Zari Havercome

Portfolio Associate

Zari is a Portfolio Associate for the Connecticut Opportunity Project at Dalio Education, where she supports the collaboration between grantee partner organizations and our Portfolio Directors in improving organizational capacity and performance. She plays a key role in the curation of CTOP content to be shared with stakeholders of all types as well as the planning and execution of grantee partner convenings.

Prior to joining the Connecticut Opportunity Project in 2023, Zari spent the last 10 years travelling the world through international youth development. Her praxis of global development has led her to work within and alongside communities in Haiti, Italy, Thailand, Australia, and Honduras through local governments, non-profit programs, school systems, and health clinics. Her area of expertise in youth development is grounded in what she calls “culturally responsive critical thinking development” because she understands that empowering a young person in Thailand will look different from empowering a young person in Haiti.

After completing a B.A. in Health: Science, Society & Policy and a B.A. in International & Global Studies, Zari went on to serve as an AmeriCorps member in City Year NYC, followed by her service as a Youth in Development Specialist in Peace Corps Thailand.

Afterwards, Zari completed a dual Masters’ degree with a Social Impact MBA and a MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management to inform her belief that social impact investing is another method to support youth worldwide.

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Her hobbies include collecting perfumes, extreme sports, and producing music.