Blair Palmer recently rejoined UNICEF’s Office of Innovation, focusing on resource mobilization for the Health and Climate Innovation global hubs. She is responsible for sourcing new projects and ideas to connect stakeholders with the international development and humanitarian landscape. Blair has a proven track record of driving social change and securing funding for groundbreaking initiatives. Her impactful work has earned her global recognition, including being named to Dell Computers’ #Inspire100 list of world changers.
In her previous role as Interim Team Co-lead and Senior Director of Foundation Partnerships at UNICEF USA, Blair coordinated an $800M+ portfolio of global partnerships, including engagement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund. She supported portfolios in health, nutrition, WASH, climate, gender equity, and emergency response.
She has held several posts within the United Nations, including at UNICEF, the WHO, and UN OCHA. Blair has led social enterprise initiatives at Medic, advanced global health research at UCSF and the Institute for OneWorld Health, and directed corporate responsibility efforts at Gilead Sciences and Levi Strauss. Blair is currently undertaking doctoral studies in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She holds a degree in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s in Public Health from Yale University, where she was nominated for a Fulbright Scholarship to Zimbabwe.
