Alisa Swidler is a leading advocate and philanthropist across a host of health and human justice issues in the developing world. In the past 5 years, Alisa has partnered with President Bill Clinton’s foundation to provide access to vaccines in Asia, with Sir Richard Branson’s foundation to rid Africa of kerosene and with Queen Rania to increase public recognition of The Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI).

Alisa is currently a Trustee of The Sabin Vaccine Institute (in conjunction with Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor University) which develops vaccines for tropical diseases with support from Carlos Slim and Bill Gates. She is also a Trustee of The Walkabout Foundation which distributes wheelchairs, Millennium Promise UK and The Israeli Fund for UNICEF. She is on the Advisory Boards of The Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic in Tanzania, Solar Aid in Nairobi and One World Futbol which produces and distributes “indestructible” footballs in partnership with Chevrolet and Manchester United. In London, she serves on the Advisory Council of The British Red Cross, the Development Board of Prince William’s Centrepoint for homeless youth and is on the cusp of launching the London Patrons of The Scottish National Galleries. An American ex pat, Alisa has lived in the UK for the past 10 years with her husband and 5 young children.

She was recently named International Brand Ambassador for the ethical couture line, Eden Diodati, and her efforts in India around human trafficking and treating worm-based diseases through mass drug administration are  being profiled in an upcoming Mumbai edition of Elle Magazine.

One word that describes you?

Busy! (and determined)

What do you do?

I am a philanthropist focused primarily on treating neglected tropical diseases and ending human trafficking

Greatest influence?

President Clinton

Favourite part of your job?

Having global impact

Part that you enjoy the least? 

Due diligence visits that involve being away from my children (even if its just 24 hrs in Lagos or 48 hrs in Bihar!)

Greatest achievement

Raising 5 socially responsible, hard working, wonderfully imperfect children 

Plan B?

Politics!

Most prized possession?

My Crocodile Birkin (last year’s Channukah gift from my husband)