ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

Vyana is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Canadian Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade 

One of the main throughlines of my career has been my passion for helping improve the lives of others through public service, and I believe deeply in the potential for effective public policy to be a vehicle for positive impact.

Following roles in the Canadian public sector where I led cutting-edge policy on e-commerce, and in legislative institutions where I spearheaded the development of a community outreach program to make parliament more accessible to the public, I decided to pursue my MPA dual degree at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ and Columbia University to level up my capacity as a policy leader. I knew I wanted to explore my long-held interest in development policy - in addition to my conviction about how the policymaking process could incorporate a more grassroots perspective and be informed by the lived experiences of those for which policies are being developed.

My first year at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ was fundamental in exploring both these areas. Rigorous coursework in econometrics, social impact, and quantitative analysis gave me the tools to begin answering the questions I had long held and spurred my interest in leveraging impact evaluation tools in policy research. I parlayed my new skills and prior experience into roles during my MPA at an impact evaluation consulting firm supporting non-profits from around the world and in UK government relations at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These experiences underscored the practical considerations at play in shaping a global development policy agenda and measuring its impact. Importantly, it further illustrated to me that I craved working on grassroots economic development policy research.

Following my MPA, I worked as Research Manager at Harvard University’s Evidence for Policy Design in India, where I married my interest in on-the-ground research with my conviction around grassroots policymaking that directly connects with people’s lived experiences. In this role, I led research and designed evidence-based policies supporting rural women’s economic empowerment in the Indian state of Bihar and contributed to effective policymaking that bridged economic and social divides for the 42M women in rural Bihar.

Recently, I returned to Canada, equipped with the skills from my MPA and the professional experiences I was able to access through this skillset and network. In my current role as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, I lead work that supports economic development opportunities for marginalized communities and small businesses in Ontario.

Throughout so many aspects and phases of my life, my commitment to public service has been my guiding light, and without a doubt, my MPA dual degree at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ and Columbia University enabled me to further hone my skills in policy leadership. In particular, the MPA community at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ was one of the greatest parts of my MPA experience – I am humbled to call a group of such genuinely kind and inspiring people among my peers. Likewise, I am always happy to connect with current students and fellow alumni of the SPP!

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