Manisha Bharti is the first CEO of Pratham USA and Global Executive and brings over 25 years of professional experience in global development.
Previously, Manisha was chief of strategy and programs at GHR Foundation, one of Minnesota’s largest philanthropic organizations, where she oversaw a grant portfolio within health, education and international development. She also served as secretary and board member of the Global Solidarity Fund. From 2005 to 2016, Manisha held numerous positions at FHI 360, one of the premier global nongovernmental organizations, including chief strategy officer from 2013 to 2016. Manisha has also worked for the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), McKinsey & Company, UNICEF, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, FXB Foundation, and the Canadian and Ontario governments. She is the youngest person to have served on a Canadian royal commission, having been appointed to the Ontario Royal Commission on Learning in the mid-1990s.
Manisha graduated with honors from Harvard University, earning an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in social studies. She also earned two master’s degrees with honors, in business administration and public health, from Johns Hopkins University. She is soon to be certified as a Racially Conscious Collaborator, is an active participant in the 2021 Class of the GEO Change Leaders in Philanthropy Fellowship and has a lifetime appointment as the secretary of her graduating class at Harvard.