting civil society and human rights in the most sensitive and fragile spaces, including internet freedom, transitional justice, and marginalized populations.

Ms. Fotovat’s other positions in the U.S. Government include serving as a Political Officer in the U.S. Embassy in Moldova, as Senior Grants Officer in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, as Senior Human Rights Advisor in the Office of the Procurement Executive, and as an Interagency Liaison at USAID.

Before joining the U.S. government, Ms. Fotovat’s experience includes transitional justice and peace negotiations efforts with the Nobel Prize nominated, Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG). This work included drafting post conflict constitutions in Iraq and Kosovo, and international crisis aid negotiations in Sri Lanka.  Additionally, she has done extensive gender and human rights work through UNHCR, CEDAW, the American Bar Association, and other organizations.  Ms. Fotovat previously worked as legal counsel at the International Human Rights Legal Clinic, focusing on trafficking in persons and asylum cases, with a special focus on Burma.  Ms. Fotovat also helped to found an anti-trafficking in persons organization in Moldova, where she was also a Peace Corps Volunteer.  She holds a Juris Doctor in International Human Rights Law and a master’s degree in Foreign Policy from American University.  She lives in Rockville, Maryland with her son and husband.

Donald Lu became Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on September 15, 2021.  Prior to this assignment, Assistant Secretary Lu served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic from 2018 to 2021 and the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Albania from 2015-2018. Before his posting in Albania, Assistant Secretary Lu worked on the Ebola crisis in West Africa as the Deputy Coordinator for Ebola Response in the Department of State.

Lu is a Foreign Service Officer with more than 30 years of U.S. government service. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) in India (2010-2013), Chargé d’Affaires (2009-2010) and DCM (2007-2009) in Azerbaijan, and as DCM in Kyrgyzstan (2003-2006).  Earlier in his career he was assigned as Deputy Director in the Office of Central Asian and South Caucasus Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (2001-2003), Special Assistant to the Ambassador for the Newly Independent States in the Office of the Secretary of State (2000-2001), Political Officer in New Delhi, India (1997-2000), Special Assistant to the Ambassador in New Delhi, India (1996-1997), Consular Officer in Tbilisi, Georgia (1994-1996), and Political Officer in Peshawar, Pakistan (1992-1994). As a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa from 1988-1990, he helped to restore hand-dug water wells and to teach health education and latrine construction.  Assistant Secretary Lu is from Huntington Beach, California.  He graduated from Princeton University with both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in international relations. He speaks Albanian, Russian, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Hindi, and West African Krio.  He enjoys biking, watching movies, traveling, and spending time with his family.

A Career Minister with the U.S. Foreign Service, Ms. Freeman was previously the Assistant to the Administrator for the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs. Before that, she was the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA). Prior to that, she served as Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kenya and the East Africa Mission. Before being appointed Mission Director in Nairobi, she was the Senior Deputy Mission Director in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Other Senior Management positions include the USAID/Ethiopia Deputy Mission Director from 2002 to 2005, during the height of the 2002 to 2003 humanitarian crises, when she directed delivery of more than $530 million in relief. She also served from 2006 to 2011 as USAID Mission Director in Zimbabwe, overseeing a program focused on ensuring the well-being of the people of Zimbabwe during the height of historic hyperinflation, political transition and violence.

Ms. Freeman began her career with USAID in 1983 in the Office of Central American Affairs. In 1990, she joined the International Development Intern program and served in USAID/El Salvador as the Deputy Program Officer. In 1994, Ms. Freeman was Deputy Program Officer in South Africa and Director of Program and Project Development in 1998. She moved to USAID/Uganda as Chief of Program and Project Development from 2000 to 2002.

Ms. Freeman holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Boston University and a Master in Science Degree in Strategic Policy Making from the National War College.

Dr. Mukesh Aghi is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the U.S.- India Strategic Partnership Forum. Dr. Aghi has extensive experience working with business and government leaders in the U.S. and India to promote trade and strengthen ties between the two countries. Dr. Aghi also currently serves as a trustee at Claremont Graduate University.

Previously, Dr. Aghi served as Chief Executive and Member of the Board at L&T Infotech where Dr. Aghi expanded the business on a global level. During his time at Steria, Inc. (India), Dr. Aghi served as Chairman and CEO of the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, Dr. Aghi was the founding CEO of Universitas 21 Global, the world’s largest consortium of research-led universities and global leader in providing post-graduate online education. Dr. Aghi was also the President of IBM India for IBM Corporation, and spent time working with Ariba, Inc. and JD Edwards & Co.

