Rachel Svetanoff

Foundation Partnerships Consultant at UNICEF USA

Rachel Svetanoff (MS' 15) is a youth activist and social entrepreneur with a history of supporting efforts to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has contributed to over 100 projects with 112 organizations across 37 countries in this capacity. This is most recently seen in her work for UNICEF USA, where she has supported a $250 million team portfolio by working with leading funding partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and United Nations Foundation, among others, to advance UNICEF's role in aligned efforts to achieve global public health, climate action, gender equality, and other SDG-related impacts for safeguarding youth and children's rights worldwide. In her social entrepreneurial pursuits, Rachel founded the SDG advocacy youth organization Global Futurist Initiative, the humanitarian Project Energy for Life Cameroon consortium, and the start-up boutique consulting practice Protea Consulting, LLC. Receiving numerous appointments and 31 awards, Rachel is a sought-out speaker and actively contributes to publications on matters concerning youth, sustainable development, and human rights. Born and raised in Indiana, Rachel received her MBA and BS in Chemistry at Purdue University and her MS in Global Health at the University of Notre Dame.

Her research at the Pulte Institute focuses on providing pathways for adopting the SDGs as an American policy. This project centers around reviving H.Res.30 -- 117th Congress (2021-2022) - Supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals -- where Rachel's efforts examine local capacity-building and reinforcing data systems for municipal- and state-level engagement and activation. The research aims to create long-term impact to assist with the facilitation of generating bi-partisan support for passing future legislation concerning the SDGs.