Reimagining Foreign Aid: The Future of Humanitarian Leadership

October 30th, 2025 5:30PM -7:00PM

This year has brought significant shifts in global foreign assistance, reflecting broader challenges in meeting growing humanitarian needs. As crises become more complex and the number of lives at risk is staggering, the imperative to modernize and strengthen aid systems has never been clearer.

While today’s humanitarian landscape is marked by disruption, it may be the catalyst needed for meaningful humanitarian reform. Innovation is no longer optional—it’s the driving force behind resilience, adaptability, and unlocking new pathways to progress. From reimagining delivery models to forging unconventional partnerships and cross-sector collaboration, the future of aid demands transformation.

Join World Affairs Council, Save the Children, and the Gates Foundation as we are tackling this urgent question: Where do we go from here, and how do we build something better?

 

About Our Speakers

Chris Elias | President, Global Development at Gates Foundation
Dr. Chris Elias is the president of the Global Development Division, where he leads the foundation’s efforts in a diverse range of program areas aimed at finding creative new ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in poor countries who need them most. Focusing on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach hundreds of millions of people, Chris oversees Global Development’s portfolio across Africa and India and the foundation’s work in Emergency Response; Polio Eradication; Primary Health Care, Exemplars in Global Health, and Immunization. A common theme of these programs is innovative and integrated delivery, including an emphasis on strengthening of primary health care systems.
Chris’s professional background is in public health and medicine. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation in February 2012, he worked in various positions and countries for international nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the president and CEO of PATH, an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of people around the world by advancing technologies, strengthening systems, and encouraging healthy behaviors.
Chris holds an M.D. from Creighton University, having completed postgraduate training in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and an M.P.H. from the University of Washington, where he was a fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine

Janti Soeripto |  President & Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children US
Janti Soeripto has been the President & CEO of Save the Children US since January 2020, following her role as President & COO from May 2019. She oversees the agency's strategy and management, humanitarian response, and operational effectiveness, to name a few. Previously, Janti served as Deputy CEO of Save the Children International for eight years, focusing on market growth and global strategy. She began her global career in the private sector, holding senior positions at Kimberly-Clark and Unilever.
Janti's insights on global leadership and humanitarian crises affecting children have been featured in prominent media outlets such as the Associated Press, Harvard Business Review, POLITICO, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. In 2025, she was recognized in Forbes 50 Over 50 Impact list. She has been interviewed on CBS News “Face the Nation,” CNN, NPR, PBS “Amanpour & Co.,” and American Public Media’s “Marketplace. Janti holds master’s degrees in economics and finance, speaks four languages, and lives in Connecticut with her two children.
Named to the 2025 Forbes 50 Over 50, Save the Children US President & CEO Janti Soeripto is navigating the funding crisis with a bold philosophy: respond, rebound, reform.

Details

When: October 30th, 2025 5:30PM -7:00PM

Venue

K&L Gates

925 4th Ave #2900, Seattle, WA 98104
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