Nazanin Ash

Nazanin Ash is CEO of Welcome.US, a nonpartisan national initiative built to unite, inspire, and empower Americans to welcome newcomers seeking safety in the United States. Under her leadership, Welcome.US has not only helped mobilize and empower over 500,000 Americans in 11,000 zip codes to serve as sponsors for refugee newcomers but has also increased our national capacity to welcome by over five times in just two years. This significant achievement demonstrates whole new possibilities for addressing the global displacement and migration crises.

With decades of experience in the areas of foreign policy, politics, human rights, refugee and migration challenges, humanitarian response, coalition building, and innovative policy and change management, Ash has been an instrumental figure in multiple sectors. She has served in various significant roles, including the Vice President of Global Policy and Advocacy at the International Rescue Committee, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State during the Obama Administration, and as a member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning staff. In addition, Ash has functioned as the principal advisor and Chief of Staff to the first Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and Administrator of USAID, designing strategies and policies for U.S. foreign assistance reform in support of inclusive political and economic development. As a White House Fellow, she was a principal designer of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, one of the most successful global health initiatives in history that has saved more than 20 million lives.

Recognized as one of Washingtonian Magazine's "Most Influential People Shaping Policy," Ash is also a crucial liaison among corporations, service organizations, and government in resettling those escaping crises around the world. Ash holds an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government -- where she was a Sheldon Fellow, a Public Service Fellow, and received a Rising Star Award -- and a BA in political science from Bryn Mawr College. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is a proud mom of five and resides in Washington, DC, with her husband and children.