Our Leadership/

Zia Khan

Senior Advisor Our Leadership

Zia Khan is a Senior Advisor for The Rockefeller Foundation, which he joined in 2009. He most recently served as the Chief Innovation Officer, having previously led the Foundation’s global program and strategy teams. Prior to joining the Foundation, Zia founded and led the San Francisco office of Katzenbach Partners, advising clients in a range of industries on strategy, innovation, and organization. Zia serves as the Board Vice Chair for Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture and as a Board Director for Atlas AI, a company providing geospatial-based insights. Zia also serves on the advisory Boards for University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and Stanford Social Innovation Review Books.

Authored Content

  • Mar 13 2025
    Perspective Embracing Bold Innovation Zia Khan reflects on The Rockefeller Foundation's history of innovation Zia Khan
  • Oct 27 2020
    Perspective Innovating for a Bold Future At The Rockefeller Foundation, we’ve always tried to stay one step ahead – imagining futures that inspire bold action and making catalytic bets that can lead to long-term change. As an institution deeply rooted in science and technology, we understand their transformational power to address today’s challenges – and help plan for those we haven’t […] Zia Khan
  • Jun 19 2020
    Perspective Rebuilding Towards the Great Reset: Crisis, Covid-19, and the Sustainable Development Goals The year 2020 will forever be associated with crises. First came the Covid-19 pandemic, a joint public health and economic emergency that spread around the world with unprecedented speed and scope. Next came a crisis of international cooperation, as countries struggled to coordinate their efforts in tackling a common viral foe. Then came a compounding […] Zia Khan
  • Aug 29 2018
    Perspective Motivating Change: How the Data Revolution Can Feed the Next Green Revolution The Rockefeller Foundation’s legacy in agriculture — from pioneering the Green Revolution to supporting innovations like drone-assisted farming — shows that while data and technology can unlock transformative progress, their true impact depends on driving human behavior change in partnership with the communities they aim to serve. Zia Khan