Dr. Aghi holds several degrees, including an advanced management diploma from Harvard Business School, a Ph.D. in international relations from Claremont Graduate University, an MBA in international marketing from Andrews University, and a BA in business administration from the Middle East College, Beirut, Lebanon.  As a fluent speaker in many international languages, Dr. Aghi was recognized by Esquire Magazine as a Global Leader and has won many awards over the course of his professional career, including the J. R. D. Tata Leadership Award. Most recently, Dr. Aghi was the recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. In his free time, Dr. Aghi is a major marathon and mountaineering enthusiast. Dr. Aghi has competed in over 27 international marathons and climbed some of the highest peaks in North America and Europe.

Gaurav Verma is the Chief Operating Officer of USISPF. Gaurav supervises day-to-day operations, oversees the organization’s revenue, and coordinates the strategic management of the forum’s various programs and initiatives. Gaurav provides leadership and direct management oversight to the forum’s team and engages senior leaders across member companies, government stakeholders, and the forum’s Board of Directors.

Prior to this role, Gaurav worked for over a decade to help solve problems for U.S. companies as they did business in India, providing a forum for senior industry and government leaders in both countries to meet their foreign counterparts. Gaurav has experience in global business development, growth, strategy, day-to-day management, and digital economy portfolio execution for non-profit organizations, as well as Board of Director relations and oversight. Gaurav also created a coalition for jobs and growth to ensure that American businesses have access to international expertise needed to continuously drive economic growth and job creation.

Gaurav is an Advisory Council Member of the Global Institutional Investors Forum in Mauritius, Advisory Council Member of One Globe “Uniting Knowledge Communities” in New Delhi, and a Member of the Board of Women’s Education Project (WEP) in New York.

Gaurav holds an MBA in finance and investments from City University New York, as well as a Bachelor’s of Commerce degree from Delhi University in India.

Dean Thompson is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, overseeing U.S. policy and relations with the countries in the region. He is a member of the Senior Foreign Service and has more than 25 years of experience in U.S. diplomacy.

Most recently, Mr. Thompson served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania, U.S. Consul General in Kolkata, India, and the Chief of the Economic and Commercial Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Mr. Thompson’s other overseas service includes tours at the U.S. Embassies in Paraguay and Bangladesh. While stationed in Washington, Mr. Thompson has led several teams in direct support of the U.S. Secretary of State and served as Director of the Executive Secretariat Staff, the Deputy Director of the Department’s 24-hour Operations Center and the Director of the Department’s Crisis Management Staff.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense on counterproliferation issues and U.S. security assistance to the Republic of Korea. Mr. Thompson has a Masters of Public Management from the University of Maryland, School of Public Affairs and a Masters of National Security Studies from the U.S. National War College.

Laura Stone is Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia, overseeing U.S. policy towards and relations with India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Bhutan.

Previously, Ms. Stone served as Director of the India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Bhutan Affairs Office, Special Advisor to the Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, and was Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Mongolia from 2017 to 2019. She has worked as the Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs; Director of the Economic Policy Office in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs; and Economic Counselor in Hanoi, Vietnam. She served three tours in Beijing as well as tours in Bangkok, Tokyo, the Public Affairs Bureau, the Pentagon Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

Ms. Stone joined the Department of State in 1991 and is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor. She received the Cordell Hull Award for Economic Achievement by a Senior Officer in 2015. Ms. Stone has an M.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford University, and a B.A. from Cornell University. She speaks Chinese.

Änjali Kaur is the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia. She is an international development professional with comprehensive experience at the field, country, and global levels with evidence-based, integrated global health programs. Before joining USAID, Ms. Kaur was the Senior Program Officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation leading the global policy and advocacy strategies for its HIV and TB programs. Prior to that, she was the Senior Director of Asia Pacific for Malaria No More where she established the India Office and expanded the organization’s work across the region, engaging with governments, private sector, civil society and media. Ms. Kaur was also with UNICEF’s Polio Programme, where she worked at the country and HQ levels, as well as the World Bank and UNFPA.

