Kayla Zhu

Kayla Zhu is a humanitarian and policy professional with experience supporting complex operations in some of the world’s most challenging crisis contexts. Most recently, she served with the International Organization for Migration in Afghanistan, where she managed donor relations and led the mission's impact reporting. She previously worked in Somalia with ACTED, spearheading project development for IDP-focused emergency response. Her interest in food security began almost a decade ago, growing up in Michigan and participating in the World Food Prize’s youth program. At seventeen, this experience led her to conduct field research at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in India, where she analyzed drivers of dietary diversity among pregnant and lactating women and adolescent girls in tribal communities of Adilabad district. Kayla holds a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris, and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. She is driven to translate field experience into policies and tools that make food systems more resilient and responsive. Currently on sabbatical, she is exploring the intersection of social impact, tech policy, and innovative systems design. Outside of work, Kayla is an avid kitesurfer chasing wind around the world.