Nasra Ismail holds the position of U.S. Executive Director at Alight and concurrently serves on the boards of Abaarso and RefugePoint. Additionally, she acts as an advisory board member at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. In her role at Alight, Nasra leads a dedicated team focused on the development and expansion of inclusive communities for newcomers to the United States.

With a career spanning two decades, Nasra’s journey has taken her across the globe, from leading public policy in Washington D.C. to delivering humanitarian aid in East Africa and shaping social justice movement strategy in philanthropy. A first-generation immigrant to the U.S., Nasra champions interconnected communities founded on principles of equity and inclusion, all working towards a shared future. Nasra has held distinguished leadership roles at premier organizations including the U.S Millennium Challenge Corporation, Care US, Oxfam International, Co-Impact, and GivingTuesday. She is also the founder of Generative Connections, a global consulting firm, which promotes collaboration efforts between grassroots communities – with a focus on communities of color — and policymakers to drive transformative change.

Nasra’s unique blend of experiences in humanitarian, public, and philanthropic sectors all reflect her core values, which were enriched by her personal displacement journey from Somalia. Her commitment to transformative change recently earned her the prestigious 2022 Global Leadership ICAP Aspen Fellowship, where she advises global organizations on achieving impactful, systemic transformations through reshaping power dynamics and operational paradigms. Nasra earned her bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and further honed her skills through immersive executive leadership programs at Harvard University, Oxford University, and the University of California, Berkeley. She is fluent in both Somali and English