Rahel Kassahun Meskele

Dr. Rahel Kassahun is the Executive Director of Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA), a think tank based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. CoDA was established by the African Development Bank, the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa as an independent, international, African-owned forum that identifies and discusses pressing issues on the continent within a global context. As an advocacy organization, CoDA brings together major stakeholders to promote dialogue and provides a platform for African voices to be heard. As the Head of the CoDA secretariat, Rahel provides vision and leadership to the strategic and day-to-day program development and implementation. Ms. Kassahun is the Founder of Africa Unbound Inc., an international civil society organization building a network of young Africans who are working to be agents of change. Prior to founding Africa Unbound, she worked for the World Bank in Washington D.C. (2002-2010). She has also worked as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York and taught at University of California, Riverside (1996-2000). A native Ethiopian, Ms. Kassahun holds a Ph. D. in Economics from University of California, Riverside.