About – Elham Ali

Hi! I’m Elham Ali, a researcher, storyteller, and climate justice advocate. I help local governments design solutions to community challenges, including climate action, that center people and equity. 🌿

Currently, I work as a researcher at Georgetown’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation and am pursuing my doctorate (DrPH) in Health Equity and Social Justice at Johns Hopkins. My research focuses on what helps or prevents local governments from implementing equitable policies and systems change for nature-based solutions, specifically green spaces like parks, urban forests, and street trees. I’m also a proud Crown Prince International Scholar from Bahrain 🇧🇭.

My career is a bit like halo-halo 🍨, a colorful mix of experiences rooted in service. I started in microfinance and international relations in East Africa, moved into health policy and management, and have spent the past decade helping local and state governments on civic tech and public health initiatives 🏛️. I’ve collaborated with partners at the Inland Empire Opioid Crisis Coalition, New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, City of Los Angeles, and more.

Through my previous consultancy, Jumana Design, I helped governments, nonprofits, and startups build more equitable health products and programs. Highlights include improving vaccine communication with a state board of health to build trust with residents, and supporting a $4M federal grant to boost health literacy and vaccine uptake among pregnant Latina/e/o communities. I also advised a state health department on embedding equity-focused research practices, which led to multistate hackathons that increased employee collaboration.

Previously, I served as Lead Human-Centered Design Advisor at the Pima County Health Department and supported more than 13 government partners at US Digital Response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outside of work, I give back to groups like Statisticians without Borders, DataKind, and Climate Action Tech, and I advocate locally in the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance (LANCSA) and Santa Clarita with Citizens’ Climate Lobby. I love volunteering in my community, including helping out at Santa Clarita’s Community Beautification Day at Valencia Glen Park, where I was honored to be quoted in a local news story.

Image of City of Santa Clarita's Community Beautification Day in Valencia at Valencia Glen Park on Saturday, June 28, 2025, where I volunteered alongside neighbors and was quoted in this article shown here.

I live in sunny southern California ☀️ with my partner and our two sweet kitties. 💌 I’m always happy to connect so don’t hesitate to reach out!