Ms. Kaur is a Fulbright Scholar and received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Amita N. Vyas is a tenured Professor at the George Washington University (GW) School of Public Health. In 2014, Dr. Vyas joined Girl Rising and Co-Produced the Girl Rising India film and campaign alongside Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto releasing a film on national television and launching media campaigns and grassroots-level interventions. At the age of 20, Amita journeyed to Calcutta, India to work alongside Mother Teresa in the Missionaries of Charity. In one eye-opening summer, she was immersed in the relationship between health, education, and social inequities affecting vulnerable populations. From that extraordinary experience, inspired by a simple desire to serve those in need, she decided to pursue a career in public health. Dr. Vyas earned her doctorate in Population and Family Health Sciences from Johns Hopkins University, receiving awards for outstanding academic achievement. Dr. Vyas’ research has primarily focused on the health and well-being of adolescent girls and women, and she has led countless large-scale intervention and research studies in the U.S. and South Asia. Dr. Vyas is the recipient of several awards including the George Washington University Bender Teaching Award; the 2013 National Delta-Omega Honor Society Award for Innovative Curriculum; and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the top ranked journal Women’s Health Issues.

Radhika leads the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs efforts to promote policies and diplomatic outreach to advance inclusive and equitable growth in economies across the  South and Central Asian region.  In this position, she also serves as Executive Director of the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment. Radhika previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor and as a Special Assistant in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the State Department. Her work resulted in the Department’s first policies to promote women’s economic empowerment in major trade agreements, strategic dialogues, and public-private partnerships in both South Asia and Iraq.  Radhika has also held positions at the World Bank, United Nations Development Program and the Inter-American Development Bank, focusing on innovation, climate change and small and medium enterprise development.

Radhika is a Term Member on the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2019, she was named a 2019 AAPI American National Security & Foreign Policy Next Generation Leader by New America and the Diversity in National Security Network. She is the recipient of the Department’s Superior Honor Award and several Meritorious Honor Awards. Radhika holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Boston College.

Regina Neal is a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) at the U.S. Department of State where she manages foreign assistance programs to advance the empowerment and equality of women and girls globally.  Regina joined S/GWI in June 2019 and serves as the focal point for women’s economic empowerment programs globally and programmatic activities in South and Central Asia.  Prior to her time with S/GWI, Regina worked for almost 10 years at the U.S. African Development Foundation, an independent federal grant-making agency that supports community-led economic development projects across sub-Saharan Africa. During her tenure, she led the Foundation’s grant’s management training efforts and worked on broader organizational initiatives, for instance managing a funding partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Ambassador’s Special Self-Help program in 20+ African countries, re-establishing the Foundation’s monitoring and evaluation framework, and regularly performing data analytics for organizational improvements.

Regina’s interest in foreign affairs is rooted in lessons learned during her days as an affordable housing community-organizer in North Carolina where she grew to value putting community needs first. She earned a Master of Social Work with a focus on management and community practice from University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and is a return Peace Corps Volunteer (Togo 2007-2009).  Regina is a proud alumna of Johnson C. Smith University, a historically Black college / university.  Outside of her work, Regina is passionate about introducing young people of color to career opportunities in foreign affairs.

Jonathan Baas is a Foreign Service Officer and joined the Department of State’s India Desk as an Economic Officer in August 2020.  His current portfolio includes cyber issues, digital economy, agriculture, and civil aviation.  Jonathan previously served as consular officer at Embassy New Delhi (2012-2014), commercial officer at Embassy Bishkek (2014-2016), and Deputy Political and Economic Chief at Embassy Yaounde (2017-2020).  Prior to joining the State Department, Jonathan was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Kyrgyz Republic, working on women’s economic empowerment with local handicraft and tourism cooperatives.  His wife, Ashley, is also a Foreign Service Officer and his son Jude just started first grade.  Jonathan has a BS in Economics from Creighton University (Nebraska) and a MS in Applied Economics from Marquette University (Wisconsin).  He speaks French, Russian, and Kyrgyz.

Dhyana Parker serves as a Special Assistant working to advance execution of the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment among other efforts launched by the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs to advance inclusive growth and development in the region.  She was born in the Washington D.C. area and has worked for the Federal Government for over 29 years, now a Management Analyst Contractor with the Department of State.  Dhyana received her Bachelor’s in Business Management and her Master’s in Public Administration with a Concentration in Non-Profit Management from Southeastern University. She’s the mother of two sons, one is a Deputy Sheriff in Charles County and the other is an ER Medical Technician at PG Hospital, and the proud grandmother of three beautiful grandchildren.  After losing her brother to suicide, Dhyana began her life mission to raise awareness of mental illness. In 2017 and 2018 Dhyana became the first Black DC Walk Chair for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Community Walk. In 2019, she started the Rock for Life Foundation, to help bring awareness to mental illness within the community, especially among youth and minorities and to rid the strong stigma associated with it in most cultures.  Her hope is that through education and awareness, those suffering with a mental illness will be urged to seek help and that our mental health laws get changed so that mental illness is viewed and treated just as importantly as physical illness.

