Hadeil Ali

Hadeil Ali is director of the Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The program is dedicated to elevating diverse voices and perspectives to lead to more ideas, more innovation, and more robust policy solutions. Ms. Ali serves as a thought leader on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the national security space. She previously served as a program manager with the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at CSIS, where she led professional development opportunities for interns, staff, and external stakeholders. Prior to joining CSIS, she worked for World Learning, where she managed State Department grants and led youth educational development initiatives in the Middle East. Ms. Ali is the chair of the Think Tank Diversity Consortium. She is the events and programming lead with the Race Across the Pond Initiative at Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS) and a facilitator with the Anti-Racism Project. Ms. Ali has published numerous pieces with CSIS, Inkstick Media, Business Insider, and Medium on the topics of DEI and national security. She has participated in dozens of panels, lectures, and conferences throughout the United States. She is a ’22 ICAP fellow. She holds an MA in contemporary Arab studies with highest honors from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a BA in international relations and communications summa cum laude from Drury University. She speaks French, Arabic, and Spanish.