Josh Powell
Team Member

Josh Powell

Chief Executive Officer United States
Connect with Josh

Josh Powell is the Chief Executive Officer at Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG), overseeing DG’s management team, coordinating strategy, and supporting the overall organizational performance of DG’s global team, which is comprised of 70+ professionals in 18 countries.

Josh has more than 15 years of experience in digital and data for development across many sectors, including health, agriculture, education, governance, and public financial management. Developed through his work on various international, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and on programming in more than a dozen countries, Josh has expertise in reconciling global norms, practices, and standards with country needs, systems, and institutions. He has also worked extensively in both program implementation and policy design.

Josh has partnered with and advised a range of development institutions, including USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the World Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He has also supported country governments across West, East, and Southern Africa; South Asia; East Asia and the Pacific; and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Josh chairs the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data’s Technical Advisory Group. He sits on the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Advisory Council, serves on the Board of Directors of Open Data Watch, and is a member of the OpenGov Hub Management Team. He previously sat on the Members’ Assembly and Technical Advisory Group at International Aid Transparency Initiative.

Josh has an MS in Public Policy from Brigham Young University and a BS in Finance from the University of Baltimore.

 

Recent Posts

Read more from Josh
The Data Crisis Following USAID’s Withdrawal: Opportunities to Reimagine Data Systems

For decades, USAID and other US government funding supported global data systems, from health surveys and early warning tools to digital infrastructure for ministries. The abrupt termination of USAID funding has triggered twin crises: a halt to data collection and the undermining of digital systems – reveal existing inefficiencies and instabilities in how data is collected, managed, and shared both within and between countries.

April 16, 2025 Strategic Advisory Services
The Future of Technology Governance and Global Development: Why DG Brought DataReady In-house

DG is excited to announce we now have more robust data governance advisory services with the recent integration of DataReady.

August 7, 2024 Strategic Advisory Services
Technology for a Stronger Democracy? Key Insights from the Third Summit for Democracy

During the recent Summit for Democracy in Seoul, South Korea, DG led a session exploring how national commitments to developing technology can strengthen democracy and combat corruption. From that conversation, we identified three insights on how to advance this essential work.

May 7, 2024