Introducing Effaced’s newest affiliate: Sara Woldehanna

We are delighted to welcome Sara Woldehanna as an Affiliate with Effaced.

Sara brings deep expertise in MEL, data strategy and governance, and systems strengthening. Her career spans applied research, technology, and social science, with a consistent focus on translating evidence into ethical and practical decision-making. She has led multi-stakeholder initiatives, designed large-scale studies, developed decision-support tools, and built data systems that align with organizational and strategic goals.

Sara previously served as Managing Director for Data, Strategy, and Impact at Polaris, where she oversaw strategy, research, technology, data governance, and AI innovation. She managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio supporting cross-functional teams and consultants, and she spearheaded the National Survivor Study, one of the most comprehensive datasets of U.S. trafficking survivors. Her work advanced policy research on financial inclusion, criminal records relief, and direct cash assistance, while also modernizing Polaris’s data ecosystem and integrating AI and machine learning into core organizational functions.

Before Polaris, Sara held leadership and technical roles with IBTCI, APHL, and FHI 360. At IBTCI, she led the design of a mixed-methods impact evaluation protocol for MCC’s Social Behavior Change portfolio, contributed to Ebola recovery case study evaluations, and managed teams across multiple countries. At APHL, she established the organization’s first monitoring and impact evaluation framework and introduced analytical methods including qualitative analysis, multivariate statistics, and social network analysis. At FHI 360, she served as principal investigator on mixed-methods studies under USAID’s PREVENT project, leading human-animal exposure studies and overseeing implementation across Asia and Africa.

Sara’s technical competencies span quasi-experimental design, mixed-methods research, longitudinal analysis, cost-effectiveness studies, data product development, complexity-aware approaches, and applications of AI and machine learning for social impact. She works across Africa, Asia, and North America and speaks English and Amharic.

We are grateful to welcome her analytical depth, strategic mindset, and global perspective as Effaced continues to strengthen its work in evidence generation, data strategy, and systems-focused development.