Rajiv Joshi

Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi is an economist, community organizer and entrepreneurial leader working at the intersection of environmental, social and economic justice. 

Originating from Kenya and India, Rajiv was born in Scotland, where he was nationally elected to represent young people. He is currently the President & Executive Director of Project Regeneration, has directed the world’s largest Global South-led alliance to end poverty and is a steward to climate action initiatives around the world. 

Raj is a co-architect of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Lead Author of the Decisive Decade Inquiry into the Future of Climate Action, commissioned by ex-UN Climate Chief, Christiana Figueres, global climate philanthropy and the Mission 2020 Campaign. He has supported global campaigns and initiatives to phase out fossil fuel , transform transform food systems, end illicit flows of capital, mobilize climate finance, advance the economics of wellbeing and halt biodiversity loss. He is a leading voice in exploring how philanthropy, and other actors, can use catalytic collaboration and high-risk capital to drive systemic change in the face of climate change and other converging crises.

Rajiv served as the inaugural Associate Dean for Climate Action at the Columbia Climate School, driving its launch with President Obama at COP26 and serving as the Chief Impact Officer together with a collective of co-Founding Deans, in this role he led the development of a Global Policy Impact Lab with California Clean Air Regulator Mary Nicholls while advising the Center for Global Energy Policy on Just Transition Finance, Trade and Energy Access. As an adjunct Professor at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) he has developed the University’s first class in Climate Technology and Regenerative Entrepreneurship, and is also Co-Chair of the Earth Network on the Social Climate, exploring the intersection of climate impacts, mental health and psychological resilience.

Rajiv is currently Founder of Bridging Ventures, an agency driving radical collaboration, through content, partnerships and coalitions, to address systemic challenges across generations, sectors and geographies. He has advised some of the worlds leading brands, incubated global programs and curated campaigns designed to drive changes in policy, practice and public opinion. Rajiv was appointed as an Executive-in-Residence at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and is an advisor to global leaders, grassroots NGOs, Governments, philanthropy and business. He was appointed as a Commissioner on Scotland’s Just Transition Commission alongside current IPCC Chair Jim Skea.

Rajiv served as the first Managing Director of The B Team, a not-for-profit initiative Co-Founded by Sir Richard Branson & Jochen Zeitz, together with Paul Polman, Mary Robinson, Ratan Tata and a growing group of the world’s leading CEOs, Union leaders and former Heads of State. In this role he worked with a range of leading companies including Nike, IKEA, Apple, SalesForce, Mastercard as well as social movements and NGOs including Extinction Rebellion, 350.org, Avaaz, WWF, GCAP, Transparency International, Action Aid, Business & Human Rights Resource Center, Global Witness and Extinction Rebellion, on climate change, human rights, governance and corporate accountability. While helping to build the global B-Corp movement.

Rajiv drove the Global Call to Action Against Poverty serving as Executive Director of the campaign and social movement, which was launched by Nelson Mandela and President Lula in 2005 together with Co- Chairs Kumi Naidoo, Sylvia Borren & Amitabh Behar. He served six years on the Council of Trustees of Oxfam GB and as a member of the Board of CIVICUS, the world alliance for citizen participation, based in Johannesburg where he was also on the Executive Committee. Rajiv was elected twice to represent young people in Scotland as Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament and was a Senior Consultant with CapGemini. He holds a BA with a First Class Honors in Economics from the Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow and an MPA in International Finance and Economic Policy from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in New York.

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