Penny Abeywardena

As a young child, Penny Abeywardena emigrated from Sri Lanka to the United States with her family. She spent her youth as an undocumented immigrant, a 1980s version of a “Dreamer." Today, she is a Knight in the National Order of Merit presented by French President Macron and holds leadership roles in international affairs, government, and philanthropy.

She is a lifelong advocate of women’s rights and a vocal champion for sustainability and social justice. Her contribution to social justice has been recognized and celebrated by the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and the French American Foundation, among others. Penny is the former New York City Commissioner for International Affairs. During her eight years of service (2014-2022), she led the agency serving the largest diplomatic corps in the world. During her tenure, New York City successfully implemented a series of award-winning programs with the international community focused on issues ranging from youth empowerment to the leadership of cities and local governments on global issues like climate change and rebuilding post the COVID-19 pandemic.

When NYC was the epicenter of the pandemic in the US, her team was responsible for working with the United Nations and foreign governments to procure necessary medical equipment. Abeywardena’s leadership in crisis resulted in a historic donation from the UN to the City of New York and donations from dozens of countries. Before her role in government, Abeywardena was the Director of the Women’s program at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), where she advised multinational corporations, philanthropists, NGOs, and multilateral institutions to increase investments in gender-focused development initiatives.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, she completed her Master of International Affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. She is a proud Sri Lankan/American/New Yorker and mom to a young son.