Motaz Attala

Motaz Attalla got his professional start documenting progressive schools and learning communities in rural Egypt, where he witnessed firsthand both the liberatory power of education and the unique vitality and complexity of rural communities. He went on to work across education reform, policy advocacy, and human rights, and along the way fit in a long stint as a standup comedian and a short one as an underwater boat hull cleaner in the San Francisco Bay.

Motaz has spent his career working at the intersection of systems change, civic engagement, and coalition building. At the Garfield Foundation, he served as a Program Officer and Technical Advisor, working hands-on to support and fund impact networks, an experience that deepened his conviction in the power of convening ecosystems of stakeholders to address complex, multi-dimensional challenges. Throughout his education policy and reform work, he has practiced as a facilitator and leadership coach, grounded in the belief that change is fractal in nature: it must happen simultaneously at the systemic, organizational, and individual level.

He is currently a Senior Program Officer for Public Engagement on the Gates Foundation's North America team, where he builds partnerships and coalitions to generate public support for bilateral and multilateral global health programs, including work with civil rights, diaspora and business advocacy organizations.

Motaz holds a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy from the American University in Cairo and an M.Ed. in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

He currently lives with his wife and three children in a leafy Northern Virginia suburb, where he keeps returning to questions around belonging, connection, and community.