Lauren Kahn

Lauren leads our strategy and research work in the Global Impact Team, where she supports clients on their journey towards inclusive, responsible and sustainable digital transformation for global impact.

Lauren works at the intersection of digital transformation and international development, supporting UN agencies, multilateral development banks and major philanthropic foundations to unlock societal impact at scale through harnessing technology. Bringing senior experience in digital from across government, corporate and global development environments, her work is deeply invested in the real-world impact of technology on communities, and the need for a focus on sustainability, inclusion, and responsible tech.

As a strategy and research leader, Lauren’s work expands our thought leadership on emerging topics, including AI, digital public infrastructure (DPI) and the relationship between digital and climate change agendas. She is currently working with ODI, a leading global affairs think tank, to deliver a Digital Public Finance Hub designed to promote new ways of thinking around the digital transformation of public finance.

In her capacity as a consultant, Lauren supports our engagement with the E-Gov Foundation, a philanthropic mission dedicated to using open digital infrastructure and ecosystems to improve lives, where she is helping them build product strategy for a flagship project. She also works in an advisory role with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, providing recommendations to their development policy and finance team on DPI and digital public finance.

Prior to joining Public Digital, Lauren was Responsible Tech Director at BT, where she set strategy for accelerating growth through inclusive, ethical and environmentally sustainable technology and steered business-wide implementation. Previously, she was the UK Government’s Head of Digital Inclusion Strategy at Government Digital Service (GDS) and then Deputy Director for digital transformation and innovation in international development at the FCDO. She began her career in academia and social research, using ethnographic and user insight to inform behaviour change, policy innovation and service redesign.

Lauren has held board and steering roles in a range of global multistakeholder digital partnerships convened by the UN, World Bank, and World Economic Forum.