Welcome! My name is Mala Kumar and...
I am a global leader in social impact / technology for social good with deep expertise in UX research and design, open source software, and increasingly, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Throughout my 15+ year career, I have led groundbreaking initiatives that have reached 50,000+ people globally, contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals, and helped companies meet their ESG goals.
Most recently, I was a Senior Advisor at the World Health Organization. Previously, I was the Director of Tech for Social Good* at GitHub, a world renown software company, where I created five cutting-edge programs that leveraged the company’s core products, services, and communities. I spent the prior decade working at the United Nations and in INGOs and the private sector, in both English and French. Since 2007, I have lived and worked extensively in four continents. While NYC is home, I regularly travel to speak at conferences, run meetings, and conduct field research.
Separate to my tech work, I am the author of two novels. My second, What it Meant to Survive, will be published on October 1, 2024. My brother and I also co-ran the podcast, Desi Women Diaspora.
*Web Archive link as the site appeared in April 2023. May require a page refresh in Safari.
Email me at authormala [at] gmail [dot] com or use the button below to get in touch.
I am currently open to:
Full-Time Employment Roles
Paid Speaking Engagements
Paid Fellowships
Announcements
PRE-ORDER NOW! My second novel — What It Meant To Survive — is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
- I’ll be speaking at a virtual event in April. I recently spoke at three events in NYC, Mexico City and New Orleans. Read more here.
- I joined the Board of Directors of the nonprofit, Radiant Earth, in January 2024. Read a blog post about my career and why I joined the board.
Video Series
I’m one of the few people I know who went from the social sector to the tech industry. I have a series of videos to help others do the same:
• NEW! AI and the Sustainable Development Goals
• What are Responsible AI and AI for Social Good?
• Generative AI tools and natural language processing models in the social sector
Featured Talk
I’ve spoken at design and other tech conferences in Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and the States. Hear my talk at KIKK in Namur, Belgium on “Substantive Tech” to the right/below.
Unless otherwise stated, all content by Mala Kumar on malakumar.com is under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
