New York, United States, November 2025 — The Ford Foundation announced the appointment of Noorain Khan as vice president and chief innovation officer, a newly created executive role that will drive the foundation’s innovation strategy and commitment to accelerating the foundation and the social sector’s impact. Khan will join President Heather Gerken‘s executive leadership team, overseeing the foundation’s Mission Investments and Ford Global Fellows programs, and the Office of Strategy and Impact to further integrate the foundation’s ongoing findings, learning, and innovation strategies, while leading new initiatives. —
Khan returns to Ford after serving as a philanthropic strategist for private clients and as a Senior Advisor at the investment firm XN. She also serves as National Board President of Girl Scouts of the USA where she has led historic efforts in strategy, transformation, governance, sustainable revenue, and inclusion and belonging.
Khan previously served at the Ford Foundation in several roles, concluding her nine-year tenure as senior advisor and director to former president Darren Walker. In this role, she built and led the first-ever program team to manage the presidential grantmaking budget and launched Ford’s work in disability rights. Under her leadership, Ford became the largest private funder of disability rights worldwide. Khan co-founded and incubated pioneering sector-wide efforts, including the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, the first US philanthropy-serving organization focused on disability rights, and the Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. Due to her extensive contributions to the philanthropic sector, she is the subject of a Harvard Law School case study on public sector leadership.
“Noorain Khan embodies the innovative spirit and transformative leadership needed to propel the Ford Foundation into its next chapter,” said Heather Gerken, president of the Ford Foundation. “Her track record of launching breakthrough initiatives demonstrates the kind of bold, creative thinking we need and builds on Ford’s legacy of innovation and best practices. Noorain has a deep understanding of Ford’s mission, combined with her experience across law, government, and the social sector, making her the ideal leader to reimagine how philanthropy can drive systemic change.”
“The social sector stands at a critical inflection point that demands completely reimagined tools, strategies, and ways of working,” said Noorain Khan, vice president and chief innovation officer of the Ford Foundation. “I’m thrilled to join Heather Gerken and Ford’s remarkable leadership team to develop the next generation of philanthropic approaches that can match the gravity and urgency of today’s challenges, and enable our grantees and partners to drive lasting, scalable change.”
Khan began her career as an attorney at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City. A Rhodes Scholar and PD Soros Fellow, she holds a JD from Yale Law School, an MPhil in Migration Studies from Oxford University, and a BA from Rice University.
A recognized leader in social impact, Noorain has additionally served on boards including the Association of American Rhodes Scholars, Pillars Fund, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and the New York Women’s Foundation. She was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and received the George Parkin Service Award for outstanding contributions to the Rhodes Trust.
About the Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For nearly 90 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation operates from its headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
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