Catherine (“Kate”) Bollinger is the Senior Gender Advisor in USAID’s Asia Bureau. Kate supports integration of gender across USAID’s programming in Asia with a focus on areas including gender-based violence; women’s economic empowerment; and women’s leadership. In her role as Acting Division Chief, she supports USAID in Asia’s strategy and policy development and implementation. Prior to joining USAID,  Kate was a Senior Program Officer in The Asia Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program, where her work focused on women’s economic empowerment. Kate holds a Master’s degree in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies; a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford in Social and Cultural Anthropology; and a BA in astrophysics from Pomona College.

Matt Ingeneri is the Economic Growth Unit Chief at U.S. Embassy India, responsible for macroeconomic, investment, civil aviation, infrastructure, and financial issues. Matt previously worked on trade and investment issues in Southeast Asia for over 10 years, serving as Deputy Economic Counselor in Kuala Lumpur, Director for Singapore, Vietnam, and ASEAN while on detail to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Philippines Economic Desk Officer, and Senior Asia Trade Officer for the State Department’s Economic Bureau responsible for the U.S.-Korea (KORUS) FTA, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Matt was an attorney at the D.C. firm Howrey & Simon before joining the State Department, specializing in foreign anti -trust reviews of mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property litigation. He received his BA from Sarah Lawrence College and a JD and MA in International Relations from Boston University, and is a member of the New York and Washington, D.C. bars.

Warren Harrity arrived at USAID/India in August 2021 after serving as the Supervisory Program Officer in Kenya and East Africa and USAID/Burma where he supported the start-up of the Agency’s newest Mission.  Prior to that, he served in Kabul, Afghanistan, as Deputy of the Project Development Office (PDO) and the Regional Development Mission for Asia from 2008-2012 facilitating budget processes and working with project design teams on programs in Thailand, China, Burma, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Laos.  Mr. Harrity was the Executive Director of Katrina Aid Today assisting more than 100,000 of America’s most vulnerable people affected by the 2005 hurricane.  He served as Head of Mission for an NGO in Afghanistan and Armenia from 2003-2005 after a five-year tour in Bosnia where he served for more than two years in the State Department’s Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) overseeing refugee returns and the PRM exit strategy.   Mr. Harrity has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master’s degree from the Korbel School of International Relations at the University of Denver.

Imrana joined USAID/India in 2016. She has expertise in program management, partnerships, and strategy development for U.S. and international organizations addressing issues ranging from inclusive economic growth, innovation, immigrant rights, HIV, and arts and culture. She brings more than twenty years of work experience, including with Atlantic Philanthropies and Asia Society in New York. Born and raised in Corning, New York, Imrana holds a B.A. in Government from Smith College and a M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University. She volunteers as an Alumni Admission Representative with Phillips Andover Academy. In her leisure time, she enjoys travelling, visiting museums and art galleries, and chasing pet bunnies with her daughter.

Mr. Sanghavi has been with USAID/India since August 2012.  He has more than 25 years of professional experience in international law and business. Prior to USAID, Mr. Sanghavi served as the Chief Operating Officer of an independent foreign policy think tank and practiced law at various large law firms in New York and Texas. Mr. Sanghavi earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a concentration in law from Trinity University and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law. In his leisure time, he enjoys spending time traveling, scuba diving, and engaging in other adventure sports.

Ritika Chopra brings more than 20 years of professional experience to her role as Gender Advisor to USAID/India, including having served with the U.S. Mission in India since 2000 in both USAID/India and the U.S. Embassy New Delhi. She was formally appointed as USAID/India Gender Advisor in March 2021, after assuming the acting role since 2016. Ms. Chopra provides technical expertise on how best to integrate gender across USAID/India’s development portfolio, and spearheads the Gender Working Group. She also regularly liaises with the GenDev Office and Asia Bureau in Washington, D.C., and facilitates sharing of lessons learned from the USAID/India perspective.  Ms. Chopra also  served as the Asia Representative, Global Foreign Service National Advocacy Council for USAID from 2016-2018 where she regularly provided recommendations on how best to empower USAID locally employed staff. Ms. Chopra holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Venkateshwara College, Delhi University. Ms. Chopra is known to exercise her fun-loving and extroverted personality through serving as a Master of Ceremonies at internal and external facing events.