Allison Sambo

Allison guides the design and implementation of learning and evaluation at Waverley Street Foundation, supporting the organization and grant making portfolios to explore big questions like, is it working? for whom? And, how can we do it better? Her practice is guided by the belief that evaluation can be a learning tool through which we can integrate feedback, build stronger strategies, uplift innovation, and deepen collaborations.

Allison brings over 10 years of experience in organizations working on gender equality, sustainable agriculture, reproductive health, and gender-based violence. Most recently, she led research on social movements, including the development of tools to map and assess movements and monitor movement mobilization for Global Fund for Women. She co-leads a working group on Gender and Artificial Intelligence with the MERL Tech Initiative, where she helps build community and collaboration on technology and evaluation.

She holds a BA from the University of Iowa, and an MPA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her free time is spent chasing small kids, trail running, reading, and evangelizing about the greatness of the Midwest.