Dagmawit Tessema

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

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

About

Strategic development professional with 10+ years of experience designing and managing high-impact, multi-country programs focused on private sector development, entrepreneurship, and economic inclusion. Proven expertise in leading complex donor-funded projects, managing performance-based implementation models, and strengthening market ecosystems to drive outcomes for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Skilled in forging public-private partnerships, applying data for continuous learning, and advancing youth employment and gender equity strategies. Deep experience across Africa, Asia, and Latin America in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.

Experience

  • Lead, National Engagement, Humanitarian and Resilience Investing at World Economic Forum
    Feb 2026 - Present · 6 mos

  • Senior Associate at U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
    Aug 2025 - Dec 2025 · 5 mos

  • USAID (4 yrs 3 mos)
    • Foreign Service Officer
      Nov 2024 - Aug 2025 · 10 mos

    • Team Lead, Education Finance Specialist
      Jul 2023 - Nov 2024 · 1 yr 5 mos

      Managed education finance activities under the CATALYZE mechanism, a $250 million, 5 year program designed to mobilize $2 billion in private capital, particularly for underfinanced social sectors such as education in low-income and post-conflict countries.

    • Director, Private Sector Institutional Support team
      Jun 2021 - Jul 2023 · 2 yrs 2 mos

      Provided strategic leadership for agency-wide PSE initiatives, advising regional and in-country technical offices on co-designing scalable public–private partnerships that aligned development priorities Supported the launch and implementation of $50 million Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund, designed to catalyze private sector partnerships to drive sustainable and scalable solutions to global challenges.

  • Senior Program Coordinator at The Kaizen Company
    Dec 2020 - Jul 2021 · 8 mos

    Supported $8.1 million USAID/Uganda Organizational Development Activity (ODA) and the $9.2 million USAID/Jordan Enhancing School Management and Planning project through financial management, administration, contractual compliance, field personnel management, and technical support. Supported qualitative and quantitative data collection and conducted MEL data analysis to interpret findings and track trends, informing learning and recommending improvements. Supported Kaizen’s business development full-cycle proposal development process, including recruitment, partnership engagement, cost proposal preparation, capture, and proposal writing and review.

  • USAID (1 yr 4 mos)
    • Data Analyst at the Bureau of Management Office
      May 2020 - Dec 2020 · 8 mos

      Supported USAID in implementing a new data tracking system to improve data management, reporting, and operational efficiency.

    • Training Coordinator
      Sep 2019 - May 2020 · 9 mos

      Provided Development Information Solution (DIS) onboarding and training to USAID personnel in Ethiopia, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa, Vietnam, Peru, and El Salvador; assessing training effectiveness and system adoption, developing SOPs, monitoring system usage, and supporting DIS training curriculum development.