Jonna Davis joined the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) in November 2021 as the operations and impact director, responsible for enhancing operations and assessing the impact of FFAR’s research funding. After spending over a decade in global development, she joined FFAR with a desire to apply her experience to impactful work in the United States. She’s especially interested in the intersection of agriculture and climate change.
Davis previously served on the leadership team at Busara Center for Behavioral Economics, a Nairobi-based research and advisory organization using behavioral science to strengthen global development programs. She first served as the director of operations, launching offices in Lagos, Kampala, Delhi and Dar Es Salaam. She then became the director of strategy, working closely with Busara’s chief executive officer to develop, track and communicate the organization’s three-year strategy.
Prior to Busara, Davis held a consultancy helping Soko, an artisan-made jewelry company, assess and expand its impact on its artisan network. Earlier in her career, she served as senior program officer at charity: water in New York, managing a portfolio of safe water and sanitation programs. In this role, she worked extensively with implementing partner grantees, frequently traveling to rural project sites across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Davis holds a master of arts degree in global ethics from King’s College London and bachelor of art degrees in both economics and music from New York University. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, running, travel, music and podcasts.