Kay McGowan

Kay is the Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy at the Digital Impact Alliance, and has over 20 years’ experience as a proven policy innovator, diplomat, and digital development strategist. She is motivated by the need to ensure that this era of rapid digitization prioritizes the interests of people and strengthens, rather than erodes, the foundations of open societies.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Kay worked as a political advisor at the U.S. State Department and later USAID, where she focused on strengthening the resilience of marginalized communities via inclusive digital financial services. This included conceptualizing and building enduring partnerships, such as the UN’s Better Than Cash Alliance and Smart Africa’s peer learning network for digital policymakers.