Dina Powell

Dina Powell
Financial Times · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Dina Powell
Birth date	1973
Birth place	Cairo, Egypt
Nationality	American, Egyptian
Alma mater	Harvard University, Columbia University
Occupation	Banker, government official, philanthropist
Known for	Investment banking, diplomacy, White House service

Dina Powell

Dina Powell is an American banker, diplomat, and nonprofit leader who served in senior roles during the administrations of George W. Bush and Donald Trump. She worked at Goldman Sachs before and after her White House service, and has been active in international development, philanthropic initiatives, and foreign policy circles. Powell's career bridges Wall Street, Washington, D.C. policy networks, and global humanitarian institutions.

Early life and education

Powell was born in Cairo to Egyptian parents and emigrated to the United States as a child, growing up in Dallas, Texas near communities tied to immigration and American Mosaic debates; she attended J.J. Pearce High School before matriculating at Princeton University and transferring to Harvard University where she completed undergraduate studies in government and international affairs. She earned a master's degree from Columbia University in international affairs, studying subjects overlapping with research at the Council on Foreign Relations, Brookings Institution, and academic programs linked to Middle East studies and U.S. foreign policy. During her education she engaged with organizations such as The Atlantic Council, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and student groups connected to U.S.–Egypt relations.

Business career

Powell joined Goldman Sachs in the late 1990s and rose through roles in investment banking, advising corporations, sovereigns, and financial institutions across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Her work intersected with transactions involving firms like Facebook, Apple Inc., and regional investors connected to sovereign wealth funds such as Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. She led initiatives at Goldman Sachs focused on emerging markets and philanthropic capital, linking to programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, and World Economic Forum. After leaving the White House, she returned to Goldman Sachs to work on impact investing, collaborating with partners including Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, International Finance Corporation, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Political and government service

Powell served in the George W. Bush administration on domestic and foreign portfolios, then as Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy and later as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs under the United States Department of State during the Donald Trump administration. In Washington she worked on policy areas involving Middle East peace process diplomacy, engagement with Egyptian Revolution of 2011 actors, and outreach to regional partners including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Israel. Powell coordinated initiatives with institutions such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, and international organizations like the United Nations and NATO. She participated in high-profile dialogues at forums such as the World Economic Forum, the Munich Security Conference, and bilateral meetings with leaders from China, Russia, Turkey, and Jordan.

Philanthropy and nonprofit work

Powell has led philanthropic programs and nonprofits focused on women's economic empowerment, small business development, and refugee assistance, partnering with organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Rescue Committee, CARE International, and Heifer International. She founded and chaired initiatives at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program, linked to entrepreneurship training and microfinance networks like the Grameen Bank model and collaborations with Kiva. Powell has worked with charitable foundations such as the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Skoll Foundation, and Open Society Foundations on social impact projects. Her nonprofit engagement extended to boards and councils affiliated with Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Modern Art, and education-focused groups like the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership.

Personal life and views

Powell is married and has family ties in Texas and maintains connections to Egypt and the Middle East, balancing private sector work with public engagement at institutions including Council on Foreign Relations and Aspen Institute. Her views on international development, economic empowerment, and countering violent extremism have been expressed in speeches at venues such as Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and policy briefings at the Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute. Powell has advocated for public–private partnerships involving multinational corporations, nonprofit organizations, and multilateral banks like the World Bank to address migration, entrepreneurship, and stabilization in conflict-affected regions.

Category:1970s births Category:People from Cairo Category:American bankers Category:United States Assistant Secretaries of State Category:Living people