CRG Associate,
Network Strategy and Enterprise Development
Rachael Tessema is a CRG Associate for Network Strategy and Enterprise Development at the Aspen Institute’s Center for Rising Generations. In this role, she works across programs to strengthen connections and expand opportunities for emerging leaders to engage meaningfully across the Institute’s global network.
She brings both domestic and international experience, along with a strong interest in expanding access to opportunity. Rachael previously worked with JaRco Consulting in Addis Ababa, where she supported development initiatives and partner engagement efforts in a context closely connected to her Ethiopian roots. She also conducted field-based research in Peru, working with women in the Amazon rainforest to better understand barriers to healthcare access and how health systems can respond more effectively.
Most recently, she contributed to national initiatives at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research focused on advancing health equity, including efforts to expand access to reproductive health services for community college students.
Rachael holds a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Virginia. She is particularly interested in global development and women’s health, with a focus on strengthening systems that expand access and opportunity.
Outside of work, she enjoys playing soccer, exploring new cities, and spending time outdoors.
CRG Associate,
Network Strategy and Enterprise Development
Rachael Tessema is a CRG Associate for Network Strategy and Enterprise Development at the Aspen Institute’s Center for Rising Generations. In this role, she works across programs to strengthen connections and expand opportunities for emerging leaders to engage meaningfully across the Institute’s global network.
She brings both domestic and international experience, along with a strong interest in expanding access to opportunity. Rachael previously worked with JaRco Consulting in Addis Ababa, where she supported development initiatives and partner engagement efforts in a context closely connected to her Ethiopian roots. She also conducted field-based research in Peru, working with women in the Amazon rainforest to better understand barriers to healthcare access and how health systems can respond more effectively.
Most recently, she contributed to national initiatives at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research focused on advancing health equity, including efforts to expand access to reproductive health services for community college students.
Rachael holds a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Virginia. She is particularly interested in global development and women’s health, with a focus on strengthening systems that expand access and opportunity.
Outside of work, she enjoys playing soccer, exploring new cities, and spending time outdoors.
