My career is a blend of halo-halo (Tagalog for a mixed dessert) experiences! š I started in microfinance and international relations in East Africa, transitioned into health policy and management, and have spent the past 10 years supporting local and state governments. Iāve collaborated with diverse clients like the Pima County Health Department, New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, City of Los Angeles, and US Digital Response.
Currently, Iām a researcher at the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, where I advise and train local governments on human-centered design for climate resilience, green jobs, housing insecurity, and more.
šļø I help governments, nonprofits, and startups design and launch health products, services, and policies using equity-centered research insights and data-driven storytelling. My work includes:
Integrating equity-focused research practices for a state health department, resulting in multistate hackathons that boosted employee engagement and collaboration.
Improving COVID-19 vaccination communication for a state board of health to foster trust and transparency with its residents.
Advising a $4M federal grant to improve health literacy and vaccine uptake among pregnant Latina/e/o communities.
I founded Jumana Design (DBA Elham Ali Consultancy), a studio dedicated to advancing research equity in public service delivery. I served as the Lead Human-centered Design Advisor at Pima County Health Department and supported over 13 government partners at U.S. Digital Response during the COVID-19 crisis. Iām an active member of communities such as Statisticians without Borders, Technologists for Public Good, and Climate Action Tech. šæ I also advocate for environmental justice with my local Citizenās Climate Lobby.
On a personal note, I live in sunny California āļø with my husband and two kitties. I co-founded Spudnuts Comics and the Unmuted Podcast. š I love connectingāreach out on LinkedIn or email me!
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